As can be seen in The Virtual Arena’s IAAPA’17 coverage, the adoption of virtual reality (VR) technology into the international scene has continued apace – and the UK and Europe scene are no different. Kevin Williams continues his exclusive coverage of developments in the International VR Out-of-Home entertainment scene – by visiting the UK’s largest amusement trade show.
The 9th European Amusement and Gaming Expo (EAG) International Visitor Attraction Expo (VAE) at London’s ExCel venue, held last week – and the impression that immersive virtual attractions were having on the scene was self-evident, where last year there had be no exhibitors, this year’s event so a major upswing in interest in this technology.
British based company Immotion was one of the most prominent VR exhibitors with the full range of their VR amusement pieces. Fresh from the opening of their VRStar facility in Bristol – you can see a video of The Stinger Report’s coverage of the venue below. The company was presenting their systems to the show’s attendees – with their motorcycle, race car, and 9D simulators, developed by Chinese VR park developer LEKE VR and all running Depoon DP E3 headsets.
Another appearance of the Chinese VR manufacturing scene was on a UK distributor’s booth – with the company Movie Power exhibiting their VR Family, six-seater ride simulator platform running 3Glasses headsets. The system, as it stands, represents the early phase of VR amusement development with much of the limitations of earlier times evident.
One of the latest phase of VR ride simulators was represented by the same UK distributor representing the LAI Gaming Virtual Rabbids Ride – the two-seat D-BOX powered simulator offering three ride experiences based on the popular Ubisoft property (running HTC Vive headsets).
The amusement developer UNIS was represented by their UK distributor who brought over to the show their Omni Arena platform, based in turn around the Virtuix Omni-direction platform. They were also running their brand-new Omni Arena eSports tournament platform, all of which were also operating with HTC Vive headsets.
European firm Hologate started 2018 following on from the success achieved during 2017, bringing their Hologate VR platform to the London show at their own booth. The system running had up to four-players taking part in a frantic shoot ’em up experience, defending their position. The system using a novel ceiling mounted tether system with their HTC Vive headsets to address the issue of cable management. The company revealed plans for a brand-new videogame to be launched on their platform soon.
Represented by distributor BANDAI NAMCO, the company A.i.Solve presented their WePlayVR system to the EAG attendance. The system using a backpack PC and HTC headset system, with the players navigating the virtual environment within their specially developed enclosure incorporating vibrating panels and special maze layout. With already sixteen units placed in the field, the hardware has gained much interest.
Eastern European based Stereolife brought three examples of their VR platforms, with their Flyer, a single player motion capsule with unique motion platform, offering 15 different experiences including interactive games as well as rides. Their stand-up EMotion platform, and their Rifter twin seat motion simulator using VR experiences. (All the systems powered by Oculus Rift head-mounted displays).
Along with the rest of the amusement sales on display at EAG 2018, the show organizers also held for attendees a one-day seminar covering the impact of VR and the amusement trade, moderated by KWP, allowing operators to hear from manufacturers, VR arcade operators and industry specialist on the issues and opportunities this technology offers their business. It popular and with standing room only.
An explosion of VR Arcades has hit the Western market, and KWP recently visited several the newly emerging venues in the UK (you can find a video of some of those visited here). There continues to be a growth in developer in the capital, with London seeing plans for the opening of a dedicated VR Arena-Scale entertainment operation for later next month following on from the temporary Star Wars VR experience that opened last month.
The hard nose amusement and attractions trade now looking to see VR entertainment products generate serious revenue to prove their ability to prove a competitive opportunity to the other immersive entertainment tech that is gaining traction in the industry. While consumer application of VR fight to find its footing, the Out-of-Home entertainment scene seems to be gaining momentum.
Expect more news of major developments in the VR Out-of-Home entertainment scene in the coming weeks – with a special report from America’s leading amusement trade event in Las Vegas, and many exclusive new hardware and facility announcements – be sure to look out for more editions of The Virtual Arena, here exclusively on VRFocus.
Over the last few months of the beginning of 2017, our consultancy (KWP) specializing in the DOE sector has been rushed off its feet attending conventions and conferences as a speaker and observer on the latest inroads that are being made in the utilization of VR tech into the Out-of-Home scene, and I have attempted to encapsulate the key developments seen across the global business.
On the Show halls of both AAA and VR&AR, the exhibition booths were crammed with new VR offerings that moved to a new phase of investment, best described as a phase four for the market, moving beyond the original egg-shaped 9D VR film experiences, and the early VR arcade investment, and now to a brand-new approach to the business. Even the established amusement trade has been forced to consider deploying a VR solution in their venues. One of the large Asian amusement manufacturers and distributors, WAHLAP Technologies underlined their investment in this sector, by partnering with prominent VR Park developer Movie Power; the company showing a selection of the systems they field to VR Parks, including a unique HTC based VR boxing game called Kuntun Fight. Movie Power had an extensive booth of their own on the show floor, showing their latest networked driving simulator VR experience.
A consolidation has been achieved in the Chinese VR arcade scene, with investment consolidated into successful VR business, while a few scruple less operator have started to fall by the wayside. We have seen an evolution in the business approach seeing VR arcades (known as “VR Parks” in China), the business has seen major investment as the market has solidified into franchise operations, and revenue sharing opportunities.
As seen with VR roller-coasters in the West the utilization of existing attractions, with an added VR element has gained much interest, and new investment in this approach was seen on the Chinese show floor. VR attractions on display included from Hirain their 720° Rider a multi-dimensional VR motion platform comprising three-seater spinning the riders corresponding to a unique VR ride film. Veteran Chinese ride manufacturer Golden Dragon had their Hero Dream, a robotic arm two-seat VR platform. But a new approach was revealed from C&Q Amusement, the company taking their Spin Zone bumper-car platform, retrofitted with specially tracked VR head-mount game experience. The first of its kind VR bumper-car experience using a unique multiple tracking arena-scale solution. C&Q working on a flat-ride variant of the VR platform, offering a retrofit solution to established attractions.
That’s all for this week, but come back next Friday at the same time for part two, as Kevin Williams covers the American, Japanese and Dubai amusement trades’ interest in VR based Out-of-Home technology.