Positron’s Voyager VR Chair Coming to Europe via mk2 Distribution Deal

During the Cannes Film Festival this week LA-based virtual reality (VR) studio Positron announced that its Voyager VR chair will be coming to Europe thanks to a new distribution deal with location-based VR company mk2.

The deal will allow Positron to offer premium cinematic VR experiences to European audiences through its Voyager full-motion VR chair and Voyager Network distribution platform. mk2 has become the first official distributor of Voyager and will represent the territories of France and Spain exclusively.

“Our exciting partnership with mk2 marks a major step forward for location-based entertainment and demonstrates Positron’s blueprint for bringing a premium, seated VR solution to global audiences through our Voyager distribution network of motion-synchronized theaters,” said Jeffrey Travis, CEO, Positron, in a statement.

Positron debuted Voyager during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival as part of its New Frontier programme. For public, location-based use multiple chairs can be configured as a VR cinema, with synchronized or separate content screenings. While the Voyager Network allows for premium VR content to be delivered to Voyagers anywhere in the world, and has been used by studios such as Universal Pictures (The Mummy Zero Gravity VR Experience), and Warner Bros. (Save Every Breath: The Dunkirk VR Experience).

Positron Voyager

“We’re thrilled to partner with Positron to deliver the future of cinematic VR to European audiences,” said Elisha Karmitz, CEO at mk2. “In Voyager, we’ve discovered an unprecedented motion and distribution platform that offers creators a deeper level of immersion that cinematic VR experiences, and their audiences, deserve. We’re delighted to add Voyager to our diverse suite of turnkey VR solutions.”

Over the past year or so mk2 has expanded its operations, opening a dedicated VR facility at its Paris multiplex, mk2 Bibliothèque in 2016 with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR headsets on offer. Much more recently the company unveiled a VR plug-and-play solution for VR out-of-home centres called the Mk2 VR Pod. This is designed for use in places such as cinemas, museums, institutions and other locations, offering twelve VR pod configurations using HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. For further details on Positron and mk2, keep reading VRFocus.

Speaker Lineup Announced For Future of Immersive Leisure 2018

Recent reports have shown that location-based virtual reality (VR) is a growth industry, which is continuing to expand into new areas and new locations. The Future of Immersive Leisure event is dedicated to this area and how it can generate opportunities and development.

Location-based VR, also known as digital out-of-home entertainment or DOE, comes in several forms. The future of Immersive Leisure aims to give a diverse view of the technology and business sides, featuring experts and thought-leaders from throughout the industry.

Future Of Immersive Leisure 2018 (FOIL 2018)

The event is organised by Rising Media and KWP. Kevin Williams, the founder of KWP stated, “As the Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment (DOE) scene continues to expand Future of Immersive Leisure aims to become the must-attend convention for those investing in media entertainment in the public-space.”

Confirmed speakers for the event include:

  • Charles Fink – Writer and Producer
  • Jenefer Brown – Senior Vice President, Lionsgate Entertainment
  • Matthew Proulx – Senior Director of Branded Experiences, Hasbro
  • Jesse Schell – CEO of Schell Games
  • Negin Singh – Executive Director, Santa Monica Pier Corporation
  • Charles Taylor, Director of Innovation, Caesars Entertainment
  • Bruce Vaugn – CEO Dreamscape Immersive

The event will take place over two days, with a variety of session topics planned. These will include, among others:

  • Building a New Infrastructure for VR Location-Based Entertainment
  • Alternative Content and Strategies for VR and MR Arcades
  • VR and AR Sports- The Next Evolution in E-Sports
  • Beyond Pokemon Go- Launching the Next Big Hits in Mixed Reality Out-of-Home Entertainment
  • Dome Theaters- the Next Generation
  • Leveraging Synergies between Escape Games and VR
  • Transforming the Tourist Experience with Immersive Attractions and Installations

The event is due to take place from 16th-17th May, 2018 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas. Further information can be found on the official FOIL website.

VRFocus is a media partner for The Future of Immersive Leisure event, so all the latest updates will be available right here.

