Category: arcade

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Avengers: Damage Control Review – The VOID’s Best Location-Based VR Experience Yet

The latest location-based VR experience from The Void, dubbed Avengers: Damage Control, has launched and I got the chance to run through the ILMxLAB-developed official Marvel experience while visiting Anaheim, CA last weekend.

Similar to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, Avengers: Damage Control is an official story directly connected to the franchise’s cinematic universe. In the experience you meet up with Shuri in Wakanda and are granted access to a new prototype armor system that blends Iron Man’s suit technology with cutting-edge Wakanda science to deliver something that feels adequately next-generation and powerful.

While testing out the new suit the base is attacked and you’re thrust into a huge battle alongside The Avengers to beat back a resurgent Ultron that’s erupted out of the Damage Control facility back at a Stark Industries compound.

Narratively it takes place after Endgame in a world that’s still coming to grips with the aftermath of those events. Being able to step into a world I’ve become familiar with over the course of over 20 different feature films is pretty fantastic.

Just like all other experiences from The VOID, Avengers: Damage Control is part video game and part roleplaying experience. The employees at the Downtown Disney location in Anaheim, CA treated us like new recruits at S.H.I.E.L.D. and asked us to “assemble” and select the suit of armor we most wanted to wear inside the experience.

Getting debriefed by the actual live actors from the films via video transmission felt appropriately superhero-esque and it absolutely measured up as an extension of not only the cinematic universe, but as an extension of the Disneyland experience.

In Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire you’re given a rifle that’s tracked using sensors around the facility and the experience is heavily focused on firing the rifle at enemies like Stormtroopers as you move from one room to the next, with some light puzzle-solving elements here and there. Avengers: Damage Control is actually quite different since there is no gun at all.

In lieu of shooting a gun there are four main movements you can do in combat. To fire energy blasts out of your hands you can either point a single hand forward to fire or hold both hands close together for a more powerful shot. In either case it takes about a second to charge up and fire a shot which gives you time to line up your aiming reticle. However, this means you can’t shoot rapidly and are required to wait for energy beams to shoot automatically while aiming.

Alternatively, you can also hold up your wrists, facing outward (shown above,) to absorb enemy fire. Once charged up you can then hold both hands together to fire lock-on missiles for big damage.

The headsets used for this experience are the same as all other VOID experiences, which means they’re original Oculus Rifts that are retro-fitted into helmets alongside backpack PCs to power things, with Leap Motion sensors embedded into the front of the visor. In late 2019 I can definitely say that Leap Motion is starting to get quite long in the tooth. Generally it works well enough and if I hold my hands out directly in front of my face it does a decent job, but it can’t keep up with quick movements and seems to have a very narrow field of view to see where my hands are located.

For an experience that is entirely based on hand tracking, the technology here leaves a bit to be desired. It lacks the haptic feedback and satisfaction of holding a rifle, cradled in your shoulder, like Star Wars and instead preys on the childhood nostalgia of wanting to shoot energy beams from your palms. It worked for me given my nerdy upbringing, but won’t be as awe-inspiring for others.

It’s also worth mentioning that I and one other person in my group lost tracking at one moment and only saw a black void. Neither of our other two team members could see us and we couldn’t see them but voice communications still worked. After fumbling around in the dark for a minute or two we eventually popped back in. This happened during a scene where we all had to walk through Doctor Strange portals and it felt like what I imagine it would to get lost in the Dark Dimension for a bit.

Not only are you not given a physical weapon prop at all, but it actually feels much longer and more involved in general. I didn’t time it specifically so I can’t be absolutely certain, but I’m pretty sure my group and I spent close to 30 minutes inside the experience itself not counting onboarding prep. For comparison, the other experiences I’ve done at The VOID felt more like around 15-20 minutes. Again, I’m not positive, but it definitely seemed longer. On top of that, combat was only around half of the content this time around as there was much more exposition with several characters jumping in and out of scenes from across the entire MCU.

What really makes Avengers: Damage Control stand-out above other experiences from The VOID I’ve tried and even other LBE experiences in general is just how connected and in-tune with the rest of the MCU it felt. This really did make me feel like I was stepping inside of the cinematic universe rather than just playing a quick vertical slice of mostly unrelated content.

Story-based spoilers ahead for the next two paragraphs

From the opening moments that you speak with Shuri, to the final battle against a giant Ultron, it was hard to keep up with just how much was going on around me. I got to stand face-to-face with Doctor Strange, step through his portals, fight alongside Spider-Man, Ant-Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Falcon, War Machine, and what feels like a never-ending list of iconic heroes.

Words cannot properly convey just how exciting it was to crane my neck upwards as an enormous hunk of metal is rocketing towards me from the sky just before Spider-Man swings into view, catches the debris, and then Ant-Man shrinks us down to be smaller than popcorn kernels on the floor. We got to fly air ships through the city, pass through portals that briefly visited arctic locales complete with snow droplets on our skin and cold air blasting, and even stand side-by-side with the God of Thunder, Thor, himself. It felt extremely similar to the final battle scene in Avengers: Endgame, complete with heroes appearing out of portals at the last minute and everything.

Story-based spoilers are now over

Avengers: Damage Control VR Review Verdict:

Despite the technological limitations of Leap Motion hand tracking, the content on display in Avengers: Damage Control is far and away the best location-based VR experience I’ve had to date. The VOID and ILMxLAB have managed to pack a short film’s worth of Marvel Cinematic Universe-quality narrative power into an immersive and exciting adventure that really makes you feel like a member of The Avengers. From the witty dialogue quips and enormous cast of familiar characters, it’s an immersive experience of unrivaled quality for Marvel fans.

Final Score: :star: :star: :star: :star:  4/5 Stars | Really Good

You can read more about our new five-star scoring policy here.

You can play Avengers: Damage Control at several The VOID locations now with tickets starting at around $40.

The post Avengers: Damage Control Review – The VOID’s Best Location-Based VR Experience Yet appeared first on UploadVR.

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Zero Latency: Analyzing What Makes For Good Location-Based VR Games

Recently I, along with UploadVR’s Digital Marketing Manager, Tatjana Vejnovic, got to try out two experiences at Zero Latency’s Melbourne location. Here are my impressions!

We’ve covered some of Zero Latency’s experiences before, but for those who are unfamiliar, the concept is pretty simple. Zero Latency allows you to take part in wireless co-op VR experiences with up to 8 players, all of which take place in a large open plan warehouse, allowing you to move somewhat freely within the game world without worrying about bumping into obstacles or walls.

All of Zero Latency’s locations use custom VR headsets, along with a proprietary custom assault gun for each player, for games which require one. They’re even now offering a new PvP experience, which we previously covered, and the Melbourne Zero Latency staff mentioned how they had just hosted their first PvP esports tournament the week before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adkvs2Qjqj0

While at Zero Latency, Tatjana and I played two different sessions. The first was Zombie Outbreak, a fairly stock-standard VR co-op zombie shooter experience, with the added gimmick of free roaming in the large space. It features a well-worn narrative – a city has been infected by zombies, and you have to clear them out of the city. There are few gun upgrades here and there, but your standard gun can switch between being an assault rifle and a shotgun. The whole experience takes about 45 minutes and you move through various different scenes and set pieces until you reach the end.

