The “Fair Rates” initiative now supported by Survios
SynthesisVR is now in use in over 90 locations worldwide and our VR and online services are used by thousand of people on daily bases. Few of those locations are actually running under our own VR Territory arcade chain (recently featured in a Hell’s Kitchen episode). As arcade owners, we also pays our fair portion to the “out-of-home” VR ecosystem and that includes licensing fee for all the games we offer to our customers. At the same time, it is obvious that what is “fair” in specific regions comes as being too expensive in other regions and, when you have to pay 30 to 50% of your revenue just for content licenses, you can fall for certain shady business practices. We know all you want is to show the world how awesome is VR and to do that, you should not live in fear and suffer in your marketing efforts. We realized that long time ago and we took actions by allowing the VR studios to offer fair, country specific, license rates. Today, we are thrilled to announce Survios has partnered with SynthesisVR into our efforts for a friendly VR ecosystem. Here is what Sam White (Survios Partnerships Director) said for SynthesisVR: As one of the first developers to develop games exclusively for VR and one of the first supporters of VR arcades as a breakthrough in location-based entertainment, Survios is thrilled to make all of its industry-leading VR experiences available through Synthesis to arcades worldwide. From our debut title—the now-classic shooter Raw Data—through our latest, the critically-acclaimed CREED: Rise to Glory, we’ve worked to accommodate the unique needs of arcade operators by building arcade-specific settings into all our games, including simpler player onboarding, streamlined menus, and custom game modes to allow for more enjoyable single- and multiplayer experiences. Whether your customers want to feel like an elite athlete with the physically intense CREED or Sprint Vector, become badass cyberpunk heroes in Raw Data, or just channel their inner superstar DJ with the music creation experience Electronauts, Survios’s self-developed titles are sure to add fun and variety to your arcade library. We’re similarly dedicated to publishing third-party VR titles that we feel are fantastic fits for our arcade partners both in their content and functionality. Our initial publishing pickup, Smashbox Arena, is a madcap dodgeball-inspired battle arena that’s sure to be a hit with parties, while our just-announced offering Just in Time, Inc. combines the mind-bending fun of bullet time with easy, family-friendly gameplay. Finally, Survios is proud to partner with Synthesis to offer country-based rates on all our current and upcoming experiences, ensuring your arcade gets the best price no matter where you’re located. Thanks for supporting Survios in your arcade, and we welcome all Synthesis partners to get in touch with us at arcades@survios.com with any questions you may have. Quick links to all games distributed by Survios: Raw Data Arcade Sprint Vector Arcade CREED: Rise to Glory Arcade Electronauts Arcade Smashbox Arena Jumanji: The VR Adventure Just In Time Incorporated
Status of virtual reality arcades
VR Now and Tomorrow Working closely with hundreds of developers and location based entertainment centers (LBE) , virtual reality arcades and family entertainment centers (FEC), Synthesis VR will be publishing a series of articles on How we help arcade (#HOWVHELPVR) topics based on our talks, analytics and the data collected with these above mentioned entities. Current Status of LBEs & VR Arcades Virtual reality dedicated arcades popping up everywhere in the world from a minimum of 2 stations and in some cases 20 or more stations Arcades and LBEs using VR dedicated hardware such as treadmills, fitness equipment and various other apparatus to enhance the user experience (does always enhance the experience) Larger LBEs and FECs adding VR as an added attraction to their existing venues Theme parks like six flags embracing VR and having VR roller coasters and other R Attractions Large scale VR theme parks such as VOID and the up and coming Spaces. Also attractions like VR Zone in Shinjuku, Japan. With theme parks and large venues having investors and a big budget in marketing behind them, it is very easy for them to attract customers, we on the other hand want to take a look at small to medium location based entertainment and virtual reality arcades. Running a successful Business Certain points to consider in this new business. There are NO DEFINED OUTLINES It is a new industry Local community outreach is very important. Attracting new customers is hard but retaining customers is the hardest part. Creating programs within the local community, schools and colleges is your best bet in customer retention Hold events and parties Hold events based on holidays & religious days Try multiple methods, this is a new industry and no one has cracked the “so called code”. If someone says they know how to run a successful vr arcade, run as far from them. don’t be afraid to try new methods and if nothing works GIVE FREE ICE CREAM or COFFEE. Remember this! Best Practices If the things aren’t going well during the weekdays, specially during the months of September, October, January and February. Studies show these are some of the slowest months for LBE and VR Arcades in North America, it is time to try a differently approach: Daily weekday (1pm to 6pm) discounts Kids specials and after school special discounts Night discounts (every Wednesday or Thursday 7 to 10pm) – Times may vary by community. Be consistent with events. Hold weekly or monthly events and stick to a consistent schedule so your customers can plan around it and plan for it. Other ways to attract customers: Group discounts Feedback option with discount High school reunion discounts Gift cards Creating your own Coupons Marketing with Groupon Synthesis VR supports real time discounts online and for walk ins, group discounts, multiple experiences catering to a wider audience and different pricing. Best Practices – Continued Do Not Provide any weekend or holiday discounts Customer Retention As mentioned above, retaining customers is the hardest part in any business. Using some of the cool features provided by Synthesis VR, this can be achieved with ease: Arcade membership options Weekly and Monthly events based on local community activity, themes and holidays Providing multiple experiences, different pricing targeting different customer base Pay Per Game option – A popular new feature we found talking to various arcades is the new interest in certain games. With Synthesis VR you can provide experience based on certain games. The main key to running a successful business is not just a good VR experience but a GREAT Overall experience. Keep yourself tuned and we will be adding more great practices, how to minimize expenses and key features that can help run a profitable and successful business in this new and emerging market. For more questions on how we can help and other features please do not hesitate to email us at info@synthesisvr.com At Synthesis VR we are at the forefront of introducing new features, creating an ecosystem that helps arcades and developers thrive in this fledgling but exciting industry.