Category: RevolVR

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The Virtual Arena: Defining the Next Phase of Immersive LBE (Part 1.)

The Virtual Arena

Covering the immersive location-based entertainment (LBE) scene for VRFocus as part of his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams returns with the first of a two-part series of observations made while many of the LBE VR venues remain in lockdown. He examines how the commercial entertainment VR scene is still at work, charting new developments in the rental of VR tech, the licensing of VR arcade content for consumer deployment, and new partnerships.

While the whole of the business sector has been on enforced lockdown globally for over nine weeks, developments both to adapt to the situation, as well as prepare for the new normal have been underway, as this considerable business adapts and evolves for life #AfterLockdown.

LBE Venue
One of the many furloughed LBE facilities during May. Image credit: KWP

While some cynics attempted to paint the demise of the enterprise entertainment industry in the face of the global pandemic, the reality has been far more positive. While the industry has been bowed (as all) by the enforced voluntary closure of their operations, the interest to re-open and revigorate what has been one of the few burgeoning aspects of this latest phase of VR adoption, has not diminished.

There has even been an interest to attempt to capture in a bottle, those aspects of the location-based entertainment VR scene and recreate them for consumer adaptation – hoping that the success of LBE VR content can be made to work for the encumbered consumer userbase. One such example of this was revealed from studio Golf Scope; the AR and VR entertainment developers, in partnership with Topgolf Entertainment Group, which is widely known for its technology-driven golf entertainment venues. Together the operation launched Pro Putt by Topgolf on Oculus Quest – offering simple VR golfing action, that including a branded recreation of the popular putting action – encapsulating the venue action in one of a series of digital games. While many of the facilities may still be temporarily closed, VR allows the brand to continue.

Pro Putt by Top Golf experience
The virtual recreation of the Topgolf experience. Image credit: Topgolf Entertainment

Another such example of capturing the Out-of-Home entertainment has seen the launch from start-up Adventure Lab, a group of VR developers, who created what they have described as the “World’s first VR live hosted escape room”. The platform currently supports Oculus Quest hardware, allowing players to register online to take part in a connected 40-minute VR escape game, with a live “game master”, acting as host to help players. The first title Dr. Crumb’s School for Disobedient Pets is in early beta, charging $100 for up to four players. The commercial VR escape gaming scene has been incredibly popular before lockdown, and this move hopes to capitalize on the interest from isolated players, bring remote users together, and even supplying captured scenes to share on social media.

Adventure Lab

The VR Arcade Scene

Another developer hoping to build off of commercial VR popularity, repackaging for consumer consumption, was German-based VR Nerds – the company famous for Tower Tag, a highly competitive PvP capture-the-flag VR experience, played by over 1,000,000 players in arcades worldwide, reportedly available to some 1,300 VR arcades since its launch in 2018. Licensed by Springboard VR, along with porting to the Hologate arena and seeing success in the Japanese VR scene with CA Sega Joypolis installing several units. In May VR Nerds announced that the title would now be accessible for consumers, available on Steam and Viveport for all the leading consumer VR headsets. The ability to relieve the exciting multi-player shooter as it was released in arcades was supported with the developer providing 3D-printable STL files to recreate the gun controller from the game.

Tower Tag - VR Nerds
Example of the weapon in the ‘Tower Tag’, and the new 3D printed controller for the Quest. Image credit: VR Nerds

The need to feed the interest in VR to an audience that is in lockdown has been a consideration for VR arcade operators with hardware sitting unused. One remedy attempted was seen from The Park Playground. One of the first European VR arcade operations, with their sites temporarily shuttered the company decided to launch a new service. The Beta service, called ‘VR in Home’, is only currently available in the Belgium city of Antwerp – interested players use the operations web page to request loans of an Oculus Quest with appropriate game content, for a minimum four-day rental. What has been nicknamed “the Uber VR arcade!” – the use of hardware as a rental business is not an entirely new idea during the pandemic. In Spain, the Canary Virtual business started a similar service in March including a PC as well as standalone platforms for rental – and all specially cleaned and populated for this service. However, the use of the Oculus Quest in commercial applications has come with its own issues.

Park Playground VR
The Park Playground VR arena in full swing at the Antwerp location before lockdown. Image credit: The Park Playground

But there have been developments in thinking during this changeable time for the Oculus Quest – one of these has been the re-emergence of ‘Oculus for Business’. Finally unveiled with its commercial machine and supported pricing with a yearly subscription, at the same time saw the removal of any of the “Colocation” firmware facility. A facility that had been teased to so many commercial developers only to be removed some 12-months later. It is expected that many developers will continue with their standalone free-roaming release plans, but now deserting official support, (see out previous coverage if this scene). 