The second session was split into two games, the first of which, Engineerium, was a puzzle-game with no gun prop, but lots of walking and exploring. You and your teammates walk through a trippy environment that makes you feel as if you’re walking parallel to the ground, sometimes upside down, and even in the opposite orientation to your peers as you solve basic puzzles over roughly 20 minutes.

The final part of session two featured a game called Singularity that was a sci-fi space shooter, similar in gameplay concept to Zombie Outbreak, but shorter in length at around only 25 minutes. It sees you and your team fight off hordes of robots on a spaceship, with a variety of different guns and more closed in corridors and spaces that see you move through the spaceship until you get to a final boss battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r3jCvb1p5w

Both sessions took place in the exact same physical space, with the same hardware, however they could not have been more different. The first session, with Zombie Outbreak, was a frankly woeful experience, and left me extremely skeptical about Zero Latency as a whole. The session was constantly interrupted and paused for multiple reasons – someone would get too close to a wall, or sometimes the game supervisor would have to explain what was going on, sometimes two people would be too close together, causing the game to pause to avoid a collision. The system and gameplay became very frustrating, very quickly.

I wasn’t feeling that excited about heading into the second session. However, it was completely different. In both Engineerium and Singularity, we were barely interrupted, spare a few times here and there. The flow of the gameplay was much smoother and the whole experience felt much more polished. Our game supervisor barely needed to intervene in either game, and much less overall than in Zombie Outbreak. The session could not have been more different to the first – it was much more enjoyable.

I walked out of Zero Latency feeling quite confused. It was the same physical space, the same constraints, the same technology, and yet the two sessions felt like they were run by two different companies. The first session I would never willingly play again, whereas the second sessions was an experience I would willingly show to others as an introduction to the vast possibilities and immersion of VR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmpRAemXSsE

On my way home, I realized why the difference was so stark – it comes down to gameplay and level design. Zombie Outbreak was designed with poor systems overall – it didn’t use the physical space well, it left newcomers confused, and it’s level layout meant that people often ended up bunched up and bumping into each other and the game’s boundaries. Singularity, which at its core is the same 8 person co-op shooter concept as Zombie Outbreak, felt much more thoughtfully design. Its levels provided direction and areas for each of the 8 players to explore, without getting into each other’s way too frequently.

After the second session, it struck me that Engineerium and Singularity had distinct, fun art-styles. On the other hand, Zombie Outbreak had a really muted colour palette with no defined style at all. It was trying to look realistic, but mostly  just looked like any shooter game from the mid 2000s.

While this certainly had an impact on the games’ aesthetical appeal, it also affect the gameplay and how the groups approached the levels as well. With so many brown surfaces and dark colours, Zombie Outbreak’s aesthetic design never gave you a good indicator of where to go or how to move through the space. In fact, Zombie Outbreak takes advantage of the warehouse’s open plan space in the worst way possible – most of its environments are just a wide open street or large room you can walk around. This hypothetically sounds great, but in reality it means that all 8 players are rarely directed anywhere in a clear manner, so everyone just gravitates to the edges of the game area boundaries, where enemies spawn. People tended to just bunch up in groups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd8ta74Aow4

In our session, this lead to what seemed like endless game pauses – due to person-to-person collisions or people standing too close to walls – and lots of directions from the game’s supervision via our headsets. Our supervisor would often had to direct stragglers or confused players in the right direction, as the game’s art style and level layout doesn’t give much clear assistance.

On the flip side, Singularity’s levels understand that just because you have a big open warehouse to play in, you shouldn’t necessarily design your game to take advantage of that in a literal way. They’ve taken the space and made virtual walls, corridors and small rooms. It’s not just a big open space with no barriers, it’s a proper spaceship that feels closed in and almost claustrophobic. However, ironically this means you end up exploring and walking around more than you do in the large, empty space in Zombie Outbreak. You always have a good idea of where to go, as the corridors direct you to the right area, and it gives players frequent opportunities to break off into groups. With less players bunched up in the same spaces, you have less collisions. The superior level design also meant the supervisor doesn’t have to chime in with advice very often, because the layout of the ship naturally directs you without assistance. The difference this makes to the overall experience is literally game-changing.

Singularity felt like a game that was designed to take advantage of a large open space in a way that facilitates maximum immersion. Zombie Outbreak felt like it was designed simply to showcase the vast dimensions of the warehouse floor plan, which in turn makes the experience feel less tailored and much more frustrating.

zero latency singularity

Singularity’s design also means that you lose track of your physical position in the warehouse itself, due to its turning corridors and clever design. You can never quite tell where you’re standing in the physical warehouse, compared to where you started. In Zombie Outbreak, the levels generally always resembled the shape of the warehouse’s play area, so I was always vaguely aware of where I was physically in the real world, which feels much less immersive.

The puzzle game, Engineerium, is on a whole different level in this regard. The game is set on floating blocks that turn, move and rotate to completely separate your group and completely immerse you until you have no idea where you are in the physical space. You can’t even begin to think about where you are in the physical space, because the game has played so many visual and design tricks on your mind that make it near impossible to contemplate.

Without spoiling too much, in some parts of Engineerium you’ll look up and see a fellow player standing upside down above you, or standing perpendicular to you on a platform angled at 90 degrees. While you know that everyone is still standing flat in the physical game space, it’s a miracle of design that this effect can be achieved while ensuring no one bumps into each other in real life. It left me truly puzzled and amazed – it’s a dazzling effect and a great use of the physical space.

While Engineerium doesn’t use the gun props, the usage of the physical gun prop in Singularity and Zombie Outbreak were implemented quite differently as well. The gun itself was better represented in Singularity than it was in Zombie Outbreak – in the former, the gun model in-game matched the physical prop quite well, and even showed you the physical buttons on the in-game model, so they were easier to locate while playing. The Zombie Outbreak in-game model didn’t fully match the physical gun prop, and the buttons weren’t represented on the game’s model. This meant I often had to fiddle with the physical prop to find the buttons, as you couldn’t locate them by looking at the in-game model. It was a minor inconvenience, but another way the design of one game helped create a much better experience overall compared to the other.

zero latency vr engineerium

Leaving Zero Latency, I came away with a new perspective. Without knowing both sessions were run by Zero Latency at the Melbourne warehouse, I would have said the two sessions were run by different companies and not affiliated in any way. Singularity and Engineerium felt like experiences that took the potential that the large warehouse space offered, and used it in a way that immerses you and surprises you with minimal interruptions. On the other hand, Zombie Outbreak simply felt like you had been plonked in a generic zombie VR game and the designers had drawn a large Oculus-style guardian barrier around the warehouse floor, leaving you to contend for space with the other players, with no real direction.

