VR Sense
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| VR SENSE | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Arcade cabinet |
| Creator | Keiko Erikawa (general producer)[1] |
| Developer | Koei Tecmo Wave |
| Announcement Date | 6 February 2017[2] |
| Release Date | 21 December 2017 (start of operation at Japanese amusement facilities)[3] |
| Price | 3,200,000 yen per cabinet, excluding tax (operator price, 2017); 800 yen per play (2017) |
| Website | https://web.archive.org/web/20190405185211/http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/ (archived official site) |
| Versions | Sparkling Silver, Sparkling Blue |
| Requires | 100 V power supply |
| Display | |
| Display | PlayStation VR headset |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | PlayStation Camera |
| Device | |
| Dimensions | W 1,019 mm x D 2,050 mm x H 1,750 mm (production cabinet) |
| Weight | About 300 kg (production cabinet) |
| Input | DualShock 4 controller (2017 location test) |
VR SENSE (Japanese: VR センス) is a single-player virtual reality arcade cabinet developed by Koei Tecmo Wave, a company of the Japanese Koei Tecmo group. A player sits in a moving seat inside the cabinet and wears a PlayStation VR headset, while the cabinet adds physical effects timed to the VR content: seat motion and vibration, scents, wind, warm and cold air, mist, and touch effects on the head and feet.[3][4]
Koei Tecmo Wave announced the cabinet on 6 February 2017 and started operating it at about 30 amusement arcades in Japan on 21 December 2017. It sold to operators for 3.2 million yen excluding tax, and was played for 800 yen per session.[2][3][5][6] The launch software included games based on Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors (Shin Sangoku Musou) and Dead or Alive series, and one of its titles, Horror SENSE, was later released for PlayStation VR on the PlayStation 4.[3][7]
Announcement and release
Announcement
Koei Tecmo Wave presented VR SENSE at a press event at the Akihabara UDX Gallery in Tokyo on 6 February 2017.[1] At the event, Koei Tecmo Holdings president Yoichi Erikawa said that Tecmo was marking its 50th anniversary and that about 20 years had passed since the company last released arcade hardware in the late 1990s.[1] Koei Tecmo Holdings chairman Keiko Erikawa, the general producer of the cabinet, said she had handled its planning and design. According to her account, company executives first rejected the project because VR arcade businesses had no proven business model, and she was told not to take any developers from Koei Tecmo Games, so the project was staffed with two or three young employees of Koei Tecmo Wave and with staff who had given her technical support on earlier hardware.[1] Hisanori Fujii (藤井久徳) was named as the VR SENSE producer.[1]
At announcement, the company described six effects (a multi-function 3D seat, scent, touch, wind, hot and cold, and mist), listed three titles in development, and planned a summer 2017 release with the price undecided.[1][2] The announced cabinet measured 1,016 mm wide, 2,075 mm deep and 1,788 mm high and weighed about 300 to 400 kg.[2] The cabinet was shown at the Koei Tecmo Wave booth at the Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO) 2017 at Makuhari Messe from 10 to 12 February 2017.[1] UploadVR reported the reveal outside Japan, noting the touch, smell, temperature and mist functions and the patent-pending structure.[8]
At a second event on 28 June 2017, Koei Tecmo Wave set the cabinet price at 3.2 million yen excluding tax and named five titles.[5] Each cabinet would ship with three titles, further titles would be sold separately, and software would be charged on a pay-per-use basis.[5][9] Keiko Erikawa said that the fee for added titles would depend on the royalties for each licensed property. The company also said that titles using other companies' properties and a title aimed at women were in planning, and that VR SENSE titles would later be released on PlayStation VR, so that players who tried the home versions would visit arcades to play the cabinet versions.[5][10] She also said that she had first turned down the idea of a Dead or Alive Xtreme title before agreeing to it.[10] ITmedia reported that the company was targeting game centers, airports and elderly care facilities.[5]
