beat saber arcade – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

July 20, 2020

The Virtual Arena: The LBE VR Reopening Perspective – Part 2

Covering the immersive Out-of-Home entertainment scene for VRFocus, in his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams continues his visits to re-opening VR and immersive entertainment venues – with exclusive access to the new videogame from Zero Latency. In these features, he reports on the latest experiences and the new conditions that the international LBE business is adapting to.

There has been a continuing surge in the development of new free-roaming VR experiences in the location-based entertainment (LBE) sector. A unique platform for the commercial entertainment sphere offering all the aspects most dreamed about from the promise of VR; the ability to play in a social group, immersed in a vibrant virtual world that the users can freely navigate. While for consumers, first the tether, then the limitation of performance has hindered the realisation of this aspect on home hardware. Emerging from lockdown and the LBE VR scene has seen an upswing in new experiences being released.

So, it was obvious that we would be visiting another of these new launches. Located in the Boxpark venue in the shadow of the Wembley Stadium arch in London – one of the latest location-based entertainment venues is nestled on the second floor of this hospitality and entertainment site. Called MeetSpaceVR, the venue is the latest VR experience offering in the capital. The operation includes a dedicated VR arena for free-roam experiences as well as a VR lounge for the playing of VR Escape Room content, and eSports competition (all supported with a private hire bar area) – and this latest game release fits perfectly into this offering.

Zero Latency has been one of the leading innovators in Free-Roaming (Arena Scale) VR experiences – one of the first to launch the concept onto the market and one of the first to roll out a stable of titles with proven player appeal – installed across 45 venues in some 22 countries. The company choosing its partnership with MeetSpaceVR to launch their latest title – Undead Arena VR. This new Arena Scale experience has between four and eight players wearing the HP powered backpack PC, donning HP Reverb G1 headsets with headphones and mic, and wielding the unique Zero Latency weapon.

The new game offers a unique and compelling take on the zombie-blaster. Undead Arena VR is modelled as if the players are taking part in a reality TV show, set after the zombie apocalypse, blasting through waves of the undead achieving scores that at the end will transport the winners to become instant celebrities. A fast pace zombie-wave-shooter, with unique touches and a compelling narrative that proved an enjoyable workout. The players able to swap between machinegun, shotgun, and crossbow to score headshots and wipe-out the most zombies for that all elusive high score.

The 15-minute game begins only after a professional run down of the features and safety elements of using the Zero Latency hardware – and how the players personal weapon works and the scoring principles. Along with the ability to use fire and explosive barrels to hold back the hoards. And then the players are dropped into the heat of the action, progressing through level after level, and Zero Latency using some of their well-known tricks to immerse the player, including moving walkways and rising elevators all simulated virtually.

The game encourages the players to work as a team in order to survive the zombie infestation, and soon into the game the player is fully immersed in the destruction, surviving (with their score intact) the next wave of the undead. The game is targeted at a 13 and older audience, and the action is fast, frantic, and highly addictive – and it is obvious to see that this title lends itself perfectly to becoming its own eSports sensation. A game that will encourage repeat play to see if the score can be improved, and better proficiency with the different weapons achieved for those crucial headshots.

The team behind MeetSpaceVR revealed the extensive efforts they had gone through working with their landlord (BOXPARK) and following the local government guidelines to achieve the July 4th re-opening. The facility now offering 30-minute individual play sessions for the registered guests, with appropriate physical distancing from other groups and team members. The venue currently operating at 20% of pre-COVID capacity – constantly evaluating the process. But was able to reveal that they are seeing a steady return of old and new customers. We would like to thank all involved in making our visit possible.

The explosion in player interest in Arena Scale has not diminished since it appeared on the market. A strong platform that illustrates the separation of what a solitary VR experience can achieve in the home, and the power and immersion of multi-player free-roaming VR experiences in location-based entertainment.