It just goes to show the degree to which game design can affect a VR experience. You can have the same physical space with the same hardware, but if you haven’t put thought into a game’s design, it can quickly fall flat. To some who are new or inexperienced, VR  technology can still feel like a gimmick or something they’ve never experienced. In those situations, developers can often get away with sub-par game design, as the focus is on the technology. However, as the technology becomes more mainstream, this is quickly changing.

Zero Latency HP Headset VR Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality

VR developers need to make sure that their level design, art style and gameplay are developing at a pace that matches the expectations of consumers that are becoming increasingly used to VR technology. Zero Latency is the perfect example of both the good and bad ends of that spectrum.

The post Zero Latency: Analyzing What Makes For Good Location-Based VR Games appeared first on UploadVR.

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VR beim Deutschen Computerspielpreis 2019

Auch in diesem Jahr wird der Deutsche Computerspielpreis verliehen und mit ihm werden spannende Projekte aus Deutschland geehrt. Virtual Reality spielt in diesem Jahr eine große Rolle, denn gleich mehrere Kategorien glänzen mit VR-Inhalten.

VR beim Deutschen Computerspielpreis 2019

Zu den nominierten VR-Titeln gehören in diesem Jahr Escape the Lost Pyramid von Ubisoft und Tower Tag von VR-Nerds. Während Ubisoft für die beste Inszenierung nominiert ist, dürfen wir uns über eine Nominierung in gleich zwei Kategorien freuen. Tower Tag ist als beste Innovation und für das beste Gamedesign nominiert.

Hier findet ihr alle Nominierungen für dieses Jahr:

Bestes Deutsches Spiel (dotiert mit 110.000 Euro)

  • supertype (kamibox)
  • Trüberbrook (Bildundtonfabrik / Headup Games)
  • Unforeseen Incidents (Backwoods Entertainment / Application Systems Heidelberg)

Bestes Kinderspiel (dotiert mit 75.000 Euro)

  • Fiete World (Ahoiii Entertainment)
  • Laika (Mad About Pandas)
  • supertype (kamibox)

Bestes Jugendspiel (dotiert mit 75.000 Euro)

  • Nova Nukers! (Lemonbomb Entertainment / Assemble Entertainment)
  • Trüberbrook (Bildundtonfabrik / Headup Games)
  • Unforeseen Incidents (Backwoods Entertainment / Application Systems Heidelberg)

Nachwuchspreis – Konzept

(dotiert mit 65.000 Euro: 1.Platz: 35.000 Euro, 2 x 2. Platz mit je 15.000 Euro)

  • AnotherWhere (Benjamin Feder, Dyako Mahmoudi, Laura Reinhardt, Morten Newe – HTW Berlin)
  • Elizabeth (Alexander Sartig, Jesco von Puttkamer, Jonathan Kees, Julian Wotjak,
    Julietta Hofmann, Tobias Hermann – HTW Berlin)
  • Sonority (Madeline Reinaldo Mendoza, Willi Schorrig, Elisa Schorrig – HdM Stuttgart)

Nachwuchspreis – Prototyp

(dotiert mit 65.000 Euro: 1.Platz: 35.000 Euro, 2 x 2. Platz mit je 15.000 Euro)

  • A Juggler’s Tale (Steffen Oberle, Enzio Probst, Dominik Schön, Sven Bergmann und weitere – Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg)
  • Meander Book (Marlene Käseberg – HTW Berlin)
  • Orbital Bullet (Yves Masullo, Robin Mächtel, Corinna Benz – SRH Hochschule Heidelberg)

Bestes Serious Game (dotiert mit 40.000 Euro)

  • Laika (Mad About Pandas)
  • Moving Tomorrow – A Cultural Journey (waza! / ESCP Europe Business School)
  • State of Mind (Daedalic Entertainment)

Bestes Mobiles Spiel (dotiert mit 40.000 Euro)

  • Marbloid (Supyrb)
  • see/saw (kamibox)
  • supertype (kamibox)

Bestes Gamedesign (dotiert mit 40.000 Euro)

  • supertype (kamibox)
  • Synthetik (Flow Fire Games)
  • Tower Tag (VR-Nerds)

Beste Innovation (dotiert mit 40.000 Euro)

  • Bcon – The Gaming Wearable (CapLab)
  • Tower Tag (VR-Nerds)
  • Trüberbrook (Bildundtonfabrik / Headup Games)

Beste Inszenierung (dotiert mit 40.000 Euro)

  • Escape the Lost Pyramid (Ubisoft Blue Byte)
  • State of Mind (Daedalic Entertainment)
  • Trüberbrook (Bildundtonfabrik / Headup Games)

Beste Internationale Spielewelt (undotiert)

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Warhorse Studios / Koch Media, Deep Silver)
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Bestes Internationales Multiplayer-Spiel (undotiert)

  • Forza Horizon 4 (PlayGround Games & Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft)
  • Red Dead Online (Rockstar Games)
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo of Europe)

Bestes Internationales Spiel (undotiert)

  • Far: Lone Sails (Okomotive / Mixtvision)
  • God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Welche Titel tatsächlich gewinnen, wird sich bereits am 9. April zeigen. An diesem Abend werden die Gewinner/-Innen im Admiralspalast in Berlin ausgezeichnet. Wir sind bereits sehr gespannt auf die Ergebnisse und drücken unseren Entwickler/-Innen die Daumen! Ab morgen wird zudem ein Online-Voting geöffnet, bei dem ihr für einen Publikumspreis voten könnt. Die Abstimmung findet ihr hier.

Der Beitrag VR beim Deutschen Computerspielpreis 2019 zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Zero Latency: VR-Arcade eröffnet ab März in München mit neuer VR-Erfahrung “Sol Raiders”

Die VR-Arcades von Zero Latency sind mittlerweile weltweit expandiert. An insgesamt 25 Orten finden sich die Entertainment-Einrichtungen mit einer Auswahl von verschiedenen Koop-VR-Erfahrungen vor. Ab März eröffnet eine weitere Arcade seine Pforten in München und bringt die High-End-VR-Erfahrung somit nun auch nach Deutschland. Mit im Angebot befindet sich der neue PvP-Shooter Sol Raiders.

Zero Latency – VR-Arcade eröffnet ab März in München

Die Arcades von Zero Latency feiern weltweit Erfolge und bieten mittlerweile insgesamt fünf verschiedene Multiplayer-VR-Erfahrungen für bis zu acht Spieler an. Zum Angebot zählen die Koop-Shooter Zombie Survival, Singularity, Outbreak Origins sowie das Rätselspiel Engineerium.

Dank eines Rucksack-PC-Systems wird den Spielern absolute Bewegungsfreiheit ohne störende Kabel auf einer Spielfläche von ca. 160 Quadratmetern gewährleistet. Nun machen die VR-Arcades den Sprung nach Deutschland und bieten in München die erste offizielle Filiale im Neufahrner Gewerbepark an. Ab dem 1. März öffnet die Zero-Latency-Arcade Tür und Tor für Besucher, um das High-End-Angebot für Besucher bereitzustellen. Eine Spielsession dauert je 30 Minuten und schlägt mit 39 Euro zu buche.

