Arcades could be what helps save virtual reality from becoming a mainstream flop for the fourth time in 60 years, experts say.
While different forms of VR arcades have been around since the late ‘90s, it hasn’t been until recently that new virtual reality gaming centers have been gaining massive popularity around the world, first in China, then in other parts of Asia and soon widespread in Europe and North America.
Earlier this week, the senior vice president of HTC’s virtual reality efforts announced initiatives meant to make it easier for people to open these arcades as small businesses. He also told Polygon that the company is considering opening two more arcade test facilities of its own. The company opened Viveland, a VR arcade in Taipei, last week. He said the company is likely to open Vivelands in Europe and the U.S. as well.
“This is very big,” said Rikard Steiber, president of Viveport and senior vice president of VR at HTC. “It’s very important for developers and it’s very important for VR as an industry. “I think one day we will see these everywhere.”
Steiber said that there are thousands of locations in China alone and “massive interest” around the world. Vive is getting into the VR arcade business mostly to help invigorate the sales of VR headsets and games that run on them. The theory is that by exposing more people to the technology, sales will go up for the hardware, which will mean a much bigger audience for the game developers. Developers can also license their games through the Viveport system, streamlining the process of getting paid for play time on commercial VR setups, rather than just for a single purchase.
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While the commercial success of virtual reality in the home has ebbed and flowed over the decades, the technology has had a much more stable existence at entertainment complexes, said Kevin Williams, director of digital out-of-home entertainment consultancy KWP and founder of the Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment Network Association.
“VR has never really gone away from the out-of-home entertainment and commercial simulation sector,” he said. “Most notably Walt Disney saw incredible success with their VR platform incorporated into their DisneyQuest indoor theme park project. Opened in 1997, the facility operated continuously for over 19 years, the famous Aladdin’s Magic Carpet VR Ride proving one of the longest running VR attractions, and underpinning the opportunity of VR in the attractions and amusement approach.”
With the recent rise of relatively affordable consumer VR headsets and gear, the idea of delivering VR experiences in an arcade-like setting has taken hold once more. But this time, there has been quite a bit of success. That initial enthusiasm seemed to be centered mostly in China.
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Source: Polygon