the Hero Zone Hangout has revolutionized the customer journey and immersion in the virtual world
Have you ever tried a group VR experience? If so, you’ll have noticed that players are prepared one-by-one by the operator, being handed over the headset and explained the controls. The first prepared player stands in the dark, waiting for the other players to be ready. A very uncomfortable procedure that can take 5 minutes, leaving the first players wondering how long it will take before they can start, and putting an incredible amount of pressure on the operator.
The Hangout to the rescue, hero Zone’s (and the LBE VR market’s) most social feature
When a customer group enters Hero Zone, the first player is immediately transported to The Hangout. The Hangout is a complete VR arcade, themed in the old-school 80’s retro arcade setting. Once in The Hangout, players can immediately start having fun and immerse themselves, without waiting for the other players to get ready. They can play with the arcade cabinets, eat some pizza, drink a beer, shoot hoops, or anything they can think of, as everything in The Hangout is interactive. The Hangout was built with ‘Discovery and surprise’ in mind. It’s an interactive playground, a social gathering place, and simultaneously explains to players how everything functions in Hero Zone. Once players understand the controls in The Hangout, they know the controls for every game inside the Hero Zone library, giving the operator a considerable advantage and peace of mind. No longer do operators need to stress about the first players having to wait in the dark, nor do they need to worry about them learning the controls, as everything is taught in a gamified and self-exploratory way.
Next to this, The Hangout has a variety of features that bring a fresh wind of innovation:
- Voting: Once everyone has spent a few minutes in The Hangout, a voting screen will appear with the available experiences. Players can vote together on which game they want to play. After the game, players are transported back to The Hangout where the voting process is repeated. Not only does this bring the social experience to a much higher level, but it also doesn’t require the operator to be on standby after each game to start the next one. This way, one operator can manage up to 3 Hero Zone Arenas with ease. That’s one single operator for up to 24 players.
- Party Mode: Have something to celebrate? Activate the party mode in The Hangout. It is especially popular with children’s birthdays. The party mode will activate balloons, party hats, party horns, a birthday cake, and anything else required to bring the party fun to VR.
- Custom Branding: Out of the box, The Hangout has the Hero Zone branding. However, venues can replace all branding aspects with their own theme. For instance, they can replace the Hero Zone carpet with their own logo. Or add flyers inside The Hangout promoting an event that will take place at their venue. This provides clients with various new, and previously unexplored, marketing opportunities.
- Theming: As a little extra, The Hangout has seasonal theming during Halloween and Christmas.