The application of XR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams in his latest Virtual Arena column. An amazing immersive adventure based in 1605 London is experienced with the launch of The Gunpowder Plot.
The creation of an immersive experience that audiences will be prepared to pay ticket prices to participate in has been a constant challenge. The mixing of the right level of immersive, with live performance and themed environments has been attempted as both stage performance, art installation, and attraction. And London played host to the latest adaption of this process into the mainstream.
Based on the historical character Guy Fawkes, and the turbulent period of English history he was embroiled in, Layered Reality has launched The Gunpowder Plot. This is an immersive experience, combining theatrical theming, and live performance, alongside immersive projection, and virtual reality.
Image credit: KWP
Located on Tower Hill in the shadow of the historic Tower of London, the Tower Vaults venue has been transformed into an entertainment space, bar, and dining hospitality. The developers have previous experience in offering this level of immersive entertainment, following on from their successful deployment of Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience – which we reported on previously.
Layered Reality in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces and Figment Productions has been working to launch this ambitious historical reinterpretation of the gunpowder plot. Figment Productions, best known for their work in creating the ‘Derren Brown’s Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon’ theme park attraction; has worked hard to create a virtual recreation of the London of 1605. The developer employs over 50 actors to be represented virtually within this experience, including accurate period costumes.
The developer does not stop there, representing the old London landscape, with the Thames, the original London Bridge, and the surrounding castles so lovingly that you will want to be able to visually navigate the streets of the historic city – eventually lost to plague, and the Great Fire of London. The VR elements of the experience are broken into three distinct portions of the overall adventure for the audience. With the crossing of the Thames by rope, a harrowing night crossing across the river, and an audience with the King!
Image credit: Mark Dawson
The adventure is a true immersive experience and builds greatly on a more theatrical representation of the immersive elements. A troop of well-known stage and screen actors fill the cast – led by Tom Felton, better known for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. It is the interweaving of the immersive technology with the live actors that has become a signature of Layered Reality’s artistry.
Image credit: KWP
In groups of up to 16, guests are transported through time, with their guides being real actors, using their performances to immerse the audience, complemented by the theming of the vaults. Along the way there are sequences where guests don HTC Cosmos Elite VR headsets and immerse further into the action sequences of the story, concluding with the group having to agree on the moral decisions they should take impacting the conclusion of the adventure. The whole experience lasts over an hour and is broken up with the signature-themed pub area, halfway through the adventure, for the guests to mingle.
Image credit: Mark Dawson
Aside from the obvious opening night jitters from the technology, the overall experience was an amazing undertaking and offered a compelling and fun adventure. Only wishing that we could have spent longer admiring the incredible historical recreation rendered virtually of the old city. The experience will be moving from soft opening to taking bookings and is expected to be the first of many immersive themed experiences based on popular properties.
In an interesting quirk of history on its own, the location of The Gunpowder Plot experience is situated in the same vaults that some 28-years ago housed the Legend Quest VR experience. Developed at the time by pioneers, Virtuality, in collaboration with Virtual Reality Design & Leisure, the first true multi-player fantasy VR game was incredibly rudimentary but pointed to the abilities of this fledgling technology. Jump forward to 2022, and again the Tower Hill location offers a tantalizing glimpse of a future in a technological endeavour that will start a revolution in guest entertainment.
The application of XR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams. His latest Virtual Arena column investigates developments as the LBE sector moves toward applying streaming VR technology to drive a high-fidelity experience.
Image credit: Zero Latency
While the establishment of location-based entertainment (LBE) takes hold across the international market. The application of the technology deployed within these facilities is in constant flux. Evolving with the latest developments in the immersive entertainment industry. It is this innovation that makes the market a barometer of the latest trends that could play a part in defining the consumer application of this tech.
One of the biggest trends sweeping LBE has been the deployment of free-roaming experiences, as charted in recent coverage in this column. But technological advances have been made that allow the free-roaming VR experience to be significantly improved and made assessable to a wider audience with a much-reduced cost-benefit (removing cumbersome PC backpacks). A higher fidelity of VR experience moves beyond that achieved using just the mobile processor of current standalone headsets. The developer of these low-latency 5G network applications have been actively reaching out to the LBE community for adoption.
What we mean by streaming VR, is pushing high-fidelity VR directly into the latest headsets. Most of these implementations use a 5G connection between the host PC and a VR headset. This streaming infrastructure also supports updated positional tracking for multiple-player deployment. All this is supported by the latest Qualcomm XR2 standalone headsets, such as the HTC Focus 3, along with the latest systems from Varjo, Pico, and Pimax, focused on commercial application, (as is promised with the Meta Project Cambria, still to be released). This is technology that has been refined for enterprise (SeriousVR) applications such as for training, CAD design, and now commercial entertainment.
