While once a far-future idea, VR arcades have sprung up allowing a low-cost, hassle free virtual reality experience to gamers worldwide, particularly children.
“We get a lot of kids. Some teenagers, but it’s a popular birthday party venue among kids.” Ken Massalski, an employee at All Around GamerZ VR Lounge & Arcade. “They usually have 4-10 kids, and they tend to play multiplayer games together. They’re playing the same game side-by-side, but are online, and they can work together, or compete to be the best in the group.”
VR headsets used to be known as a gimmicky, far fetched idea stained by the likes of Nintendo’s 1995 Virtual Boy, which Business Insider dubbed “Nintendo’s biggest failure” . However, the VR gaming industry has taken large strides over the last decade, and continues to grow. According to research on Statista, 4.93 million units were sold in 2020, and a projected 6.1 million units will be sold in 2021.
While you can pick up your own VR headset at any local BestBuy, the technology is still in its infancy. Sensors and wires become an inconvenience when setting up virtual reality in your home, and each unit can cost as much as your average console. An Oculus Quest 2 starts at $399.99 CAD, while a Valve Index costs a whopping $659.99 – and that’s without the motion controllers and bonus accessories.
But at All Around GamerZ VR Lounge & Arcade? It’s $33 an hour, and a popular birthday party venue for younger families.
“I’ll often hear about kids mentioning YouTube videos they’ve watched.”, says Ken. “They’ll watch VR gameplay, and they want to try it. And I think that gaming YouTube channels are mainly watched by kids, since they have more time to watch videos than working adults.”
And while the arcade mainly attracts children, it’s no surprise those who are young-at-heart would want to join in too.
“Sometimes parents go with kids to play, shooting zombies together through virtual reality. It’s always nice to see parents spending quality time with their kids.”
The arcade has also innovated in other ways by establishing its own in-store currency dubbed “VR Cash”.
“So, we have what’s called VR cash, which is our redeemable in-store point system. Everytime a customer comes into [the arcade] they get some VR cash, which has real monetary value because it is backed by real cryptocurrency. And if they are able to get on a leaderboard for one of our games and beat a high score, they get bonus VR cash as well.”
VR Cash can be redeemed for bonus VR time, or items at the concession stand.
“I think it’s cool, and nobody else is doing it. No one is using cryptocurrency to enable or create these kinds of services.”
Ken concludes by saying “It’s the next evolution in visual arts. Being able to see the world truly in 3D – not just on a flat screen. When [customers] are standing on a virtual skyscraper, people experience their fear of heights because it looks so real. You’re not separated by a screen anymore. You’re now inside the world of endless creativity that comes with gaming.”
All Around GamerZ VR Lounge & Arcade is located at 1150 Hillside Drive, Kamloops, BC.