Racing to Sit Still with E-Virtuality

Immersive cinema is one of the ways that virtual reality (VR) is entering into mainstream consciousness. Location-based VR experiences allow people to test out VR without the expensive of buying a full VR rig themselves. One company who are becoming involved in this industry is E-Virtuality.

E-Virtuality are introducing a new VR 5D experience at Futuroscope in France, the Sebastien Loeb Racing Experience.Futuroscope is France’s second largest theme park, receiving 1.9 million a year. The park is based around multimedia and audio-visual techniques, featuring several 3D ad 4D cinemas, which are now joined by a VR 5D theatre.

For the 2018 season, guests will be able to strap in to take part in a race alongside 9-times World Champion race driver Sebastien Loeb in his Rally Peugeot 208 WRX. Visitors will be taken on a high-speed trip through the countryside on a special mission to deliver a precious flask of antidoe to a nearby hospital in order to aid the victims of a chemical spill.

A representative of Futuroscope said: “We were looking for an innovative and immersive VR experience for our guests. We knew we wanted to honor Sebastian Loeb, the nine times French World RallyChampion (WRC), in a 360° real 6K film, but we couldn’t find an adequate Ride System to match the film until E-Virtuality introduced us with e-Ms6 electrodynamic motion

seat. We quickly assessed the potential of this new motion seat and made the decision to go ahead with it for the new attraction. Then, drawing on our experience with simulation, we launched our Fab Lab and added some special SFX to complement this exciting new guest experience.”

The experience is mode possible by using the electrodynamic motion seat, which used 6DoF (Degrees of Freedom) for a realistic experience.

Further information on E-Virtuality is available on the company website, while information and tickets for the Futuroscope theme park can be found on the Futuroscope website. News on new and upcoming VR attractions will continue to be reported on VRFocus.

VR Star Centre Coming To Swindon Shopping Centre

Shoppers in Swindon will soon be able to experience virtual reality (VR) while taking a break from their shopping with the arrival of brand new VR pods coming to the Brunel Shopping Centre.

VR Star Centre

The new VR Star Centre will provide users with the latest in cutting edge technology to become immersed in some groundbreaking experiences without the need for the equipment at home. The Swindon Brunel Shopping Centre is one of five new locations to get the pods in the coming weeks.

Arek Antoniak, Operations Manager of VR Star, said: “VR Star in Bristol has been hugely successful and these five new centres will offer even more customers across the UK the chance to enjoy the ultimate VR experience. Our VR Cinema Pods engage all the senses to deliver something that is genuinely immersive and thrilling. We can’t wait for people to get the chance to enjoy them.”

By putting on the VR head-mounted display (HMD) users will become immersed in the simulated 3D environments while positioned on special machinery. This allows for them to interact with these environments by rotating their head and shifting their body weight. These systems will help to create a more realistic experience and deal with any possible motion sickness which might occur as a result of use.

The Swindon Brunel Shopping Centre VR Start Centre will allow customers a chance to fly dragons, ride rollercoasters, explore haunted hospitals and even run alongside dinosaurs. Customers will need to take part in a five minute check-in and introduction before they choose a machine and experience up to on hour inside the virtual worlds. All of this is possible thanks to technology from companies such as Vive, Samsung, and NVIDIA.

To date, the VR Star Centre in Bristol has received exclusively five-star ratings on Trip Advisor, with people having responded to the TRON-esque bikes and race car experiences with praise. The aim is to have the same success in the new locations, including that one in Swindon Brunel Shopping Centre when it opens on 11th May, 2018.

For more stories like this in the future and for more on immersive media, keep reading VRFocus.

Theme Park Makes Popular Ride Accessible To Disabled Visitors With VR

A rising number of theme parks around the world are incorporating virtual reality (VR) into their attractions, either as an attraction in and of itself or to enhance existing rides. A theme park in the Netherlands is using VR to give disabled visitors the ability to experience its Droomvlucht ride.

The Efteling theme park is home to a popular dark ride called Droomvlucht, which for safety reasons has been off-limits to visitors who are wheelchair users. This has changed with the introduction of Virtual Droomvlucht.

