Argyle Shift – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 1, 2018

Mario Kart VR Is Coming to the USA

Since it was launched in the VR Zone in Shinjuku, Tokyo and subsequently in the UK, American fans of Mario Kart have been hoping that the virtual reality (VR) version of the popular racer would make it over to the USA in some form. Now it seems that hope was not in vain, as Bandai Namco launch a Mario Kart VR at the VR Zone Portal in Washington D.C.

Mario Kart Arcade GP VR screenshot Visitors to the VR Zone Portal in Union Station, Washington D.C. will now be able to hop into one of the specially designed karts to race as either Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi. The Mario Kart Arcade GP VR experience will be located in Union Station for a six-month period. Argyle Shift, and Ski Rodeo will be joining the VR version of Nintendo’s popular kart racer,

The Mario Kart VR experience uses the HTC Vive VR headset along with the Vive Trackers which allow players to reach up and grab items such as banana skins or green shells to throw at opponents and potentially gain an advantage. Mario Kart VR also comes equipped with haptic feedback to make players more immersed in the colourful world they are driving in.

“BANDAI NAMCO is thrilled to be a part of the innovative, cutting-edge project that is VR ZONE Portal.” Said Steve Ignarski, National Sales Manager for BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America. “The launches in Japan and the UK brought great success, and we hope to follow suit in Washington, D.C. Mario Kart VR is a long-awaited title and we have no doubt it will be well-received in the states, due to its incredible, immersive game-play and outstanding equipment from HTC Vive.”

Mario Kart Arcade GP VR screenshot

Some of the VRFocus team got to go hands-on with Mario Kart VR in London, where their finding were reported on in a VLOG. Recently Bandai Namco also announced that Mario Kart VR would be coming to other VR Zone locations across the UK.

Argyle Shift meanwhile is a familiar title for those following the VR Zone story, a single-player videogame in which you take on the roll of a robot test pilot in the year 2145. Do you have the skills to pilot a giant mecha? Ski Rodeo meanwhile sets you down a snowy mountain range. Be prepared to get into the groove with your movements with the title’s pivoting base as you ski at high speed down the slopes “creating an exciting atmosphere like no other” according to Bandai Namco..

For further coverage of Mario Kart VR and other VR projects, keep checking back with VRFocus.

August 24, 2017

The Virtual Arena: London Gets First VR ZONE Portal

At the debut of a secret installation of selected VR attractions operated at a popular family entertainment location in the capital, Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment specialist and VRFocus columnist Kevin Williams gives his report after he becomes one of the first to experience the setup.

The speed in which the deployment of VR in the out-of-home entertainment sector has caught many by surprise, and only a matter of weeks after reporting on VR arcade DNA VR opening in London, we have gained exclusive access to the first deployment of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment new immersive entertainment concept with the test-opening of VR ZONE Portal London.

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

BANDAI NAMCO’s VR ZONE concept has gained great interest from the international media following the second opening of their virtual reality entertainment facility concept in Japan. VR ZONE SHINJUKU, opened with a two-story 3,500 square meters facility in July of this year. Comprising some 15 activities (12 of which are VR based), the VR community was wowed by the level of immersive engagement achieved, and big properties deployed – including the appearance of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.

The Japanese toy, game software and amusement conglomerate following the successful launch of their VR ZONE experience has now an interest in establishing this brand, promoting the Project i Can initiative they have created – and amongst the fanfare for the launch of the Shinjuku facility, it was revealed to selected media that this was the beginning of a major roll-out of facilities. The company planing both standalone VR ZONE and smaller pop-up attraction VR ZONE Portal locations; and rather than just looking at Japanese installations, the company was in full swing to open VR ZONE Portals in Western cities such as New York, Las Vegas, Dubai and London.

Jump forward to August 2017 and BANDAI NAMCO made good on this promise with the opening of ‘VR ZONE Portal London’. As part of the Portal phase of the VR ZONE, the virtual reality attractions are pop-up installations within an already existing entertainment sites. The London O2 venue, in the centre of Greengage Peninsula, saw their Hollywood Bowl entertainment facility play host to the West’s first installation.