The deployment of this approach in entertainment has been gathering momentum. Recently AT&T teamed with Warner Bros., Ericsson, Qualcomm, Dreamscape Immersive, Nvidia and Wevr, to create an ambitious proof-of-concept immersive location-based experience. This was based on the already installed Harry Potter: Chaos at Hogwarts free-roaming VR experience opened at the Harry Potter Wizarding World New York venue. Now using AT&T’s 5G streaming technology, and NVIDIA’s CloudXR, Dreamscape were able to create a prototype version of the experience, at their test facility that removed the need for the cumbersome PC backpacks and streamlined the experience. This development was a proof-of-concept towards being able to offer their high-fidelity VR attraction based on this technology.
The ability for manufacturers in the LBE sector to upgrade towards the latest technology is a benefit of owning the space. Where consumer VR application needs to establish customer penetration, LBE brings the technology to the player, and so upgrades accordingly. This is best illustrated by Zero Latency, a company that has constantly been on an iterative path with its free-roaming attraction. The company announced its move towards ditching PC backpacks and moving to streamed VR but keeping the high-fidelity VR experience. The company deploying a new system streaming over a local Wi-Fi 6E network to players using HTC Focus 3 headsets. This technology has to ensure the high-end performance needed, as seen with their latest free-roam VR adventure, from Ubisoft, set in the world of Far Cry 3.
Image credit: Zero Latency
The growth in VR entertainment facility deployment has seen the providers of the content also adopting a streaming methodology. SynthesisVR, a location-based virtual reality content distribution and facility management platform, recently partnered with QuarkXR, a trusted solution provider focused on VR streaming. Towards offering all LBE VR arcade operators a simple, and automated VR streaming solution, previously not available. A solution for wireless VR game streaming was created specifically for the industry through this exclusive co-developed solution, connecting the host PC and Android VR Headset. This will allow VR arcade operators to benefit from the opportunities of streamed VR applications, and the cost-saving this will bring.
We are seeing many established LBE developers migrate to a streaming VR approach, such as with the announcement of the new ‘Hologate-X’ platform. Developed by market leader Hologate, who has established their tethered VR arena platform across the market. The company staying on the cutting edge of new development have created their own streamed VR platform. To be launched at their flagship Hologate-World location in Germany, the ‘Hologate-X’ attraction running the inhouse developed game ‘SIGVRIED: Escape from Valhalla’, offers streamed low-latency 5G network VR direct to headsets, allowing the four players to simultaneously explore the virtual world unencumbered. For the application, Hologate has added haptic vests, along with feedback from the weapons the players carry. All supported by the 4D effects of the arena space they play within.
SIGVRIED: Escape from Valhalla. Image credit: Hologate
It is this ability to offer such a high-fidelity VR experience, supported by 4D physical effects that separate what is achievable with commercial immersive experiences from the casual consumer experience. Thus showcasing how VR streaming is able to deliver a new level of VR experience to users. We look forward to reporting on further developments in streaming VR soon.
The application of XR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams. In his latest Virtual Arena column, the sudden explosion in new entertainment venues internationally is revealed, with a visit to one of the latest promoting the inclusion of immersive entertainment.
Following on from our recent coverage of AREA15, and its deployment of immersive technology in an entertainment venue. And many readers will be familiar with the Gravity Active Entertainment facilities in the UK, some 18 venues dotted across the country offering a mix of trampoline and climbing wall activities. Active entertainment has been a popular offering for younger audiences, but the corporation has decided to pivot towards offering an entertainment mix for an older clientele. With this business decision, the company launched a flagship location in a London suburb to experiment with their new concept.
Called ‘Gravity Wandsworth’ – the concept has ditched the trampolines and gone for a modern mixed-use leisure entertainment aesthetic. The 100,000-sq.ft, facility inhabits what had previously been a Debenhams department store – leading to some calling the new Gravity a “department store of fun!”. While for many the venue is dominated by the indoor multi-level e-karting track, (built by 360 Karting), the venue is underpinned by the largest deployment of immersive entertainment technology in a single site in the UK.
Image credit: KWP
Immersive entertainment is defined by the key applications of digital technology, and “Gamification”. Meaning the application of simple but fun game mechanics into the experience, including progression, scoring and collectables. This is seen with the facility’s deployment of ‘AR Bowling’. The traditional bowling lanes are now enhanced with projection mapping, projected images that are tracked with the ball’s movements and add a new level of engagement for the players. Taking a tired format and supercharging it for the new audience.
Image credit: KWP
An aspect of supporting the new audience and the entertainment mix of the venue has been dubbed “Competitive Socializing” – offering entertainment that can be played by groups of friends, while also enjoying cocktails and food. Pub games accelerated into the 21st Century. The bowling experience at the site, as with other games, is supported by touchscreen kiosks for game selection, scoring and ordering.
Another familiar entertainment given the gamified approach is the ‘AR Darts’. Again, projection mapping is employed to paint the whole of the space with a unique interactive experience. The game of darts transformed into a socially inclusive competition, not focused on score counting, but fun games that can be played with groups of varying skills. Taking away the cumbersome aspects of some games and focusing on the fun elements defines gamification.
