The Virtual Arena – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

March 10, 2022

The Virtual Arena: Amusements’ XR Focus

The leading UK amusement and entertainment trade event holds many XR secrets, industry specialist Kevin Williams, in his latest Virtual Arena column – looks at the trends shaping an industry that is gaining ground after a period of lockdown.

The Out-of-Home (OOH) entertainment scene has a wide array of weapons at its disposal. Be it Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Projection mapped immersive enclosures, being Mixed Reality (MR) – all under the general umbrella term of Extreme Reality (XR). All covered by the parapluie of these applications were on show with the return of the physical exhibition format at Entertainment Attraction & Gaming Expo 2022 Expo (EAG). An event dedicated to the best in amusement, entertainment, and leisure developments for the trade, held in London.

Virtual Reality

First off, the return to a physical trade event allowed many of the trade buyers to get their hands on the latest VR offerings from the international market launched last year – and making UK landfall for the first time.

One of the major trends shaping the amusement adoption of VR is the ability to offer a self-service, standalone kiosk. The obvious savings in not having to constantly man the game system, as well as a level of automation to the VR experience have proven a draw.

The VRsenal ‘V2’ is the latest incarnation of this approach. The company building on their previous VR Kiosk system, have now created a two-player standalone platform, supporting an automated controller and headset retraction system after each use.

Content is king in the land of immersive entertainment and the ‘V2’ hoped to bank on its available games. The system offers the chance for players to try Vader Immortal – Lightsaber Dojo: A Star Wars VR Experience. A specially commissioned version of the Star Wars property developed by ILMxLAB for the amusement scene.

Also available on the platform, is a special VR arcade version of Rhythmatics – offering a highly active VR music game – and Pirate Trainer; bringing full-on blasting action. The ‘V2’ is sold under special agreement in the UK and Europe through BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe (BNAE). The system uses a converted HTC Vive headset and controllers.

Another automated VR kiosk with a unique presentation was ‘VR Agent’. Developed in collaboration between Chinese studio 3MindWave, and SEGA Amusement International (SAI). The platform is a unique approach to immersive gaming – with the player viewing the virtual environment through the headset mounted to the weapon they are wielding. This alleviates the need for players to wear a cumbersome headset.

3MindWave VR Agent — 3MindWave’s VR Agent. Image credit: KWP

On the SAI booth, the kiosk-style amusement platform also incorporates a headset retraction system. Offering a pure shooting game experience, reminiscent of Virtua Cop – the player traversing an office block populated with robotic enemies. This new approach to immersive gaming proved compelling. The platform uses a cutdown 3Glasses VR headset.

Returning to the BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe (BNAE) show booth, two examples of the other trend in VR amusement were on show. The deployment of what has been called VR Ride Systems – a genre of two-rider player systems with motion seats and special effects, have found popularity with operators.

On display was King Kong: Of Skull Island (developed by Raw Thrills) – which has two players using their hands to complete activities, while racing on the back of a jeep through the home island of the giant beast, avoiding monsters and obstacles.

Also, on the BNAE booth was STORM (developed by TRIOTECH) – which also had two players sitting on special motion seats, waving their hands to collect points and gain a high score as they traversed a world of confectionary, in the latest game on the platform, called Sugary Slope.

Storm - TrioTech — TrioTech’s Storm. Image credit: KWP

While the Raw Thrills platform uses the HP G2 headset, the TRIOTECH system used the HTC Vive Pro. Though both platforms incorporated the UltraLeap motion tracking system to represent the players’ hands in the game. Along with wind and motion effects to add to the experience.

Though not on the show floor, a new VR attraction developed by Frontgrid was just being rolled out in Qatar. The ParadropVR: Pod system is a compact virtual reality paragliding experience, based on the older brother platform. This new version of the system comprises exhilarating motion, rising, and lowering the virtual flyer as they soar through the landscape, collecting points in competition.

It is the application of physical effects to the virtual experience that single outs many of the successful VR amusement and attraction platforms. Far more people have experienced VR over the years through amusement and attractions, accelerating the development of new systems in the field. While EAG exhibitor Harry Levy offers examples of the latest Chinese VR motion-ride film systems that provide a passive VR experience.

Harry Levy Motionride system — Image credit: KWP

Mixed Reality

Beyond the traditional VR experiences, the Out-of-Home entertainment sector has embraced the other elements of immersive entertainment through MR applications. EAG exhibitor Sports Simulations had their active entertainment enclosure, using a large projected screen and object tracking. This offers a virtual sports simulator and even includes a bowling game.

Another immersive projection system presented was from Interactive 365, with their ‘Augmented Reality Air Hockey’ system. Using the latest object tracking technology and short throw projector, the company has taken the traditional amusement and given a major new twist. The platform offers different styles of mini-game incorporated into the air hockey action.

AR Air Hockey - Interactive365 — AR Air Hockey by Interactive 365. Image credit: KWP

Concerning the wider immersive entertainment scene beyond EAG, drawing on all the elements and technologies of XR, the London scene has seen a growth in investment in Immersive Live Experiences. Away from just the MR hardware, these new “Immersive Theater” experiences are popping up across London offering high-profile IP, with immersive technology elements in puzzle solving, and presentation.

