Sega Live Creation, the amusement arm of parent company Sega-Sammy, is bringing the Zero Latency VR experience to the Joypolis amusement center in Tokyo, the chain’s flagship branch.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Joypolis, a chain of amusement centers across Japan and China, Sega has tapped Zero Latency to set up their free-roaming VR experience as a permanent attraction at the Joypolis in Tokyo, according to an announcement from the company. The attraction will be available at the amusement center starting in July.
Zero Latency is an Australian based firm which has created a wireless, multiplayer VR system that gives players a large expanse around which to roam and a play through custom-made VR experiences. Up to six simultaneous players don a headset, PC backpack, and weapon (all affixed with optically tracked markers) to step into the virtual world. The available playspace far exceeds that of the ‘room-scale’ area afforded by a consumer system like the HTC Vive (Zero Latency is calling it ‘warehouse-scale’).
The company has been operating its Melbourne-based VR attraction in one form or another for a few years now. For the Joypolis installation in Tokyo, Zero Latency says they’re making key upgrades with improved weapons, “next-generation player wearables,” and newer tracking technology.
“When we first tried the Zero Latency experience we were blown away” said Kazuhiko Hayami, Sega Live Creation’s Executive Vice President. “We knew we were witnessing the birth of a new medium, and we wanted to be involved straight away. We are only at the early stages of understanding what free-roam VR is capable of, it’s one of the most exciting technologies coming to market today.”