In the post-pandemic landscape, concern has been made about the speed of resurgence of this play experience – though initially, the figures look positive that players are returning as can be seen at both MeetSpaceVR and the other opening sites in Europe and the West. There are however some signs that a lack of liquidity of some Arena Scale LBE VR businesses will mean difficult times ahead. It was reported that The VOID, one of the high-profile developers in this field have entered difficult straights. It was revealed that their Californian Downtown Disney District site had permanently closed its doors. Later revealed that the lease termination was because of a breach of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures license. All but one of the remaining 17-sites of The VOID had not reopened, other than reports of the Malaysian site located in the Genting resort complex – sources revealing that that site had removed all Disney intellectual property and VR experiences. Once more information is available on this situation, we will share this with our readers.

At the time of visiting the Wembley MeetSpaceVR operation, we took the chance to look at another re-opening site offering VR entertainment. Located on the riverside London-county-hall location, NAMCO Funscape is a bowling, hospitality, and amusement venue – one of the capitals leading entertainment centres prominently placed in London’s’ tourist epicentre close to the well-known London Eye attraction. While the attraction may not be operational yet, the Namco amusement site had opened its doors.

Previously covered by VRFocus – the NAMCO Funland had undergone COVID measures, with the bowling and hospitality elements closed off – and the amusement machines enforcing physical distancing. This, however, did not diminish the interest to try the VR entertainment on offer, with the company operating the only two Bandai Namco VR Zone Portal Mario Kart VR installations in the capital. The site also had their Beat Saber Arcade machine and the Extreme Machine VR experiences. And taking pride of place and being well played during this visit the LAI Games Virtual Rabbid’s machine – all these systems sporting new signage regarding the hygiene necessities of using the venue.

Bandai Namco VR Zone — Image credit: KWP

We look forward to reporting on the other VR ZONE Portal installation at the O2 location once the Bowling Alley sector (along with hotel, gyms and theaters) are permitted to reopen for business after the expected lifting of Governmental restrictions. And we will be visiting several other new sites in the coming days – watch this space for more information.

April 20, 2020

The Virtual Arena: The Changing VR Out-of-Home Landscape – Part 1

Covering the immersive Out-of-Home entertainment scene for VRFocus, in his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams reports on the last major amusement trade convention of the pre-pandemic international scene. In this first part, information on the trends that were establishing themselves, and the key developments making this market so important for the technology.

With the global business sector in near lockdown due to the international health crisis, many observers are turning their gaze to how much the business scene will have to change in the post-pandemic landscape. The speculation of the employment of the latest virtual reality (VR) technology to drive a new investment in training and entertainment has been discussed – especially seeing the importance that this technology has had with a populace in self-isolation. The possibilities of what the commercial entertainment sector will look like once the facilities re-open, has also been considered.

Amusement Expo International — Image credit: KWP

Only a matter of weeks before the chaos of the pandemic, and resulting lockdown that has seen all entertainment, cinema and leisure amusement venues temporarily closed; and the American amusement trade held their influential trade convention – Amusement Expo International (AEI) in the heart of New Orleans. On show were pivotal new developments in VR deployment for immersive Out-of-Home Entertainment. This gave a glimpse at the trends being followed, but now reveal what the post-pandemic landscape will be working with when the entertainment scene re-emerges in the West from slumber.

The application of VR tech into the commercial entertainment scene has been split into key categories, and all examples were on show at AEI – offering an excellent opportunity to explore the popularity and audience appeal. First off, we have seen the emergence of the “VR Amusement” category – best described as the adaption of VR technology into the established platform of video amusement hardware, adapting many of the characteristics into a reliable VR platform.

At the show, the amusement distributor and developer UNIS Technology presented its new VR amusement piece ‘Ultra Moto VR’. A two-player “ride-on” motorbike racer on a motion platform, with the unique element of offering conventional play through the games screen, or reverting to immersive play using the VR headsets.

‘Ultra Moto VR’ is a Chinese developed title that had been converted for Western deployment and had already seen considerable success, with strong Return-on-Investment (ROI) when tested at several locations. For many operators still evaluating the value of VR platforms in commercial entertainment, the systems unique ability to swap between a full VR or conventional video amusement approach offered a strong incentive. And allowed operators to charge VR prices for a conventional packaged amusement piece.