Most recently we have seen popup experiences including Tomb Raider, and Money Heist from Netflix. There is also a brand new Gun Powder Plot experience in development by Layered Reality that will incorporate new XR elements; the same team that developed the War of The World’s immersive experience. Expect a full report in the coming weeks.

December 23, 2021

The Virtual Arena: Rise of the Virtual Athlete

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.

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?

November 15, 2021

The Virtual Arena: Immersive Theater Breaks New Ground

The application of immersive technology into the attractions and amusement landscape is covered by industry specialist Kevin Williams. In his latest Virtual Arena column – we visit the test project for a new kind of Immersive Theater – employing the latest technology, including Magic Leap AR headsets, making its debut in live performance.

The diversity of location-based experiences is constantly growing, we have already covered in this column some of the related immersive presentations in the arts. And recently the team behind a new project invited the media to be the first to be immersed in a new audience experience. Called Lost Origin Experience – the endeavour has been self-styled as a boundary-breaking piece, combing performance, mixed reality to offer an “Immersive Theatre”. A fusing of technologies, including a partnership with Magic Leap to deploy their headsets as part of the performance. Allowing the audience to interact with both the physical and digital worlds.

The experience was developed by studio Factory 42, presented in partnership with the Almeida Theater and Sky. The work is a UK government-funded research and development project, part of the Innovate UK to push boundaries in immersive experiences (the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Audience of the Future initiative). Along with the whole unique aspect of this immersive theatre, is the careful attention to detail cemented using the full gambit of mixed reality (MR) applications. This is stated as being the first-ever large-scale visitor experience deployed with Magic Leap headsets. The whole project is a limited-time test run of the concept, being operational only for a one-month window, in London.

Having booked a slot, the theatre experience sees the guest recruited as a member of the organization called “Wing 7”, planning to carry out an investigation, codenamed “Operation Origin” – directed to arrive at the field base at Hoxton Docks, in London. The experience starts before arriving at the secret venue, as guests receive a mysterious video emailed to them before they arrive setting the scene, from the operations director. Upon arrival at the field base, the guest is taken into a briefing and introduced to the team and key players. Actors set the scene of a story of dark-web auctions, and secret activities unfold, and then it’s time to enter the adjoining premises and start the search for clues, and more!

Operation Origin — Image credit: Seamus Ryan

Without going into too much detail and revealing the compelling storyline and experience, we can reveal that the adventure takes the group through several rooms’ settings, though the experience is fundamentally broken into four key acts but is much more nuanced. The first offers an immersive puzzle section, then we move into an area of wonder and mystery, then a chance to wear the Magic Leap AR headsets and interact with the environment. And then finally the denouement, where the group get to decide the outcome.

As stated, Lost Origin Experience has played with all the toys in the toybox of immersive experiences. Essentially, we have at the front the use of LARP’ing. Live-action role-playing (LARP) has grown in popularity since the early murder mystery experiences, and more recently with the Secret Cinema kind of events. As we reported in our coverage of ‘The War of the Worlds’ VR experience, the use of theatrical production to drive the audience immersion and steer them through the narrative has grown in popularity combined with immersive entertainment. The Lost Origin offers a great cast, who worked hard to drive the experience for all the guests.

Regarding the other elements, the surprising use of projection-mapping was cleverly and subtly achieved, with guests solving the puzzles and then being transported into a dream-like state. Alongside the projection mapping, the use of motion tracking allows the small audience to drive the story interacting with the narrative being revealed. The cast was ably supported by the live performances, masterfully steering the guests.

But it was the use of AR in this first of its kind immersive theatre performance that was the main area of interest. The developers had elected to use the Magic Leap One Creator Edition headsets for the performance. The group of guests on the third act of the experience are helped to put on the systems, and then navigate around a unique location, and given glimpses of spirits and even transported back in time. The Magic Leap systems were able to offer a competent AR representation, though they were limited by their performance, and it was not a seamless experience. But the developers of the AR app had managed to squeeze as much as they could out of the hardware, and it did work with the narrative presented.

For Magic Leap, the company has pivoted from consumer-facing towards wholly commercial (enterprise) development. Having even announced their plans for a Magic Leap Two, a new interpretation of their headset, with redesigned elements, for some time in 2022. The company has had their original hardware deployed in other pop-up attractions, most notably the deployment in AT&T flagship stores in America, running an experience based on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ universe. Following troubling financial conditions for Magic Leap, and the exodus of senior management, a new CEO has repositioned the company, and secured new investment, to hopefully allow them to grow once again. The team behind Lost Origin worked with Magic Leap as far back as 2018, at the time as one of the only systems able to acquire for the research project.

Regarding the use of AR in such “Immersive Theater” and “Artainment” – several developers have attempted to harness this technology to that end. The most ambitious of these and one of the first mainstream applications was in ‘The Unreal Garden’, which launched as part of the ill-fated Onedome facility in 2018. Employing Microsoft HoloLens AR hardware. The experience proved so compelling that it has been re-launched now as a standalone experience. ‘The Unreal Garden 2.0’ has opened in San Francisco, continuing to expand the use of physical elements and digital illusion – with updated hardware (using the HoloLens 2) and new content.

