As I was saying on VRFocus just the other day, it is only natural that as soon as October comes around that not only grizzly ghouls rise from their crypts but so do an army of undead-related virtual reality (VR) experiences.
T’is the season to be spooky.
It’s not just in the home where developers are taking advantage of the Halloween season, however. Studios working with location-based entertainment (LBE) are also looking to provide some tricks and treats. One such studio being independent Seattle-based videogame developer Holospark (Seance: The Unquiet). They have just lifted the spiderweb-covered curtain on a new experience The Haunted Graveyard, which is available to VR arcades through SpringboardVR, SynthesisVR and also through direct license.
In The Haunted Graveyard players, find themselves in a graveyard slightly less quiet and peaceful than the regular kind of graveyard – for a start it’s occupied by a number of characters who may very well be both dead and alive. Twisting pathways, lost vaults and tombs await as well as a story to enjoy. Just don’t stay too long, at midnight you might turn into something far worse than a pumpkin.
“VRcades are bringing a broad new audience to virtual reality, but most experiences on the market are made for hardcore gamers.” Says CEO of Holospark Russell Williams in a statement. “With The Haunted Graveyard, we have created a new entertainment format that appeals to all audiences, driving VR forward to mass market entertainment.”
“To create The Haunted Graveyard, we assembled the best technology and an award-winning development team,” Says executive producer John Scott Tynes. “Using their expertise in both games and film development, our team created a VR experience that does what VR should do — it transports users into another world using mesmerizing graphics and sound.”
“VR is a powerful new entertainment medium that can truly transport you no matter who or where you are.” Adds art director Bruce Sharp. “It’s the power of dreams come to life – or in this case, nightmares!”
You can check out a trailer for The Haunted Graveyard below. The title, though made for VR arcades, is also out now on Steam and on special offer until October 15th. It supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and you can get it for £4.31 (GBP) until that time.
It seems that while consumer virtual reality (VR) sits at a crossroads, the digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) sector has exploded with new developments – not one day seems to pass without major announcements, partnerships or acquisitions hits the wire. Industry specialist Kevin Williams of KWP, gives his unique perspective on the recent developments and offers some exclusive insights into some recently visited new projects.
Following on from the developments that we covered at the first Microsoft LBE VR Summit (read part one and two here), and momentum continues to build in the commercial entertainment sector. These investments are being registered across the industry, and some of the once previous advocates for a consumer approach to this latest phase of VR adoption. This was best illustrated by Unity CEO, John Riccitiello, quoted at a recent TechCrunch Disrupt event, feeling that we have yet seen a true consumer launch of a VR or augmented reality (AR) headset; stating “AR and VR is mostly to this day been launched to developers”. But Riccitiello continued that he had been impressed by how fast enterprise had latched on to VR and AR tech, surprised that the commercial applications have preceded the consumer applications.
Though an obvious progression for those of us that work in the DOE sector, this realisation has struck most consumer-facing VR developers, and most recently we saw the pivoting of major VR success stories in the consumer sphere, build a commercial entertainment offering. This was best illustrated by Vertigo Games, developers behind the successful consumer VR title Arizona Sunshine, with an estimated $1.4 million (USD) in generated sales on the PC platform. The company has decided to spin out a unique location-based videogame division called Vertigo Arcades B.V., who has started in supporting the already popular utilisation of the title in the VR arcade scene, accounting for approximately 20% of all VR arcade minutes played in Western venues.
At the same time other successful developers have turned towards a commercial facing opportunity in this market place. Czech-based Beat Games renowned for their phenomenally successful Beat Saber, have invested heavily in defining their game for the commercial entertainment scene – signing an official licensing agreement with key VR arcade providers such as CTRL-V (Canada), Exit Reality, IMAX VR, MK2 (France), PeriscapeVR, SpringboardVR, Private Label and SynthesisVR. Their partnership with SpringboardVR seeing a ‘Beat Saber Global Tournament’ run across 50 of their supported VR arcades; emphasising an eSports element to commercial entertainment deployment of VR. In an unusual development Beat Games also officially sanctioned an amusement-based VR adaptation of their license. Originally called Beat Saber Arcade, this Korean manufactured cabinet employs the Samsung Odyssey Windows MR headset and controllers; this seen as the first of several amusement-style VR experiences crossing the divide.