Location tests
The first public location test ran at the Tecmopia Rockdam Interpark arcade (テクモピアロックダムインターパーク店) in Utsunomiya from 2 to 6 September 2017, followed by a test at the Taito Station Shinjuku South Exit Game World arcade in Tokyo from 9 to 18 September 2017. Both tests offered four titles: DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme SENSE, 超 真・三國無双, G1 JOCKEY SENSE and ホラーSENSE〜だるまさんがころんだ〜.[9][4] At the Shinjuku test a play cost 800 yen, players received numbered tickets (up to two per person), a seatbelt was required, and the game was controlled with a DualShock 4 controller.[11] Koei Tecmo Wave later said that, in its own survey of the location tests, women made up 45 percent of players and about half were people who did not usually visit game centers.[3]
Launch
On 12 December 2017 Koei Tecmo Wave announced that the cabinet would start operating on 21 December 2017, in two versions with different title lineups.[12][13] Its press release called VR SENSE the world's first VR cabinet with gimmicks that stimulate the five senses, a claim the company based on its own research.[12][4] Koei Tecmo Wave held a completion event on 19 December 2017.[14] ITmedia reported a rollout to about 30 game centers, while MoguLive listed 32 planned stores.[3][6] MoguLive reported that operation began on 21 December with a full start on 22 December, which the company named "VR SENSE Day".[14] From 22 December 2017 players received a character charm, one of 17 designs, while supplies lasted at each store.[15]
At the completion event, Koei Tecmo Wave president Kazuyoshi Sakaguchi said he expected VR SENSE to become one of the next key factors in the game center business.[3] The company said it would also sell the cabinet to shopping malls, ryokan inns and event venues and was considering overseas sales.[3] Keiko Erikawa announced new content based on Attack on Titan and on Samurai Warriors (Sengoku Musou). ITmedia reported that the Attack on Titan title was targeted for about one year after launch, and that further Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors VR games would be considered depending on market conditions.[3][14]
Design and hardware
The cabinet is an enclosed single-seat booth built around a PlayStation VR headset from Sony Interactive Entertainment, with a PlayStation Camera mounted at the front for tracking.[2][1] A display inside the cabinet explains how to put on the headset and how to play, so the machine can run without an attendant, and a locker near the seat holds the player's belongings.[3] The cabinet splits into three parts for installation and moving, and runs on a standard 100 V power supply.[1][9] The February 2017 demonstration used a PlayStation Move controller as a riding whip in the jockey game, while the September 2017 location test used a DualShock 4 controller.[1][11]
The physical effects grew between announcement and launch. The six functions announced in February 2017 became eight on the production cabinet, which the company presented as follows:[1][15][4]
| Function | Description from Koei Tecmo Wave and press reports |
|---|---|
| Multi-function 3D seat | Moves to match the action; the seat tilts forward, back, left and right by up to 8 degrees and vibrates[5] |
| Scent | Six scent cartridges per cabinet in June 2017, including gunsmoke and a woman's fragrance; eight scents on the production cabinet[5][3] |
| Head touch | Creates the feeling of something touching the head, for unexpected surprises[3][4] |
| Foot touch | Reproduces things passing the feet, such as rats and snakes[5][4] |
| Warm | Reproduces the heat of fire[4] |
| Cold | Reproduces cold such as an iceberg[4] |
| Mist | Sprays mist for rain and humidity[5][4] |
| Wind | From a light breeze to strong wind, blown from the front and back of the seat[5][4] |
The company stated that an international patent application had been filed for the gimmicks.[9] The production cabinet measures 1,019 mm wide, 2,050 mm deep and 1,750 mm high and weighs about 300 kg, slightly smaller and lighter than the figures given at announcement.[3][4] It was offered in two colors, Sparkling Silver and Sparkling Blue.[3] Each cabinet came with three titles and could hold up to five more added titles, sold separately; the 2019 product listing gave the usage-based charge as "従量課金25%" (pay-per-use 25 percent).[4]