Image credit: KWP
Projection mapped AR systems such as this are not new to the social entertainment scene, several venues have deployed AR darts, along with the appearance of AR ping pong, and even AR Axe Throwing experiences. The gamification of these activities, like the bowling, offers a new level of social inclusion, augmenting the number counting and tedious scoring metrics for a much more inclusive experience.
We see at Gravity the deployment of more immersive entertainment approaches, the facility including the installation of an Electric Gamebox setup. These unique pods house players in a fully immersive (MR) environment, with projection on all walls. Their whole body is tracked and able to control their character within the game experience. The developer of the platform has just launched a brand new game based on Angry Birds, offering a compelling and active approach for a wide audience.
Image credit: KWP
For Gravity it is about a constant process of application to attract a new audience, the facility includes its own eSports lounge, and has its own amusement space dedicated to the latest video arcade, redemption, and prize machines. This space also sees the deployment of several of the latest VR amusement platforms. With the motorcycle game Ultra Moto VR, and the two VR motion ride experiences, Virtual Rabbids and King Kong.
Image credit: KWP
The venue will see opened in the summer a brand new VR attraction installation of a HOLOGATE VR experience – with the four-player tethered VR ‘Arena’, and their ‘Hyper GP’ VR motion simulator system, which will be run on the ground floor in their own dedicated attraction. HOLOGATE recently announced that it will be releasing a Ghostbusters-based VR experience on these systems.
Image credit: KWP
Of the more conventional entertainment the space also includes urban street golf and is supported on the ground and third floor with food and beverage service. The top floor also includes ‘Newtons Cocktail Bar’ offering a relaxing hospitality scene. All this is supported by futuristic robot servers. The space reflects the move to a new level of entertainment for an audience hungry for the latest immersion, but also wanting that social media buzz with “Instagram-able” moments.
The success of Gravity Wandsworth experiment has seen the owners make the announcement of the plans to open a second facility based on the model. This will see a £10m investment to once again repopulate a 180,000-sq.ft, Debenhams department store, in Liverpool. To be named ‘Gravity Liverpool ONE’, it will represent the flagship location of the brand, opening in 2023 – with plans to roll out 30 sites in the next two years.
This will prove very crowded waters as immersive entertainment technology establishes itself as a leading force in the scene, and already other facility developers wait in the wings to launch their interpretation of the new immersive frontier. More developments using the latest technology will be covered soon.
A couple of months back nDreams and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) dropped a surprise announcement that work had begun on Ghostbusters VR for Meta Quest 2. Today, SPVR has revealed that the franchise is expanding even further into VR, with Ghostbusters VR also coming to PlayStation VR2 whilst a new title, Ghostbusters VR Academyis being made specifically for Hologate location-based entertainment (LBE) venues.
Ghostbuster VR (working title) is going to be a 4-player cooperative experience set in San Francisco rather than New York. It’ll be up to you and your mates to grab those proton packs and rid the city of manacing ghosts. Only a short teaser trailer has been shown so far. Considering nDreams is developing the title, its no surprise that Ghostbusters VR is coming to PlayStation VR2 as the studio has previously released the likes of Fracked for PlayStation VR.
As for Ghostbusters VR Academy, this will utilise Hologate’s unique LBE setup to offer fans a unique experience where players take on the role of ghostbusters in training. There will be two versions, one for Hologate Arena and one for Hologate Blitz. In Arena players work as a team to complete high-risk ghost encounter scenarios whilst Blitz puts them in a flying prototype ECTO vehicle.
“Ghostbusters VR Academy, the new location-based VR training experience, will continue to expand the world of Ghostbusters in a way that honours the legacy of the franchise and offers something entirely new,” says Jake Zim, Senior Vice President, Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “For the first time ever, players will be able to train to be a real Ghostbuster in an amazing academy setting and race a new flying version of the ECTO using HOLOGATE’s vehicle motion simulator.”
“Sony Pictures VR is doing incredible things for virtual reality, and we’re thrilled to collaborate for this new experience,” adds Leif Petersen, CEO and HOLOGATE founder. “Ghostbusters VR Academy is a natural fit for HOLOGATE’s ARENA and BLITZ platforms. It transcends reality so players can create memorable moments while fulfilling longtime wishes to operate iconic Ghostbusters equipment. We can’t wait for players to step inside this world.”
Ghostbusters VR Academy will be coming to 400 Hologate locations by the end of 2022. The PlayStation VR2 version of Ghostbusters VR will, of course, depend on when the headset launches, currently unknown at this point. It’ll join a growing selection of titles Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) revealed during its recent State of Play event.
For continual updates on Ghostbusters VR, keep reading gmw3.
The pandemic may have almost destroyed the location-based entertainment (LBE) industry but venues have bounced back with new and exciting virtual reality (VR) content. One company that rose from the ashes was Sandbox VR in 2021, with gmw3 reporting that plans were underway for a UK expansion. Today, that plan has taken another step forward revealing that the first London-based venue will arrive this summer.