Another adaptation of an amusement package with a VR element was presented from US-based Barron Games, a well-known name in the foosball and air hockey table market, the company had partnered with Swiss-based Kynoa SA, to represent their innovative ‘Koliseum’; the system, a VR based foosball tabletop platform offering four players the chance to compete in an immersive re-creation of the traditional game (called ‘Koliseum Soccer VR’). The cabinet and controllers invoking the design of a conventional foosball table.

The need to create compelling games that still fit the limitations of the amusement entertainment and family entertainment centres has driven many of the new designs on show. The developer MajorMega had initially launched its vast four-player motion stage experience (called ‘Hyperdeck’) – but the company chose the New Orleans trade show to launch a brand-new concept. Called ‘Hyperdrive’ this two-player cooperative VR experience has one player taking the role as the driver, and another player the gunner, the whole compact experience sitting on a D-BOX motion platform.

The system was a work-in-progress with much of the feedback to this design, being taken away and applied to a final production prototype, scheduled for release (that had originally been) for later in the year. The motion simulation experience linked to a seated ride platform has been another popular element of the investment in commercial entertainment VR. One of the most successful of the initial categories has been the Virtual Ride Simulator – one of the earliest adaptations of offering VR in an amusement suitable package, this approach has gamed much momentum.

One of the first adaptations was that from LAI Games with their hundred-unit-selling ‘Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride’ – developed in partnership with Ubisoft, creator of the cartoon ride experience based around their zany characters, and using D-BOX motion hardware. The system has found favour with operators offering what the company describes as unattended virtual reality. At the show the company presented their “Big Expansion Pack”, offering six new rides. This included their new interactive experience ‘Space Skirmish’ – a new departure for the platform, from the previous passive style of experience.

The popularity of this category was seen with an explosion of new developments, at the show, from other developers. Canadian based TRIOTECH presented to the amusement trade their production version of STORM. Employing a similar approach, the two-rider experience, however, had started at the first with an interactive element to the ride simulator. The company mounting on their HTC Vive headsets, Ultrahaptic hand trackers so the player could grab items as their traversed the speeding coaster track, scoring points. TRIOTECH also revealed its next ride experiences in development to keep a regular supply of titles, and the company was keen to reveal it had ramped up the production line to deal with a strong initial order book.

Following along this popular category, and formula of approach, amusement powerhouse Raw Thrills, chose the amusement trade show to present their prototype interpretation of the virtual ride simulator. This version called ‘King Kong of Skull Island’ – placed the two riders on motion seats, and also included in this case Ultrahaptic sensors in the seat restraint to track hand movement – the players dropped into a wild ride through the mythical movie Skull Island, home to giant beasts, dinosaurs and King Kong.

Based on the movie property, the early version of the ride/game experience, placed players in a frantic jeep chase across the island, avoiding the monsters, and interacting with the game in scripted quick-time events – finally placed face to face with the legendary giant ape. Still in an early stage of development, the system followed a proven formula, but also hope to offer a cost-effective solution for operators wanting a VR platform. Raw Thrills had worked with HP to deploy the new Reverb headsets with their 5G performance. The other example of the VR ride system at the show was a much more compact and basic offering. From Brazilian RILIX; the company presented an updated version of its non-motion pod called the ‘Rilix Coaster’. The original version of this system, first seen back in 2015.

King Kong of Skull Island — Image credit: KWP

This system offered as a low-cost solution for areas with high-foot-traffic that want to offer a VR experience in a unique package. As a low-cost system, comprises only a sub-woofer and wind-effect system, with the simple Oculus Go headset arrangement. The platform offered in three flavours as a standalone arcade piece, a system operated by rental companies, and as a self-service (vending machine style) platform for players to walk up and try. To allow this the system and headsets are ruggedized. It is this category of “Self-service VR Kiosk” approach to VR entertainment systems, which had become a new aspect of the market gaining momentum.

On the show floor were other examples of self-service VR kiosks – the first from VRsenal the company have designed a sleek upright kiosk with a tethered headset. The platform called ‘Beat Saber Arcade’ running the popular and well recognized VR music rhythm game licensed from Beat Games (recently acquired by Facebook). The system has been deployed in several entertainment facilities in the West and made unique use of the HTC Vive headset in a wireless configuration. The systems’ appearance at AEI was also to promote new partnerships with leading amusement distributors to help support sales of the platform to a wider operator-base.

