BANDAI NAMCO’s flagship VR Zone Arcade has reduced the age restriction on some of its attractions to seven years old.
Source: Bandai Namco
The location in Shinjuku, Japan, is already synonymous within industry circles as one of the foremost examples of what VR is capable of, demonstrating how such an out-of-home operation should be run and what the genre is capable of offering the paying public.
Prior to the move, the rule in place dictated that only those of 13 years and older could participate in anything that involved a VR headset. The only game that still retains the restriction is Mario Kart VR. But it does mean that there are nine other options to the younger player thanks to the new, relaxed ruling.
Most consumer VR manufacturers have guidelines on the age of users, with the likes of Sony at 12, and Oculus at 13. HTC, whose Vive headset is used across BANDAI NAMCO’s attractions, doesn’t have an exact stance other than stating that the product was not designed to be used by children, but if they did so, an adult should supervise them and check for any effects during and after use.
BANDAI NAMCO’s own guidelines for youngsters is the same for any VR user – to take a break for around 15 minutes per use, and that they should cease playing if uncomfortable eyestrain, fatigue, dizziness or nauseas should occur.
