Sure, playing VR games by yourself might be fun, but it could be even more fun if your buddies are there cheering you on — or making fun of you. That communal gaming atmosphere is what’s behind virtual reality arcades. MICHAEL HEWES/PHOTOLIBRARY/GETTY IMAGES
At 718 Northwestern Ave. in Austin, Texas, you can ride an elevator to the 50th floor and then test your nerves by walking out onto a wooden plank 500 feet (152 meters) above the street, while your friends cheer you on. If it sounds extreme, don’t worry, it’s a virtual reality game, and the only thing crashing to the ground is your hubris.
Richie’s Plank Experience is one of many games people can play at Originator Studios, a new virtual reality arcade that opened this month in East Austin. You can get a feel for what it’s like to play the VR game in this video:
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There’s also the question of why people would pay to play at a VR arcade in the first place. Some games may not yet be mind-blowing enough to play alone and others may blow the mind, but leave the player feeling anticlimactic about a big win.
“It’s a little lonely when you get a high score on a game and you feel success and then you take the headset off and no one’s around you,” says Rockefeller.
That’s why they think having a group of friends around is key. People can book the space for $60 per hour to use one system, and $95 per hour to play with two systems. They can play by themselves or have a multiplayer experience. Plus, there’s a kitchen in the back, so friends can bring their own drinks and food.
“It’s sort of like going to a karaoke room, but a lot more futuristic,” says Rockefeller.
They’re even surprised by how much they enjoy seeing a first-timer trying out the system.
“We’ve had people of all ages get into the headset with excitement, uncertainty, and curiosity — all of that is shattered as soon as they realize, ‘Oh I can walk around and play with this world?’ It’s one of the more gratifying moments,” Gildersleeve says.
Source: How Stuff Works