Froyo places are far from dead, it's just that after the initial uptrend with a place on every corner, it has solidified as a market of a few chain stores. I'm expecting the same to happen with escape rooms.
Also, not sure if low-cost is right either, escape rooms are usually around 30e per hour per person at least here where I am from.
and finally, your last sentence feels like a weird sort of "oh its just x but with y" handwaving that you could use on any sort of new activity.
As for low cost, I meant to start one. Service-based, low amount of employees, not much need for location if you focus on appointments, etc.
They’re much smaller than Square Enix, but they’re the most popular escape game producer in Japan. And escape games are currently booming here, so they’ve managed to work with a lot of big franchises.
well, you've gotta rent the building, so if you don't have it full all the time, that's a pretty hefty cost, at least around here. The days of $1/sqft industrial space are long gone
The other more recent innovation is "roomless" escape rooms. Basically, they'll show up at your office or house with a trunk full of stuff, set it up let you work your way through it, collect a check and leave.
My guess is that it's mostly advertising in franchise lifestyle places (like magazines) combined with the fact that it's selling a relatively low-cost service and works more by appointment than an open storefront. Sort of a cheap version of a business retreat or clown showing up at your birthday party.
Interestingly, a company as big as Square Enix has one, their "Trials of Bahamut" escape room in various cities.
Oh, and they aren't really new per se, it's just dinner mystery theatre without the dinner. Places have been doing that for decades.