Ein recht teures Vergnügen, welches sich allerdings nicht sonderlich von den weltweiten Preisen unterscheidet. Die internationalen Gäste lassen sich davon bisher nicht abschrecken, denn die Besucherzahlen steigen seit den letzten drei Jahren kontinuierlich an. So sollen laut Angaben der Betreiber alleine im letzten Jahr insgesamt 300.000 Spieler die weltweiten VR-Einrichtungen besucht haben.

Auch wir haben die VR-Arcades bereits ausprobiert. Was euch darin erwartet, erfahrt ihr hier.

Zero Latency – Neuer VR-Shooter “Sol Raiders” im Angebot

Neben den bereits veröffentlichten Koop-Erfahrungen steht zum Startschuss in Deutschland ebenso der neue PvP-Multiplayer-Shooter Sol Raiders bereit. Darin treten die Spieler in Vier-gegen-Vier-Konstellationen gegeneinander an, um ihr taktisches Geschick sowie ihr Können am Lasergewehr unter Beweis zu stellen.

Die Journalisten von Road to VR konnten die kommende VR-Erfahrung bereits im Vorfeld austesten und berichten über das Erlebnis. Ziel des Spiels ist es, neben Abschüssen der gegnerischen Fraktion ein kugelförmiges Objekt in der Mitte zur Karte zu zerstören, um die Runde für sich zu entscheiden. Insgesamt drei verschiedene Maps mit verzweigten Durchgängen und Wänden stehen dabei zur Auswahl. Zur Ausstattung zählt neben dem Rucksack-System mitsamt VR-Brille ein Plastikgewehr als Controller.

Zero-Latency-Sol-Raiders-VR-Arcade

Image courtesy: Zero Latency

Wenn ein Spieler ausgeschaltet wird, muss er, ähnlich wie bei einer Partie Lasertag zunächst zum Startpunkt der Karte zurücklaufen, um zu respawnen. Dafür wird er in eine Paralleldimension, den Rift, befördert. Innerhalb dieses Zeitraums kann er nicht am Spielgeschehen teilnehmen, dafür werden sämtliche Mitspieler in astraler Form durch die Wände für ihn sichtbar. Nach der Rückkehr ins Spiel endet dieser Effekt. Dadurch sollen Kollisionen mit Mitspielern in der realen Welt vermieden werden.

Weiter wird die Verletzungsgefahr reduziert, indem die In-Game-Avatare sowie die Umgebungsdetails größer dargestellt werden als ihre physischen Gegenstücke. Dadurch werden Plattformen und Etagen simuliert, welche in der realen Welt nicht vorhanden sind und der gesamte Raum wirkt eindrucksvoller. Das System soll laut dem Tester äußerst effektiv sein und ein immersives Spielgefühl erzeugen.

Zero-Latency-Sol-Raiders-VR-Arcade

Image courtesy: Zero Latency

Auch langfristig soll das Spielkonzept überzeugen und sogar seinen Weg in die eSports-Szene finden. So plant CEO Tim Ruse bereits Möglichkeiten zur Umsetzung, wenn der Shooter genug Aufmerksamkeit erhält.

Sol Raiders zieht ab 9. Februar in die weltweiten Arcades von Zero Latency ein.

(Quellen: Road to VR | Videos: Zero Latency YouTube)

Der Beitrag Zero Latency: VR-Arcade eröffnet ab März in München mit neuer VR-Erfahrung “Sol Raiders” zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Ralph Breaks VR: VR-Erfahrung zu “Wreck-It Ralph” ab November in The Void

Die VR-Arcades von The Void erhalten Zuwachs im Angebot. So veröffentlichte das Unternehmen bereits im September die Kooperation mit Disney, um insgesamt fünf neue VR-Erfahrungen zu bekannten Franchises zugänglich zu machen. Mit Ralph Breaks VR startet nun ab dem 21. November die erste Experience in ausgewählten Arcades von The Void.

Ralph Breaks VR – Neue VR-Erfahrung zu Wreck-It Ralph startet in VR-Arcades von The Void

In Ralph Breaks VR tauchen die Besucher und Besucherinnen in die Welt des Franchises ein, um gemeinsam mit Ralph und Vanellope von Schweetz die Weiten des Internets zu erforschen. Auf der Suche nach dem coolsten Videospiel Allerzeiten durchforstet ihr das virtuelle World Wide Web und dürft schließlich selbst in den Spielen antreten. Dabei feuert ihr auf Alienraumschiffe im Retrostil, zerschlagt pixelige Käfer und feuert im Wave-Shooter-Stil auf Tierchen. Zur Belohnung winken Punkte für einen Highscore. Außerdem dürft ihr die ikonische Umgebung des Pancake Milkshake Diners besuchen und euch dort eine amüsante Essensschlacht liefern.

Die neue VR-Erfahrung wurde in Zusammenarbeit zwischen ILMxLAB, The Void und Walt Disney Animation entwickelt. Das Setting findet im Rahmen des zweiten Kinofilms Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) statt.

Zur besseren Immersion dürfen sich die Spieler/innen frei und kabellos in der Arcade bewegen. Eure gesamte virtuelle Umgebung ist dabei auf euer reales Umfeld abgestimmt. So könnt ihr echte Objekte berühren und verschieben, was teilweise auch für die Rätsel im Spiel nötig ist. Entsprechend müsst ihr mit euren Mitspielern kommunizieren, um euch für bestimmte Aufgaben aufeinander abzustimmen. Zusätzlich sorgen Spezialeffekte, wie Hitze und Nebel für ein noch realistischeres Erlebnis.

Ralph-Breaks-VR-The-Void

Ralph Breaks VR ist ab dem 21. November vorerst nur in vier amerikanischen Arcades von The Void zugänglich. Dazu zählen die Einrichtungen in Anaheim, Glendale, Las Vegas und Orlando. Wann das neue Erlebnis auch in Europa veröffentlicht wird, steht derzeit noch nicht fest.

(Quellen: Road to VR | Upload VR | The Void | Video: The Void YouTube)

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The Virtual Arena: VR’s Bonanza for Commercial Entertainment (Part 2)

Industry specialist Kevin Williams of KWP, concludes his report on the latest developments shaping the digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) sector and all things to do with Commercial virtual reality (VR) deployment seen internationally. In this final part we see the drive for new investment and the realities and speculation on the market’s true worth.

With this final part of our coverage and we rush from Germany, to the Czech-Republic, and a major event in the country’s capital, underlined the influence that this new commercial entertainment utopia is having on the investment community. Held at the beginning of September, Future Port Prague was a two-day gathering of innovative technology trends and influential speakers on the subject. Along with dedicated conference events there was a showcase arena that comprised demonstrations of the latest tech-trends, ranging from Drone racing, electric-automobiles, smart home appliances and 3D printing to just name some of the exhibits. As part of this, local Czech developers were also promoting their influence on the scene, and VR made a big showing.

