iMyth

Tag: Bandai Namco

  • Dragon Ball Z Coming to a VR Arcade Near You

    Dragon Ball Z Coming to a VR Arcade Near You

    Whether you are a fan of the Dragon Ball Z theme world or not you had better watch out because it is coming to a VR Arcade near you. While there may not be a VR arcade near at this moment in time, fear not! That issue will be remedied within the near future. But, alas, this article is about Dragon Ball Z world becoming a familiar theme in the VR world.

    The HADO Company in Japan is already well on top of things. Even as early as last IAAPA, HADO was offering a room scale MR experience where participanst could fight against monsters or against each other using a Dragon Ball Z like game motion mechanic. While not sticking strictly the the Dragon Ball Z theme world, this company has taken its own artistic licenses and created a commercially viable product of their own.

    The San Francisco based entertainment company “SCRAP Entertainment” has installed this Dragon Ball Z like experience in their San Francisco location. I am currently unaware of the details except the installation will only be available through August 31. Their location is 1746 Post Street.

    If instead of a cheap rip-off you want the real deal with officially licensed Dragon Ball Z characters then you will have to go to Japan to the Bandai Namco VR Arcade Zone in Shinjuku, Tokyo. An earlier review of this VR Arcade has already been provided in this post, Bandai Namco VR Arcade. This place is really cool. they are a 40,000 square foot, 2-floor VR arcade featuring games operating on the HTC Vive. Many of these games are integrated with motion controlled apparatus such as motion chairs and stationary bicycles. Much of their special content seems to be IP related, custom built experiences. Check out this main atrium in the facility.

    I’m sure there will be future articles describing their Mario Kart and Doreomon VR experiences but this article is devoted to the Dragon Ball Z Theme world.

    The experience is available for 2-4 players simultaneously. The crew starts off a group of new recruits in a typical martial arts training ground led by series protagonist, Goku. AFter mastering the basic the crew is teleported to an iconic, barren field where he executes a Kamehameha, made more immersive by an open-hand custom device using Vive Trackers. That’s when the battle begins, and you’re positioned at different intervals, using your training mates as target practice.

    What I think is really cool about this experience is that each participant is isolated into their own VR play space. But in the battle field their relatives positions change dynamically. The field of play has been transformed from a 40’x10′ strip to an entire battle field. This demonstrates some of the true potential VR Arcades and and immersive experiences have. I look forward seeing new additions to this already groovy attraction.

  • Bandai Namco’s Tokyo-Based VR Arcade

    Bandai Namco’s Tokyo-Based VR Arcade

    I suppose this was inevitable. Not only are location based immersive experience sweeping the the American country-side but it seems as if the fever is also catching abroad. VR Arcade are very popular in China. Limited hi-end PCs and and the desire for social interaction make China fertile ground for this type of industry. Japan is jumping on the bandwagon as well with Bandai Namco opening  its VR arcade, known as “VR Zone: Project I Can” in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan starting this Friday, April 15th, until October 10th, 2017.

    Not much is known about the experience other than video, shown above. Some of the teaser art promises:

    • Two mech-type battle sequences
    • A singing simulator
    • A skiing simulator
    • A plank walking experience
    • A horror experience
    • A train management simulator

    If the attraction employ real props and are as interactive as the above video then I am sure the patrons will have a rewarding experiences.

    Update 7/17/17

    Here is a quick update with a trailer for each of the unique experiences which can be found at the newly opened Bandai Namco VR theme park.

    Vive Demos at the Bandai Namco VR Arcade.

  • Creative Vive Tracking Usage

    Creative Vive Tracking Usage

    A couple of months ago, iMyth created a rough prototype of its immersive experience. One of iMyth’s key components is physical props and sets. We integrated very inexpensive props and sets into our experience. While not the most sturdy these set pieces did an outstanding job demonstrating the physically immersive concept.

    Bandai Namco has taken this concept one step further and created an experience based on the Doraemon Anywhere Door theme world. Using the HTC Vive, Leap Motion, and a few simple props tracked with attached Vive controllers, the team was able to create two very interesting interactive props.

    https://gfycat.com/SpiffyDisgustingHowlermonkey

    The first of these props is the door. Using a very simple props door placed cleverly inside the Vive play space in order to avoid loosing tracking. The use Leap Motion to track the participant’s hands which of course frees up the Vive Controllers. One of the controllers is placed on the edge of the door and is used to track the door opening and closing. It is a simple concept but the physical component is extraordinarily impact-full. What I really want to know is where did they get the great door prop? Notice that the prop doesn’t have a footprint larger that what it would have in real life. How did they anchor it? It looks solid.

    https://gfycat.com/ImpishCautiousGermanspitz

    The second object is a simple desk. Once again, all the creators did was attach a second controller to the drawer of the desk. The desk itself is stationary and never moves. Once again this is very effective use of a simple concept.

    I just place my order to HTC for 4 tracking “pucks”. We should get them by the end of the week. The pucks are going to be used to help track the interactor. However, I did forget that for every Vive there are two controllers. That means iMyth will now have 8 tracked objects to deal with. Where can we go from here?