Virtual Droomvlucht at Efteling

Virtual Droomvlucht replicates the original ride from within VR, offering guests the same experience by connecting wheelchair-using guests with friends on the ride using headphones and microphones so they can see and hear the same sensations and properly share the experience.

Fons Jurgens, president and CEO of Efteling said: “Until now, VR has often been used for individual experiences. With the use of other techniques such as audio equipment, we have created a group experience that completely stands in line with Efteling and the theme park’s values.”

The virtual Droomvlucht has been trialled with the help of some regular visitors. One such visitor, Annemarie Verbunt expressed her enthusiasm about the virtual ride: “I am so happy to be able to experience this,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to the day that I could experience Droomvlucht for 25 years. Virtual Droomvlucht really is a complete sensory experience, thanks to the smell and wind effects but also the contact with my friends who are on the gondola.”

It has not yet been confirmed when the Virtual Droomvlucht will go into regular operation. Efteling now joins other parks who have rolled out VR attractions, such as Alton Towers with Galactica, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags Great Adventure.

Virtual Droomvlucht at Efteling

For further news on VR in theme parks and other leisure facilities, keep checking back with VRFocus.

An Arcade Stalwart Evolved, Sony Square NYC Welcomes A(i)R Hockey

The arcade is ever evolving as it seeks to find a new audience and adjusts to the new status quo for on-location entertainment. Regular readers of VRFocus will be aware that news relating to virtual reality (VR) arcades and digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) is pretty regular. Be it new locations, expansions, adaptions to existing venues, or new experiences from small to room-scale, location-based experiences.

WOW StudioAs we’ve seen through items like our ongoing semi-regular feature series The Virtual Arena*, there’s plenty of direct interest in immersive technology within the amusement and arcade sector. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that some arcade staples have been brought up to date with new tricks and features offered by the advance in technology.

One such amusement stalwart getting a facelift is the humble air hockey table. For decades a traditional battlefield as parent takes on child in an effort to slam a hard plastic puck hard enough to get it into a hole without it flying up and hitting someone full in the face.

Sony Square NYC is welcoming a new version of air hockey to its line-up which uses a form of augmented reality (AR) to take the game into mixed reality (MR) territory. Dubbed, appropriately enough, A(i)R Hockey, it sees the traditional table replaced by a circular one and the number of players increased to three. The twist really comes when the game starts. Not only is there the physical puck, hit with the familiar mallet as usual but virtual pucks of different sizes start whizzing around the table as well which you will need to defend against with the mallet. The game tracking how each reacts to your strikes and players having to track both physical and virtual objects at the same time.  There’s even haptics imbedded in the mallet so you can feel the hit of the virtual pucks.

“Our goal at Sony Square NYC is to showcase the very best of what Sony has to offer and to help connect people with the brand in new ways,” said Steven Fuld, Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Sony Corporation of America. “The A(i)R Hockey game is a great way to demonstrate some of Sony’s cutting-edge innovations and technologies, while at the same time providing fun for the whole family.”

A(i)R HockeyThe title, developed by WOW Studio, was first shown at SXSW 2018 and uses high-speed vision sensors capable of tracking objects at 1000 frames per second. It’ll be at Sony Square NYC for the next month until May 27th, 2018.  Sony themselves recorded some footage for their Sony – Stories channel on YouTube which also shows off some of the other tricks the table has. You can see that below. Sadly for air hockey aficionados, there is no information as to whether A(i)R Hockey will see a roll-out beyond appearing at events at this time.

Be sure to follow VRFocus for all the latest news relating to immersive technology’s use in DOE and the amusement sector.

*Incidentally, there is a two-part The Virtual Arena reporting on the 2018 Asia Amusement & Attractions Expo and discussing exactly this beginning this coming Friday.

 

 

Korea’s Biggest VR/AR Event Reveals Focus on VR Theme Parks

Seoul VR AR Expo advertises itself as the biggest exhibition and conference dedicated to virtual reality (VR) and other immersive media in the country. The event plans to display some of the latest VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies and will feature a spotlight on VR theme parks.

