Mow down the undead horde in this new 400 square meter virtual reality arena
A new virtual reality gaming center has opened in Melbourne, Australia, allowing gamers to literally walk, run, and shoot their way through shambling legions of zombies after their gray matter. Locales are varied, ranging from city streets to cramped laboratories.
Image Source: Engadget
Gaming is a sedentary activity, right? A flick of the wrist and a well-timed mouse click could take the head off that marauding zombie, all while you’re seated comfortably in your chair. But as the world gears up for the launch of VR headsets in 2016, a new gaming center has opened in Melbourne, Australia, that wants to make you work for your kills.
Called Zero Latency, the gaming center evokes a mix of laser tag and VR gaming. It is being billed as the world’s largest VR attraction, and requires you literally walk, aim and shoot a VR gun.
The brainchild of Scott Vandonkelaar, Zero Latency was first conceived in the months before Oculus Rift’s Kickstarter campaign shipped its first prototype. It is actually similar to the HTC Vive, which also allows players to walk around in the real-world as they navigate a virtual universe.
However, instead of remaining within the narrow confines of a Lighthouse-based tracking system, Zero Latency is spread out across a 400 square meter warehouse that is covered with a white grid pattern. The grid aids 129 Sony PlayStation Eye cameras in tracking player movements. The cameras are arranged in circular rings that combine for a 360° view, with each ring having its own dedicated controller PC. Clever level designs help maximize the available space, allowing for the implementation of large and immersive levels.
To play, you’ll need to strap on a custom Alienware Alpha PC to render a unique view of the world from your perspective. Visuals and audio are provided by an Oculus Rift DK2 head-mounted display and a pair of headphones, both of which are tethered to the backpack.
The gun itself is a large rifle constructed from a solid block of PVC plastic and which weighs slightly more than 2kg. The gun’s mechanisms are reminiscent of arcade shooters – a button at the magazine’s base swaps between a machine gun, shotgun, and sniper rifle, while a second button at the front of the magazine loads in a new clip. There’s also a pump action at the front of the gun to reload special grenade ammo, in addition to sniper and shotgun rounds.
A look at the PVC plastic gun from Zero Latency's Facebook page. (Image Source: Zero Latency)
Zero Latency currently allows for either a single-player experience or groups of between four and six players, and a one-hour fragging session will cost US$65 person.
The team behind the game is said to already be in discussions with partners to bring the technology overseas. Tim Ruse, a director at Zero Latency, says that the Melbourne installation is just version one of a commercial product. The company intends to ship newer versions – likely sporting various tweaks and improvements – to different venues in early 2016.
Is it too much to hope for that one of these international partners could soon be a local vendor on our shores?
Source: Zero Latency via CNET
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