Future Port Prague 2018
Future Port Prague 2018 – A packed outdoor festival conference stage. (Credit: KWP)

We have already mentioned in part one of this feature Beat Games; the Czech-based company had a version of the Beat Saber VR arcade setup demonstrating to attendees in the VR Zone of the event. It was interesting to see that unlike normal VR arcade deployments of the game, this enclosure used the latest technology from new industry start-up LIV. The green-screen enclosure and specially tracked virtual camera, placed the player in the centre of the action, superimposing them into the virtual environment – but not only creating a great audience element, the LIV system has been developed to offer a unique takeaway, with the player able to download a video of their ‘performance’, with appropriate social media hooks. The company looking to deploy this platform at several VR arcades.

LIV captures Beat Saber performances
LIV offers an added element to the Beat Saber experience. (Credit: KWP)

Another local Czech-based developer is DIVR Labs – the company famous for a local Prague tourist attraction that is seeing phenomenal business. Golem VR (not to be confused with the other Golem), the attraction is one of the largest free-roaming virtual experiences operating. The basement of the local Prague Hamleys toy store transformed to accommodate a backpack-based VR experience using Oculus CV1’s. Groups of up to four guests traverse the virtual environment – in an experience that sees them transported through time to the 16th century, to discover the mythical Golem and its creator in an interpretation of the story. DIVR has partnered with Hamleys to develop this first free-roaming VR adventure that has no weapons or shooting (one of the first of its kind). The company in negotiations to open additional venues.

Golem VR
A view of the Golem VR experience at Hamleys in the city centre. (Credit: KWP)
(Credit: KWP)

Returning to Future Port Prague, and another Czech-based developer, VRgineers took an exhibition space to offer the first public demonstrations of their XTAL head-mounted display (HMD). This system offers what the company calls an Enterprise-ready solution with a world’s first AutoEye system, offering automatically aligned lenses to the user’s eyes as well as an incredible wide field of view. The system has already been taken up by the local automotive industry, and the company is now in the process of receiving additional investment towards offering the platform too interested location-based VR developers. The company running at the event the ability to fly in a networked aerial combat using the visual fidelity achieved with the XTAL.

XTAL
The XTAL headset in action. (Credit: KWP)

The next phase of high-end VR headsets has seen a shift in focus towards Enterprise opportunities (a sector prepared to pay for a technological lead). Most recently Kickstarter-funded Pimax demonstrated in Europe the production version of the Pimax 8K wide-field of view system, but also at the same time revealed a cost-reduced version. We saw at the Chinese Amusement trade conference in March one of the first Chinese attraction developers experimenting with the Pimax dev-kit on their robotic arm motion platform, and there are reports of at least one major VR park developer looking to deploy this at their site.

VR Enlightenment - Asia Amusement & Attractions (AAA) Expo 2018
VR Enlightenment – Up in the air in a Pimax back at the Asia Amusement & Attractions (AAA) Expo 2018. (Credit: KWP)

The consideration to a wholly focused Enterprise initiative was also seen from StarVR, the company’s Vice Chairman Jerry Kao reported as saying the company was shifting its operational focus to high-end enterprise applications, with the location-based entertainment market to aerospace and automotive. This was reported following the companies unveiling of the StarVR One HMD during SIGGRAPH in Canada. The new headset offering what the company calls a “100% human viewing angle” is clearly packaged to address a DOE centric business model; building on previous associations with IMAX, SEGA and the VRPark in Dubai, as well as through VR attraction projects with StarbreezeZerolight

This year’s SIGGRAPH saw a major push towards location-based VR application of the latest high-end graphics and computer power – many exhibitors showing a shift towards this new business dimension. Leading tracking specialists OptiTrack, introduced their new Active Puck Mini at the event, offering a cost effective and 40% reduced option. The company confirmed that along with conventional motion capture business the system had Location-Based entertainment offerings squarely in their sites. The company has been deployed in many of the leading free-roaming VR installations, and OptiTrak has partnered with Dreamscape Immersive, offering their tracking solution, as well as working in conjunction with several other developers.

Dreamscape Immersive, have been in the news for the tests of their own free-roaming Alien Zoo concept – and the company partnered with movie theatre chain AMC Entertainment late last year, the deal coming after closing some $20 million (USD) of their Series B funding. It is this drive by the movie theatre business to embrace the opportunities of LBE VR that has seen momentous developments in recent weeks. One of the biggest was the announcement that Canadian cinema giants Cineplex had signed a strategic partnership with VRstudios (famous for their VRcade platform and VR experiences). The deal saw Cineplex strategically invest in their VR business, with at least 40 multiplex and location-based entertainment centres planned in the Canada territory by 2021.

Group of players start their progress through VRcade’s Terminal 17 at IAAPA 2017. (Credit: KWP)

This undertaking is mirrored by other cinema chains taking the plunge. The VOID’s “hyper-reality” location-based entertainment (LBE) operation, announced the first “In-Theatre” VR installation in the States – following the signing of an exclusive expansion agreement with leading entertainment and media company Cinemark. This development also saw The VOID LBE VR venues opening across Canada. This news follows on from continuing developments in the movie-theatre sector to embrace the opportunity of VR attractions tailored for their unique audience mix. With the expansion of the operation The VOID was also linked to brand new game content building on influential Intellectual Properties (IPs) – a joint venture of ILMxLAB, a division of Lucasfilm, and The VOID, will see a “one-of-a-kind, original adventure” based in the Wreck-it Ralph films’ unique world (tentatively called Ralph Breaks VR). This is the first of several immersive virtual reality properties from the developer, based on film licenses, building on previous Ghostbusters and Star Wars experiences.

Ralph Breaks VR

Investing into the cinema scene has gained momentum as the theatre business has seen in the US a 16% decline in ticket sales, attributed to a need for a more diverse offering for the “millennially-minded” audience hoping to be attracted to their locations. Following a spate of mergers and acquisitions in this sector the market has fixated on finding an entertainment-mix to incorporate as a “in-theatre” offering. As we reported in our coverage from the LBE VR summit, manufacturers such as D-BOX Technologies had invested in their own D-BOX Cinematic VR Experience which launched earlier in the year at an Ottawa theatre.

Microsoft LBE Summit 2018: D-BOX’s cinema seat put through its paces with the latest VR experiences created for this sector
D-BOX’s cinema seat put through its paces with the latest VR experiences created for this sector. (Credit: KWP)

This also brings us to developer Nomadic, who have been developing their own location-based adventure-based, tactile VR experiences – the company has promoted heavily in the cinema industry (presenting at the 2017 CinemaCon, and reportedly raising some $6 million in seed funding). Focused initially on a in-theatre approach, the company recently announced they had partnered with Vertigo Games to deploy a turn-key, modular-based VR platform based on Arizona Sunshine LB Elite. The first installations schedule to open fall this year. How much this space will mirror the wireless VR experience seen at Gamescom, in Germany recently has yet to be revealed. But this nicely takes us full circle from where this coverage began.