The event is due to take place at COEX Seoul from 19th-22nd April, 2018 and is set to feature exhibitions, discussions and presentations from companies and personalities from all different parts of the immersive technology industry.

In this context, VR Theme parks is being used as a catch-all term that incorporates not only VR-enabled thrill-rides, such as the Tower of Terror at Six Flags, or Galactica at Alton Towers, but also location-based VR arcades.

A variety of ‘worlds first’ and ‘Korea’s first’ technology will be showcased in a special area marked as ‘New work and new product presentations’. This is expected to allow start-ups to gain momentum for their business.

With VR location-based technology having a particular spotlight, companies such as SKonec Entertainment will be showing off some of its walking attractions, VR entertainment and VR fusion experiences, while another company, VRotein will showcase content such as VRoadcast – a content supply platform and VR Universe – a VR experience module.

Appearing as speakers at the event will be representatives from CA SEGA Joypolis, who will be discussing the experience of running a VR centre Tokyo. Speaking on behalf of SEGA will be Akitoshi Ogawa, Executive Producer and Chief Creative Adviser, and Kazuhiko Hayami, a corporate officer who will present the current SEGA VR strategy.

Also present will be Masashi Kawashima Director of Asia Pacific for Niantic Labs, who will be presenting on its work with AR, including Ingress, Pokemon Go and the upcoming Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Further information can be found on the official Seoul VRAR Expo website. Further news and updates on the event will be here on VRFocus.

The Xenomorphs Are Out To Play In ALIEN: DESCENT

If you read a post I made earlier post today about Canadian videogame The Station, which is coming to virtual reality (VR) on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR you’ll have seen I started it by paraphrasing the classic tagline to the film Alien – ‘In space, no one can hear you scream.’ At the time you might have also thought how awesome it would be to have a VR experience set deep in the heart of the ALIEN universe, one that was a little bit more in-depth than what we’ve had previously. (Mods not withstanding.) Well, if you’re one of those people then we’ve good news – and if you live in or near Orange County in America, it’s even better.

Alien Descent

Pure Imagination Studios has teamed with FoxNext Destinations (a division of FoxNext developing what it calls “themed entertainment destinations”) to present a new free-roaming VR experience called ALIEN: DESCENT that will be coming to The Outlets at Orange in Orange County next week, in the latest example of big licences embracing location-based VR or ‘Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment’ (DOE).

In ALIEN: DESCENT, first teased back in May last year, it’s time to enlist in the series’ iconic Colonial Marines which are being sent off into space to investigate a distress signal from a Weyland-Yutani mining outpost. It seems the ALIEN franchise’s corporate menace has been up to its old tricks again. As before losing contact they reported a strange ‘infestation’. Your mission is, with your squad, to “contain the threat” – which means getting survivors to quarantine and battling everything from face-huggers to terrifying fully-grown Xenomorphs. Using wireless VR and the StrikerVR gun (also used in Arizona Sunshine LB VR Edition), environmental effects, motion platforms and more to help make the experience even more immersive.

The experience is set to open, appropriately enough, on ‘Alien Day’; aka 4/26 as taken from the moon in Aliens – LV-426. Additional locations for ALIEN: DESCENT will be announced soon with tickets already reservable for the Orange County location at the experience’s homepage.

Alien Descent

ALIEN: DESCENT’s story-first approach is at the forefront of the location-based VR experiences that we’re rolling out.” Says co-founder of Pure Imagination Studios, Joshua Wexler. “Our goal at Pure Imagination Studios has always been to push the boundaries of what’s possible — VR attractions are the perfect medium to do just that. Partnering with the forward-thinking team at FoxNext made for a potent combination of storytelling minds and innovative thinking to set a new benchmark for destination entertainment.”

“VR attractions bring together immersive entertainment with social experiences that can’t be replicated in the living room. The rich storytelling opportunities in the ALIEN universe makes it a perfect fit for cutting-edge destination entertainment. Plus, who doesn’t want to battle Xenomorphs and save the world?” Added Salil Mehta, president of FoxNext.

