Virtual reality is staging a comeback at your local mall as COVID restrictions lift–
It isn’t just movies like Fast and Furious 9 that are showing signs of life in the entertainment world.
The following written content by Ian Sherr
Sandbox VR is built for small groups to experience virtual reality together.Sandbox VR
Steve Zhao’s business was promising until last year. His company, Sandbox VR, had taken over a number of retail spaces, and people would visit so they could run around shooting zombies, crossing swords with treasure-chasing pirates or exploring distant planets as members of a Star Trek crew. They’d do all this by gathering in groups of up to six people, in 600-square-foot rooms. There, they’d don virtual reality headsets, attached backpacks and arrays of sensors on their hands and feet.
The coronavirus changed all that of course, effectively shutting down his business as his customers quarantined. “We thought, ‘Oh boy, this is it, we’re done,'” Zhao said. More than a year later, as world economies slowly reopen with every vaccine jab into people’s arms, Zhao’s business is once again growing.
Since reopening in the spring as states began to lift restrictions, his 11 stores in the US, Canada and Asia have seen ticket sales and foot traffic rise above pre-pandemic levels, Zhao said. And now his company is on track to turn a profit next year.
“I believe that this platform is something that people want — immersive, social, full-body experiences,” said Zhao, 38, who started building games in college. “We’re trying to create experiences where you build meaningful relationships with your friends.”
Zhao’s business bump is the latest in a series of anecdotal signs that the video game industry, and particularly VR, may show promise in the newly reopening economy. Over the past year and a half, many of those in lockdown mode have flocked to video games as a means of escape and entertainment. As of May, people were still playing, and spending about 40% more money on smartphone and tablet games than before the pandemic, according to surveys by market researcher IDC. And in a separate survey, only about 25% of gamers reported that they expect to cut back on their gaming habits as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. Read more from Cnet.