Returning to London, and Lost Origin Experience – in conclusion, this was a great example of the development in immersive performance, and the strength in bringing strangers together to experience a narrative. A mixture of immersive escape room, with mixed reality experience and live-action performance – the whole thing lasted over 60-minutes and did not drag, seamlessly orchestrated. The experience will only be open for a short period, from 21st November till the 4th December, and will cost £30.00 (and £18.00 for 14–16-year-olds) all bookings online.

This latest example of Immersive Theater offered a glimpse of how tech can play its part in the grand illusion, and we look forward to seeing this kind of application evolve and grow.

November 8, 2021

The Virtual Arena: Free-Roaming VR Czech’s all the Boxes

Reporting on the attraction and amusement landscape, industry specialist Kevin Williams’ latest Virtual Arena column sees him venture to Prague. There to experience the latest European development of free-roaming VR technology and how it aims to launch onto the wider market.

Innovation and diversity in the VR development community have proven a major driving force in the growth of the market. No more has this been seen than in the Czech Republic. The country has thrown up much innovation and business success, from the sophistication of VRgineers’ ‘XTAL’ commercial VR headset to the Beat Games studio, recently acquired by Meta (formally Facebook), the Prague based VR team have arguably created one of the most successful and definitive VR videogames with Beat Saber.

Another company in the Czech capital that is driving innovation in VR is DIVR Labs. The operation is famous for its work in the Out-of-Home entertainment deployment of VR and has started a drive towards wider European penetration. Regular readers of this column will remember our coverage from 2018 of the free-roaming game experience Golem. Based on the famous Jewish legend; the compelling LBE attraction is housed in the city’s Hamleys Prague toy store. Where it still draws strong attendance from groups of players eager to experience VR.

DIVR has gathered a team of developers that have built on their formative experience in creating compelling free-roaming content. Recently the company launched another experience for their VR special-effects arena called Arachnoid VR – marrying the element of group-based play and puzzle-solving, with a sci-fi horror element. The company opened another LBE VR venue in Dubai last year, based on their exclusive platform.

Building on this proven track record, the company was commissioned to install one of its most far-reaching projects at the new Dinosauria Museum Prague as a part of the Premium Outlet Prague (POP) Airport venue. An ambitious shopping mall by the international terminal. The venue includes an amazing private collection of dinosaur fossils and ancient minerals, all presented in a new style of museum setting employing projection mapping and an open exhibition layout. The venue decided that to support this, they would incorporate the latest VR experience from DIVR Labs – Meet the Dinosaurs.

The 25-minute experience employs all the knowledge that DIVR Labs have amassed in developing and operating Free-Roam, Arena Scale VR experiences. The system employs the HP Reverb G1 Headsets, equipped with UltraLeap hand tracking. At the same time, the systems are connected to high-end HP PC backpacks. The whole operation of Onboarding is supported by Cleanbox equipment sanitization as standard, and a professional loading and unloading process.

Without giving away too many of the secrets, the actual experience proves a masterclass on how to navigate an audience for up to four players through a virtual experience, incorporating impressive visual vista’s and subtle effects (both physical and visual). While also including a new level of engagement through interactivity – the UltraLeap hand-tracking allows guests to pick up objects, and interact with actual creatures within the environment, which hold strong immersive and game narrative elements.

One of the most impressive elements of the Meet the Dinosaurs experience is the way that the groups of players are managed through the space, and how the operation has been compartmentalized to accommodate the needs of the facility as well as the needs of the game experience. The use of flying vehicles at the end of the adventure, a nice addition to the walking and hiding elements. Building on what has been achieved with other VR experiences.

The continued success of the DIVR Lab developments in free-roaming experiences has spurred on investment in growing their standalone entertainment offering. The company has plans to start the process of opening their first flagship European venue, which will incorporate a selection of VR experiences based on their foundation work. Interpreting the best elements of how to achieve the best LBE VR experience and generate recurring revenues. We look forward to reporting further developments in the New Year.

October 26, 2021

The Virtual Arena: VR Ushers in the Next Generation of Laser Tag

The application of virtual reality (VR) into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by leading industry specialist Kevin Williams. In his latest Virtual Arena column, he reveals the first deployment of the HTC Focus 3 into the Out-of-Home entertainment sector, part of what will mark a revolutionary new application of VR within the proven Laser Tag scene.

One of the biggest elements to the success of VR in the location-based entertainment sphere has been its utilisation of physicality. In the first phases, this was achieved with motion platforms, then with the next phase, we saw the use of free-roaming – the ability to move around a space, and in some cases very limited interaction with physical objects. But with the latest developments, we see the highest yet achieved levels of interactivity that looks to launch the medium into the next phase.

The entertainment scene has had a long love affair with what has become ubiquitously called “Laser Tag”. Since 1984, when the first arena-based laser tag facility (Photon) opened, the ability for guests of all ages to run around an arena, using walls to hide behind, while blasting fellow players with laser weapons, registering hits from their own vests through tactile feedback, has been established as a major hit. The amusement industry has seen Laser Tag arenas become a staple attraction across the entertainment venue business landscape. Even after a failed attempt to make a home entertainment alternative.