The other self-service VR kiosks on display at the trade event was from VR LEO USA – the company showing their ‘LEO’ platform. Another large screen video kiosk with a tethered VR headset. This system, however, was not a single game solution but offered three VR experiences to select from, developed by the Chinese parent company. A unique element of the ‘LEO’ is its automatic retention system, that pulls the headset free of use after the game; and lowers it for the next player. While pulled into retention, the platform self-disinfects the headset with high power ultraviolet lights.

This hygiene element has started to be seen employed across all aspects of VR entertainment system deployment. Long before the global health crisis, the LBE VR scene has been employing measures to secure the continued health and safety of the users on this medium. Now with the full glare of the Pandemic on our doorsteps, the reality of how VR will be deployed in social entertainment is being re-addressed. The question is if unattended self-service platforms such as above will need to be re-evaluated for deployment in the new market.

This concludes the first part of our report on the developments in the commercial entertainment VR arena, now we move to the second part, and looking at emerging trends and the outlook for the sectors future #AfterLockdown.

February 24, 2020

The Virtual Arena: Competition is King in VR!

Covering the immersive Out-of-Home entertainment scene for VRFocus, in his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams reports on a multitude of brand new commercial entertainment platforms, new eSports offerings and London VR site openings that caught his eye traversing the international XR entertainment scene.

The frantic nature of VR in the commercial entertainment scene continued to gain momentum, with several new platforms launching and facilities opening internationally. While in London, a number of these new developments were on display.

First off was the International Casino Exhibition (ICE), the gaming and gambling industries largest European convention filling the London ExCel centre. While in previous years, virtual reality (VR) had played a larger part in the gaming show, it was much harder to find this year. But one big showing was the Vbet platform, developed in conjunction with BetConnect. Called ‘Vbet Boxing Game’, two-players in their own ring spared with each other using the Oculus Quest headset. A VR attraction that will be deployed in casinos as an audience draw.

Another major show for VR at the casino event was on the Gaming Malta booth – a local operator of an eSports racing simulator centre presented their race-rig’s – using the ImSim racing seat, with the latest iRacing content, able to be experienced on the Oculus Rift headset. The ability to offer intense VR entertainment is also supported by the audience appeal of this kind of installation.

The explosion in eSports was a major component of the ICE gaming and gambling trade conference, with a vast dedicated arena streaming live. VR is playing its part in defining the eSports business. Recently SpringboardVR, one of the leading distributors and service suppliers of game content for VR arcades, announced they had teamed up with the Virtual Athletics League (VAL) launching the “Pistol Whip VR Tournament”, supported by Oculus and iBUYPOWER. It’ll feature across SpringboardVR’s 500 connected locations for the second round. With the final streamed live on Twitch and Facebook there will be a prize pool of $10,000 up for grabs.

VAL - Pistol Whip Concerning the London area, the deployment of Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) VR facilities across the international market has continued to gain mentum. And Just down the road from the major gaming exhibition, the UK capital welcomed its latest slew of new VR venues hoping to drive the sector.

First off and the massive entertainment venue that is The O2 arena has already included a VR element, in partnership with the venues’ Hollywood Bowl placement, BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe had installed Europe’s first “VR ZONE Portal London”. Based on the Japanese parents dedicated VR installation concept, the first UK installation has been revitalized – along with the Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (£7.99 p/p) set-up, the brand new experience ‘Godzilla VR’ (£4.99 p/p) saw the use of two unique motion cockpits.

Godzilla VR – VR Zone Portal London. Image credit: KWP

The uniquely created Godzilla VR was launched in Japan last year, and this was the first chance we had to play the Western version of the game – an on-rails helicopter simulator experience, with the player only interacting in high adrenaline moments blasting the movie monster with missiles and cannons, as Godzilla levels city-blocks and skyscrapers. The game proved a fun, but short, experience – more a ride with some shooting elements, reflected in its lower price to play.

