OMNI ARENA DEBUTS AT ANDRETTI INDOOR KARTING & GAMES, ORLANDO

BY GABRIELLE

The Omni Arena virtual reality attraction, developed by Virtuix, has debuted at the Andretti Indoor Karting & Games site in Orlando, Florida.

The latest instalment of the VR esport game is part of a nationwide rollout, which has seen Omni Arena launched at Dave & Buster’s, Sky Zone, and FACE Amusement’s Rockin’ Raceway.

Omni Arena involves a maximum of four players competing to head the leader board and potentially win cash from a lucrative prize pool sponsored by Virtuix and HP.

Virtuix manages and organises the ongoing esport competitions, meaning operators don’t have to do anything.

Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix, commented: “Omni Arena is achieving a 30% repeat play rate across all our venues, among the highest in the industry.

“Our goal for Omni Arena was to create an anchor attraction at entertainment venues that guests don’t just try once, but play again and again.

“We are excited to install Omni Arena at Andretti in Orlando, where we will showcase the attraction to VIP guests during IAAPA 2019,” Goetgeluk added.

Founded in 2013, Virtuix is a leader in “active VR” attractions and the creator of Omni, the ‘first-of-its-kind motion platform, which enables virtual reality environments to rotate 360 degrees.

VIRTUAL GAMING SECTORS SHOW HIGH LEVELS OF INTEREST IN EAG INTERNATIONAL EXPO 2020

BY GABRIELLE

Organisers of the EAG International Expo that’s taking place in London’s ExCeL in January, are reporting high levels of interest from potential buyers within the AR, VR and eSports gaming technology sectors.

The EAG show is poised to become a platform to showcase a range of innovative technology and products in the burgeoning eSports industry.

Martin Burlin, Chairman of EAG Expo commented: “It has been very interesting to see a surge of interest and enquiries about AR, VR and eSports gaming.

“Our EAG event is on course to become an important meeting place for developers and buyers of products in these new areas.

“We’re now starting to see developers pushing the boundaries of all these technologies – AR, VR and Mixed Reality games, where reality and virtual reality happen at the same time.

“It’s a thrill for us to provide opportunities for new developers to find new international markets. I encourage any established gaming companies or startups to get in touch about exhibiting,” Burlin added.

The EAG International Expo is one of the UK’s major trade shows for the leisure amusements industry. It provides suppliers to the industry the chance to showcase their products and services to more than 5,000 leading leisure industry buyers.

The event is taking place at ExCel London from January 14 to 16, 2020.

TWO BIT CIRCUS TO HOST ESPORTS TOURNAMENTS AT MICRO-AMUSEMENT PARK, LA

BY GABRIELLE

The experimental entertainment company known as Two Bit Circus, creators of immersive experiences that fuses technology and spectacle, are hosting a series of esports tournaments this summer.

The game-focused tournaments will feature a number of different video game titles, including Fortnite, Super Smash Bros. and Killer Queen. The esport competitions are taking place at Two Bit Circus’ own Micro-Amusement Park in downtown LA.

The company hopes to create a fun, engaging and casual environment throughout the tournaments that differs to the highly-charged competitions held in stadiums.

The first game – the World of Tanks Tournament – is taking place on Thursday June 13. The winner of the tournament will receive a Reverb VR Headset.

The Fortnite and Mortal Kombat competitions are being held on June 15 and the Killer Queen event is taking place on Saturday August 3. The Super Smash Bros. game is being held on Saturday August 17.

The Micro-Amusement Park is one-acre in size and combines state-of-the-art tech with old-school circus and carnival amusements. The park is split into different areas and features more than 28 virtual reality zones.

Esports have been gathering momentum in recent years, with plans for the first arena specifically for esports being announced in Philadelphia.

In China, esports have been rising in prominence with the gaming group Tencent increasing investment in esport tournaments.