VR goes to the mall

Visitors to Tokyo Plaza may soon be wondering why some people are making fearful noises while walking along a wooden plank on the floor in an area run by games publisher Bandai Namco.

VR zone

That is because the virtual-reality headgear they are wearing makes it appear as though they are 200m above the ground – trying to rescue a cat.

It is one of the activities at the Bandai Namco virtual-reality experience area VR Zone: Project i Can, in the plaza from April 15 until mid-October. The company is using the 5870 sqft (545 sqm) zone as a virtual-reality research laboratory where it can gain feedback from users to pursue further possibilities in virtual reality. Participants must make appointments, with bookings starting today.

Bandai Namco is considering a variety of other developments, including VR experience corners in amusement and other stores.

The VR Zone experiences include:

Fear of Heights Show: Rescuing a cat stranded on a plank 200m above the ground.

Skii Rodeo: A downhill skiing experience.

Real Drive: A sports driving experience.

Escape Ward Omega: A horror experience involving a ruined hospital ward.

Train Master: Driving a train.

Argyle Shift: A cinematic experience in the cockpit of a giant fighting robot.

Based in Japan, Bandai Namco Holdings develops and publishes interactive content for platforms including video-game consoles and computers, and has a presence in 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia.

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