Virtuality Club – Arcade Style VR Entertainment & Gaming Club In Russia

Guest Blogged By Maxim Chizhov From Virtuality Club

Co-founder of Russia’s first virtual reality gaming club “Virtuality Club” Maxim Chizhov prepared the following guest blog material about what visitors enjoy in the club, their ratings, preferences, and their predictions of the future in the industry of virtual reality.

During the year it was said a lot about virtual reality, its future market forecasts, the interest of large corporations, developers and gamers. In this article I want to talk about the experience of working directly on the Russian VR market.

Almost a year after opening “Virtuality Club”, our visitors and we have tested a large number of virtual reality controllers, such as the Razer Hydra, X-Rover Gun, KOR-FX, Leap Motion and our own development – virtual reality racing simulator.

Virtuality Club Stats Since Opening

• For 10 months since the opening of the Virtuality Club we had hosted and entertained more than 3,000 visitors and gamer!
• Currently, the club has more than 60 virtual reality supported games (every week we add new and delete not popular games).

Virtuality Club VR Games & Simulating Experiences Ranking Rundown

The Followings are the ranking of top 1-5 of the most popular and in-demand virtual reality games and experiences of Virtuality Club, spanning in different category.

Multiplayer games Categories

One of the main advantages of the Club – is the possibility of playing together with friends, as before in the ’90s computer clubs. Unfortunately, the network component is not present in all games in the VR, but we have noticed a great interest of visitors to online games so we try to add as many of these games. Most often young couples, children with their parents and members of various organizations (for team building, birthdays, events) , who want to try networking in virtual reality , come to the club.

All the material will be presented in the form of top 5 most popular games, divided into genres, similar to those shown in our club: flight simulators, racing, entertainment, shooters, horror, action, and educational games.

Flight Simulator VR Experience Category

The desire to fly at the controls of a real air vehicle has always attracted a large number of gamers, so the genre of flight simulators should be one of the most popular among users of virtual reality. Oculus Rift CV1 will come complete with a flight simulator EVE: Valkyrie.

5. StarWars

The most popular and discussed the Star Wars universe is often in demand among visitors.

4. Vanguard V

Flying in space through the asteroids and enemy attacks using HMD.

3. Star Conflict

Large-scale space battles on starships. Many users choose exactly these but not elite: dangerous.

2. Air Drift

Flights with beautiful scenes and controlled using head movements.

1. WarThunder

One of the best games with the same realistic controls and gameplay. First place in flight simulators from gamers who specially come to the club to test their favorite game in virtual reality. We had a case when the son brought his father (a former military pilot) to show him flights of the future.

Speed Racing VR Game Category

Virtual reality genre which is more popular than flight simulators. The most unusual emotions due to our own car simulator consisting of a movable platform with multiple degrees of freedom, fully integrated with popular games in virtual reality and emulating the movements taking place in the game.

5. Trackmania

Crazy race with a complete lack of physical laws.

4. Assetto Corsa

Realistic simulator with nice graphics.

3. Blaze Rush

Dynamic arcade survival racing.

2. Live For Speed

Realistic racing simulator with a large selection of cars.

1. Project CARS

Leader among the racing simulator with virtual reality support at the moment. A wide range of cars, various tuning, excellent graphics and of course the network mode.

Fun VR Expereince & Entertainment Category

In this category, we have a large number of demos for VR, roller coasters, attractions and even a few full games created specifically for virtual reality.

5. Ocean Rift and Time Machine VR

Similar meaning games that are perfect for the first experience in virtual reality. Discover underwater world with interactive features.

4. Minecraft

The most popular indie sandbox survival game. Non -official support called Minecrift.

3. NoLimits 2 and Castle Coaster

Two of the most popular roller coasters in our club.

2. I Expect You To Die

One of the most exciting and interactive games for the Oculus Rift. A Quest in which you act as a special agent you need to get out of a flying plane sitting in the car. This is a full game created for virtual reality with the addition of specific mechanics and comfortable control.

1. Senza Peso

Almost a video film in virtual reality. Different special effects and colorful landscapes. The best content for the first experience in VR, we strongly recommend that you start your experience with it!

