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[Avis-Mergulus]

I was thinking about all those developments in gaming hardware/virtual reality thing - in particular, treadmill- or sphere-based walking simulation mechanisms (though it works with about any type of VR tech), and I had this line of thought:
For some time at least, it's going to be neither affordable nor practical to own such a thing for private use - I mean, there are now only prototypes, they cost a lot to produce, and most people can't just install a gigantic rotating sphere in their living room. However, if one owned some sort of public entertainment space, and such devices were commercially available, one might buy a number of them to rent them out.
So, virtual reality arcade games! For some reason, that thought is entertaining. I think I'd like it if that happened.

[Frumple]

*coughs* They've actually been doing stuff like that since like the late 90s/early 00s, Av. My first experience with VR stuff was actually with a (temporary) setup like you're describing that had set up shop for a few days in a mall, something like a decade and a bit ago. Hasn't really caught on yet, but the tech is also only just recently starting to make notable steps in regards to usability, so...

[Furtuka]

It would be nice if Battletech simulator pod style things came back into fashion. I tried one out at a Con last year and it was awesome.

[Tack]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind it if the nearest internet cafe had full VR pods with the soft-sphere treadmills or whatever.

[Avis-Mergulus]

I know, I know. The usability thing is kind of the big thing here. Which, seeing as...

the tech is also only just recently starting to make notable steps in regards to usability, so...

...is why we might get to see more of these things in a reasonable time.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind it if the nearest internet cafe had full VR pods with the soft-sphere treadmills or whatever.

Yeah, that's what I had in mind, too.

[Comrade P.]

I was thinking about all those developments in gaming hardware/virtual reality thing - in particular, treadmill- or sphere-based walking simulation mechanisms (though it works with about any type of VR tech), and I had this line of thought:
For some time at least, it's going to be neither affordable nor practical to own such a thing for private use - I mean, there are now only prototypes, they cost a lot to produce, and most people can't just install a gigantic rotating sphere in their living room. However, if one owned some sort of public entertainment space, and such devices were commercially available, one might buy a number of them to rent them out.
So, virtual reality arcade games! For some reason, that thought is entertaining. I think I'd like it if that happened.

Japan, man. I bet you my last five bucks of roubles that there are exactly those things in Japan operating already or opening this year or next one.

[Furtuka]

I wouldn't be surprised. They're probably the one place where Arcades are still highly popular.

[Avis-Mergulus]

I wouldn't be surprised. They're probably the one place where Arcades are still highly popular.

Also in China, AFAIK.

[Eric Blank]

Arcades still show up in every amusement park I've been to in the U.S. It doesn't seem impossible that a popular one like Silverwood here in Idaho would be willing to invest in it.

[Loud Whispers]

Oh, I assumed she was a goddess.

And man tears? He hugged someone's legs and proceeded to blub and beg IIRC.

Manly as fuck m10

[BlitzDungeoneer]

Arcades still show up in every amusement park I've been to in the U.S. It doesn't seem impossible that a popular one like Silverwood here in Idaho would be willing to invest in it.

Every single damn cinema in Ireland has one, as far as I can tell.
Of course, I haven't been to every single one, so take that with a grain of salt.

[Eric Blank]

That's a good point, actually. Most of the cinemas I've visited also had a few arcade games out in the lobby.


Fuck it, let's pool our resources and open a VR cinema. VR and nothing but VR. Giant rotating spheres EVERYWHERE

[Avis-Mergulus]

Fuck it, let's pool our resources and open a VR cinema. VR and nothing but VR. Giant rotating spheres EVERYWHERE

I have 238 roubles right here! Will that be enough?

[Eric Blank]

As long as that beats $10, you're contributing more than I ever will

[Frumple]

Arcade stuff's still around a lot in the US, but the use of them have declined pretty drastically, from what I've seen, as has new developments re: software and whatnot. And at least in this area, the larger ones -- dedicated arcade businesses and whatnot, as opposed to stuff in amusement parks, bowling alleys, etc. -- have mostly closed shop. There used to be three or four managing pretty well in the closest large-ish city in my area, and now there's maybe still one laying around.