Hollywood Bowl is not the only VR entertainment installation at the O2 arena, with the adjacent opening of a VR cluster by IMMOTION – the company operating its popular Thrill Coaster, the ‘VR Cinema Pod’ extreme-ride experienced themed around the capital city (as well as a library of other ride scenarios). Next was the new inclusion of their own racing sim area for four of their ‘VR Multi-Racers’.

Immotion - Thrill Coaster — Immotion – Thrill Coaster. Image Credit: KWP

The IMMOTION experience included a VR Gaming Arena, based on the popular Raw Data videogame. This was a unique tethered version of the title, developed in partnership with originator of the game Survios. One of the many consumer VR game developers that are pivoting into creating a commercial entertainment presence. IMMOTION was charging a standard pass (£6 p/p), as well as variety (£20 p/p), and premium pass (£30 p/p), for game time duration on the assembled systems.

England saw the opening of its latest VR ZONE Portal and the third installation of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR in Europe. BANDAI NAMCO’s operation division runs the well-known Namco Funscape, located on London’s South Bank. This multi-level amusement venue has added a compact VR ZONE Portal Westminster that houses the four-player racer based on the popular Nintendo franchise (£7.95 p/p).

But Funscape has also added third-party VR amusement pieces to their mix, away from the VR ZONE Portal. The venue had three of the most popular VR amusement platforms, (as we touched on in our Entertainment, Attractions and Gaming (EAG) expo coverage last month). The London site including a VRsenal Beat Saber Arcade machine, and the two-rider Virtual Rabbid’s The Wild Ride (LAI Games), all front-and-centre. Funscape had also installed two version of the Xtrematic ‘Extreme-Machine’ – a standing VR ride experience, using an innovative standing motion platform.

It was also interesting to see other new London based VR arcades jumping into the mix – while visiting London’s Shepherds Bush area, we had a chance to briefly pop into the new Electric Dreams – VR arcade. Located in a retail unit, the operation, along with a KATVR Omni direction treadmill system, runs two VR multiplayer enclosures using the three-player, wireless, free-roam, HTC Vive system as well as a franchise of the ‘Arkave VR’ platform from YDX. The operation charging a sliding scale for duration of play, (starting at £7 p/p, for 10-minutes). This latest operation reflecting that there are many other venues currently in the works to populate this scene.

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

Other VR developments taking place recently, included the holding of the Japan Amusement Expo 2020 (JAEPO) the trade event for the territories amusement and gaming sector. On display for the first time on the amusement giant SEGA Interactive’s booth was the SKONEC Entertainment ‘Beat Saber Arcade’ machine. This is the Asian variant of the popular VR music videogame being presented to Japanese trade. It was interesting to see the reaction to the VR machine, attracting attention. Looking to challenge the plethora of traditional music rhythm titles that dominate the Japanese market, (as well as on the international amusement gaming scene).

This concludes our whirlwind reporting from the LBE VR scene. Next month will see major developments as the action moves to the USA and several momentous location openings and major trade conferences that will offer a taste of the evolving future of this scene.

February 7, 2020

London’s Namco Funscape Become’s the Latest VR Zone Portal Offering Mario Kart VR

Even with the advent of headsets like Oculus Quest making it easier and cheaper to step into VR, for a lot of consumers, the price is still a hefty leap. Which is one of the reasons location-based entertainment (LBE) centres have been popping up worldwide, offering a cheaper chance to dip your toes into VR gaming. The Namco Funscape arcade in central London, UK is a great place to grab a beer and enjoy some gaming, with a new VR ZONE Portal section that includes the company’s famous Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.

VR Zone Portal Westminster

Bandai Namco Entertainment created its first VR ZONE Portal in Tokyo, Japan back in 2017, offering a range of immersive experiences and videogames. The company then decided to expand its ‘VR ZONE Portal’ brand overseas, with the UK being the first country selected. This saw the VR ZONE Portal London location open at The O2 arena, offering the first chance to play Mario Kart Arcade GP VR outside of Japan.