A conventional Lasertag arena, now able to accommodate VR experiences. Image credit: Creative Works

Having carved out a reliable business in the industry, laser tag looks to be at the centre of the next major development in the phase of VR evolution. Free-roaming, backpack PC based VR has been a major phase of investment; but the need for an approach that looked at utilizing the already established arena business for laser tag was needed. An approach that could offer a package that could safely incorporate the physical obstructions found within the space. This was the opportunity that galvanised Creative Works, one of the leading builders of laser tag arenas, as well as a sales force to the industry of VR hardware from HOLOGATE and Major Mega (‘Hyperdeck’).

The fruits of this effort can now be revealed with what has been dubbed the “Next Generation of Laser Tag”. Launching Limitless VR, Creative Works has envisaged a multi-player VR experience, employing the latest Standalone VR hardware, that can be played within actual laser tag locations, without the need for the modification of the space. Offering a seamless means for VR entertainment to sit alongside the already proven physical laser tag experience.

Using the latest laser scanning technology, existing laser tag arenas, including their walls and obstructions are scanned and represented exactly within the game space. The physical items are married to the virtual environment. Creative Works has partnered with a specialist in LiDAR laser imaging to be able to create an exact recreation of the area elements, through 3D laser scanning. This allows players to interact safely with physical barriers within the game space. The majority of other free-roaming virtual arena systems have negated the inclusion of physical props due to the limitations of their VR hardware.

One of the big elements of the Limitless VR experience is the use of the HTC Vive Focus 3 – the first location-based entertainment (LBE) system to field the brand new standalone headset. The Vive Focus 3 offers a powerful platform targeted wholly at the commercial business scene, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2, which now ventures into commercial entertainment. The platform will offer the ability of up to 16 headsets at launch (with the ability to scale up to 30 in the future), to take part in multi-player experiences, embracing another vital element of laser tag, that of multiple player competition. Creative Works has been in partnership with HTC to be the first to deploy this platform into the entertainment market.

In support of the headset, the players will be using the latest game interface. From StrikerVR, the experience uses the new ‘HD Haptics’, compact gun systems, which incorporates the haptic feedback technology from the range. Deployed for the first time on this attraction. So along with the latest weapon systems and VR headset, the Limitless VR platform can negate the need for cumbersome backpack PC’s. The laser tag arena now turned into a virtual game space, populated with virtual elements changed at the click of a mouse.

Laser tag offers an important element in many entertainment facilities, offering, not only games and competitions but is also central in many of the private hire (birthday party) business that draws revenue. Being able to target these group bookings with a versatile VR platform incorporating many of the familiar elements of highly physical gameplay, now super-charged with an immersive game experience. Experiences that will be constantly changing without the operator having to totally reconstruct their arena.

The ‘Limitless VR’ is the first Standalone VR experience to incorporate detailed physical object tracking and can be deployed across the numerous already established laser tag arenas in the market. Previous attempts had been made to use VR within limited physical arenas with objects, as seen with the aborted Oculus, ‘Dead & Buried Arena’ prototype teased at the Oculus Connect 5 event in 2018, (and then subsequently dropped). The need to have exact tracking of physical objects and offer multi-player experiences is essential to achieve the full potential of VR in this space.

With the new Creative Works release, this will mark the first of a new generation of free-roaming systems that are moving away from the encumbrance of backpack PC’s and employing sophisticated standalone VR systems. We will report on the other entrants into this scene and additional technological advancements that hope to bring the high-end PC VR experience to standalone headsets, unachievable at home.

September 29, 2021

The Virtual Arena: UK’s Hyper Reality Adventure

Exclusive coverage of all aspects of the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape, industry specialist Kevin Williams, in his latest Virtual Arena column – reporting from a visit to the launch of a brand new Hyper Reality Adventure in the heart of Birmingham.

Atmos VR - Hyper Reality Adventure — Image credit: Atmos VR

There has been a plethora of new free-roaming LB VR proffered onto the market. The separation from the more common virtual reality (VR) deployments, against the unique VR offerings has been defined under the term “Hyper Reality”. These unique systems employing more advance physical and virtual elements that create a more compelling experience. The UK has seen the deployment of the first of these experiences coming from US and Australian developers – but recently we had the chance to try the first Hyper Reality Adventure developed wholly by a new UK studio.

Located in the popular social entertainment hub of Digbeth in the city of Birmingham is a warehouse that has been converted into the latest VR entertainment venue. Employing the latest thinking and technology towards launching a new offering in this sector. We were invited to visit the ‘In A Box’ location, the flagship site for the Hyper Reality Adventure developed and operated by Atmos VR – and in the final stages of soft-opening before its full launch in October.

The ‘In A Box’ location has taken a vacant warehouse and themed it inside to represent a techno-punk apocalyptic setting. Along with this, a great bar atmosphere has been created, with a unique cocktail and beverage offering; supported with a partnership with the popular brand Brewdog.

