There’s an old saying in darts, popularised by the legendary showman Bobby George. He liked to say: “Scoring’s for show, doubles for dough.” The premise is; you can spend all day banging in maximum one-hundred-and-eighty scores, but unless you can hit the doubles to close out the game, you’re going home.
We wonder what Bobby would have to say about Target Darts’ new Arcade initiative? It leverages Target’s $649 / £500 Omni scoring system, which has precision cameras around the light ring for automated scoring. The Arcade system offers new, darts-based video games like Board is Lava, Battlesplash and Alien Invasion. It looks a bit like a classic Nintendo Wii game, but with actual darts being thrown into an actual board, rather than a simulated through using a virtual Wiimote. The action is portrayed on a connected screen next to the board. I love my Friday night darts down the local, but this sounds like a lot of fun too.
It’s part of the equipment manufacturer’s bid to grow darts’ appeal beyond the traditional number-based metrics of singles, doubles and trebles counting down from 501. The company says some of the connected experiences are designed to add a little fun, while others can help wannabe Luke Littlers sharpen up their game.
If you’ve played at a Flight Club bar, the games are reminiscent of what’s on show here. However, Flight Club’s games only work if you’re using the crap brass darts they give you. Here you can use your own.
Alongside Target Arcade, the company is also at IFA 2026 in Berlin to showcase its new Target Live service, where arrowsmiths can play online, directly against top professional players in the Target stable. Littler will be in there, as will the emerging talent Beau Greaves, and the occasional celebrity.
“Target Live introduces a new, complementary format for darts entertainment, with planned regular live sessions featuring professional players, celebrities, coaches and emerging darts personalities. Players will be able to join these experiences, compete alongside their favourite names and take part in live moments that bring fans closer to the sport’s biggest personalities,” the manufacturer says in a press release.
The feature builds upon the DartCounter app, which has enabled darts players to more easily compete with each other online, either with the Omni scoring system, or without.
Target Darts CEO James Tattersall says: “We want a future where fans don’t just watch the sport – they become part of it. Where geography is no barrier to competition. Where playing against the world’s best players is possible from your own home. Where gaming, entertainment and sport come together to create entirely new experiences. And where new audiences discover darts through the personalities, stories and moments that make the sport so special.
“Target Live and Target Arcade are important milestones on that journey, but the ambition is much bigger.”
Read the full article here
