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The newly announced Mario Kart Arcade GP will be leading the charge at Bandai Namco’s latest VR entertainment centre, which is due to open next month, the publisher has announced.
The facility, VR Zone Shinjuku,is set to be the largest VR entertainment facility in the whole of Japan. Opening on Friday July 14th, it will house over 15 activities, including new VR titles such as Nintendo’s Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, Dragon Ball VR: Master of the Kamehameha, Evangelion VR: The Throne of Souls and Ghost in the Shell Arise: Stealth Hounds.
The project builds on the success of its predecessor, VR Zone Project I Can, which opened last April. Bandai Namco’s amusement business unitexecutive officer also said the company plans to install its VR activities in over 20 locations worldwide in order to raise awareness about VR and get as many people involved as possible.
In addition to the branded VR experiences based off existing IP, there will also be a range of other VR experiences not tied to any existing IP, such as flying on a winged bicycle and being chased by a dinosaur, and non-VR activities.
Bandai Namco has also teamed up with digital art group NAKED to produce projection mapping installations in and around the facility. Pac-Man will feature in exterior projections, while inside will show a fantastical tree. Both will allow guests to interact with it through touch.
VR Zone Shinjukuwill be the flagship location for the next-generation of entertainment,” said Executive Officer Yoshiyasu Horiuchi. A place where Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. carries out new challenges, delivers excitement and amazement to visitors from across the globe.”
