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to see ‘companies and creative minds develop new possibilities to keep up with the competition’, citing Meta’s Quest 3 headset and HTC’s Vive Ultimate Tracker as two products pushing the boundaries. When we think of virtual reality, we often imagine Ready Player One -esque specs and people stumbling about in space. There’s an incentive to blend the real and virtual worlds more smoothly via products like mixed-reality glasses. “Recent technology developments mean that mixed reality is in a better shape to accelerate and will be adopted across the masses,” suggests Vindevogel. The Park VR plans to adjust its offerings around these potential advancements, adopting the latest technologies and staying at the forefront of innovation. “We’re at a really exciting time as a company,” Vindevogel enthuses, “as we’re looking to continue our rapid growth across the UK and European markets, with strategic plans in place for international expansion.” The Park’s latest openings in Birmingham and Leeds have brought a revolutionised social experience to two major cities. The company isn’t stopping there – rather, it’s launching a system solution which ‘allows any leisure location to quickly and easily integrate The Park’s range of VR experiences’. An early adopter includes Park Hochsauerland, one of Center Parcs’ German locations. By ‘adding immersive entertainment experiences to its portfolio’, Park Hochsauerland is modernising the family holiday, while The Park VR is enjoying a wider audience. ON THE UP With any growing business, it’s essential to consider the day-to-day logistics. “We had challenges in the beginning when it came to organising our operations,” admits Vindevogel, “particularly when we started to scale our locations.” Years later – and with sites across the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany – The Park VR runs smoothly, having developed a system which only requires staff to work when there’s a booking, keeping ‘costs low and optimised’. Though you need to book in advance, The Park VR can accommodate most schedules; it’s open seven days a week, available for larger groups and offers full venue hire. Some locations even include catering and an in-house bar. If The Park VR sounds like an appealing business endeavour, potential partners can file a franchise form to apply for venue ownership. With planned openings in Asia and North America – and the business still picking up speed – there’s no time like the present. With virtual technology unmistakably on the rise, we can expect entertainment like The Park VR to become more accessible and commonplace. As the technology evolves, the experiences will improve, making VR more comfortable and, more importantly, convincing.
Pick your team and lead them to victory in immersive battles
Entertainment is just one of many areas VR can improve. While it’s probably best known for applications in gaming, this tech has a place in a wide variety of settings. VR’s whole shtick is in bringing real-world situations to risk-free environments. This has huge implications on training – whether it’s a doctor prepping for brain surgery, an astronaut simulating blast-off or even a soldier mimicking combat – VR provides a safe space to learn. Alternate realities also have a powerful place within business. Customers can try out almost anything before buying, from holiday packages to new cars. Finally, VR is immersive and makes possible what was once unthinkable. Users can unlock the fictional worlds of their favourite books or movies, even travel back in time – at least digitally. INFINITE APPLICATIONS
Learn more about The Park VR at theparkplayground.com
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