Cineplex Opens Playdium in Nova Scotia, Canada with Movies, Gaming, Bowling, Virtual Reality

Playdium (CNW Group/Cineplex)

Cineplex opened its newest location Tuesday, a 30,000 square foot cinema entertainment center called Playdium which features bowling, video games, restaurants, and virtual reality in addition to movie offerings.

Located right near the 12-screen Cineplex Cinemas Dartmouth Crossing — which opened in 1997 and was acquired by Cineplex in 2013 — this marks the company’s third foray into the Playdium concept, along with its Brampton and Whitby locations, which both opened in 2019 in Ontario.

The Dartmouth location will include virtual reality games such as Time ZombiesGunslinger, and PowerPlay, while their arcade games range from roller coaster simulations to first-person shooters. A bowling alley is adjacent.

Expanded menu offerings include Korean fried chicken, shrimp po boy, and three different types of poutine: shwarma, “mac attack,” and “the OG.” (It is Canada, after all.)

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the venue is opening under reduced capacity restrictions.

The Toronto-based company ranked fourth in Boxoffice PRO‘s annual 2020 Giants of Exhibition list of North America’s largest exhibitors, and the largest in Canada with about 75 percent of the country’s box office.

This new Playdium location arrives at a fortuitous time. Earlier this week, Cineplex reported a 96 percent drop in Q4 box office from 2019 to 2020, amid the company’s 81 percent decline for the year overall.

The larger trend of cinema entertainment centers has surged in the past few years, with circuits opening locations featuring everything from ropes courses to axe throwing, miniature golf to escape rooms.

A grand opening celebration for the Playdium Dartmouth location will be hosted this Saturday, February 20.

Playdium (CNW Group/Cineplex)

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