Sandbox VR London will feature the same free-roaming technology and content that’s made the company’s other venues so popular. Visitors will don full-body trackers and use haptic guns to shoot zombies and go on swashbuckling adventures with friends.
The London venue won’t entirely follow the same recipe as the other venues though, it’ll offer its own unique features. It’ll be the first Sandbox VR establishment to provide its own food and drink menu, with the beverages served by robotic bartender IG-1, who can serve up to 80 drinks an hour with guests placing their orders using in-built table terminals.
Adding to the drinks experience, Sandbox VR London will be serving up special cocktails based on Sandbox VR’s videogames such as Zombie Apocalypse from Deadwood Mansion, alongside cocktails from cocktail brand, Bottle Proof. And when you’re hungry there’s going to be an extensive pizza menu and delights from London based food brands.
As for the titles you’ll want to play, up to six players can jump into a game at once, whether that’s the aforementioned Deadwood Mansion, licensed experience Star Trek: Discovery, Curse of Davey Jones, or Unbound Fighting League. All of them are unique to Sandbox VR which makes the UK launch so exciting, it’ll be the first time British VR fans can enjoy Sandbox VR on home soil.
There’s no specific date for the launch but Sandbox VR London will be based at: The Post Building, Museum St, London WC1A 1PB, open all week, the latest until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
When gmw3 has further details regarding the opening of Sandbox VR London we’ll let you know.
The pandemic may have almost destroyed the location-based entertainment (LBE) industry but venues have bounced back with new and exciting virtual reality (VR) content. One company that rose from the ashes was Sandbox VR in 2021, with gmw3 reporting that plans were underway for a UK expansion. Today, that plan has taken another step forward revealing that the first London-based venue will arrive this summer.
Sandbox VR London will feature the same free-roaming technology and content that’s made the company’s other venues so popular. Visitors will don full-body trackers and use haptic guns to shoot zombies and go on swashbuckling adventures with friends.
The London venue won’t entirely follow the same recipe as the other venues though, it’ll offer its own unique features. It’ll be the first Sandbox VR establishment to provide its own food and drink menu, with the beverages served by robotic bartender IG-1, who can serve up to 80 drinks an hour with guests placing their orders using in-built table terminals.
Adding to the drinks experience, Sandbox VR London will be serving up special cocktails based on Sandbox VR’s videogames such as Zombie Apocalypse from Deadwood Mansion, alongside cocktails from cocktail brand, Bottle Proof. And when you’re hungry there’s going to be an extensive pizza menu and delights from London based food brands.
As for the titles you’ll want to play, up to six players can jump into a game at once, whether that’s the aforementioned Deadwood Mansion, licensed experience Star Trek: Discovery, Curse of Davey Jones, or Unbound Fighting League. All of them are unique to Sandbox VR which makes the UK launch so exciting, it’ll be the first time British VR fans can enjoy Sandbox VR on home soil.
There’s no specific date for the launch but Sandbox VR London will be based at: The Post Building, Museum St, London WC1A 1PB, open all week, the latest until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
When gmw3 has further details regarding the opening of Sandbox VR London we’ll let you know.
The application of XR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams in his latest Virtual Arena column. Reporting on the mixture of performance, music and theatre, within a collective immersive environment; seen with the Barbican Theatre’s VR dance experience – “Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li”.
We have recently covered the way that location-based entertainment XR technology, especially regarding free-roaming experiences being co-opted into the arts, (what some call “Artainment”). Previously with our reporting from the hyper-reality VR experience ‘Current, Rising’ as part of The Royal Opera House season. And then more recently our coverage from the AR ‘Lost Origin Experience’ in partnership with the Almeida Theater and Sky.
London once again played host to a ground-breaking experience, one which looks to be one of the largest “collective immersive experiences” deployed to date. Taking place at the famous Barbican Theatre in the capital, during a short window, the touring experience called Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li, is a fusion of hyper-reality, free-roaming VR, and live performance – that pulls the audience into the narrative.
Image credit: KWP
Audiences, in groups of 10, gather on the theatre’s main stage, which has been segmented into three unique VR free-roaming stages (accommodating up to 60-guests, along with performers). The audience dons full VR PC backpacks, and HTC Vive Pro headsets – along with unique arm and leg trackers. Once immersed, the guests are transported into a magical world of dance and romance, encouraged to take part in the performance, interacting with actual characters represented by real motion-tracked performers.
Image credit: KWP
The experience is the creation of Blanca Li and her company, the imagination and inspiration of the famous choreographer, dancer, and actor, is the latest musical installation in partnership with her dance company, and the Barbican theatre. The amazing dance performances, and characterization represented by the cast and crew in the experience, and a host of recorded motion-capture performances.
