It’s 2026 already, and the global Family Entertainment Center (FEC) world is quietly going through a really cool revolution. Especially in the two biggest, most trend-setting markets—North America and Europe—people are ditching passive screen time and going all-in on Active Play: the kind of fun where you actually move, sweat, compete, and yell with your friends or family.
Let me break down what’s driving this shift and why Activate Games Factory is perfectly positioned to ride (and fuel) the wave.
North America: From Screen Addiction to “We Gotta Move”
North America still holds about 42% of the global FEC market share, and in places like the US and Canada, the whole vibe has flipped toward Competitive Socializing—people want to hang out, but they also want to battle it out and feel alive.
After years of peak digital overload, families are on a mission to get offline and active again. Parents are realizing endless iPad time isn’t doing kids any favors, so they’re hunting for experiences that get everyone running, jumping, dodging, and high-fiving. That’s exactly where Activate Games Factory shines: their high-tech interactive rooms mix the thrill and rewards of video games with real physical effort—solving the classic “I want fun but don’t want my kids to become potatoes” dilemma.Smart operators in the US have caught on quick too. They use these active game rooms as the main draw, which keeps people around way longer (hello, extended dwell time). When everyone’s hyped and moving, they get hungry and thirsty fast—food & beverage sales shoot up, and the average check per person climbs noticeably.
After years of peak digital overload, families are on a mission to get offline and active again. Parents are realizing endless iPad time isn’t doing kids any favors, so they’re hunting for experiences that get everyone running, jumping, dodging, and high-fiving. That’s exactly where Activate Games Factory shines: their high-tech interactive rooms mix the thrill and rewards of video games with real physical effort—solving the classic “I want fun but don’t want my kids to become potatoes” dilemma.Smart operators in the US have caught on quick too. They use these active game rooms as the main draw, which keeps people around way longer (hello, extended dwell time). When everyone’s hyped and moving, they get hungry and thirsty fast—food & beverage sales shoot up, and the average check per person climbs noticeably.
Europe: Tight Spaces + Wellness Obsession = Perfect Match
Europe’s story is a bit different, but the fit is just as strong—especially in the UK, DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), and Benelux countries. Cities are dense, real estate is insanely expensive, and there’s a serious wellness culture baked in.Activate Games Factory’s modular setups are genius here: small footprint, massive revenue per square meter—one of the best in the industry. A compact retail space or mall corner can turn into a glowing, neon-lit magnet that pulls crowds without eating up half the floor.Plus, European companies are increasingly serious about employee wellness. HR teams love booking these venues for team-building and fitness days. The cloud-based leaderboard system makes it super easy to run cross-location corporate tournaments—super fun and motivating. That corporate segment in Europe has grown 23% in just the last 18 months, and people are loving it.
The Big Global Trends Fueling All This
Whether you’re on one side of the Atlantic or the other, three huge shifts are giving models like Activate Games Factory a massive boost:
- “Exertainment” is officially mainstream — Exercise + entertainment isn’t niche anymore. In 2026, 57% of new FEC projects are prioritizing active tech over classic arcade machines.
- Rising labor costs? Automation to the rescue — Staff expenses keep climbing, and old-school soft-play centers or theme parks need tons of people. Activate rooms, once installed, run mostly hands-off with minimal supervision—huge cost saver.
- Built-in viral marketing — Those neon-lit, sensor-triggered, glowing environments are pure social-media catnip. Guests film themselves, post, and boom—free organic promo in super-competitive Western markets.
Reliable Supply Chain = No Headaches
When the market heats up, supply chain hiccups can kill momentum. Activate Games Factory handles it all in-house:
- Hardware meets strict CE (Europe) and UL (North America) safety standards—smooth sailing for international installs.
- They own the game software source code, so remote updates drop new content anytime. Venues stay fresh and exciting without buying new hardware every year.
Wrapping It Up
The explosion of Active Play in Europe and North America is hands-down one of the juiciest opportunities in the amusement industry right now. For developers, operators, or franchise folks, success boils down to durable hardware, endlessly replayable software, and a recognizable brand. Activate Games Factory nails all three.If you’re feeling like passive entertainment has run its course and you’re ready to jump into the “move-to-play” global boom, swing by http://iactivate.top/ to check out their international installs and case studies.