Location-based entertainment has turned from a clear application for immersive tech into a revenue-less market fearing for its future. Immerse UK’s webinar on 3 July will address its future
In brief
➨ What? Immersive Commercial Entertainment—Current and Future Business: Immerse UK has assembled a panel of experts to assess the current situation in location-based entertainment and discuss how VR providers can move forward
➨ When? 3 July 2020 @ 12.30pm to 1.30pm GMT
➨ How much? This webinar is free to join, but sign up in advance is essential
In full
Location-based VR entertainment providers, venues and organisations interested in turning their intellectual property into experiences should tune in to immersive technology network Immerse UK’s webinar on the fate of the sector.
Since the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak forced venues and businesses to close earlier this year, location-based entertainment has turned from a clear application for immersive tech into a revenue-less market fearing for its future.
Immerse UK has assembled a panel of experts to assess the current situation and discuss how location-based VR entertainment providers can move forward.
They will also explore practical measures that need to be introduced to ensure social distancing, as well as hygiene standards and best practice.
Panellists include Kevin Williams, of KWP Limited, Joanna Popper of HP, Simon Reveley of Figment Productions, Leif Petersen of Hologate, and Steve Tagger of nDreams, so the webinar will not be short of expertise and experience. Make sure you tune in on 3 July.
Tipping point for location-based entertainment
As far as VR is concerned, the future of location-based entertainment feels like it is at a tipping point.
Customers fearful of Covid-19 may think twice before returning to their favourite venue, while social distancing measures such as staying more than 1m apart may prove too impractical or costly to implement.
The approaches being taken by providers show both careful consideration and innovation in the face of uncertainty.
Global provider Zero Latency VR is looking ahead to 2021, when the pandemic may well be behind us, through a new partnership with Ubisoft to create a brand new free-roaming VR gaming experience.
In the meantime, Zero Latency is installing its free-roam VR systems in venues around the world remotely, from its headquarters in Australia.
New clients are now able to unpack and install their systems, as well as train their staff in its proper operation, all under the guidance of the Zero Latency VR Team via online collaboration tools, an extensive training library and regularly scheduled video calls.
The first venue to install this was Rancho Cucamonga in the US.
US-based Spaces, meanwhile, moved quickly earlier this year and developed a VR video conferencing tool to replace its lost revenue stream.
VRstudios has a large operation in North America, most notably through a partnership with Dave & Buster’s. It is very much working on getting back to normal as soon as it is safe to do so, and is taking a number of measured steps.
Chief executive officer and chairman Kevin Vitale wrote earlier this month that VRstudios is developing solutions that will help the recovery, including a body of resources and guidelines that will inform how to open safely.
A big focus for VRstudios is customer trust. To that end, Vitale said the provider is adding procedural checklists inside the operator panel of its Attraction Management Platform (AMP) that the attraction attendant uses to get players started and launch a VR experience.
He explained: “For example, it can be set so that attraction won’t start until the attendant physically verifies the cleaning status of the equipment between each play. We continue to develop features for automation and integration with hygiene equipment reporting their status or triggering certain operations through AMP.”
VRstudios has also partnered with Cleanbox on headset hygiene and an upcoming best practice guide.
Vitale went on to promise the release of new products and updates that amplify real-world sports and competitive experiences in VR, as well as increased player engagement and profile management, expanded VR platform support, and new system configurations that are flexible and manageable with current hygiene and social distancing guidelines in mind.