Blanca has worked with developer Backlight VR studios, a co-producing partner to create what has been called an immersive hybrid art form. Backlight, are specialists in VR, having developed numerous Location-based Entertainment (LBE) experiences – as covered in our AREA15 report and their first ‘OZ Experience’ installation – along with creating specialised animated films with extensive producer credits. The company has applied all its VR free-roaming effects skills to the creation of what is one of the largest “collective immersive experiences”. Using Unreal Engine to create beautiful and engaging worlds.
Image credit: Backlight
This experience comprises a unique element of incorporating virtual fashion. The guest starts the experience with a selection of stylish fashions to clothe their character. These costumes are provided by the luxury fashion house CHANEL – a partner of the experience, creating an amazing atmosphere to the event, guest choosing their stylish dress, suits, and unique animal masks – able to admire themselves via mirrors in the virtual changing room. An example of placing the physical into the digital space, and the creation of virtual costumes and clothing. Long before this is achievable in the metaverse.
Image credit: Backlight
Along with the costumes, the lavish backdrops that the audience is placed within during the 60-minute experience, offer a perception of limitless movement through plane-shifting tricks. Transported from setting to setting via a magical walkway, speedboat, and train carriage, all while still retained in the stage space. Music and dance are at the heart of this work, and the audience is drawn into the experience, even encouraged to dance with the performers in the virtual world. The performers’ movements are able to be incorporated into the experience through Backlight’s full-body awareness platform.
Image credit: FLUX Laboratory
At the end of the VR element of “Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li” – the audience was totally enthralled in the experience, many of those lucky enough to try this experience, ringing its praises as being one of the most imaginative performance art forms, let alone their best VR experience. The “Immersive Theatre” performances have been sold out during the short run, though is hoped to be the start of a renaissance for this kind of application.
Speaking of new openings, one of the largest “collective immersive experiences” also recently opened in Tacoma, Washington – called THE INFINITE, described as an “Out-of-this-World” VR experience. A vast 12,500-sq.,-ft., space transformed into a giant free-roaming environment, for groups of from 10 to 29 users (accommodating a total of 150 visitors at one time), wearing Meta Quest 2 headsets, to traverse a virtual recreation of the International Space Station. This joint venture between PHI Studio and Felix & Paul Studios, created to reimagine the standards of LBE, developed in association with TIME Studios.
Image credit: The Infinite
Another touring experience, THE INFINITE, will be visiting the world’s major cities during the next few years, (we plan to report from it soon). And this is not the only VR experience that is scheduled to open. We will also be reporting on the latest immersive experience to take place in London. Offering not only a hyper-reality event but also a historical experience that could change the way that live performance and VR are combined in the future. Watch this space for our next feature.
The application of XR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams. In his latest Virtual Arena column – marking a year of anniversaries – we look at the birth of immersive entertainment, and how Sensorama needs more recognition as it celebrates an important Sixtieth anniversary.
As the increased investment and interest in all things immersive entertainment takes hold, there is a habit amongst some to ignore the lessons and innovation of those that come before them. This year sees the marking of two important anniversaries in the phased evolution of VR and immersion. The first is an often-overlooked story regarding one of the many visionaries that laid the foundations for what has followed. A visionary, and his creations that have been side-lined, even though their innovation lives on.
Not a familiar name in the history of immersive technology, Morton Heilig, was an inventor that far exceeded his times with the scope and imagination of the immersive entertainment landscape to come. The concept that would later be defined as ‘Sensorama’ originated from a 1955 concept for what he defined as an “Experience Theater” – using the latest 3D movie processes and physical effects. What would be described as “The Cinema of the Future”!
Morton Heilig – wielding his 3D motion picture camera. Image credit: USC School of Cinematic Arts
While the design for the Experience Theater was more expansive, the ability to create a proof-of-concept was needed, and so was fabricated the first ‘Sensorama’ system, completed based on the 1962 patent. Called the ‘Sensorama Simulator’, the system was described in its marketing brochure as a “new kind of communication device”, created to allow the user the feeling of being physically present in a different environment. This was achieved through effects such as a tactile inducer seat and controls, wind, three-dimensional motion picture, a binocular viewer with audio, and the use of aroma emitters – all housed within a unique cabinet.
The ‘Sensorama’ Patent. Image credit: USC School of Cinematic Arts
Created for the first machine, the multi-sensory experiences available included five different short films – including sequences from a go-kart race, helicopter flight, and a reckless motorcycle ride. The gasoline fumes and landscape smells recreated chemically, through the aroma system. But with an eye for the future opportunities, Morton included one short film in the line-up that offered a raunchy sequence, including a local belly dancer, with added tactile effects. All these “experiences” would be specially choreographed 3D movies, married to the special effects. Morton would apply his skills as a cinematographer to the creation of these experiences, using the bulky 3D camera system to capture the sensory film. With stories of hair-raising motorcycle rides while wielding the cumbersome camera equipment.