But the main draw to the facility is their Hyper Reality Adventure Chernobyl: Hidden Depths. The first in a series of adventures planned for the platform, the multi-player game experience has been written by a Hollywood screenwriter, offering a dystopian environment set beneath the doomed nuclear reactor. The players take on the role of special operatives on a clandestine mission to retrieve secrets and discover the cause of the calamity. Clearly inspired by the HBO drama based on the disaster, but also offering a unique “Retro-Soviet” styling laden with spies and secrets.

Players don the latest HP backpack PCs and heavily customised HP Reverb G2 headsets that also combine accessories of UltraLeap hand tracking, and a special Olfactory platform from OVR Technology. These mounted effects systems are supported by a host of wind, heat and vibration effects littering the adventure arena. This being one of the most advanced free-roaming (Arena Scape) environments. Atmos VR has installed two arenas side-by-side mirroring the operation to allow for expansion and additional adventures.

The operation is in the final stages of completing development on the VR adventure, and we were able to play the current build. The experience combining elements of teamwork, hidden mystery and jump scares. It was impressive to see such attention to detail by the development team – marking the UK’s entry into the Hyper Reality adventure scene. The Digbeth district of Birmingham has become a Mecca for social entertainment with several bowling, mini-golf, and retro amusement bars. ‘In A Box’ is a perfect addition to the mix, and hopes to offer a repeat visitation element, with future iterations of the VR adventure hoping to expand the universe attracting players to upgrade their characters’ skills.

The VR venue will have its official opening on the 6th of October, and attendees will be able to get their chance to virtually survive the hidden depths of Chernobyl for £35-pp with an experience that lasts up to 60-minutes. The developers are looking to develop additional elements to the experience to build a community and drive repeat visitation. The Floodgate location for the facility is next to where Steven Spielberg filmed elements of the Ready Player One movie, and it is hoped that the new Hyper Reality Adventure at ‘In A Box’ will offer an equally compelling entertainment experience.

This is the latest of a number of new Hyper Reality venues scheduled to open or are operational in the UK – as previously covered plans for a new Sandbox VR venue for London have been revealed. Along with news that the original The VOID hyper-reality brand may be returning to the market after its initial collapse. We will be reporting soon on other developments in this growing sector of the LB VR scene.

September 22, 2021

Sandbox VR is Coming to the UK in 2022, Robotic Bartenders & HoloDecks Included

As lockdowns begin to ease, location-based entertainment (LBE) is back on the march as people want to get out of their homes and do something different. There’s been an uptick of virtual reality (VR) focused locations either reopening or launching brand new experiences, allowing players to dive into movie and videogame franchises for the first time. Prior to the pandemic Sandbox VR was one operator that went from doing very well to declaring bankruptcy and then bouncing back by the end of 2020. It’s been expanding ever since and soon it’ll make its way to UK shores thanks to franchisee Andy Scanlon. VRFocus sat down with Andy to find out why he’s so excited about the industry’s future.

Sandbox VR Amber Sky — Amber Sky. Image credit Sandbox VR

Unlike some VR arcades that use generic platform management systems to offer players immersive titles from a range of developers, Sandbox VR is one of the few operators that has its own exclusive titles like Amber Sky and Deadwood Mansion. They’re all designed in-house so visitors are getting a VR experience that’s unique and can’t be found anywhere else, one of the reasons why the company was doing so well pre-Covid.

Even so, starting up a new franchise is no small task, especially when you consider Scanlon plans on opening multiple locations across the UK starting with London. Cities including Birmingham, Manchester and more are all on the cards. Initially, London will see 2-3 sites open during 2021 before moving further afield.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

So how did you get into VR in the first place?

“Working in technology investment which I loved, that brought me to Singapore where I was working with entrepreneurs and investors, really supporting them by finding investment companies that were at the forefront of their particular industries, sorting out business models and their strategic direction.

“And quite serendipitously I found myself in a Sandbox VR venue, the one in Singapore, one of their longest-standing venues. I just remember taking off that headset for the first time after that 35 minute experience and that light bulb just being switched on. It changed the way I saw entertainment, it changed the way I saw social leisure. I’d been looking at VR for some time and to invest in a couple of companies in the UK and Singapore but I hadn’t looked at the location-based VR space at that time.

“That first experience I was with my partner and her three friends for her birthday, and it was just that moment where I saw what entertainment could be. I took that headset off and thought “this is it”, I can just see the industry evolving into something that hasn’t really been considered by 99.9% of people on the planet.

“There are around six LBE VR brands in Singapore so instantly the next day I booked to go see the other ones, went to Zero Latency went back to Sandbox and it was then that I thought “this is what I need to do“.

So how did that lead on to being a Sandbox VR franchisee?

“I reached out to Sandbox and reached out to Steve (Zhao, CEO) in Hong Kong and gave my back story and said have you thought about esports and this and this, it could be bigger than 3D that IMAX always promised, a true innovation step in leisure.

“So I probably spoke at him for 20 minutes before he said ‘have you thought about being a franchise?’ and I said no but the moment he said it I knew I would 100% do it. A couple of weeks later [after looking at the market] I said I think this could be huge in the UK, I’ve lived in London for a few years, I know what it’s like to do corporate events and beers after work with your team. If you look at the UK as a whole in terms of leisure density it’s got the highest [outside of China] leisure density – so that’s the highest number of venues per capita in the world.