The Namco Funscape arcade is far more centrally located than The O2, making it easier to travel to. Located next to Waterloo Station as well as other attractions like the London Eye, The London Dungeon and London Aquarium – so there’s plenty to do. Obviously the star VR attraction at VR ZONE Portal Westminster is Mario Kart, allowing four players to compete against one another as some of the iconic characters from the franchise. As VRFocus has previously reported when playing the videogame in 2018 the system uses HTC Vive’s in conjunction with Vive Trackers so you can physically throw green shells and bananas at opponents. It costs £7.59 GBP per person for a 5-minute race or £24.95 for four people.

That’s not all VR ZONE Portal Westminster has to offer, however. One of the most popular home VR titles is rhythm-action videogame Beat Saber and back in 2018 developer Beat Games partnered up with South Korea’s Skonec Entertainment to build an arcade version for the Asian market. Namco Funscape is one of the few places in the UK you can try Beat Saber Arcade.

VR Zone Portal Westminster

You can also step onto the Extreme Machine with Oculus Rift S headsets attached. Here you can select from a range of smaller VR titles such as the jet skiing one seen above. All the videogames make use of a controller which you stand on, using your body weight to steer left and right or forwards/backwards depending on the experience. Ubisoft’s Virtual Rabbids: The Big Plan is on hand to offer some VR gaming suited to younger players.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest LBE from around the world and don’t forget to read The Virtual Arena series for the latest industry news.

January 20, 2020

The Virtual Arena: VR in UK Amusement

Covering the immersive Out-of-Home entertainment scene for VRFocus, in his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams reports on the amusement industry’s latest trade extravaganza in London, and the new VR platforms revealed to invited trade buyers, with his exclusive coverage revealing these new category of systems for readers.

The amusement trade represents the pay-to-play sector and started the new decade off underlining how much virtual reality (VR) has influenced innovation in this business. The UK saw one of the largest exhibitions for the sector this month, and VR was front-and-centre. The Entertainment, Attractions and Gaming (EAG) International Expo 2020 – held in London at the beginning of the year for amusement trade professionals – has become a hotbed to demonstrate the latest VR applications in the European Enterprise entertainment sector.

EAG at ExCel — The crowded hall of the ExCel exhibition center. Image credit: KWP.

The various categories of deployment in this market were on display. First was “Standalone VR Arcade” – these are VR systems applied along lines that conform to the needs for amusement deployment in leisure entertainment venues but also applying various levels of “self-service” VR deployment, looking to remove the need for an attendant to run these systems from the mix.

Many of these systems are represented by distributors, companies that place and service the hardware with venue operators for the manufacturer. On the Harry Levy Amusement booth, the VRsenal developed ‘Beat Saber Arcade’ system was presented, an upright kiosk with retractable HTC Vive headset and controllers, configured to as a standalone system running the popular music rhythm VR experience. The machine has become a popular platform with already some 100-units deployed in the Western market.

Beat Saber Arcade at EAG — Beat Saber Arcade proving a big hit with the player-base at the show. Image credit: KWP

Taking on a more familiar amusement approach, UNIS presented on the Instance Automatics booth their ‘Ultra Moto VR’ – a two-player arcade-style ride-on motorcycle racing videogame, with its own motion platform. Players are able to experience the action on the big screen or immersed using the 3Glasses VR headset. The platform marketed to operators as “easy to manage” – offering a familiar package to the VR entertainment medium in amusement.

UNIS - Ultra Moto VR — High-speed competition on the VR motorcycle game from UNIS. Image credit: KWP

Also, on the Harry Levy Amusement booth, was another top-selling VR product, LAI Games has seen great success with its ‘Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride’ – with hundreds of sales of this two-seat motion ride platform already achieved. Developed in partnership with D-BOX and with content from Ubisoft, the VR ride-experience runs on HTC Vive. At the London show a new compact version of the platform was on display, (for cruise ships and smaller venues), also incorporating three new ride experiences, including a new interactive ride, with scoring elements.

Virtual Rabbids at EAG 2020 — Riding through the Rabbids universe in this eclectic experience from LAI Games. Image credit KWP

The division of the Japanese amusement developer, operator and manufacturer, Bandai Namco Amusement represented the latest entry into this genre with a new two-seat VR motion ride platform from Triotech. Launching their new ‘Storm’, the company has integrated many of the popular elements seen with other systems, using the HTC Vive Pro headset incorporating Ultraleap, to track the riders’ hands. This offering an interactive game element to the roller-coaster ride experience.