A lovingly recreated render of the Sensorama Simulator. Image credit: optimisticmonkey
With the creation of the first Sensorama production prototype, Morton would present the opportunity to the amusement trade to be part of this revolutionary new aspect of their business. A campaign to woo the coin-operated amusement trade to adopt the simulator was started, a machine was placed on test in 1963 at ‘Simon’s Arcade’ in Manhattan and reported fantastic revenue generation. The machine was paraded to the leading amusement distributors, and taken to a major trade event. Generating great interest at the time.
Amusement flyer for the machine. Image credit: USC School of Cinematic Arts
But then the industry cooled. The idea of a “sensory” amusement experience was just too alien for the operators. The idea of turning their amusement halls into “sensoramas” was outside of their comfort zone. And so they side-lined the concept. Dreams that the machine could have a life beyond amusement, deployed in the travel business, government and even academia – as a public information device were hatched, along with the creation of a two-seater version of the platform – all supported by new specially created immersive films. Dreams that would never see the light of day.
To better understand what was lost, Sensorama was much more than a precursor to VR (that would come later) but was an example of XR – an extended or extreme reality platform comprising immersive audio, visuals, olfactory and tactile motion. A much higher implementation of what is achieved with theme park 5D theatres, or the cinema 4D seating currently. But in side-lining this visionary platform, another even more far-reaching concept was dashed to the realms of “what if!”
The following concept, leading on from Sensorama, would prove equally amazing and prescient towards the prospect of the technology. Under Patent #2,955,156 – Morton, in 1960 defined his ‘Telesphere Mask’ – a platform that would supply stereoscopic 3D visuals via a Head-Mounted Display (HMD). The forerunner of the modern VR headsets today. This system was a true fully immersive platform, rather than a synthetic reality viewer. A sensory immersion platform over 60-years from the VR scene we inhabit today.
Telesphere Mask patent. Image credit: USC School of Cinematic Arts
Telesphere Mask prototype. Image credit: USC School of Cinematic Arts
Today, many will not be familiar with Sensorama, while a few may be familiar with the distinctive image of the amazing cabinet, but not so familiar with the story of its creation. With subsequent patents – Morton would continue to champion his creation, though would end up working for Disney on their theme park attractions, and on other innovative projects. It would take great effort for the entertainment industry to recognise the genius of the creation, taking till after his death in 1977. For more on the life, works and amazing imagination of Morton Heilig, and the patents and legacy, we would recommend visiting the USC School of Cinematic Arts website.
This period of the VR and immersive entertainment birth is described by some as the first phase of VR adoption, in the late 1980’s we would see the second, and then in 1991, we would see what is the third. Continuing charting important anniversaries, our following feature will look at the amazing story of Virtuality, and the first real attempt at mainstream VR adoption.
The application of XR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams. His latest Virtual Arena column concludes its two-part coverage of America’s largest amusement trade event, charting the leading immersive trends.
Image credit: KWP
Returning to Las Vegas, and the 2022 Amusement Expo International (AEI) – the event offered a chance to chart the significant trends that are shaping the market. The hunger for VR was still intense from operators entertaining the returning audiences to their facilities. The lockdown has incubated a “cabin fever” with many of their customers, and social entertainment has proven still to be a growing business, even post lockdown. However, there is a need to find the right mix of immersive technology, and repeatability, from the trends on display.
One of the leading new trends in VR for location-based entertainment (LBE) adoption are those of tethered “VR Enclosures” and free-roaming “VR Arenas”. The latest tethered headset enclosures offer the ability for players to compete in groups, with multi-player experiences. This was represented at AEI by Inowize, bringing its ‘Arkadia Arena’ six-player VR Enclosure to the show, avidly played by exhibition attendees. The company launching a new VR game for the system called Heroik – a competitive battle arena game.
The Akadia Arena from Inowize. Image credit: KWP
Regarding developments in the free-roaming VR applications, AEI debuted several new developments. Previous years had seen backpack PC’s employed in the free-roaming business approach, but the latest standalone VR headsets, favouring mobile processors (mostly the Qualcomm XR2), have offered an opportunity to develop the next generation of VR Arena, and offer a more simplified operation model.
VEX Arena in full action. Image credit: KWP
Exhibitor Shaffer Distributing represented VEX Solutions, which had its VEX Arena hyper-reality platform, going through its paces at the show, an arena that is scalable, able to accommodate the available space at various locations. Next to them was SPREE Interactive, with their family-friendly SPREE Arena. Both platforms are able to accommodate multiplayer VR games, using Pico headsets.
The Pico Neo VR headset series offers equal performance to the Meta Quest 2 but is focused on enterprise, and had become a simple alternative headset for mobile processor standalone gaming. SPREE was also promoting development of a new arena-based experience with its VR Bumper-Car platform, developed in partnership with I.E. Parks, a report on its deployment after launch coming soon.
