IAAPA 2017 hasn’t quite started yet (seminars begin on Monday Nov 13th while the trade show opens on Tuesday) but manufacturers who are good about maintaining a web presence are getting ready by adding some of these products to their websites already. Granted, some times they want to hold things as a surprise until after the show but I’ve seen some companies start manufacturing a product around IAAPA time but not put it on their websites until maybe January…or March. Anyways:
Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride
While we heard about LAI Games’ newest arcade/amusement attraction earlier in the year, they have now rolled out all the details about the new ride to their website. To borrow from that page:
Step into the wacky world of Virtual Rabbids with the industry’s first attendant-free VR attraction for arcades and FECs. Developed from the ground up by LAI Games to operate like any other coin-op amusement game, The Big Ride was created in partnership with leading game developer Ubisoft. The attractive and practical cabinet design reflects LAI Games’ time-honored experience in arcade game design, with a high quality and exciting all-ages VR experience that provides entertainment for both first time users and experienced enthusiasts.
Players can choose from three unique experiences, full of twists, turns, thrills and spills, for an all-ages VR attraction that lives up to the hype! Offering true 360 ̊ views with action in every direction, riders are immersed in a unique experience every time.
The Big Ride includes premium HTC VIVE headsets, accurate motion base by D-BOX and dynamic wind simulation. Each seat is monetized for maximum revenue potential, and the unique audience-facing cabinet generates crowds and builds anticipation.
I’ve seen them mention the “Attendant-free” part of the setup a few times, something that most VR attractions cannot claim. They achieve that in part thanks to the “integrated self-service mask dispenser”, which allows the user to grab a fiber cloth mask to wear so that you’re not swearing face sweat with whoever it is that just used the game (and one of the biggest issues with public use VR). The motion is handled by the popular D-Box hardware, providing for “multi-axis synchronized motion” and it has hand-grip bars and foot rests for users to stay in place with. Similar to rides like the Typhoon, this also has wind effects to help complete the experience. People standing by can watch the action thanks to the giant 55″ HD marquee screen that sits above and behind the riders. They’ve done a good job at laying out the features on the website; now all I could ask for is a decent resolution photo with a transparent background 😛
There are three different films that can be showcased in the game, each one starring Ubisoft’s Rabbid characters: Alpine Adventure; Canyon Chaos and Holiday Hijinks. Operators can turn them on or off; I wouldn’t be surprised to see additional content offered in the future in the event that this is a hit.
I’ve not seen an MSRP yet but with many different companies coming to IAAPA hoping to convince operators to jump on-board the VR train, that as well as earnings is a question that will be asked about. Fortunately for LAI
I will get some hands-on time with this next week!
I really hope they add more rides to it. IMO I think it should have more than just Rabbids rides…
My concern here apart from price is durability. LAI doesn’t have the best track record for building durable, long lasting equipment. Yeah the stuff looks great and it earns well when its working. But all that down time adds up. I appreciate that they stand behind their stuff and keep sending out updated parts, but maybe if they spent a bit more time testing and building it right the first time they wouldn’t have so many issues. Playing Hypershoot enough times should have revealed the need for Loctite on all the hardware before it ever left the factory instead of mailing a couple of tubes out months later and asking the operators to crawl underneath them for an hour to apply it. At least it saved time having half of the screws already on the floor from working themselves out as customers played the game. I’ll definitely give it a look at IAAPA though.