Triotech at EAG 2020 — Players using their hands to capture the items during their ride on the TRIOTECH system. Image credit: KWP

Moving on from the standalone amusement deployment, also on show at EAG’20 was the “VR Enclosure” platforms that offer multiple-player VR experiences within an enclosure than as just individual machines. The market leader in this genre is HOLGATE, who came to the London show with its over 500-unit selling ‘HOLGATE Arena’. The latest version of the tethered platform offering a four-player plethora of different co-operative VR experiences, including titles licensed from Angry Birds, World of Tanks and other properties – running on the VR high-end Valve Index headset.

Hologate at EAG 2020 — VR teamwork in the latest blaster from HOLOGATE. Image credit: KWP

The VR Enclosure approach can also be deployed for the larger game experiences – such as with “Arena-Scale VR” – using backpack PC’s to allow free-roaming for multiple players co-operating in immersive shooting and escape game experiences. EAG exhibitor VEX Solutions presented ‘VEX Adventure’ that takes the Arena-Scale system and places into a flexible platform for both LBE and enclosure deployment. The company showing its system at the show as a complete turnkey solution, with player registration tablets, the onboarding infrastructure – HP backpack PC’s and HTC Vive Pro headsets (incorporating Ultraleap units), and force-feedback weapons.

VEX Backpack PC — Backpack PC VR offering a free-roaming experience on the VEX booth. Image credit: KWP

A glimpse of the future of this application was seen at EAG with the latest example in “Arena-Scale VR – Standalone”, these platforms negate the need for a backpack PC and employed the all-in-one Standalone VR headsets, (a far-reaching feature on the emergence of this new aspect of the VR scene will be published soon in VRFocus). At EAG’20, the exhibitor Hero Zone demonstrated its version of this approach, with a four-player platform, employing Oculus Quest headsets, modified with the Modicap soundkit and battery extension. The pop-up enclosure running the new title ‘Dead Ahead’ – for some co-operative zombie blasting. The first installation of this platform is going live in February.

Hero Zone at EAG 2020 — Team of players try out the new Hero Zone game and modified Oculus Quests’. Image credit: KWP

The final aspect of the diverse Out-of-Home entertainment deployment of this technology is the category of “Large VR Attractions” – turning VR tech into dedicated attractions for theme parks and LBE venues. One of the major developers in this field is Holovis, working on several attractions, but at EAG they revealed plans to develop smaller-scale applications that can suit amusement and FEC (Family Entertainment Center) deployment – offering big experiences in a small package.

Displayed for the first time, Holovis revealed their first title with ‘The Descent’, developed in partnership with D-BOX – the company created an intense alien blaster which uses the physicality of a special-effects mine-cage, descending virtually into the bowls of the Earth, battling waves of aliens on the way down. The system borrowing heavily from all the physical effects deployed in larger attractions, Holovis hoping to open a new sphere of the market with “Mid-Scale VR Attractions”, seeing their first orders at the show.

Holovis at EAG 2020 — The brave player controls their descent into the nest of voracious aliens on the Holovis platform. Image credit: KWP

Along with the new hardware on display EAG 2020 held a seminar to present the opportunity of what immersive entertainment platforms offer the operators in this sector (ranging from seaside, leisure, amusement and FEC venues). Held in partnership with the show organizers, and industry consultancy KWP, the session brought together presenters from key executives in the field, including MeetSpace, operator of the Zero Latency arena in Wembley, the co-founder of HOLOGATE, SPREE Interactive, famous for its arena-scale family VR entertainment, and operating developer IMMOTION – who have championed a radical approach on getting “bums-on-seats” with the deployment of VR entertainment into the leisure sector. While later in the seminar the aspects of deploying VR in eSports experiences saw presentations from Virtuix and others.

Hologate seminar at EAG 2020 — The well-attended seminar session listens to the latest developments from HOLOGATE. Image credit: KWP

This gives a snapshot of what proved a fascinating and intense three-day convention, with many orders made for the latest VR hardware. This will hopefully mean that even more of the general public will be able to get their first taste of VR entertainment at one of the many hundred entertainment venues in the UK and across Europe.

