Moscow Startup Eyes Global Expansion with Free-roam VR Experiences

(Source: Travel Weekly China)

Russian virtual reality startup Anvio VR has set its sights on establishing multiple worldwide attractions after launching its debut product, a free-roam multiplayer zombie shooter which tracks the entire human body.

Called City Z, the Oculus Rift-powered experience debuted in Moscow in April.

It uses sensors placed on the hands, feet and back, which interact with infrared cameras, meaning players’ avatars move exactly as they do in real life. The Moscow attraction can comfortably accommodate four players, though Anvio's system can host more.

According to Anvio, the product is currently the only virtual reality system available with full-body tracking.

In City Z players must complete a series of levels, taking out a number of zombies before moving on to the next level as they make their way up a tower block in a post-apocalyptic version of the Russian capital.

Some levels are zombie free and require balancing acts over perceived drops, while others feature a non-stop horde of the undead surging towards players. Others use darkness to incite fear, with sudden zombie attacks coming from the shadows. Players move through a physical arena, with the game designed so they don't leave its confines, while simultaneously creating the illusion they are exploring an expansive space in an immersive virtual world.

Players can take part for between RUB6000 (US$100, €90, £80) and RUB8000 (US$134, €120, £105) for a 45-minute session of up to four people, with the VR element lasting roughly 30 minutes.

Anvio is now planning to open a second attraction in London. The company is currently seeking a suitable site in the UK capital and partners on the basis of a franchise and licensing model to launch further Anvio attractions worldwide.

While City Z is currently the only game in its library, Anvio is not limiting its product base. A second adventure game in the style of Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones is in the works with additional games in the pipeline.

"We're strictly doing no guns on this one,” Anvio founder Eldar Iskhakov told Attractions Management.

"At the start you go down into a huge cave, which is essentially like a lost city. There's a lake at the bottom of this cave where you can see treasure, so you have to traverse it and go all the way down through different puzzles and traps. Environmental elements you already have in City Z, such as walking over narrow planks, is going to be included. We're going to have dark traps, labyrinths – things like that.”