“And so I thought Sandbox is the leading player in the space, it’s been highlighted by the amount of money they’ve been able to raise but also the direction under Steve. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was the best experience that I had out of every VR experience I’d played to date.”

That deal was struck in 2020, mid-pandemic, mid-lockdown, you obviously had a very positive industry outlook for the future.

“To be honest, the way I think about it is that technology as a whole has been great during the pandemic to keep us connected but at the end of the day that’s always been a remote connection. This is why phrases such as ‘zoom fatigue’ have begun cropping up, people are just fed up with doing their weekly team meetings over Zoom. So the way I see it from a sociological perspective is the demand for shared group activities has only increased during the pandemic as we’ve been torn away from each other. I feel, personally – and everyone I speak to – is that when we’re in lockdown all you really want to do is go to the pub with your mates or do something with your mates and colleagues. And so we haven’t been too concerned about the sociological impact from the pandemic, we don’t think it’s going to impact social leisure shared experiences over the long term.

“Obviously we are concerned about future lockdowns, if we can’t be open that’s a concern. I don’t think that Covid will disappear at the end of this year or even next year but I think it’s an easy to overcome hurdle. Firstly due to Sandbox, as it has demonstrated across its network that most of the venues that Sandbox has they’re actually trading above pre-pandemic levels. Secondly, the actual experience or customer journey that Sandbox offers is very geared towards maintaining and adhering to safety standards when it comes to Covid-19.

“The demand for shared experience has only increased during the pandemic and we are looking to provide customers with an experience that they can enjoy with their friends and family. For us a real passion project behind the company, to build a business that can see people remind themselves why they like to go out and organise things with their friends. Because what we’re offering is better than anything on the market at the moment.”

Sandbox VR Deadwood Mansion — Deadwood Mansion. Image credit: Sandbox VR

So how will the UK roll out work and what can customers expect?

“So the VR rooms are called Holodecks like Star Trek and are about a quarter of the size of a Zero Latency room [for reference]. What Sandbox does really well is it uses the gameplay and the map to walk over your [previous] steps so it feels like a different room. So it’s a smaller room but what that allows us to do is really bring this technology to city centres, focusing on where the masses are, whether that’s shopping centres or actual city centres, something most of our competitors can’t do.

“We obtained the UK franchise that gives us exclusive rights to bring Sandbox VR to this market. We’re looking to launch a large number of venues across a pretty short timeframe, across five years, starting with London but we’re looking at the whole country. Following one to two locations in London, we’ll then be looking to go to Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, all kinds of large cities where we think the technology will do well.

“We’re looking at city-centre locations at around 6000 to 10,000 sq ft, we’d like to have around four to five Holodecks in each venue. That allows us to offer multiple start times, we’re not just reliant on one or two Holodecks, people can arrive and leave pretty quickly. What we’re looking for is to build this social environment where people are coming and going, there to enjoy the VR. In addition to the VR, something that’s not being done across any Sandbox venue in the world, none of them currently offer food and beverage. We will be the first Sandbox venue to offer food and beverage, to not offer that I think would be a misstep. So we’re looking to develop a really futuristic venue with a robotic bartender, we want people to feel like they’re entering London 2068, so very cool, very futuristic.”

VR has that futuristic vibe but how do you get around the general public’s uncertainty regarding the tech?

“As long as you’re aware of that you can focus and design your marketing campaigns around that, you have to make sure you spend more time on the education piece rather than the “come to Sandbox VR”, it needs to be “what is location-based VR?” What I really like about it, and I don’t know whether it is because I’m an optimist, is that the lack of awareness of it ensures that the gap between post-experience and pre-experience is greater because people don’t have a clue what they’re getting into.

“You can only do that with a high degree of confidence that the product and the experience are good enough. You don’t need to educate everyone to the nth degree that they know exactly what they’re going into but know that just through word of mouth, that once people do it once they’re going to tell all their friends and post on social media.”

With 14 Sandbox VR locations open worldwide when will the UK venue debut?

“That’s the big question. We’re targeting Q1 2022, likely a soft launch gearing up to a hard launch at the end of Easter. Then site number two during the summer and possibly squeezing in a third by the end of the year.”

September 1, 2021

Feeling the VR Arcade Fever in Viva Las Vengeance

Zombies, ugly, snarling corpses of rotting flesh that have managed to ingrain themselves in popular culture over the last few decades to such an extent that we’ve all played a videogame or watched a movie with one in. The most recent was director Zack Snyder’s Netflix collaboration Army of the Dead, dropping folks into a ravaged Las Vegas for some wall-to-wall action. And if you loved the movie then you’ll probably want to check out Viva Las Vengeance, the virtual reality (VR) experience tied to the film.

Army of the Dead - Viva Las Vengeance: A VR Experience — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 28: Grand opening of Army of the Dead – Viva Las Vengeance: A VR Experience at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix)

Just like its cinematic cousin Viva Las Vengeance is all about that wild (theme park-style) ride, where explosions and rampaging hordes of the undead fill in those annoying gaps left by a lack of plot. But in a VR experience that lasts around 30 minutes is that necessarily a concern? For the most part not at all, as long as you know what you’re in for.