Multiplayer action on the SPREE Arena. Image credit: KWP
The competition element in social entertainment was underlined across the numerous new releases at the amusement trade event – and especially regarding VR developments. One of those exhibiting their state in this was Phenomena, with its ‘VR Esports Arena’. A dedicated turnkey arena-based system that can support from four to eight groups of players, competing in a fast-paced eSports-based tournament with livestream eSports support, all from an audience-friendly arena. The platform is one of the first at the show to run on the HTC Vive Focus 3 headset, though many other manufacturers in this sector are looking at this headset as a go-to solution for the next generation of standalone gaming.
Competitive action in the VR Esports Arena. Image credit: KWP
Mixed Reality
Not all the interest in the market was on the VR side, AEI was the launchpad for a brand new MR platform. Developer Valo Motion will be a familiar name to readers from our coverage of their Valo Climb augmented reality climbing wall platform – marrying projection mapping onto the wall and tracking players’ movements and interactions with the virtual objects. So, creating an interactive game system from a conventional climbing experience.
Valo Motion has taken the aspect of placing the player’s physical movements into the game experience to a new level, with the launch of the ValoArena. Using chromakey and tracking, up to six players can compete in mini-games within the “Immersive Enclosure”, with their bodies and movements represented on the screen. The competitive games are supported by the ValoApp which allows players and operators to chart scores and create tournaments – leading obviously to a streamed eSports opportunity. Game videos can be shared instantly, too. Exhibitor CSE also had a body tracked game system with its ‘iWall Arcade’ – players getting quite a workout from the system, their body movements represented by their on-screen avatar.
Physical turned digital in the ValoArena. Image credit: Valo Motion
The ability to mix the digital with the physical was also illustrated by exhibitor Media Vision. The company along with their active physical games systems demonstrated The Great Bazookaball Time Transporter. Using a large projected screen, players use the company’s pneumatic “bazookaball” launcher, shooting real balls at hordes of zombies on screen, in a cartoon wild west game. The ability to have multiple players makes this both a fun and compelling game experience for indoor and outdoor applications and illustrates the diversity of the immersive game experience in the modern market.
Physical balls launched at digital screen from Media Vision. Image credit: KWP
AEI 2022 was a great return to physical trade events, and an eye-opener to the advancements and developments in the LBE VR scene, but also opened a window on the greater deployment of immersive technology with MR starting to make inroads into this lucrative market.
COMING NEXT– While staying in Las Vegas, The Virtual Arena will be reporting on the application of XR in the venue business, with detailed coverage from the brand newAREA15 immersive entertainment venue.
The application of VR into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams, in his latest Virtual Arena column – looking at the growth in the LBE landscape for eSport, and competitive VR attractions.
Much has been made about the opportunities of eSport within a virtual ecosystem, though from a consumer perspective, there has been more speculative investment regarding the opportunity. As seen with the acquisition by Meta of emerging eSports company BigBox VR (developers of POPULATION: ONE). While hunger exists from the player-base for VR eSports competition, only the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape has seen a serious adoption of actual mainstream prize based, virtual, competitive play. And this trend can be seen to be gaining momentum.
One of the first VR attraction developers to embrace the opportunities of eSport empowerment of their platform was Virtuix. The company known for their ‘Omni Arena’ competitive VR enclosure system have successfully installed some 45 units across the USA. Virtuix reported that it has seen over 2-million plays on its hardware. The system gained popularity through its prize pay-out competition. The company revealed the launch of their ‘2022 Omni Arena esports series’ – that will be supported by a cash prize pool of $100,000 for FEC venues. This investment has placed the platform on the map as being one of the largest VR eSports competitions in the West.
Image credit: Virtuix
The popularity of the competitive nature of the game can be seen in the revenue it generates for operators. Virtuix revealed that some of its eSports teams have already played over 200-times on the ‘Omni Arena’. This is also supported by the watching audience that gathers to support the team and the building of a community supported on social media. Virtuix already paid out some $250,000 in eSports cash prizes. It would be easy to liken this popularity to that once witnessed in the bowling scene, but the physicality of VR eSports takes the competitive spirit to new levels of engagement.
One of the few VR videogame titles to have a strong competitive life in the consumer scene is the smash hit Tower Tag by VR Nerds. The games have been played across popular consumer VR platforms in tournament competitions but have also had a strong showing in location-based entertainment (LBE). In a relationship with Japanese amusement giant SEGA, VR Nerds licensed the game to be turned into a VR attraction platform, supported by VAL (Virtual Athletics League). And recently announced that the game would be coming to the West in an agreement that will see it placed onto the SPREE Interactive arena system. This free-roaming platform, allowing up to 10-players at a time to compete, using the standalone Pico VR headset. And will adapt a wholly eSports version of Tower Tag that will be available on the ‘SPREE Arena’ system.
The SPREE Arena in operation. Image credit: KWP
Another platform that applies eSports to their line-up is HOLOGATE. Famous for its successful ‘HOLOGATE Arena’ that has groups of up to four players, using tethered HTC Pro headsets, within a unique enclosure. The high levels of competition are supported by the inclusion of an extensive and customisable eSports tournament platform. The library of competition content on this platform also includes the Tower Tag property.
