Hey PH! Quick backstory:
I tried the HTC Vive last night for the first time and it was amazing. Seriously amazing. But there's no way I'm shelling out thousands for my own VR rig. But it got me thinking, I'd totally pay $20 for an hour's access to high end VR. Why aren't there movie theaters for VR?
Then I started looking into it, and it turns out there ARE a couple! But not many yet. So I decided to make this site, which will keep track of all the new VR Parlors coming out and alert people when one opens up near them. Super simple. But I think if we can prove that there is demand for this kind of thing, it will spur more people to create VR parlors.
Anyway, I'd love feedback! Thanks for checking this out :)
@nbashaw This is genius :) So glad you put it together! I've thought the exact same thing. If your apps gets traction, maybe the 80s era of arcades will re-emerge!
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@rrhoover@nbashaw would you pay a monthly membership (say $150 bucks) to have access to the latest and greatest vr hardware/input/software in a creative space? Kinda like a gym, but all the equipment is vr?
Interesting idea @nbashaw, love the crowdsource vision.
True @rrhoover, there's definately a need for that. There is a really good one, nearbyVR, from the german based VR Nerds Collective, launching in Germany since couple of weeks. It seems they are preparing to launch world wide soon.
From what I understand there are issues with commercial use of VR hardware (explicitly stated within the EULA of popular headsets) and content (unless you have a Steam cafe license). I believe this is why we're seeing a lot of "VR Arcades" using their own headsets and games and not many "internet cafe" style ones.
Love this @nbashaw. I have another twist on the idea I'd love to chat about! The industry needs to do a better job of creating an ecosystem where more people get to experience VR. We need to stop thinking like enthusiasts and think like marketers building a market.
This is a good idea. I've been thinking that this is probably going to be the way that most people initially experience good VR while it's still pretty pricey. We might see a resurgence in arcades from this...
I actually think that VR gyms would be a great application of the tech, since the vive has the ability to make strenuous exercise fun and gyms already know how to make the business model work of having people pay to come use expensive equipment.
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