First VR Arena installed

Virtuix, developer of the “Omni” virtual reality treadmill and “VR Arena” esports attraction and Funovation, announced that they have installed the first VR Arena esports system at Pinballz, a family entertainment center in Austin, Texas. During its first 10 days of operation, the attraction generated revenues of more than $10,000 from a total of 820 guests, paying $15 per play or $12 as part of a combo package.

“VR Arena is off to a great start,” says Darren Spohn, owner of Pinballz. “Revenues and player numbers have so far exceeded our expectations, and technical issues have been minimal. Virtuix’s virtual reality attraction looks awesome and is a big draw for our guests, especially those in the gaming community. The ability to compete in an esports arena and win weekly cash prizes is a big plus.”

VR Arena includes weekly and monthly esports tournaments, organized and sponsored by Virtuix, Funovation, HP, and HTC, with an annual prize pool of more than $50,000. The companies plan to install three more VR Arena systems by June, and a total of 20 systems by the end of 2019.

“The launch of VR Arena is a big milestone for our company,” says Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix. “The initial reactions and orders since our unveiling at IAAPA 2018 have been overwhelming. Our main focus now is to fulfill our order backlog and, ultimately, we aim to install a VR ARENA at every FEC, trampoline park, bowling center, and large entertainment venue in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

VR Arena is a high-energy, four-player esports attraction that features four Omni motion platforms for walking and running inside virtual reality, an automated staging area that keeps throughput at 20 players per hour, and social sharing stations for players to upload gameplay videos embedded with the venue’s logo.