Developer of the Omni virtual reality treadmill and Omni Arena esports attraction – Virtuix – has announced that the world’s first Omni Arena installation at Pinballz, a family entertainment centre in Austin, Texas, earned $75,000 in its first three months of operation from more than 5,000 plays.
More than 1,000 were repeat plays and among players with a player account, the repeat play rate was as high as 40%.
At the current rate, Omni Arena is on track to earn $300,000 in its first year and achieve an ROI of five months. Pinballz charges $15 per play per player and operates Omni Arena with one attendant. In a recent survey of 135 players, 42% reported they had come to the venue specifically to play Omni Arena.
“We believe VR esports with Omni Arena can be a new anchor attraction,” said Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix. “Our current Omni Arena installations are experiencing a high repeat play rate and are attracting an audience to the venue who visit specifically to play Omni Arena.”
Compared to other anchor attractions, Omni Arena is both affordable and compact. The system currently costs $121,000 and has a footprint of 375 square feet.
The attraction offers a complete guest experience that lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Guests can play with or against their friends, compete for top spots on leaderboards, win cash from a $50,000 pool, and earn other prizes in weekly esports contests sponsored by Virtuix, HP, and HTC. When the game finishes, players receive a video of their Omni Arena experience, embedded with the venue’s logo that they can share on social media.
Virtuix published a blog post here about how VR esports can be a new anchor attraction for FECs, and a white paper here about how VR and esports can increase FEC revenues. Interested FEC operators can contact Virtuix for more information and sign up for a VIP demo of Omni Arena here.