Line-up of Beat Saber Arcade cabinets, put through their paces at Korean VR Festival
An amusement facing approach to commercial VR entrainment was seen most recently appearing in the heart of London – at the VR ZONE Portal housed inside the Hollywood Bowl at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula. The first VR ZONE Portal outside of Japan (we reported at their opening last year), the site is part of a special agreement between the bowling site operator and the UK division of BANDAI NAMCO Amusement. The site becoming the first Western location to install the eagerly awaited Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, based on the popular Nintendo license.
Enter London’s latest VR experience. [via KWP]
BANDAI NAMCO and Hollywood Bowl organised an exclusive media junket to promote the appearance of the game, but before-hand we were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the system in operation. The Japanese “Project I Can” system only seeing translation of its game software, with the remainder of the hardware the same as operated in Japan. Players’ using HTC Vive headsets, as well as hand trackers to allow them to throw items at their opponents, players sitting in their own “Fusion Karts” motion simulator – the game able to accommodate four players in this seven-minute single circuit race.
Immersed in the action on Mario Kart GP Arcade VR. (Credit: KWP)
Launched in Japan in 2017, the then titled Mario Kart VR proved an enthusiastic VR title, developed by the rebranded BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Lab Inc., as one of a number of IP based VR experiences that combined the initiative behind the “Project I Can” brand and the VR ZONE concept as a whole. Many have mistakenly thought that this game was developed by Nintendo, but in reality, BANDAI NAMCO and Nintendo have established a long reputation of cross-overs and licensed IP – the amusement division in 2005 launching the popular series with Mario Kart Arcade GP, which saw Pac Man also join the Nintendo racers – and with this background it was logical for the VR ZONE to consider developing a VR interpretation of this popular racer.
Past, Meet Future: Mario Kart Arcade GP cabinetsin the shadow of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. (Credit: KWP)
Trying the title for myself, it proved a hectic mix of racing and throwing items, and though capturing the spirit of the Mario Kart videogame it did not offer as fulfilling a VR interpretation as one might have wanted. A great taste of what is achievable with a VR environment and a world-class property, but not a real game experience that will achieve any level of repeat visitation. The VR ZONE Portal at the O2 has the VR experiences Hospital Escape Terror and Argyle Shift, each costing £8 (GBP) and £5 respectively on launch, but now the restructured layout sees the replacement of the quirky Argyle Shift for Mario Kart Arcade GP VR and all these two games are now £7.99. Many comments on social media, who made a point of hunting down the launch of this iconic VR game property, balked at this high price.
Another interesting element in the handling of this property different to the Japanese approach was Hollywood Bowl having a 15 years of age restriction in playing Mario Kart VR, while in Japan’s VR ZONE operation, the age cut off is 13, with even the VR ZONE Shinjuku seeing children as young as 7 allowed through the doors. No word was given on why BANDAI NAMCO or Hollywood Bowl had picked this arbitrary cut off to play this VR experience. And as with our last visit to the VR ZONE Portal, the UK adaptation of the brand seems a little stilted compared to that achieved in Japan.
Hollywood Bowl has partnered with the UK BANDAI NAMCO Amusement operation and has seen a second VR ZONE Portal opened in Tunbridge Wells, and a planned Leeds Hollywood Bowl site schedule for a third iteration. Sources at BANDAI NAMCO’s VR Projects team confirmed that these sites would be seeing installations of their own Mario Kart VR units by the end of the year respectively – and the company promised that there would be other European and US deployments of the eagerly awaited VR racer. Speaking to the Evening Standard newspaper, Paul Brown, General Manager for HTC Vive Europe, said: “We are so excited to be working with Bandai Namco and Hollywood Bowl to bring Mario Kart VR to the UK, following its stunning launch in Shinjuku.”