The location-based entertainment (LBE) industry was hit hard by the pandemic as it was really starting to shine beforehand, attracting VR studios who were looking for alternative revenue streams. With things now settling and getting back to normal, everyone’s interested in getting out again making VR arcades an attractive escape for those after a modern entertainment experience.

And that’s really what you do get with Army of the Dead: Viva Las Vengeance, plenty of tech and an all-encompassing journey that does try to ground you in the whole setup; even if it is somewhat cheesy at points.

Up to six players can enjoy the VR experience at once, with the core gameplay section held within a modified taco truck with bars on the windows for your protection. In actuality, this is one of those 4D, hyper-reality simulators with wind, heat and rumbling floor effects for that truly immersive setup.

Before you get anywhere near the taco truck you’ve got to jump through a few setup hoops first, some more unusual than others. For instance, it’s not often that these kinds of LBE titles will give you a gun selection, let alone accessories. But in Viva Las Vengeance you get to select between a shotgun for close-range power or an assault rifle that’s great for popping heads at a distance or exploding a few barrels. This is where teamwork already comes into play. For this early test, there was only two of us, one on either side of the truck. Armed with the rifle it didn’t need reloading but there were points where it seemingly overheated and stopped, so a teammate with a shotgun next to me would’ve been really nice.

After the loadout selection comes the cheesy military briefing, telling you why you’re there and what you need to accomplish. It really was just background noise as we attached a couple of OptiTrack sensors to our hands. That was all that was required as there’s no running around a big space. In actuality the taco truck setup meant four were employed at the same time, allowing for an efficient rotation of guests at the Westfield London location.

Inside the truck, there were Valve Index headsets and StrikerVR guns to give that nice recoil effect. Alas, the build-up of excitement didn’t quite match the gameplay experience on offer. Because as you might expect from a taco truck driving through a zombie-filled Las Vegas, its point, shoot and repeat for about 10-15 minutes.

If this were a VR videogame at home you’d play it once, get bored and want a refund. However, this being a VR arcade experience it needs to be viewed as a whole, combining those additional effects, the gun and the physicality of it all. In which case Viva Las Vengeance is a short, sharp dose of exciting VR you can’t get elsewhere.

When there are zombies climbing all over the truck, reaching through the bars which I’m trying to shoot but made all the more difficult because the floor is rumbling away putting my balance off it, quickly becomes very engrossing. And it should for that time duration, intense yet fulfilling enough that everyone leaves with a grin. Plus you can all compare your scores afterwards as well as pose for the obligatory group shot with a superimposed Army of the Dead background for good measure.

I’d class Viva Las Vengeance as an above-average LBE VR experience but certainly not one of the best. It’s ideal for those new to VR as the coordination required is minimal, you stand or sit in one spot shooting zombies out the window with an occasional waft of wind to the face. Those more experienced in VR who’ve tried the free-roaming options available at other locations may find this a little limited in scope. Don’t set your expectations too high and bring some mates to enjoy Army of the Dead in VR.

August 13, 2021

The Virtual Arena: The Virtual Game Space

Covering all aspects of the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape, industry specialist Kevin Williams, in his latest Virtual Arena column is one of the first to try London’s latest immersive experience Chaos Kart; which pushes the boundaries of hi-octane Mixed Reality Entertainment.

Much of the thinking of immersing a player in a virtual space has been via using a VR headset. But there are developments being made to offer a wider immersive experience to large groups of players, where they all can share the visual representation, without the need for glasses or cumbersome head-mounted displays. And recently we have seen an explosion in the launching of “Immersive Display Environments” (IDE) using the latest laser projection technology.

The UK became the home of a first of its kind attraction in the heart of the capital and we were lucky enough to be one of the first to try out this amazing experience. Called Chaos Karts – a group of nondescript enclosures, located near Brick Lane in East London, hides inside a big secret. This is what has been labelled by the operators as the “ultimate Go-Karting experience”.

Engineered by The Ents Inc., working with Little Lion Entertainment (known for their work on the ‘Crystal Maze LIVE’), have created an immersive go-kart experience that combines physical electric go-karts with a game space that is an “Immersive Themed Race Circuit”. Achieved in part, through the use of over 32 high-end projection systems. The space has been mapped out, with the physical movement of the racing vehicles, and their interaction with virtual elements of the space tracked.

The Chaos Karts experience is achieved through two key elements – the Immersive Display Environment and the racers vehicle. The modified go-karts allow the players to race around the virtual race circuit, but also interact with the virtual and physical world. Steering wheel mounted buttons allow players to launch collected Power-Ups forward and backward of their vehicle. With a display to inform the player of collected items and their score, as they drive over gems.

This is the closest that can be achieved to actually being shrunk down and placed in a real-world version of Mario Kart. The “Gamification” of the traditional go-kart experience was masterfully achieved, and so compelling. The current attraction offers three immersive themed race circuits to compete on, with players racing around, collecting points along with items that they can launch to disable opponents.