The cabinet may not be used by children under 12, people weighing 110 kg or more, people who feel unwell, people who have been drinking, or pregnant women. Players can keep their glasses on, although some frame sizes and designs may not fit.[12]
Software
Six titles were available at launch, three on each cabinet color.[3][14] From 27 September 2018 Koei Tecmo Wave began merging the lineups so that both cabinet versions could play all six titles.[4] The titles also received updates during 2018 and early 2019, such as new characters for DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme SENSE (Kokoro in May 2018 and Elena in January 2019), and from April 2018 a smartphone service called Joy Moba (ジョイモバ) linked to the cabinet added rankings and extra options in some titles.[4]
| Title | Launch cabinet | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 超 真・三國無双 | Sparkling Silver | A Dynasty Warriors action game with swords and bows, recreated heat and smell of fire, horse riding and cave exploration.[4] In the location-test version the player rescues Diaochan from Dong Zhuo, chooses Xu Shu or Guan Yinping as a guide, and fights Lu Bu; riding through water triggers the mist.[11] |
| G1 JOCKEY SENSE (also written GI JOCKEY SENSE) | Sparkling Silver | A jockey's-view horse racing game in which the player aims to win the Derby, with wind, rain and the horse's movement and breathing, and race commentary by announcer Yoshihiko Yano[4][13] |
| DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme SENSE | Sparkling Silver | Based on the Dead or Alive Xtreme series; the characters' swimsuits change as the player wins, a light scent is released when a character comes close, and high scores unlock a viewing time[4][10] Koei Tecmo said its content differed from the existing PlayStation VR software in the series.[5] |
| 3 Majesty × X.I.P. DREAM☆LIVE | Sparkling Blue | A live idol concert featuring the groups from Tokimeki Restaurant ☆☆☆, a Konami Digital Entertainment smartphone app that Koei Tecmo Games operated under license, with new costumes and dances and penlight cheering[4][16] |
| ホラーSENSE 〜だるまさんがころんだ〜 | Sparkling Blue | A horror game based on the children's game "Daruma-san ga koronda", with separate girl and boy chapters, touch effects for falling objects and things brushing the feet, and an escape from an abandoned school[4][7] |
| 超 戦国コースター | Sparkling Blue | A roller coaster ride through a castle town, a castle interior and a battlefield, using the 3D seat, mist and wind, in which the rail breaks off and the car flies through the air[4][10] |
The Tokimeki Restaurant ☆☆☆ app itself ended service on 31 August 2018, but the VR SENSE idol title remained in the lineup, and Koei Tecmo Wave ran postcard giveaways for it in September 2018 and for the cabinet's first anniversary in December 2018.[16][17] The company promoted the 22nd of every month as "VR SENSE Day".[17]
Home release
ホラーSENSE 〜だるまさんがころんだ〜 was released as a download for PlayStation 4 (PlayStation VR required) on the PlayStation Store in Japan on 25 January 2019, priced at 1,980 yen plus tax and rated CERO C. The home version added a harder "狂鬼編" (Mad Oni) scenario to the girl and boy chapters.[7][18]
Reception
Early hands-on reports were mixed on the effects. At the February 2017 demonstration, Famitsu's reporter played the jockey game and wrote that the machine was not working well that day, so little of the sensory gimmicks could be felt, although the sense of presence was considerable.[1] At the Shinjuku location test, gamebiz's reporter described the seat lifting and swaying with the graphics during horse riding in the Dynasty Warriors game, and staff said the title was popular with the many women who played it.[11] In its December 2017 hands-on report of the Sparkling Blue cabinet, MoguLive called the coaster title a game-center style experience that anyone could enjoy, found the horror title the most immersive of the three titles it tried, and wrote that the cabinet's effects and semi-enclosed booth made up for PlayStation VR's lower image quality compared with high-end headsets.[14]
Current status
