Japanese company takes Sanfermines, Tomatina to metaverse
Tokyo, Dec 23 (EFE).- A Japanese company has transferred to the metaverse an existing theme park about Spain in Shima, a city in the center of the country, where it has recreated the Sanfermines and La Tomatina in a minigame.
The architect of the project is Newtrace, who has brought Parque Espana (Shima Spain Village) to the Roblox platform, which, in addition to conventional attractions, has reproductions of landscapes such as Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid or the Castle of Javier de Navarra.
As part of its partial arrival in the metaverse, the team has developed a game called “Running of the bulls” similar to Spain’s Sanfermines festival, and in which the participants must dodge the bulls as they flee, throwing tomatoes at them, in a particular integration of La Tomatina.
Depending on the amount of digital coins collected in the virtual world, “users can get popular items such as churros,” the company said on the website of this corner of the metaverse.
Parque España opened on Roblox on Dec. 20.
The Shima Spain Village opened its doors in April 1994 as part of an ambitious tourism plan by the local government of Mie Prefecture. It currently consists of three large areas, the theme park itself, a hotel complex and hot springs.
As in other typical theme parks, Parque España hosts parades with original characters inspired by Spanish folklore, as well as flamenco shows, among other activities.
Its attractions include the Iron Bull carriage experience, in which the cars are bulls; a revolving attraction that instead of cups has tomatoes, called La Tomatina. It also has a projection room built in the likeness of the Puerta del Cambron in Toledo, the Los Pirineos and Gran Montserrat roller coasters, a carousel inspired by Gaudi and several made after “Don Quixote de la Mancha.”
Despite not reaching the volume of other large theme parks such as Disneyland and the progressive decline in visitors over the years (it received more than 4 million annually), more than 1 million people traveled to Parque España in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. EFE
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