Canada/GB: First IMAX VR Center in Europe Now Open
Following the opening of the first IMAX VRTM Center in Los Angeles/CA in January of this year, the Odeon intu Trafford Centre in Manchester/England is now home to the first IMAX VR Center in Europe, where the experience opened last week (please see also our Virtual Reality special in EAP, 3/17). At several so-called (single and multi-player) “pods” located in the centre, from now on movie-goers can experience virtual worlds based on popular movies and video games.
Equipped with a VR headset either from Starbreeze (“StarVR®) or HTC (“HTC Vive”), earphones and optional hand-held devices, gamers can immerse themselves into a virtual environment e.g. simulating an eagle’s flight over Paris or reproducing high-thrill content, depending on the participant’s age and personal taste. With IMAX VR, cinemas especially seek to address the target group of teenagers – at Odeon intu Trafford Centre, the minimum age for an IMAX VR experience is 13 years, with higher age limits for certain contents. Besides Manchester and Los Angeles, IMAX VR centers are currently also operated in New York City, Toronto (Canada) and Shanghai. (eap)
