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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • 13 Your award-winning community newspaper delivered to 32,000 homes every Thursday. BUSINESS WATERLOO CHRONICLE BUSINESS WATERLOO CHRONICLE By Bob Vrbanac Chronicle Sta� If you managed to get out to a movie during the Christmas break, you might have noticed another form of high-tech entertainment on display at the local movie theatre -- virtual real- ity gaming. � at's because Waterloo's Ctrl V, Canada's first virtual reality arcade, partnered up with Landmark Cinemas to bring it's gaming experi- ence to a wider audience. It's been a whirlwind seven months for the local company which is opening a new virtual reality arcade in Guelph and has an agreement in place to open eight more in western Canada. Ryan Brooks, CEO of Ctrl V, said the potential of virtual reality game playing is being realized by big players, including movie chains, as well as Hollywood producers who see it as the next pos- sible evolution in interactive movie experiences. Brooks said they approached Landmark Cin- emas last January about a partnership before they opened up their � rst arcade at 170 Colum- bia St. W., in Waterloo. � ey wanted to see if a virtual reality arcade would complement the other entertainment opportunities the theatre provides, as movie chains make most of their money o� the concessions. "We thought Ctrl Vwould work on its own, but we also think it would be a great comple- ment to what movie theatres o� er," said Brooks. "It's been a long road because the concept wasn't proven at the time, but we opened this place and people seemed to like the technology. "So we did a pilot at this location (Landmark Cinemas at � e Boardwalk) because it was the easiest for us to maintain and we wanted to see if there is that much of a demand for VR this close to our primary location." � e feedback from the entertainment experi- ment, launched at the start of November dur- ing the busy holiday movie season, has been beyond their expectations said Brooks. People were given 10 minutes to experience a select number of games Ctrl V had to o� er, but it was enough. � ey lined for the experience. "So far it's been fantastic," said Brooks. "Peo- ple have got a taste of the technology and know this is something they want to do more of." Brooks said he knows that some people might be reluctant to try the virtual reality gam- ing experience, wondering if it will cause motion sickness or headaches. Those are some of the common misconceptions. HTC technology paired with their own man- agement system software has received nothing but positive reviews. "Our No. 1 question is how do we market this experience to someone who has never tried it," said Brooks. "It's the hardest thing because you can describe virtual reality, but until you put the headset on somebody they just don't appreciate the level it's at now. "That's the biggest advantage of that type of set up at the movie theatres. It's part of the entertainment experience." Brooks said the trial run has also lead to a deal with Cineplex and a new experience the chain is developing in Edmonton called � e Rec Room. It's a concept that's all about embracing new technology and making the movie theatre a go-to destination spot for the increasingly com- petitive entertainment dollar. Plus it gets people out of their basements for something experien- tial. "They approached us a few months back and we got really fast traction with them," said Brooks. "We've got eight stations like this set up in their Edmonton location, and it's been open since mid-November. "It's been another good pilot for us as well." The plan is to franchise the Ctrl V virtual reality concept out, and it's already picking up steam. � ey've started franchising without hav- ing to do external sales -- word of mouth has pushed their brand forward. Brooks said he thinks it will be bolstered by the direction he sees Hollywood taking in the future by adding interactive abilities to the mov- ie-going experience through virtual reality. It's going to put people right in the movies they watch. "I know that Lionsgate (Entertainment Corp.) has already done a few experiments with it and the other studios are working on stu� for 2017," said Brooks. "The question is how are they going to get those experiences into people's hands? "I think people want to interact with their space, and we're even seeing that more and more with some of the things that we're o� ering that are experiential in nature. "People say that's cool, but their favou- rites games are always the ones they can interact with. I think that's where Hollywood will get the most value, and I think theatres are going to need some type of platform to o� er that." To get a taste of VR, visit www.ctrlv.ca. Exploring other realities Ctrl V launches virtual reality gaming experience in movie theatres across Canada Ryan Brooks, CEO of Ctrl V, Canada's � rst virtual reality arcade, has launched the gaming experience in movie theatres across Canada. BOB VRBANAC PHOTO