The Mario Kart VR installation. (Credit: KWP)
While completing this feature, news broke that BANDAI NAMCO were about to launch yet another VR experience based on previous amusement success – with a re-creation of 1997 white-water rafting experience VR Rapid River – after extensive testing the Amusement Lab team part of the “Project I Can” VR initiative have created a two-rider motion base with yaw and heave components to offer a thrilling white-water rapids ride, with players using tracked ores to steer their craft through a wild water environment. By the time you read this article the first installations of this VR simulator planned for VR ZONES in Japan will possibly be already in venues.
These games developed by the newly reorganised BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Lab Inc., formed to increase investment in intellectual properties (IP) utilising their XR expertise (XR defined as incorporating VR, AR and MR technology). Most recently a VR experience for the VR ZONE flagship location was based on the legendary movie monster, with GODZILLA VR.
But London was not the only UK location to see a brand-new VR attraction unveiled. A quick journey down to the countries South coast and we arrive in Brighton and make our way to the iconic Brighton Palace Pier – the home of a major seaside amusement operation and the first site to run the ParadropVR attraction. The system represents a partnership between creators FrontGrid and manufacturers Simworx releasing a thrilling simulation of soaring the skies on your very own paraglider.
The ParadropVR attraction takes pride of place on Brighton’s Palace Pier. (Credit: KWP)
The attraction uses an innovative vertical heave motion system to simulate the soaring motion, while the player sits in a specially developed harness system while controlling the direction of flight using two lanyards – while wearing an Oculus Rift CV1 to see the virtual vista. The experience was developed to offer an 8-minute experience, as a separate ticket item on the pier. The machine being operated in partnership with local immersive entertainment operator and representative Immersivity Ltd. The experience was a fun one, though the game experience was slightly limited compared to the conventional VR attraction experience we have come to expect.
Reaching for the skies in ParadropVR (Credit: KWP)
FrontGrid recently announced the opening of a second installation, with Denmark’s Universe Science Park opening their first system this month. FrontGrid and Immersivity are now working on refining the platform and deploying the attraction with a number of other interested operators. Europe has seen a spate of VR attractions opening their doors – moving from Denmark to Germany and it was announced that Europa Park had partnered with VR Coaster, Mack Media and Holodeck VR to create a unique VR attraction. The system married a free-roaming experience with a ride-on coaster, with a seamless transition from one to the other. In what the operators referred to as their patent pending ‘Roam & Ride’ setup – the new attraction Eurosat Coastiality has guests putting on headsets and then walking round a pre-show area, before boarding the actual VR rollercoaster ride (employing a mobile VR headset arrangement).
Europa-Park – The first Roam & Ride system to be deployed
The UK has seen one of the first floatation’s on the London Stock Exchange, of a company dedicated to location-based VR entertainment deployment – the Immotion Group PLC has already started a dedicated roll out of venues employing their Immotion branded offering – the company signing a important agreement with UK shopping center operator intu. Following the opening of a new Immotion VR center in Cardiff, the agreement sees a further three sites at intu Derby, Newcastle and Uxbridge. Immotion not just focused on opening venues, but also driving development, seeing AAA content creation for their sites as essential, has recently announced the launch of their wholly developed space-themed VR ride experience Delta Zero.
The company has also worked to ensure a lead in the deployment of the latest VR experiences and announced the extension of their exclusive distribution agreement with leading Chinese manufacturer LEKE VR Technology. A company that has established major advancements in the VR arcade hardware scene, and in 2016 formed a strategic partnership with HTC Corporation towards utilising the latest technology married to VR entertainment for commercial application (at that time for the Viveport Arcades support of the LEKE VR’s VRLe platform). Now with a US sales operation Immotion is seen to be one of the fastest developing companies championing this sector.
(Credit: KWP)
The concluding part of this coverage will follow next week.
