Now you can save a kitty from a skyscraper ledge or pilot a giant robot in VR.
We’ve had our minds blown at The Void in Utah and were hyped to hear Starbreeze is bringing a VR arcade to our home here in Los Angeles. Now Bandai Namco announced that they’re opening a virtual reality center of their own in Tokyo, next month!
The arcade center is being called “VR Zone: Project I Can,” and will open its doors from April 15 to mid-October.
The goal of the VR project will serve as a way for fans to get a taste of VR experiences with the HTC Vive and serve as a testing ground for Bandai Namco to get feedback from their various games that will be available.
Early tests with HTC Vive.
You can watch the video trailer for the VR center below. They even used the existing holes in Crocs shoes to attach motion capture sensors to the user’s feet.
The six games featured that you can experience include:
- Fear of Heights Show: Rescue a cat located on a thin wooden plank 60 stories above the ground.
- Ski Rodeo: A ski experience that will take you through the steep cliffs of snowy mountains.
- Real Drive: Get the realistic sensation of driving a sports car around a track in VR.
- Escape Ward Omega: Join others in a giant abandoned hospital for a horror experience that will make you wonder what’s real and what’s not.
- Train Meister: Experience the duties of controlling a Yamanote Line train as a Japanese train operator.
- Argyle Shift: Battle it out with other mechs as you co-pilot a giant robot in this futuristic VR title.
If you are looking to visit the VR center, you will need to reserve a spot in advance which opens up online on April 8th. You must be 13 years of age or older to try the VR experiences and will cost between ¥700 and ¥1,000 per session (about $6-$9).
Under construction setup for Ski Rodeo.
VR arcades and theme parks continue to gain momentum in Asia with The Void announcing last month they will be opening a theme park in China and the already open Sky Circus VR facility that let’s you shoot out of a canon to fly high over Tokyo in virtual reality.