Once known as the Millennium Dome, The O2 Arena (or simply ‘The O2’) is now the hub for entertainment in Greenwich area of London. [via KWP]

Inside at the VR Zone Portal London venue. [via KWP]

Guests to VR ZONE Portal London were required to book to play the VR games at the reception, also used for the state-of-the-art bowling lanes, but unlike the other video amusement games and prize machines that are paid for with coins. This first Western test location offered two of the previously seen VR ZONE games to play. Either playing Hospital Escape Terror (short hand for the original titled Horror Real Experience Room Escape Ward Ω), or the anima mech game Argyle Shift. The players paying £7.99 ($10) each, and allotted a slot to play their respective games.

These are English translated versions of the original Japanese release, running on the HTC Vive headset, and borrowing heavily from the BANDAI NAMCO amusement industry track record. The VR systems using elements from previous amusement pieces construction in their design. Two enclosures of what are called “Immersive Horror Rooms” sit at one part of the area, running Hospital Escape Terror – a game that sees two wheelchair riding “Test Subjects”, navigate a body strewn abandoned hospital evading psychotic assailants and avoiding traps.

Hospital Escape Terror – Players positions inside the enclosure. [via KWP]

While in the other part of the area, running on what was labelled a “VR Cinematic Attraction”, was Argyle Shift – a VR game offering offers two networked motion cockpits allow players to take control of their flying experimental mech power suit, accompanied by a voluptuous co-pilot, dropped into a mass battle with enemy mech’s in the skies and on the ground.

Argyle Shift – The unmanned cockpits… [via KWP]

Argyle Shift – Players engage in combat. [via KWP]

These games offer a compelling VR experience if slightly shorter than expected, both, had a “To Be Continued” screen at the end of the game; a possible nod to future updates perhaps? These VR experiences lent heavy on the competitive two-player element as championed by BANDAI NAMCO’s Project i Can initiative. The area offering disposable Ninja Masks for hygiene purposes with regards the public’s use of the VR headsets.

The author – with hygine mask – about to enter battle on Argyle Shift. [via KWP]

Overall, an interesting first choice in VR games to bring from their selection of 12-experiences developed so far, and obviously at this point no word on future games that will get the Western translation and be shipped over, though expectations are high that the Nintendo first co-developed VR experience Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, is in the frame.

For those interested, you can see find links to the original Japanese teasers for Argyle Shift and Hospital Escape Terror here.)

A tantalizing first taste of the amusement sector’s deployment of VR into the mainstream Out-of-Home entertainment sector. Far more than just a ‘VR Arcade’ approach utilizing consumer games in a commercial entertainment setting, the VR ZONE Portal offers the expansive amusement operator industry – comprising family entertainment centers such as seen with Hollywood Bowl, or the likes of Dave & Buster’s in the States – a means to drop an exclusive pop-up VR experience into their mix.

Expect to read more news of developments in this sector being covered at the dedicated conference taking place in Las Vegas on September 13th-14th 2017, the Future of Immersive Leisure event will provide much more information on other new developments that will hope to shape this aspect of the market. VRFocus a media partner of the event, and will be covering developments in coming reports.

July 28, 2017

VR Zone Shinjuku: Mario Kart VR & A Lot More Besides

Sixteen (and counting) immersive attractions? Check. Getting up close and personal with beloved characters? Check. An unforgettable experience? Double check. VR Zone Shinjuku, a project birthed by Bandai Namco, opened its doors to the public on July 14 and we had the opportunity to take a sneak peek at what this next-generation theme park has to offer. From throwing shells in Mario Kart VR to riding in the palm of a giant Gundam mech, the park offers a bunch of world-first experiences that are no doubt going to lure in both virtual reality (VR) fanatics and lovers of Japanese pop culture alike.

Walking into the lobby, you’re greeted by an intricate light show that can be interacted with by touching the walls and columns surrounding it. The first floor is littered with time-limited temporary VR experiences – including Google’s Tilt Brush and the PlayStation VR – as well as a resort-themed area home to a gourmet café. It’s interesting to note that the park also offers three non-VR activities – Giant Balloon Burst Room PANIC CUBE, Trap Climbing and Niagara Drop – as well as a virtual beach, complete with water made up of interactive light projections. A gift store can also be found conveniently by the entrance, where you can pick up themed goods like Pac-Man cookies to take home with you.