Bonus. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Very promising game for a minimum of 2 people. One player in the head-mounted display is in a room with an activated bomb and a set of puzzles to disable the timer, and the other player sitting next to, but without a helmet and with a special “manual” asks the first player to solve puzzles. The best entertaining game for us!

VR Shooters Game Category

Running and shooting in virtual reality, probably, wanted by any gamer, but very few good games do not cause motion sickness effect of constant movement. Some of them work only with the help of third-party drivers (e.g. vorpX).

5. TekRok и Vox Machinae

Two similar games where the player needs to move on an unknown planet and kill the monsters.

4. Left 4 Dead 2 (vorpX)

Very popular in his time co-op shooter from Valve, where you have to kill the hordes of zombies.

3. Quake

Old but not yet forgotten the first Quake! Reworked by virtual reality game with added network mode.

2. ZVR Apocalypse

Zombie apocalypse, where you need to survive, fighting off zombies.

1. Grand Theft Auto 5 и Battlefield 4 (vorpX)

Two AAA-games, which are in great demand at the club. They work by using a third-party driver (vorpX), but the quality of immersion in a virtual reality is not worse than others.

Horror VR Game Category

Horror is considered to be one of the most popular genres in virtual reality. Added effect of total immersion in what is happening around.

5. Dreadhalls

Horror with procedurally generated maze in which you need to get to the exit.

4. Don’t Let Go

One of the earliest horrors appeared to Oculus Rift, where sitting at the table and holding two buttons on the keyboard you need to hold on for a certain time.

3. CyberPhobia

Overcoming their own phobias.

2. Dreadeye

Very realistic “film” which sitting in the chair it is necessary to hold on for a specified time.

1. Affected

Currently the most terrible horror with several levels and frightening scenes.

Action VR Game Category

Games demanding the user’s speed of reaction. The most cheerful and dynamic genre of games of virtual reality adding fun not only in single player game, but also when playing with friends.

5. 7 Nanocycles

Overcoming obstacles with the help of calculation speed.

4. SpaceTunnel

Flight and overcoming obstacles in the space.

3. Hat Trick Header

The ability to feel like a real football player, beating the balls flying at your head.

2. Motorbike

Management motorcycle rally, committing tricks, and overcoming obstacles.

1. Baskhead

The basketball hoop simulator. The main task is to catch the maximum number of balls flying at you using head movements in the helmet.

Educational VR Game Category

We refer games of this genre, where the main goal is to research the Universe, generally to children audience.

5. Discovering Space

Flights in an outer space and discovering planets.

4. Sight Line

Moving between a large number of interesting locations just sitting on a chair.

3. From Ashes

The virtual reality film where you will see the story of the creation of the Universe.

2. Titans of space

Flight through the solar system, the planets and satellites.

1. Jungle Dino

Discovering ancient world with dinosaurs

Summary Statistics Of Popularity Virtual Reality Game Genres Based On Poll Of Virtuality Club Visitors

Every month the number and quality of games is growing. Forecasts of analysts for the VR market differ in figures, but all expect rapid growth both in the market in general, and in a niche of game VR content in particular. For example:

• According to the company IHS Technology company size of the market of VR games in 2016 will make $496 million from which 44% is necessary to America.
• Experts of the analytical agency Superdata expect that the market for VR-Games in 2016 will be even greater than ~ $ 660 million, and by 2020 will rise to $ 15 billion.
• Analysts at investment bank Digi-Capital also state the order of $14 billion. VR-Games in 2020.

In Russia, this year there has been increasing interests in the growth of VR-games from the professional community. Conferences on virtual reality and augmented reality in Moscow were organized. A Famous Russian game studio produced the first serious VR-applications, such as project InCell by Nival. The largest Russian community about virtual reality was created.

Vyacheslav Utochkin, the “producer of educational programs for the game industry” of the Higher school of business informatics says that many listeners of the “Magement of Game Internet Projects” an program of the current year seek to understand elements of development for VR and to start doing game projects in virtual reality. The graduates of the latest programs have already united in a team and are preparing the Indie project with Oculus Rift.