TECH-FUELED FUN
Virtual reality theme parks ready to beam into Houston area
Feb 4, 2019, 12:18 pm
Could be coming soon to a vacant Toys R Us near you. Photo courtesy of Legend Heroes
This article originally appeared on CultureMap and was written by John Egan.
Coming soon to a vacant retail store near you: an indoor virtual reality "theme park" being planned by a company based in Singapore.
D. Legends Holdings Pte Ltd. has hired a New Jersey real estate brokerage, R.J. Brunelli & Co. LLC, to scout the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas for shuttered retail spaces — like former Toys R Us stores — to house virtual reality entertainment centers.
It's part of the rollout of the Singapore company's Legend Heroes Park concept in major U.S. metro areas, the brokerage says in a release. Aside from Houston and DFW, those markets include Boston, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
Capitalizing on technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms, and motion tracking, Legend Heroes Park enables customers to immerse themselves in next-generation attractions such as rides, arcade games, entertainment, and sports like football and archery.
The first Legend Heroes Park opened recently in Macau, a casino and mall mecca off the coast of China.
In the U.S., R.J. Brunelli is focusing on old retail spaces measuring 30,000 to 40,000 square feet — roughly the size of an average Best Buy or Bed Bath & Beyond store — to house the high-tech parks, it says. The overall ceiling height must be at least 16 feet, with 40 percent of the space accommodating rides 32 feet tall or more.
Continue reading on CultureMap to find out the Global Market forecast for virtual and augmented reality.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.