HTC has today announced plans to bring the HTC Vive virtual reality (VR) platform to eSports gamers through a partnership with Meltdown, the world’s first eSports bar chain which attracts 40,000 gamers each month. On Wednesday 16th November, HTC will begin an official collaboration with Meltdown where gamers will get the chance to try the VR head-mounted display (HMD) and compete against each other to win prizes. This pan-European partnership aims to make the most immersive VR experience currently available, accessible to all, and explores the possibility of VR videogames as eSports.
Selected Meltdown bars will be running a series of ‘Vive Nights’ for a month-long period, where gamers can get hands on with the VR technology for free. The first night will be taking place on Wednesday, 16th November 2016, simultaneously at Meltdown bars across London, Cologne and Paris.
Survios’ bestselling sci-fi title Raw Data, a high-octane, made-for-VR first-person shooter (FPS), is highlighted as a feature title during the series of events. At the inaugural Vive Night events, players can partner up to try Raw Data in co-operative mode. Prizes up for grabs include complete HTC Vive setups with a Raw Data Steam key, as well as private Vive nights for winners and their friends and up to £50 GBP to spend at Meltdown bars.
“We’re really excited about our partnership with Meltdown, which will allow even more people to experience Vive” said Jon Goddard, Marketing Director, VR (Europe) at HTC. “We understand that Vive is an expensive purchase, and to truly convince people of the possibilities that room-scale VR allows, they have to try it. Not everyone can get to the big gaming conferences, so by partnerships such as this, we’re continuing our mission to make Vive accessible to everyone – from gamers, to tech and entertainment enthusiasts alike.”
Sophia Metz, Founder of Meltdown commented, “Virtual reality is the future of gaming, and we are thrilled to be able to offer this immersive experience to our customers thanks to the HTC VIVE.”
Vive Nights will take place at Meltdown bars regularly throughout the month of November. The details of the UK event series are as follows:
Meltdown, 342 Caledonian Road, London, N1 1BB
Wednesday, 16th November 2016
Wednesday, 23rd November 2016
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Wednesday, 7th December 2016
VRFocus will continue to keep you updated with all the latest events in the VR industry, including those specifically targeting the UK audience.