Arizona Sunshine LBE at Gamescom 2018
Arizona Sunshine LBE at Gamescom 2018. (Via HTC)

In just a matter of months and we have seen a level of investment in immersive entertainment focusing on developing virtual reality – far surpassing the previously wild speculation of the consumer VR sector. We have seen colourful analysis on the worth of the Commercial Entertainment or LBE VR market – most notably the SuperData chart that looked at a $995 million valuation of Location-Based entertainment by 2021. And we have seen other charts rise the gambit as high as $12 Billion by 2023 (Greenlight Insights), hopeful speculation to be sure – but based on a growing hunger to maximise the aspirations of the audience, to the abilities of this sectors technology, where the consumer equivalent has failed to deliver (for whatever reasons).

LBE Market Forecast via SuperData
LBE Market Forecast via SuperData

It is important to understand that the VR arcades scene is still at a very early stage of development and has by no means established itself as a dependable business model. One such example of this is the IMAX pilot scheme to establish their concept of IMAX VR LBE operations. News recently broke that two of the seven opened sites had been closed (one in New York and one in Shanghai). The IMAX board had already revealed at the beginning of the year in an investor call that the sites were not all operating at the expected financial level, and there was no real surprise that the roll out was being reversed.

On a recent visit to the only European IMAX VR location in Manchester, the site was seen to be closed off for a private party – and while claimed to still be popular, it was revealed that the adjacent Odeon cinema had been giving away vouchers for free VR experiences, with the purchase of movie tickets; in a hope to drive some business. We have also heard reports of major reshufflings of executive teams and complete management replacements at some of the early LBE VR manufacturers and operators, The VOID saw the departure of their CTO and CEO, while other operations in pivoting towards a commercial entertainment business model have had to drastically restructure their executive team, unable to fathom the realities of the DOE business.

But we have not seen anything yet, and one of Europe’s largest amusement and attraction conventions is about to take place in a matter of weeks – already sources have revealed a record number of new VR attractions about to be launched. While the UK amusement trade will hold their Autumn Coin-Op Show (ACOS), taking place at Olympia London during October, and will include the first London Future of Immersive Leisure (FOIL) seminar run alongside ACOS, focusing on the business opportunities presented by immersive technology to the UK’s out-of-home entertainment industry (this event hosted by our consultancy KWP) – look out on VRFocus for the latest developments from these events in the days and weeks to come.

 

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The Virtual Arena: VR’s Bonanza for Commercial Entertainment (Part 1)

It seems that while consumer virtual reality (VR) sits at a crossroads, the digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) sector has exploded with new developments – not one day seems to pass without major announcements, partnerships or acquisitions hits the wire. Industry specialist Kevin Williams of KWP, gives his unique perspective on the recent developments and offers some exclusive insights into some recently visited new projects.

Arizona Sunshine LB VR Edition - Live Action StillFollowing on from the developments that we covered at the first Microsoft LBE VR Summit (read part one and two here), and momentum continues to build in the commercial entertainment sector. These investments are being registered across the industry, and some of the once previous advocates for a consumer approach to this latest phase of VR adoption. This was best illustrated by Unity CEO, John Riccitiello, quoted at a recent TechCrunch Disrupt event, feeling that we have yet seen a true consumer launch of a VR or augmented reality (AR) headset; stating “AR and VR is mostly to this day been launched to developers”. But Riccitiello continued that he had been impressed by how fast enterprise had latched on to VR and AR tech, surprised that the commercial applications have preceded the consumer applications.

Though an obvious progression for those of us that work in the DOE sector, this realisation has struck most consumer-facing VR developers, and most recently we saw the pivoting of major VR success stories in the consumer sphere, build a commercial entertainment offering. This was best illustrated by Vertigo Games, developers behind the successful consumer VR title Arizona Sunshine, with an estimated $1.4 million (USD) in generated sales on the PC platform. The company has decided to spin out a unique location-based videogame division called Vertigo Arcades B.V., who has started in supporting the already popular utilisation of the title in the VR arcade scene, accounting for approximately 20% of all VR arcade minutes played in Western venues.

Arizona Sunshine Vegas_SS3

At the same time other successful developers have turned towards a commercial facing opportunity in this market place. Czech-based Beat Games renowned for their phenomenally successful Beat Saber, have invested heavily in defining their game for the commercial entertainment scene – signing an official licensing agreement with key VR arcade providers such as CTRL-V (Canada), Exit Reality, IMAX VR, MK2 (France), PeriscapeVR, SpringboardVR, Private Label and SynthesisVR. Their partnership with SpringboardVR seeing a ‘Beat Saber Global Tournament’ run across 50 of their supported VR arcades; emphasising an eSports element to commercial entertainment deployment of VR. In an unusual development Beat Games also officially sanctioned an amusement-based VR adaptation of their license. Originally called Beat Saber Arcade, this Korean manufactured cabinet employs the Samsung Odyssey Windows MR headset and controllers; this seen as the first of several amusement-style VR experiences crossing the divide.

Beat Saber Arcade
Line-up of Beat Saber Arcade cabinets, put through their paces at Korean VR Festival

An amusement facing approach to commercial VR entrainment was seen most recently appearing in the heart of London – at the VR ZONE Portal housed inside the Hollywood Bowl at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula. The first VR ZONE Portal outside of Japan (we reported at their opening last year), the site is part of a special agreement between the bowling site operator and the UK division of BANDAI NAMCO Amusement. The site becoming the first Western location to install the eagerly awaited Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, based on the popular Nintendo license.

Enter London’s latest VR experience. [via KWP]

BANDAI NAMCO and Hollywood Bowl organised an exclusive media junket to promote the appearance of the game, but before-hand we were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the system in operation. The Japanese “Project I Can” system only seeing translation of its game software, with the remainder of the hardware the same as operated in Japan. Players’ using HTC Vive headsets, as well as hand trackers to allow them to throw items at their opponents, players sitting in their own “Fusion Karts” motion simulator – the game able to accommodate four players in this seven-minute single circuit race.

Kevin Williams Plays Mario Kart VR
Immersed in the action on Mario Kart GP Arcade VR. (Credit: KWP)

Launched in Japan in 2017, the then titled Mario Kart VR proved an enthusiastic VR title, developed by the rebranded BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Lab Inc., as one of a number of IP based VR experiences that combined the initiative behind the “Project I Can” brand and the VR ZONE concept as a whole. Many have mistakenly thought that this game was developed by Nintendo, but in reality, BANDAI NAMCO and Nintendo have established a long reputation of cross-overs and licensed IP – the amusement division in 2005 launching the popular series with Mario Kart Arcade GP, which saw Pac Man also join the Nintendo racers – and with this background it was logical for the VR ZONE to consider developing a VR interpretation of this popular racer.

Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP VR
Past, Meet Future: Mario Kart Arcade GP cabinetsin the shadow of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. (Credit: KWP)

Trying the title for myself, it proved a hectic mix of racing and throwing items, and though capturing the spirit of the Mario Kart videogame it did not offer as fulfilling a VR interpretation as one might have wanted. A great taste of what is achievable with a VR environment and a world-class property, but not a real game experience that will achieve any level of repeat visitation. The VR ZONE Portal at the O2 has the VR experiences Hospital Escape Terror and Argyle Shift, each costing £8 (GBP) and £5 respectively on launch, but now the restructured layout sees the replacement of the quirky Argyle Shift for Mario Kart Arcade GP VR and all these two games are now £7.99. Many comments on social media, who made a point of hunting down the launch of this iconic VR game property, balked at this high price.

Another interesting element in the handling of this property different to the Japanese approach was Hollywood Bowl having a 15 years of age restriction in playing Mario Kart VR, while in Japan’s VR ZONE operation, the age cut off is 13, with even the VR ZONE Shinjuku seeing children as young as 7 allowed through the doors. No word was given on why BANDAI NAMCO or Hollywood Bowl had picked this arbitrary cut off to play this VR experience. And as with our last visit to the VR ZONE Portal, the UK adaptation of the brand seems a little stilted compared to that achieved in Japan.

Hollywood Bowl has partnered with the UK BANDAI NAMCO Amusement operation and has seen a second VR ZONE Portal opened in Tunbridge Wells, and a planned Leeds Hollywood Bowl site schedule for a third iteration. Sources at BANDAI NAMCO’s VR Projects team confirmed that these sites would be seeing installations of their own Mario Kart VR units by the end of the year respectively – and the company promised that there would be other European and US deployments of the eagerly awaited VR racer. Speaking to the Evening Standard newspaper, Paul Brown, General Manager for HTC Vive Europe, said: “We are so excited to be working with Bandai Namco and Hollywood Bowl to bring Mario Kart VR to the UK, following its stunning launch in Shinjuku.”

The Mario Kart VR installation
The Mario Kart VR installation. (Credit: KWP)

While completing this feature, news broke that BANDAI NAMCO were about to launch yet another VR experience based on previous amusement success – with a re-creation of 1997 white-water rafting experience VR Rapid River – after extensive testing the Amusement Lab team part of the “Project I Can” VR initiative have created a two-rider motion base with yaw and heave components to offer a thrilling white-water rapids ride, with players using tracked ores to steer their craft through a wild water environment. By the time you read this article the first installations of this VR simulator planned for VR ZONES in Japan will possibly be already in venues.

These games developed by the newly reorganised BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Lab Inc., formed to increase investment in intellectual properties (IP) utilising their XR expertise (XR defined as incorporating VR, AR and MR technology). Most recently a VR experience for the VR ZONE flagship location was based on the legendary movie monster, with GODZILLA VR.

But London was not the only UK location to see a brand-new VR attraction unveiled. A quick journey down to the countries South coast and we arrive in Brighton and make our way to the iconic Brighton Palace Pier – the home of a major seaside amusement operation and the first site to run the ParadropVR attraction. The system represents a partnership between creators FrontGrid and manufacturers Simworx releasing a thrilling simulation of soaring the skies on your very own paraglider.

ParadropVR at Brighton
The ParadropVR attraction takes pride of place on Brighton’s Palace Pier. (Credit: KWP)

The attraction uses an innovative vertical heave motion system to simulate the soaring motion, while the player sits in a specially developed harness system while controlling the direction of flight using two lanyards – while wearing an Oculus Rift CV1 to see the virtual vista. The experience was developed to offer an 8-minute experience, as a separate ticket item on the pier. The machine being operated in partnership with local immersive entertainment operator and representative Immersivity Ltd. The experience was a fun one, though the game experience was slightly limited compared to the conventional VR attraction experience we have come to expect.

 

Reaching for the skies in ParadropVR
Reaching for the skies in ParadropVR (Credit: KWP)

FrontGrid recently announced the opening of a second installation, with Denmark’s Universe Science Park opening their first system this month. FrontGrid and Immersivity are now working on refining the platform and deploying the attraction with a number of other interested operators. Europe has seen a spate of VR attractions opening their doors – moving from Denmark to Germany and it was announced that Europa Park had partnered with VR Coaster, Mack Media and Holodeck VR to create a unique VR attraction. The system married a free-roaming experience with a ride-on coaster, with a seamless transition from one to the other. In what the operators referred to as their patent pending ‘Roam & Ride’ setup – the new attraction Eurosat Coastiality has guests putting on headsets and then walking round a pre-show area, before boarding the actual VR rollercoaster ride (employing a mobile VR headset arrangement).

Europa-Park – The first Roam & Ride system to be deployed

Europa-Park

The UK has seen one of the first floatation’s on the London Stock Exchange, of a company dedicated to location-based VR entertainment deployment – the Immotion Group PLC has already started a dedicated roll out of venues employing their Immotion branded offering – the company signing a important agreement with UK shopping center operator intu. Following the opening of a new Immotion VR center in Cardiff, the agreement sees a further three sites at intu Derby, Newcastle and Uxbridge. Immotion not just focused on opening venues, but also driving development, seeing AAA content creation for their sites as essential, has recently announced the launch of their wholly developed space-themed VR ride experience Delta Zero.

The company has also worked to ensure a lead in the deployment of the latest VR experiences and announced the extension of their exclusive distribution agreement with leading Chinese manufacturer LEKE VR Technology. A company that has established major advancements in the VR arcade hardware scene, and in 2016 formed a strategic partnership with HTC Corporation towards utilising the latest technology married to VR entertainment for commercial application (at that time for the Viveport Arcades support of the LEKE VR’s VRLe platform). Now with a US sales operation Immotion is seen to be one of the fastest developing companies championing this sector.

Leke VR
(Credit: KWP)

The concluding part of this coverage will follow next week.

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Terminator Salvation: Spaces und Sega eröffnen neue Arcade in Tokio

Spaces eröffnete bereits im August eine VR-Spielehalle in Orange County in Kalifornien mit der besonderen VR-Erfahrung Terminator Salvation. Eine Kooperation zwischen Spaces und Sega bringt das Entertainment-Zentrum nun auch nach Tokio in das viel besuchte Stadtviertel Shibuya. Die Eröffnung findet am 25. Oktober statt.

Spaces Arcade – Terminator Salvation: Fight for the Future

Im August dieses Jahres öffnete ein neues Arcade-Center des Startups Spaces seine Pforten im Freiluft-Einkaufszentrum Irvine Spectrum Center in Kalifornien. Das Zugpferd des Hightech-Unterhaltungszentrums ist die VR-Erfahrung Terminator Salvation: Fight for the Future in welcher Besucher/innen in die postapokalyptische Welt des Terminator-Franchises eintauchen dürfen.