In April 2019 the official site listed VR SENSE as operating at six Tecmopia arcades in Tochigi, Kanagawa, Chiba, Hyogo and Yamaguchi prefectures, and it still showed only the six launch titles, with "other big titles in development".[4] No Attack on Titan or Samurai Warriors title appeared in that lineup. By June 2020 the official VR SENSE address redirected to the GAMECITY portal site.[19]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Yoichi Furuya (2017-02-06). ""VR センス"発表会の模様をお届け 襟川恵子氏いわく「開発は艱難辛苦の道だった」". Famitsu.com. https://www.famitsu.com/news/201702/06126307.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Yohei Katabuchi (2017-02-06). ""ゲーセン市場再生のきっかけに"――コーエーテクモ、20年ぶりのアーケードゲーム機は"VR対応"". ITmedia NEWS. https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1702/06/news121.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 Yohei Katabuchi (2017-12-19). "ゲーセン向けVRに「三國無双」「進撃の巨人」投入 コーエーテクモの狙い". ITmedia NEWS. https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1712/19/news096.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 "VR SENSE". Koei Tecmo Wave (official site, archived 5 April 2019). Koei Tecmo Wave. https://web.archive.org/web/20190405185211/http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Yohei Katabuchi (2017-06-28). "ゲーセン向けVRマシンに「超 真・三國無双」登場 コーエーテクモ". ITmedia NEWS. https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1706/28/news120.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jack Masaki (2017-12-20). "コーエーの新型VRマシン「VRセンス」とは?情報まとめ". MoguLive. https://www.moguravr.com/?p=62998. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "PS VR専用ホラーアドベンチャー『ホラーSENSE ~だるまさんがころんだ~』が1月25日配信決定。"動いたら死ぬ"恐怖を体験しよう". Famitsu.com. 2019-01-17. https://www.famitsu.com/news/201901/17170627.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Charles Singletary (2017-02-08). "You'll Feel Insects Crawling In Koei Tecmo's New VR Arcade Pod". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/koei-tecmo-reveals-immersive-vr-arcade-pod/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "VR SENSE". Koei Tecmo Wave (official site, archived 1 October 2017). Koei Tecmo Wave. https://web.archive.org/web/20171001120709/http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "【VR センス発表会】『DOAX』当初は却下 一転して"香り"も加えた5感を刺激するタイトルに 今後は他社IPや女性向けも". gamebiz. 2017-06-29. https://gamebiz.jp/news/187805. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "【体験レポート】VR筐体「VR SENSE」のロケテストが新宿で開催 馬に乗り、呂布の威圧感を受け、「関銀屏」の香りを感じる". gamebiz. 2017-09-12. https://gamebiz.jp/news/193109. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "コーエーテクモのアーケード向け体感型VR筐体「VR センス」の稼働日が12月21日に決定。公式サイトで設置店舗の情報が公開中". 4Gamer.net. 2017-12-12. https://www.4gamer.net/games/371/G037133/20171212042/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 ""VR センス"12月21日よりアミューズメント施設で稼動開始! 『無双』、『DOAX』などのVRタイトルが楽しめる". Famitsu.com. 2017-12-12. https://www.famitsu.com/news/201712/12147937.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Kudo P (2017-12-22). "コーエー、ゲーセン用「VRセンス」稼働開始 発表会&体験レポ". MoguLive. https://www.moguravr.com/?p=63215. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "コーエーの体感型VR筐体「VRセンス」稼働開始―香りや冷暖など8種のギミックを搭載". GameBusiness.jp. 2017-12-21. https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2017/12/21/13916.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "VR SENSE - 【キャンペーン】9/22〜 ときレスポストカード配布開始". Koei Tecmo Wave (official site, archived). Koei Tecmo Wave. 2018-09-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20230323173611/https://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/20180919.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "VR SENSE - 【キャンペーン】12/22〜 ときレスポストカード配布開始". Koei Tecmo Wave (official site, archived). Koei Tecmo Wave. 2018-12-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20241218230810/https://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/20181222.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ "ホラー SENSE 〜だるまさんがころんだ〜". Koei Tecmo Wave (official site, archived 2 April 2019). Koei Tecmo Wave. https://web.archive.org/web/20190402014751/https://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/horror/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ "GAMECITY PRESS (redirect from the former VR SENSE address, archived 24 June 2020)". Koei Tecmo. https://web.archive.org/web/20200624092859/http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/vrsense/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.