Esports is a big segment of the videogame industry and a growing part of the virtual reality (VR) sector as well thanks to initiatives like ESL’s VR League – which held its finals at Oculus Connect 5 (OC5). Back in July, Virtual Athletics League (VAL), LIV and SpringboardVR ran a Beat Sabertournament across a number of global VR arcade locations, and thanks to further sponsorship a new global arcade league is being formed to provide further competitions.
VAL, LIV and SpringboardVR have acquired sponsorship from HP Inc. and HTC esports whilst collaborating with seven VR development studios including Survios, Vertigo Games, I-Illusions and CloudGate Studio to bring this new league to life.
With the success of the Beat Saber tournament, which was originally slated to take place at 50 locations but eventually took place at 168 locations globally, the companies aim to reproduce this achievement with several more during the course of 2018 and 2019.
This began last month with a global Space Pirate Trainer tournament taking place between 27th-30th September. Don’t worry if you missed that as there will be global tournaments held for Arizona Sunshine and Island 359 for Halloween, then archery multiplayer event QuiVR taking place in November.
Ryan Burningham of Virtual Athletics League also notes in a blog posting that: “The league is also placing a high priority on arcade vs. arcade gameplay, with a core group of elite VR arcades participating in more team-based titles that are VR esports ready. These official launch titles include the giant mech multiplayer shooter Archangel: Hellfire, a jet-propelled shooter Skyfront, and a tactical sci-fi shooter After-H.”
More titles will be added in time, as they are VRFocus will keep you updated on the latest announcements.
Back in May of this year Out There Entertainment released their virtual reality (VR) title TSA Frisky onto Steam, offering players the chance to experience the exciting role of being a TSA Agent. Now the hilarious simulator has reached new destinations as the title releases on Springboard VR, one of the leading location-based VR entertainment platforms for VR Arcades and location-based VR Centers.
By releasing onto Springboard VR, TSA Frisky is now available on a platform over 250 locations in over 40 countries worldwide. The VR gaming platform is more commonly known as the VR arcade and has proven to be a dedicated solution to offering users multiple gaming experiences and adventures within one centralized location for VR gaming. Thanks to its ease of use and user-friend design, anyone is able to jump into an experience and easily switch to another all while remaining within VR.
For those unfamiliar with the title, TSA Frisky puts players into the role of a TSA Agent with the task of keeping passengers sage and in order as they pass through security checkpoints. This means not only checking luggage but also managing the stress of passengers and dealing with a number of unique and challenging encounters. Each shift will see players unlock new gear to help make their job easier. With better technology though it means the stakes are higher, needing to clear more people in less time. Players will slowly climb the ranks of being a TSA Agent though as they complete each shift and earn bigger and better rewards.
Now on Springboard VR, players will have the chance to challenge each other in a dual of the betters in the Virtual Department of Airport Security and see who is able to rise above the ranks as a TSA Agent together. The experience will be available at VR Arcade and VR Centers globally meaning people can visit their local facility to be able to jump into the fun.
For those looking to experience the thrill of being a TSA Agent at home, their TSA Frisky is available on Steam for $14.99 (USD) with support for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality. For more on TSA Frisky in the future, keep reading VRFocus.
SpringboardVR, the dedicated platform for virtual reality (VR) operators that transforms the user experience, allowing people to run their entire location from a single device, has announced a partnership with Voodoo VR. This partnership will see the company able to offer turnkey VR solutions for the Location Based Entertainment industry throughout Europe.
VoodooVR is a turnkey solution company that focuses on LBE immersive experience including VR, mixed reality (MR), and projection mapping. VoodooVR have worked on a number of projects including the experience inside the expansive VR Park in Dubai, as well as the EnterSpace venue in Stockholm. With over three million minutes tracked on the SpringboardVR platform and locations in over 32 countries, SpringboardVR powers experience management and content distribution for VR titles worldwide.
VoodoVR founder Alec Lane, said: “VoodooVR is committed to ensuring seamless user transitions from real to virtual worlds within LBE, we design and install every space with that goal in mind. Our intention is to contribute towards shaping the future of digital entertainment experiences, and believe that although the potential of VR is limitless, the delivery must be precise.”