The London show will be followed by a plethora of trade events to start the year, including events in Japan and North America. But also, interest in Enterprise VR will see launches of the latest eSports and even Edutainment deployments. Watch this space for our next coverage.

October 15, 2018

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 – 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.

A view of the Golem VR experience at Hamleys in the city centre. (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.

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 Starbreeze Zerolight

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. (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).

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.

August 28, 2018

Dedicated ‘Beat Saber’ Machine to Hit VR Arcades in South Korea & China

Beat Games, the Czech Republic-based indie developers behind smash hit rhythm game Beat Saber, are aiming to make a big splash in Asia with a newly revealed dedicated arcade machine.

The cabinet was created in partnership with SKonec Entertainment, a Seoul-based company that recently opened a VR multiplex called VR SQUARE.

The arcade cabinet itself features a monitor for spectating, an overhead cable management system, and appears to be powered by a HTC Vive headset, as evidenced by an image reported by Korean publication MK News. An alternative image obtained by VR Focus also features a Windows “Mixed Reality” VR headset in play.

The developers say in a recent tweet that the arcade machine’s public debut will begin this September at KVRF in Seoul, and the GTI Expo in Guangzhou, China.

A full list of participating arcades isn’t available at the time of this writing, but the company says more info regarding locations will be coming soon.

As for the West, Beat Games has already penned a deal with Springboard VR to bring Beat Saber to VR arcades across North America and Europe.

The post Dedicated ‘Beat Saber’ Machine to Hit VR Arcades in South Korea & China appeared first on Road to VR.

July 12, 2018

Beat Saber Arcade to be Officially Rolled Out for Location-Based Entertainment

Simple yet ludicrously addictive, Myperbolic Magnetism’s Beat Saber is still in Early Access yet enjoying phenomenal success on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. While players are still awaiting a level editor which the studio has previously mentioned, the team has made an unexpected announcement, that Beat Saber will be available for commercial licensing later this month.

Beat Saber Screenshot

Location-based entertainment (LBE) venues have been growing in number and popularity over the past year, with studios working in virtual reality (VR) using that growth to license their videogames and make some money – something which is harder to do via the consumer market.

This is obviously an avenue Hyperbolic Magnetism is keen to capitalise on due to Beat Saber’s easy to pickup gameplay style. In a statement the studio said: “It has always been our intention to provide Beat Saber for audiences both at home and in arcades, yet our small team has been so excitedly heads down adding new features like the soon to be released level editor and a build for PSVR, that it took us longer than expected to create the version most playable in arcades.

“It is so important to us that you have the very best experience with our game wherever you play it. We couldn’t be more grateful for the positive response from the Beat Saber community and hope you find our delay to make earlier arcade announcements more a reflection of our commitment to quality than anything else.”

Beat Saber Screenshot

The plan is to make the arcade version and the legal commercial license available in the next few weeks, with the studio still to specify how commercial venues go about gaining said license.

Another feature still to be released is multiplayer. With the first version expected to be a competitive realtime multiplayer, where players compete against each other to get the best score on a specific level, this would ideally suit an arcade setup with multiple devices. So maybe this will all happen at the same time? As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you informed.

July 12, 2018

‘Beat Saber Arcade’ Coming Soon for Sanctioned Use in VR Arcades

Beat Saber, the acclaimed VR rhythm game, is soon to get a special version, Beat Saber Arcade, which will offer officially sanctioned use of the game in out-of-home VR arcades.

Despite Beat Saber’s seamingly perfect fit for VR arcades—thanks to its ease of understanding and quick fun—developer Beat Games hasn’t yet offered a means of commercial licensing for the game, which would give VR arcade operators the rights to offer the game to their customers.

Today the company announced that Beat Saber Arcade will be released in “a few weeks,” and further said they had planned to offer commercial licensing from the beginning but that the small indie team has been stretched working on the forthcoming level editor and the PSVR version of the game.

“We couldn’t be more grateful for the positive response from the Beat Saber community and hope you find our delay to make earlier arcade announcements more a reflection of our commitment to quality than anything else,” the company writes.