VR World

VR World attempts to counter the stigma of gaming attached to the industry with titles that span multiple genres. Multiplayer games offer opportunities to socialize, while a bar provides a respite from gaming (as well as a space for events). A separate room offers music videos and documentaries in VR. The space currently occupies three out of its five floors, leaving plenty of room for expansion.

“Here, we are focused on the experience,” says Tsimmer. “People have an opportunity to buy a game or two at home, but they do not have the opportunity to run multiple systems. They do not have the opportunity to play together with friends. They do not have the opportunity to be in a multi-player environment to compete, or have a drink while racing cars. Virtual reality is a very isolating experience. We are making this a very cool and friendly experience.”

In recent years, other spaces have experimented with social VR, including New York’s Jump Into the Light and Toronto’s House of VR. This year, IMAX launched its VR centers, where viewers pay $7-$10 per experience. Yet none have achieved the same scale as VR World, or offer the same breadth of experience.

Despite slow adoption rates, the buzz around VR continues. VR World’s traffic has steadily picked up since it opened, attracting locals and tourists alike. Just last week, director Steven Spielberg acknowledged the importance of VR in the future of storytelling. And tech companies are testing new ways they might expand VR to the everyday consumer: Facebook is currently testing Spaces, a social VR app meant to appeal to users beyond gamers or tech enthusiasts, while Second Life is testing a social virtual reality world called Sansar.

For VR to truly become a cultural game-changer, the gap between the available technology and consumer awareness must be bridged. VR World shows a creative new avenue for mainstream consumers to experience a virtual world, tied closely to entertainment. Brands should not write the technology off, but rather look to the cutting edge of consumer adoption to see what form the industry might take next.