This new partnership will enable both parties to provide a reliable and robust solution to customers in Europe, creating new opportunities for more immersive LBE and location based VR experiences. As the technology continues to develop, so two with the solutions that the two can provide laying the path forward for bigger and better consumer products.
Co-founder Jordan Williams, SpringboardVR adds: “From our first meeting it was obvious that the VoodooVR team is committed to excellence and is the gold standard for providing turnkey VR solutions. We believe that Location Based Entertainment is a critical “front-line” in the battle for consumer adoption of VR. A partnership with VoodooVR means we can help even more people open and operate a successful, profitable Location Based VR center. We’re excited to partner with a team that is dedicated to bringing a quality experience to thousands of first-time users.”
VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on the newly formed partnership in the future so make sure to stay tuned for more.
The VR First initiative began has a means of promoting grass roots development in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content among universities and other teaching organisations. Today, the global programme, along with a team of VR/AR industry leaders, have announced the launch of the VR Academic Purpose bundle, to further help academic institutions and science parks to engage with immersive technologies and grow their VR/AR labs.
Being made available thanks to a partnership with Intel, HTC Vive, Leap Motion, CDWG, Futuremark, MixCast, SpringboardVR and Senses Global, VR First’s Academic Purpose VR Bundle consists of hardware, services and support/mentorship by key industry organizations, designed for academic research, development and innovation purposes.
The full rundown of what’s included in the VR Bundle is as follows:
HTC Vive headset with accessories such as the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap and Vive Tracker, as well as education-related content through the Viveport store;
Intel–powered: bundles for VR ready PCs using Intel Core i7 Processors;
Leap Motion hand tracking technology directly attached to VR/AR headsets;
VRMark Professional Edition benchmarking software for VR performance from Futuremark;
MixCast by Blueprint Reality, which enables blending of real people with virtual worlds to create compelling 2D content from VR applications in real-time;
SpringboardVR‘s VR management software for automating storage, distribution and launch of VR Content;
The Academic Bundle catalogue of procurement and logistics services by international technology solutions provider CDWG;
Access to technology solutions & services in VR, AR, Human Augmentation and Smart Robots by Senses Global;
Guidance based on standards and recommended practices developed by the IEEE VR/AR Working Group;
Access to VR First‘s extensive network of industry partners for expertise insight on building powerful communities equipped with cutting edge technology and knowledge.
“Starting early 2018, we will add further hardware devices and software solutions to the academic bundle. By that, VR First also expands the addressable market for partners through global academic and developer reach,” said Ferhan Özkan, CEO of VR First in a statement.
“Education and academia are pushing the forefront of what’s possible in VR today,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM US, Vive. “VR First has created a bundle of hardware and software that serves academic needs, educational requirements and increases the accessibility HTC Vive globally. We’re happy to support their efforts to bring VR to more educational institutions.”
The Academic VR Bundle is now available through VR First as part of its Regional Growth Services program, which has renovated existing facilities or provided end-to-end solutions for establishing new VR/AR facilities. This has meant more than 50 labs have been established to date worldwide.
VRFocus will continue to follow the progression of VR First, keeping you updated on its latest initiatives.
It’s not just in the home where developers are taking advantage of the Halloween season, however. Studios working with location-based entertainment (LBE) are also looking to provide some tricks and treats. One such studio being independent Seattle-based videogame developer Holospark (Seance: The Unquiet). They have just lifted the spiderweb-covered curtain on a new experience The Haunted Graveyard, which is available to VR arcades through SpringboardVR, SynthesisVR and also through direct license.
“To create The Haunted Graveyard, we assembled the best technology and an award-winning development team,” Says executive producer John Scott Tynes. “Using their expertise in both games and film development, our team created a VR experience that does what VR should do — it transports users into another world using mesmerizing graphics and sound.”
Following on from the developments that we covered at the first Microsoft LBE VR Summit (read part 
