The virtual reality universe has experienced another improvement with HTC’s latest launch of Viveport Arcade, which has been engineered specifically to ease your control over VR arcades anf the content available in them.
PC based VR gears are still an expensive tech, so the VR arcades are successfully filling the gap by giving the world an idea of 360 degree experience. HTC thinks that that the adoption of VR is directly proportional to the adoption of these arcades in regular environment. Companies such as China’s VR cloud platform based Leke or theater chain IMAX have already started to use VR in theater locations.
In an interview with GamesBeat, Jenna Seiden, head of content acquisition for Viveport said that HTC’s Viveport Arcade is the company’s proprietary content management and distribution platform for location-based entertainment. He said:
We can track usage and playtime directly and share that with the operator. The operators get a library of VR content that they can use.
Commercial arcade operators may gain the access to the content by downloading the software to their venue. The contents may be designed using the Vive stations through a centralized host client tool. and from the background, HTC will monitor the usage and will provide a share of its revenue earned from operators to developers.
Seiden said;
The commercial operators are like traditional arcade owners or those with Internet cafes. They can be chains like Dave & Busters and movie theaters that are using VR systems in their lobbies.
The software was initially developed by HTC to prevent other developers to distribute or monetize their contents on platforms like arcades, Internet cafes, theaters, and shopping malls, as well as for the operators who have a wonderful base to show-case their VR content to the customers. HTC provides both these parties with a secure and safe distribution of contents, and manages the transactions through the centralized system.
The VR arcade program was announced back in November 2016, and currently boasts of over 500 titles in its library. The Viveport developer console allows the users to enter the Viveport Arcade program with their games or ideas. HTC grades the products as per its content submission guidelines and reviews them for best use in public venues.
Developers are free to products for home use, however, they are encouraged to submit projects with commercial applications. Games have the highest priority, but other fascinating experiences are also finding their way as the industry grows. At this moment, HTC is running 50 trials with 20 operators round the world, and the Viveport Arcade is most likely to hit global in April.
HTC will be paid by operators in form of points, which corresponds to a certain amount of time. And when the operator plays the HTC titles, his points will get deducted in similar fashion. For instance, the rate in the US is $10 for 1,000 points. And these 1,000 points provides the operator a total of 60 minutes of playtime.
HTC is looking to develop 5,000 HTC Vive station locations in the next year and the company is also hoping that the VR arcades will generate $100 million in revenues in the same year. China already hosts 300 VR arcades, says Seiden. HTC has its very own Viveland arcade in Taipei, which is used to demo VR experiences.
