The Void’s latest location in Utah, which we just checked out in-person this past weekend, isn’t the only big, location-based VR center to launch this month. As it turns out, Bandai Namco is also opening their VR arcade, known as “VR Zone: Project I Can” in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan starting this summer. It’s being marketed as the largest VR arcade of its kind in all of Japan.
For a bit more insight into what the arcade is going to be like, check out this video from the multinational game publisher’s YouTube channel below:
We don’t know too much about the location yet, but the popularity of location-based entertainment for VR seems to be growing around the world. VR arcades have already taken China by storm with a variety of games and business models and now other companies from small startups to IMAX are getting involved in the United States as well.
On the English version of the “VR Zone: Project I Can” website under the “List of Contents” section there is what seems to be a preview of what patrons can expect to experience at the location. Two Gundam-esque mech fighting experiences are shown for example, as well as what appears to be a singing-based game and a skiing simulator of some kind. Progressing the slideshow to the right also reveals promotional art for a plank-walking experience, a blood red-soaked horror game, what I can only assume is a train-operation simulator, and a third, and final, mech-combat game.
The experiences appear to range from 6-12 minutes in length with varying prices, all of which can be found on the previously linked site. Maybe if this arcade setup, Project Cars 2, and Ace Combat 7 all do well then Bandai Namco will be encouraged to release a real VR version of Sword Art Online minus the whole dying thing. That’d be swell.
If you’re around Tokyo this summer, consider giving it a go!