Another operator of VR venues, as well as a developer of hardware for this sector, has restructured its operation. European based Neurogaming has been known for the RevolVR tethered enclosure VR experience, as well for its PolygonVR free-roaming multiplayer platform, operated in several venues. During May the company announced the signing of a lucrative licensing deal that will see Estonian start-up NeverBored; who will develop a brand-new version of the four-player PvP Western shooter (RevolVR) for the location-based entertainment sector. At the same time, the new developer has started work on a special consumer version of the videogame that will be launched on the Oculus Quest later in the year, bringing the LBE action to consumer players. Additionally, NeverBored will now take on the role of European distributor for the Neurogaming range of LBE hardware including its free-roaming platform. Operations will be restructured to be ready for the reopening of these businesses internationally.

RevolVR
Players competing in the Wild West blaster ‘RevolVR’. Image credit: KWP

This is the end of the first part to this exclusive coverage of the developing immersive commercial entertainment industry. The second part, looking at the new trends moving into reopening and the future of the scene, follows shortly.

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Neurogaming Targets Out-of-Home Entertaiment With Two VR Platforms

Neurogaming showcased two products to the press last month, both of which aim to revolutionise out-of-home entertainment services. Their first product is a platform called Cinema VR, a cloud-based solution for virtual reality (VR) arcades. The second product is called Polygon VR. An arena space where five full body players are able to interact with one another in a free roaming space, which can be recorded and broadcast to television, tablets or phones. VRFocus spoke with Alex Morozov, Chief Marketing Officer of Neurogaming about their future ventures.

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Players compete with one another in RevolVR at a location based tournament.

Cinema VR launched December 2016, it’s a turnkey solution for location owners allowing them for quick and easy access to essentially create a four-player VR set-up. It can be used for various different use cases such as for demonstrating industrial applications such as demoing or selling real estate or immersive gaming experiences. Anything that requires up to four users experiencing or interacting with a space can be enabled with Cinema VR.  A Cloud-based solution, Morozov explains that the platform services a completely cycle from the selection of an area, content management, location management, guidelines for assembly, a catalogue of available locations, personal training, help with marketing and a pipeline of content.

With an integrated CRM system that is capable of third-party ear pieces, Cinema VR is supposed to help upscale and cross sale as Neurogaming will offer in-app purchases if the location hits a critical mass of users. The CRM is also able to recognise returning users, so if a child interacted with a character in an experience already and returns – the character will recognise her and potentially introduce new objects to interact with. The CRM will allow companies or individuals to register user preferences and offer ways to stimulate customers to return. Really what it is, is an easy set-up for users who are looking for an easy solution that can simply be controlled with a tablet to introduce VR for up to four players in a VR space. Cinema VR is set up on a subscription model at the moment, but next year between Q1 and Q2 it may be coming to consoles and and home users.

Cinema VR is already located in over 40 countries and will come with its own content that Neurogaming create in-house. They’ve already created several VR experiences that span several genres, including well-received shooter RevolVR. An eight minute game, Neurogaming tested the experience last November where they offered over $20,000 as a prize and saw how RevolVR engaged with audiences. Their next VR videogame World of Tanks, is already in Beta testing in Moscow and will be released to the Cinema VR platform come May. Morozov says that they have around 150 leads at various stages for creating more content that will be available to Cinema VR platform users. For now they have 50 locations in Spain with two locations opening in Vancouver, Canada and potentially over 18 Cinema VR locations opening in the United Arab Emirates. Morozov explains that location based VR is a great entry point, a space ripe for entrepreneurs as there is a renaissance taking place in the arcade market.

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VRFocus in motion-capture attire and VR headsets play in real-time in New York with a player in Moscow.

Neurogaming’s second product will excite anybody working in immersive entertainment, television, eSports and general videogaming. Polygon VR is an ambitious plan to amalgamate those audiences and connects up to five users in full body tracking systems and VR headsets. Polygon VR then uses a server to connect various physical arenas together and has integrated a built-in broadcast and television system that will allow for live-broadcasting to television, laptops, tablets and mobiles.

Morozov compares it to films The Running Man and The Hunger Games film trilogy, where players can be in dramatic action with zero trauma or risk but with all the spectacle and drama. All the action will be happening in real-time, across real locations with real people all filmed and edited by live action directors and producers to create a show. He also mentions a second screen ability that would enable viewers to have a direct impact on the action taking place. For example if an escape room scenario was taking place, viewers could give a hint to help them. If it was a shooter videogame, viewers could offer team support and try to debuff an enemy team. At the moment they’re hoping to bring AAA franchises on-board to help and bring something which Morozov believes can revolutionise the entertainment industry.

Polygon_VR13 Polygon_VR8

At the moment Polygon VR h ave two locations in Moscow, one in New York and one in Amsterdam. Polygon VR will also be available at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) where they will be able to demonstrate the smaller more mobile version of Polygon VR. Essentially, Polygon VR would be able to create a media show that can also double as a location based entertainment system. Neurogaming are hoping to bring it to Asia as well after showcasing at the Tokyo Games Show in Japan last year and are in talks with several partners in China too.

Morozov says that Polygon VR is hardware agnostic, and as soon as a new piece of hardware is available, they will be the first ones to purchase them and prepare them for both Cinema VR and Polygon VR. At the end of the day, he says that format, concept and content are king in this new age of immersive technology.

To find out more watch the video below.