The world of virtual reality gaming remains an incredibly enticing industry for many companies to break into. Though some members of the video game industry, like PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, still think VR’s true potential is quite a ways off.
Now, some recent developments in the realm of VR arcades might make Ryan’s doubts about VR’s future seem more plausible than ever. Thanks to an interview by way of Protocol, it seems Disney’s line of “The Void” VR arcades are currently in danger of shutting down operations completely.
The Void was founded by Ken Bretscheider and was originally conceived as a virtual reality theme park. The Void arcades feature tons of equipment involving virtual reality visors, haptic feedback equipment, and noise-canceling headphones. In July of 2017, The Void received a major boon in the form of a partnership with the Disney Accelerator Program, which gave a boost in funding as well as the use of popular Disney IP like Star Wars and the Avengers. Unfortunately, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic alongside other key factors, The Void arcades are in danger of closing down for good.
One of the biggest key factors being an asset transfer that stripped The Void of its use of Disney’s IP. Without Disney’s IP, it’s going to be extremely difficult to maintain the audience it held before. However, the company’s new owner Jim Bennett thinks that there’s still a chance the company could reopen after a COVID-19 vaccine is complete. Bennett says the company is “quite confident” that when malls eventually reopen that “location-based VR will be back in high demand.” Hopefully, Bennett’s hunch is correct and The Void’s virtual reality arcades will end up saved from total extinction.
Source: Protocol
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