The second floor is the where the action happens, and where you can find majority of the VR attractions. Each attraction has a pretty large amount of VR headsets and contraptions available, so surprisingly you won’t have to wait too long to get your turn. This writer made a beeline to Mario Kart VR, which made headlines around the time of E3 this year, to see if it really lived up to the hype.

Mario Kart Arcade GP VR

You can play with up to four players at once, and each of you can communicate using the headset and microphone that you’re strapped into upon climbing into the life-sized kart. Along with an HTC Vive headset, you’re equipped with sensors that are placed on your hands – these are used to capture weapons that are floating around the stage as you drive. Lob a shell, banana, or hammer by swinging your arm as you speed through the stage – which is littered with Mario Kart favorites like the Piranha Plant, Thwomp, and rainbow boosters. Out of all the attractions we tried, Mario Kart VR came out on top as the most fun, so in our eyes it lives up to the hype for a one or two time try.

Close to the Mario Kart VR area were a number of other high-profile attractions, including Evangelion VR: The Soul Seat and Argyle Shift, but the next attraction we were looking to try that has had people talking was Dragon Ball VR: Master the Kamehameha.

Dragon Ball VR: Master the Kamehameha

This attraction was one of the most immersive (and to be honest, a little complicated) in the park. With sensors strapped to your arms, abdomen, feet and head, and a panel of cameras in front of you, here you go through training with Goku to master the art of the Kamehameha – which requires you to hold a certain leg and arm stance and to shoot your arms forward at just the right time – before heading into a heated battle against a second player. Along with Mario Kart VR, Dragon Ball VR proved to be a hit, with many a journalist lining up to try it out.

Next up on our ‘to try’ list was Gundam VR: Daiba Assault, which was on the opposite end of the park. We passed by attractions like Dinosaur Survival Run: Jungle of Despair, in which you ride a Segway-like scooter through an island populated with dinosaurs, and Steep Downhill Ski Simulator: Ski Rodeo, where you ride a pair of true-to-life skis down a hill while chased by an avalanche – both of which had their fair share of curious onlookers.

Fans of Gundam are in for a treat: in this experience you’re thrown into the middle of a battle of a Gundam mech going up against the nemesis Zeon, complete with a rumbling floor that simulates the gigantic robots stomping around. At one point the mech places its hand on the ground and you can walk up to it and take a seat, wrapping your arms around its thumb as it continues the battle. A fun extra here is a heat lamp that moves close to you when the mech’s saber is in front of you, really ramping up the immersion of the experience.

After the pretty intense experiences up to this point, we decided to take a little break and try out Bandai Namco’s take on fishing with Fishing VR GIJIESTA. It was located pretty close to another mech simulation, VR-AT Simulator Armored Trooper Votoms, that allows you to go into battle against a friend (or frenemy) from the cockpit of a gun-toting iron trooper.

Fishing VR GIJIESTA

If you’re not a fan of fast-paced VR, here you can relax and unwind at a mountain lake while catching fish. The experience comes with a simulated rod and reel, as well as a net that’s used to grab the fish once you’ve pulled them in. You have a time limit of around 6 minutes, and here you’re challenged to catch as many fish as you can. When you’re done you can check your stats in the virtual world, and there’s also daily park leaderboard that displays the biggest catches of the day.

Although we were busting to try out all the attractions, we were running low on time and had to make one last quick pick, which ended up being Winged Bicycle – it was neck and neck between this and the Hospital Escape Omega horror attraction, which has you controlling a wheelchair as you escape a dilapidated hospital alongside other players.

Winged Bicycle

After climbing onto an exercise bike, here you’re tasked with pedaling to control a flying bicycle as you make your way across a mountainous landscape littered with caves and waterfalls. You control the brakes and direction with the handlebars in front of you in order to navigate, and specially placed fans on all sides of the bike react to the wind to really immerse you in the experience. You can really feel your body reacting to this as if it were really happening – I found myself drenched in sweat and heart pounding after reaching the goal point and taking off the headset, and even feeling a little disoriented.

As our time was coming to a close, we were reminded that another big-ticket attraction, ‘Arise: Ghost in the Shell Stealth Hounds,’ is still yet to come, being released sometime in August. With the strength of such well-known and loved game and anime VR experiences behind them, Bandai Namco have made some smart moves with their first official foray into the realm of VR – with this, hopefully the mainstream appeal of VR will continue to burn bigger and brighter going into the future.