The Chaos Kart venue charges £44 for players over the age of 13, (with off-peak ticket prices at £33), to take part in an hour-long racing and gaming experience. On arriving at the venue and signing, (along with creating their own avatar), they are then “shrunk”. And in groups taken to the track to play in sessions, experiencing six races in each of the three different courses. The players are briefed on their activities in the race by their Game Master, and his computer sidekick “Chipp-E”. The whole experience feels like one big video game, and the developers have worked hard to create an enjoyable and competitive space.

As stated, this is the first UK mixed reality gaming experience of this kind – but Chaos Karts is not the only immersive go-kart experience being rolled out Internationally. In Europe, nine facilities of the ‘BattleKart’ brand have been launched. Again, using projection mapping systems to create the immersive racecourse, a system that offers a slightly less sophisticated approach, but has proven equally as popular with its player-base.

These are just the first examples of complete IDE experiences that are being rolled out into the Out-of-Home entertainment sector. Projection-Mapping systems offering a level of fidelity of saturation and resolution that are unachievable from the current VR headsets, and we can expect to report on the next crop of immersive environment entertainment venues opening very soon.

July 26, 2021

The Virtual Arena: Dynamic Virtual Entertainment by the Seaside

The commercial VR entertainment sector is charted by industry specialist Kevin Williams. In his latest Virtual Arena column, he takes a trip to the seaside and Brighton, on the south coast of the UK, to go for a spin on the latest in immersive reality entertainment attractions, looking to wow the audience.

Immersive entertainment has come in many forms over the decades, while we look at VR as the new wave of immersive, the fairground and attraction industry has been supplying exhilaration for over one hundred years to a very eager audience. And we have seen the latest instalment of VR attraction projects building on that exhilaration, with what some have coined as “Dynamic VR”.

One of those providers of fun and excitement has been the UK seaside amusement industry, personified by the iconic Brighton Palace Pier, celebrating its 122nd anniversary, the Victorian structure has been an integral part of the seaside entertainment of Brighton and Hove since it opened in 1899, the iconic Grade II listed structure – comprising concessions, fairground attractions, two arcades and soft-play.

The venue has also been a valuable proving ground for the deployment of new concepts in attractions – and along with the happy holidaymakers flooding the destination, the site over the next few months will play host to the latest in Dynamic VR entertainment. And we were one of the first to experience these new thrills.

On test at the pier and developed by newcomer Studio Go Go was their new attraction ‘Ride with VR’. The concept builds on the idea of creating a virtual experience that mirrors the motion dynamics of a conventional motion ride platform. We have seen in the past this attempted with VR roller coasters, and even VR floom rides, but this marks the first VR experience mapped to the exhilaration of a Twister attraction.

At the end of the pier stands the venues’ own Twister fairground attraction (a derivation of the original ‘Twist’ American design). This wheels within wheel ride profile attraction, offering a unique ride experience over the years since the first attractions appeared in the UK during the 1960s. Now with the mapping of the motion envelope that the guest experiences, using the simulator technology ‘Go-Go XR’ developed by Studio Go Go, a dynamic VR experience can be created.

The company has developed three different virtual adventures on the attraction – their first experience called ‘VR Twister’ operational at the venue, working in partnership with the Brighton Palace Pier operators. The attraction is £4.50 to ride conventionally, but with the hire of the VR headset is priced at £7 to enjoy the full VR experience, (there are special offers as part of the piers day-wristband deal).

The VR Twister attraction drawing attention. Image credit: KWP

Once strapped into your seat, the attraction follows the required health and safety guidelines for deployment on a ride attraction, with a special harness connecting the standalone VR headset, (in case it is dislodged during the ride). Using a Pico G2 4K headset, the experience starts as soon as the ride begins, and transports the guest through a bright and colourful landscape, with tall spires and flying objects, the movement through the virtual landscape mirroring the acceleration and surges of the ride attraction.

Kevin Williams putting VR Twister through its paces. Image credit Studio Go Go

At the end of the experience, the headset is taken away for a wipe down and readied with the other units for the next guest. Employing antimicrobial storage for Covid-secure VR cleaning from Gratnells. The design of the experience is compelling and offers a unique additional thrill to a well-known attraction. A draw to a younger audience looking for a new level of engagement. The tracking of the ride profile by the ‘Go-Go XR’ technology can be applied to other ride attractions, and the company is looking at giving the ability of attraction operators to offer a VR experience on their rides, as well as developing new content and applications for other systems.

Along with playing its part as a test facility, the Brighton venue has a number of VR attractions in its line-up of thrills at the site. With an Immotion turnkey four-seat VR theatre (‘The Tower Coaster’), and a well-used LAI Gaming Virtual Rabbids two-seat motion experience. VR now playing a major part in entertaining the modern audience.

Immotion_BrightonPier — Immotion at Brighton Pier. Image credit: KWP

Dynamic VR is growing in popularity as the latest phase of immersive entertainment in the out-of-home entertainment landscape. Recently we have seen the launching of underwater VR snorkelling experiences using waterjets and special water-resistant headsets. And we will soon be reporting on the launch of the first Wingsuit VR experience (‘JUMP’) that all hope to push the excitement of VR experiences to the max.