Bis zu vier Spieler/innen gleichzeitig können gemeinsam um ihr Überleben kämpfen und sich ins Feuergefecht gegen anstürmende Killerroboter begeben. Zur besseren Immersion erhalten die Gäste einen speziellen Waffen-Controller, der beim Abfeuern haptisches Feedback erzeugt. Auch Körpertreffer sollen spürbar sein. Außerdem gibt es bewegliche Plattformen sowie reale Objekte zur Interaktion. Dank Trackern an Händen und Füßen wird der gesamte Körper erfasst, während ein Rucksack-PC ein kabelloses und freies Bewegen ermöglicht.

Spaces-Terminator-Salvation-Arcade

Als besonderes Goodie können die Spieler/innen ihr eigenes Gesicht per 3D-Scanverfahren einscannen und als In-Game-Avatar verwenden.

Spaces und Sega eröffnen neues Entertainment-Zentrum in Tokio

Die VR-Arcade ist so erfolgreich, dass das Unternehmen in einer Kooperation mit Sega nun sein Angebot nach Tokio expandiert. Damit eröffnet am 25. Oktober das zweite Unterhaltungszentrum mit der Terminator-Lizenz im Stadtviertel Shibuya.

Spaces-Terminator-Salvation-Arcade

Shiraz Akmal, CEO von Spaces, blickt der Eröffnung enthusiastisch entgegen:

“Die Gäste unserer brandneuen Joypolis-VR-Location in Shibuya werden in einen Terminator transferiert und können dabei die Gesichter ihrer Freunde in unserer XR-Erfahrung sehen. Die Spaces-Attraktionen werden nun global angeboten und sind für eine weltweite Audienz besuchbar. Wir fühlen uns geehrt, unsere hochqualitativen Erfahrungen den Besucher/innen in Tokio anbieten zu dürfen. Dadurch erleben unsere Gäste ein rasantes und interaktives Abenteuer für die ganze Familie.”

Weitere Informationen finden sich auf der offiziellen Webseite von Spaces.

(Quellen: Upload VR | Spaces | Video: Spaces YouTube)

Der Beitrag Terminator Salvation: Spaces und Sega eröffnen neue Arcade in Tokio zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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The Beat Goes On: Beat Saber Arcade Machine Officially Announced

Note-smashing virtual reality (VR) videogame Beat Saber has become an impressive success, particularly for a Steam Early Access title produced by a small indie studio. It seems like Beat Saber is planning on expanding the franchise, aiming to be the next location-based VR arcade phenomenon thanks to a partnership between Beat Games and Skonec Entertainment.

The plan is to create a version of Beat Saber that will be suitable for VR centres and other attractions and locations that utilise VR arcades, with a specially built machine featuring customised content for a more ‘arcade flow’.

The Beat Saber Arcade Machine will be ‘self-operable’, meaning that players will not need and assistance from an operator in order to climb into a VR headset, grab the controllers and start flailing away to slice those notes.

Beat Games and Skonec Entertainment have expressed lofty aims for this new product, with ambitions of stepping into the shoes of legendary rhythm-based arcade titled like Dance Dance Revolution.

The two companies say that locations tests for the Beat Saber Arcade Machine will be running from the end of August until the middle of September in selected cities in Korea and China. Namely, South Korea will see unit appearing in Seoul and Busan, while China will get the machines in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang.

Beat Saber ArcadeSkonec entertainment are planning to reveal the Beat Saber Arcade Machine machine at two upcoming events:

KRVF, which will take place in Seoul, South Korea on 5th-9th September. Further information is available on the KRVR website.

GTI Expo, which is set to take place in Guangzhou, China from 12th-14th September. Further information and tickets can be found on the official GTI Expo website.

Jordhan Choi, the Vice President of Skonec Entertainment had this to say: “We are happy to bring this experience to the market with globally being loved game, Beat Saber. We are sure that this will be an exciting addition to not only to VR arcades but also to any locations. We are pleased to service Beat Saber into this branded arcade machine, and plan to include further collaboration such as adding famous K-pop songs and more.”

For future coverage on the Beat Saber franchise keep checking back with VRFocus.

 

 

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Gamescom 2018: Arizona Sunshine Free-Roaming Multiplayer Hands-On

Gamescom 2018: Arizona Sunshine Free-Roaming Multiplayer Hands-On

Although zombie shooter Arizona Sunshine was released relatively early in the latest VR headset lifecycle (late 2016), it’s still one of the best games out there. Developer Vertigo Games is looking to recreate that success in a multiplayer arcade setting with Arizona Sunshine LB (ASLB) VR. We had a chance to take on massive zombie hordes with friends at Gamescom this year, and we lived to tell the tale.

The Arizona Sunshine multiplayer experience supports up to four players in a 10m x 10m space, but since we were in a slightly smaller 6m x 6m space, we went for three humans vs. thousands of undead. We strapped on our wireless adaptor-equipped Vives, picked up a couple of tracked Hyperkin blaster, and were transported to a military base being overrun by walkers.

In the below video you can see a similar setup that we tried at CES 2018, except this was just the original game’s horde mode, not ASLB:

Similar to the events in the Dead Man DLC, ASLB  takes place before Arizona Sunshine, soon after the zombie apocalypse begins. While taking down as many undead as possible is your primary focus, the ultimate goal is to launch a nuclear missile to try and take out thousands of zeds clustered in the urban core.

Gameplay consists of lots of shooting as well as some puzzle elements as you work your way further and further down into the belly of the nuclear missile facility in order to reach the launch computer. There are a number of times when one person has to ride a platform away from the other team members in order to operate a lever or button while teammates cover them from afar. It’s all very tense, and proper teamwork is key in these situations. There are also a number of beam walks and small jumps and gaps to avoid while navigating the levels, and while you know there’s solid ground under your feet in the real world, those types of spatial puzzles are always powerful in VR because the brain wants to believe what the brain perceives.

Literally walking around in the environment is the best way to play VR as it’s highly immersive, and while there were some early walking animations which looked particularly stiff since the models’ knees didn’t bend yet, there’s still some time to go until the code is final, so we’re confident that will be improved before launch. To be honest, I was wary of getting an errant gun in the teeth when we first started playing, but the trackers worked well, so spatial awareness of my two live teammates wasn’t an issue, even with an HMD on.

Most of the roomscale VR arcade experiences to date have been very scripted, and as such don’t lend themselves to replayabilty, but I could see hopping back into Arizona Sunshine on multiple occasions and still having fun with it. While the puzzle elements remain the same, the enemies are fairly dynamic, and even increase their speed and numbers the more you shoot, meaning it always feels like you’re right on the verge of being overrun. And while we only used the blasters during our playthrough, Vertigo let us know the game would support a variety of gun devices, so you could have one person with an assault rifle, another with a shotgun, and two others dual-wielding pistols.

All in all ASLB took us about 20 minutes to beat, so it should translate to a 30-45 minute total experience in the arcade after outfitting everyone and giving them some basic instructions. There is also a horde mode which you can play for as long as you survive. The setup itself is also very conducive to multiple scenarios, so I could see Vertigo iterating and releasing additional arcade episodes in the future if the first does well.

Featured Image Credit: Shen Ye

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