While not technically virtual reality, there is a new category worth mentioning I’m calling mixed reality playgrounds. The first product I have experienced in this category is from Valo Motion. They’re famous for their augmented reality climbing wall, which blew up on YouTube with millions of views back in 2016. They’ve since built a reputation for active, immersive entertainment focused mainly on adventure and trampoline parks.

The ValoArena is a 6-player, unattended, mixed-reality arena. Players enter a space with hi-resolution projections on opposite walls. Players are tracked in the space, and their actual video images are projected onto the wall into a virtual scene. The player’s full-body movement is reflected in their real-life image’s position, so their body is a full-motion controller.

This is the first 6-player system I’ve experienced that is unattended. Valo Motion nailed the customer experience. The system has entry and exit kiosks that support multiple forms of payment and pricing.

Operators can charge per play, for time, or even give out codes that can be input for birthday parties. The system supports debit card systems too. The exit kiosk offers players a downloadable video that can be shared on social networks to capture email addresses.

The ValoArena comes with five games.
• An endless-runner game where players must jump over and dodge obstacles
• A cartoon-themed party battle where players collaborate using their arms as weapons to bat away silly objects
• My favorite is the floor-is-lava game called Groundfall. Players must surVIVE 10 rounds of tiles falling away so they don’t drop into the lava. Nearly every parent has played the floor is lava with their kids in the living room. I expect this to spark joy in families.

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