LAI introduced its attendant-free virtual reality game, Virtual Rabbids, at November’s IAAPA show in Orlando, US, to great interest from visitors.
Queues led up to the two machines on the manufacturer’s stand throughout the run of the show. Each machine takes two players at a time, each donning a VR headset.
“We’ve tested it long enough now that when we say it’s unattended, it truly is,” said Steve Bryant, sales manager at LAI. In an effort to deal with the issue of hygiene, which gives some people pause when considering a public VR game, LAI has included disposable masks that players have the choice to use.
“It depends on the country but on average we see that about 30 per cent of riders us them,” he explained. Canyon Chaos, Holiday Hijinks and Alpine Adventure are the three experiences offered on the machine so far, but more are expected. Canyon Chaos takes the player through a “rollercoaster gone wrong” with impressive immersive effects.
The ride is a VR experience with the visuals backed up by further effects on the seat including movement of the seat itself and air being blown at the player’s face.
“We have put a lot of work into syncing the visuals with the other movements and effects. When it’s not done right people get motion sickness, but we made sure we had this right before we went ahead,” he said.
The company has already installed it in Indonesia, Australia, the UK, the Middle East and the US. “We have enough evidence to be able to speak from a position of confidence and strength when we say it does what we say it does,” he said. He said that the only negative point that LAI received during the testing phase was that masks got left on the seats and on the floor around the ride. “So, we have plans to include a bin into the set up.”
Pictured are Steve Bryant and Virtual Rabbids at IAAPA.
