Why wouldn’t I just organise a VR activity myself?
OK, let’s tackle the elephant in some of your rooms! VR headsets aren’t prohibitively expensive, so why would you pay Unreal to provide a service, when you could do it yourself… how hard can it possibly be?!
Licensing
Publicly available VR game software licenses typically cover ‘non-commercial use’, permitting personal, home usage. Using a VR game for even a small office party is still classed as a ‘public performance’ and therefore breaks copywright law. All of our games offered are licensed, sometimes exclusively to Unreal, for event use.
Hosting
You may well be ‘pretty savvy with technology’, but do you really want the hassle of buying and setting up multiple headsets and accessories, learning the game(s) inside out to identify the best format, then helping a succession of colleagues or clients get to grips with something (probably) brand new? We’re experienced, patient, have all the best equipment (and spares for contingency), manage leaderboards and often even have special privileges with extra game features that make the experience run even smoother.
Casting
The process for ‘casting’ the headset images from Meta Quests is complex, with the primary native option now discontinued and unsupported. If you can’t cast, and with minimal lag, you won’t be able to guide the person in the headset, and the waiting crowd will be disengaged. We have the experience of running numerous VR events, in a wide variety of venues, and carry seven different casting solutions to cover all possible bases… meaning we can select the optimal solution, in the most challenging of environments.
Staging
Do it on the cheap, and even if you nail all the above, it’s not going to be a great look when Barry from Accounts is flailing around in the Conference Room B. Unreal brings a full pop-up environment, including 2.4m x 2.4m (customisable) backdrop, widescreen TV, themed (customisable) floor mat(s), ‘Top Gear’ leaderboard, and (customisable) stretch tablecloth and table, for headsets and accessories.
Equipment
Our headsets have had various adaptations, to support performance, hygiene and comfort… and we bring more than we need as backups. We have VR golf clubs imported from Canada, for those that prefer the more realistic extra weight. We bring belt barriers, to help protect spectators. We have over 50 items on our van checklist… could you guess more than 10?!