Mountain World vs. GameWorks

Forget the console wars. The real battle seems to be in "location-based multimedia entertainment complexes." You know, places that serve up food, drinks, arcade games, maybe a little virtual reality or laser tag action ...

It's not an altogether new concept, but it appears poised to take off - or at least plenty of people with deep, deep pockets think so.

The Holoworld restaurant opened its doors in September. GameWorks complexes are sprouting across the US like mushrooms after a rainstorm. And now, Mountain World Entertainment announces that its first "multimillion dollar entertainment/restaurant complex" is set to open today in Whistler, British Columbia.

The Canadian destination brings in approximately $1.5 million each year from visitors, and that fits in with Mountain World's business plan of constructing "a location-based entertainment centre concept for development in four-season mountain resorts in Canada and the United States."

The official grand opening of Mountain World's "centre" isn't until Nov. 29, but the public can stop by today to take in sports simulations like downhill ski racing, snowboarding and golf, large format video games, "immersive experiences," climbing walls, and even traditional indoor attractions such as pool and shuffleboard, along with a restaurant in case folks get hungry.