Pure Imagination Studios’ Rob Taylor, who co-created the experience, is excited to see what would-be Colonial Marines make of it all. “We’re thrilled to allow guests the freedom to experience and engage in VR without the need of a cumbersome backpack.  The dream is to allow guests to fully immerse themselves, let loose, and have fun.”

VRFocus will, of course, bring you more news on developments with the DOE title very soon – motion tracker battery life permitting.

NBC Universal Chief Claims Location-Based VR Will Lead The Way

The current virtual reality (VR) market is seeing something of a split, with companies and consumers torn between what to support in the coming moths and years. In the midst of this, Chris Heatherly, EVP for Games and Digital Platforms at NBC Universal says that Home VR still has work to do before it becomes a viable business.

Speaking at the VentureBeat GamesBeat Summit 2018, Heatherly expressed the opinion that platforms such as the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive still have a long way to go before they have a viable business model.

chris heatherly NBC Universal

Instead, Heatherly was keen to talk up the possibilities inherent in location-based VR centres: “We’re really focused on location-based VR right now,” said Heatherly in a GamesBeat Summit panel. “If you look at how The Void has done with Star Wars or what Dreamscape has done with Alien Zoon — all of the location VR things that have opened have completely sold out.”

Some analysts have compared the split in the market to the situation in the 80s and early 90s with location-based VR serving a function similar to what videogame arcades once did, with standalone and mobile-based VR standing in for early consoles.

Plenty of other experts have hit back at this suggestion, however, pointing to the sales numbers for the PlayStation VR, and how Sony were having trouble keeping the devices in stock on launch, particularly in Japan.

“It isn’t a business yet,” Heatherly said, “There’s a lot of negativity around VR. I happen to be bullish about the platform, but I think the technology was far from prime time for most users. So the hype bubble got out of control.”

Viveport Arcade - Viveland_BountyVR

With VR headsets getting cheaper all the time and mid-range standalone devices on the way, the future may be closer than many might think. VRFocus will be sure to keep you informed on those developments within the VR industry.

AiSolve’s Announce New WePlayVR Arena And Videogame Clock Tower

UK-based virtual reality (VR) content producer AiSolve launched their modular location-based VR attraction WePlayVR last year in May and now have a new title making its debut next month at Deal 2018 in Dubai.

Booth straight

Alongside the debut of Clock Tower, the videogame will also be shown off with the newest gaming arenas for WePlayVR. This follows the successful launch last year and the new product line will include a new 4x4m multiplayer version of WePlayVR that will offer new opportunities for player engagement. Thanks to the size it will be able to host up to eight players and is powered by AiSolve’s operation system that will ensure the multiplayer WePlayVR is the same intelligent gaming portal as the original, but now with more players. The eight player counter is achieved by having four people play inside the arena with VR head-mounted displays (HMD) with four others playing outside on motions.

A new leaderboard feature is also being added to the new WePlayVR allowing players to track their achievements and monitor opponents, building competition between them that is sure to offer more engagement and enjoyment. The leaderboard feature is also designed to encourage returning players which will be a benefit to venues as well. The feature will also be coming to the classic 3x3m WePlayVR which will now host up to two players at a time, plus two motion sear pairings.

2018 Amusement Expo International - WePlayVR

AiSolve CEO Devi Kolli said: “We are thrilled to be expanding our gaming catalogue for the third time since launching WePlayVR less than a year ago. It’s such an accomplishment to already have three exciting game titles under our belt and a new 4x4m multiplayer platform. We are confident that this latest WePlayVR arena, combined with its new interactive features, is a game changer for not only virtual reality but the gaming industry as a whole. We focused on giving users a thrilling experience, boosted by the ability to host up to eight players at a time, equipped with motion seats and a leaderboard system. This gives a fantastic ROI for operators, allows more people to enjoy the action and keeps them coming back to beat the high scores.”

Their new title, that will launch with the new WePlayVR, Clock Tower, is an interactive puzzle platformer where players need to complete a selection of tasks before time runs out. Players will become immersed in the world of the Clock Tower and will move through different levels within the realm, followed by a guide that provides hints to help players complete each puzzle before moving forward. A teaser trailer for the title is available to watch below.

For more on AiSolve in the future, keep reading VRFocus.