It is this level of competition, as well as an extensive library of titles that has cemented the popularity of the HOLOGATE platform with the operators and their virtual athletes. Many operators use the platforms tournament to construct their own team-based, venue competitions. This ability to create live events, offers a level of repeat visitation to the venue, along with the additional spend from the audience it generates to watch the compelling competition.
Developer Phenomena has created its own ‘VR Esports Arena’ – the whole system being packaged as a turnkey eSports solution for entertainment venue operators. Taking much of the guesswork out of running a free-roaming VR experience, and the requirements of prize tournament competition. Recently demonstrated at the Orlando IAAPA trade event in November 2021, the new version of the system offers a fully contained arena, with up to eight players (within a 32 x 20 ft., enclosure). The players are wearing the latest HTC VIVE Focus 3, standalone VR headsets. With audience supported by score displays. The developer offering one of three highly competitive VR experiences to compete within and looking to build an international tournament in support of the platform.
France saw a massive VR eSports competition take place during the Paris Game Week in 2019. Developer, EVA (Esports Virtual Arenas), installed a temporary 1,000-m2 arena that saw players using backpack PC’s, HP headsets and tracked weaponry, to take part in a major prize tournament competition. Building on this the company announced their first ‘VR Esport league’, attracting some 52 teams, competing for a $19,000 (€17,000 Euro) cash-prize. Having generated some 400,000 unique spectators on Twitch during the playoffs.
EVA has installed some nine rooms in venues, offering between eight and 12-player VR eSports arenas in France. Having signed licenses to open some 40 additional arenas for the end of 2022 in the country. They have developed several games themselves that plunge groups into tournament competitions. During a recent franchise expo in Paris, the company revealed its intention to have opened 225 arenas by 2025, expanding to Germany and the USA. Having seen first-hand the popularity of their eSports competition platform with their play-base.
Looking beyond the Western market, and we have seen eSports-based VR competition blossom on the Chinese entertainment scene. While the Chinese “VR Park” (the name given to VR arcades in the territory) has seen a continuing upheaval in business, the popularity of VR gaming is still alive and well. Competition plays a major part in defining the deployment of VR into this market – a market where many players will travel to venues to compete, be that the ubiquitous eSport cafes, or the explosion of new VR venues. Such as that operated by STEPVR, with over 130 ‘Future Battle’ stores, across 80 cities within China. These venues have groups of up to ten players competing in a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) experience. STEPVR has recently raised $15m (100-million-yuan) in funding towards international growth.
The territory was one of the first to embrace virtual competition, with the first VR eSports event, the ‘World Virtual Reality Arena 2015’, organized then by Battletimes Co., but this is still an embryonic market. More recently China has seen several major VR eSport tournaments streamed across popular social networks – such as this year with the ‘VR Esports International Championship in Beijing’. A point where we now see major social content providers, such as NetEase, showing interest to invest heavily in this emerging new business.
Returning to the West, and not just free-roaming VR is being employed in an eSports combination. VRstudios is a well-known developer of VR entertainment platforms, and recently launched a major new development, which looks to shake up the way VR amusement is played. Called Hoops Madness, the game experience has been revealed on the new ‘FURY’ unattended two-player kiosk – a self-service VR entertainment platform that incorporates a unique tethered HTC Vive Pro headset configuration, eye-catching LCD display, all in a ‘V’ shape design. But it is the game that drives the whole platform, with Hoops Madness representing a fast-paced basketball hoop’s shooting experience, testing the players’ skill. The game is the first in a line of ‘VRstudios Real-Sport Esports’ titles. The company offers operators guides to marketing and utilizing the ‘FURY’ and Hoops Madness as a platform for VR eSports events, competitions, and tournaments.
In the final observation, it is obvious that the ability to offer a real cash prize incentive to competition has driven much of the interest from the player base. As seen with the explosion of eSports in its more conventional flat-screen incarnation. But one of the benefits that the Out-of-Home version of the competition shares with the considerable investment in eSports, is the large audience live events. Many entertainment venue operators benefit from the audience that is drawn to see the competition on their platforms. The next move is that of streaming these events. The big ‘DOTA’, ‘Counter-Strike’, and ‘League of Legends’ championships, not only draw large live event attendance but generate immense audiences through their streamed broadcasts. The ‘League of Legends World Championships’ in 2020 saw at its peak, some 46 million concurrent viewers, while Global audiences for eSport were calculated at some 475 million in 2021.
We can expect to witness new entrants throw their hat into the ring towards competing in the commercial entertainment application of VR eSports. We have already seen Las Vegas casino chains install massive eSports arenas within their premises and have also seen the inclusion of VR within their layout. We will also start to see the establishment of eSports betting, and with the greater prize opportunities, we can expect major licensing deals for the lucrative sponsorship and coverage. Global revenue in 2021 from competitive gaming is projected to hit over $1 billion.
VR eSports is an attractive medium, and seems to be growing in popularity, but is it ready now for primetime in the West?
