{"id":2389,"date":"2020-08-23T05:10:28","date_gmt":"2020-08-23T05:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/?p=2389"},"modified":"2020-08-30T17:04:22","modified_gmt":"2020-08-30T17:04:22","slug":"the-top-5-benefits-of-adding-vr-to-your-escape-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/blog\/the-top-5-benefits-of-adding-vr-to-your-escape-room\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 5 Benefits of Adding VR to Your Escape Room"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote><p>By shrinking space requirements, and providing a comprehensive experience, the VR escape room makes for an eminently sensible addition to your traditional escape room.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t<p>Escape rooms are undoubtedly one of the most popular group entertainment options around the world today. For escape room owners, this has been a boon for business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As more and more people team up to crack clues and solve mysteries, escape rooms owners are seeing their profits shoot up.<\/p>\n<p>But, as with any business, the escape room concept has evolved.<\/p>\n<p>Technology has made it possible to to develop a new kind of escape room, which allows for more players, varied experiences, and an experience that\u2019s a lot more gripping than the traditional escape room.<\/p>\n<p>Who are the news kids on the block?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/vr-escape-room.jpg\" alt=\"vr escape room\" title=\"vr escape room\">\n\t\tYou can offer a VR option alongside your existing escape rooms.\n\t<p>VR escape rooms.<\/p>\n<p>In this blog, we will explore the 5 top benefits of adding VR to your escape room.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\tBlog overview\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>First, we will take a brief look at what a VR escape room is.<\/p>\n<p>Then, we will go over the 5 benefits of adding VR to your escape room. If you want, you can jump to this section.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we will take a look at what equipment you\u2019ll need to open your own VR escape room.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\tWhat is a VR escape room?\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>VR escape rooms combine the idea of escape rooms with that of a virtual world and the advantages that accompany it.<\/p>\n<p>This may be done via buying outright, or <a href=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/vr-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">franchising\/licensing the VR escape games<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They transport players to unique worlds within which they can play just as well as in physical escape rooms.<\/p>\n\t<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/animated-trippy-computers-10hzAv962PpuP6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Try zapping someone in a traditional escape room; you&#8217;ll be arrested. Gif courtesy GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n\t<p>But unlike physical escape rooms, virtual reality escape rooms come with the added feature of <a href=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/blog\/what-is-vr-escape-room\/#vr-escape-rooms-involve-multiple-kinds-of-input\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sensory inputs<\/a>, like smell, heat, and wind.<\/p>\n<p>In other words,<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>VR escape rooms can simulate game situations in a lot more detail than physical escape rooms.<\/li>\n<li>They can even simulate sensations (like zero gravity) and situations that may be extremely difficult to achieve in a traditional escape room.<\/li>\n<li>With the added benefit of haptic technology and sensory input, they can offer a much more realistic experience than a traditional escape room.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s a pretty safe bet that there WILL be demand from even your regular escape room players for a VR escape room experience.<\/p>\n<p>Let us now take a look at some specific benefits of adding virtual reality to your escape room.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/virtual-reality-benefits-escape-room-300x300.png\" alt=\"virtual reality benefits escape room\" title=\"virtual-reality-benefits-escape-room\">\n\t<p>These benefits are based on three features of an VR escape room:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>More efficient space utilization than in a traditional escape room.<\/li>\n<li>Better and more varied experiences than a traditional escape room.<\/li>\n<li>Gaining a competitive edge in the industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n\t\tMore efficient space utilization than in a traditional escape room\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>The virtual reality escape game is essentially a computer simulation.<\/p>\n<p>Which means the space required to host a game depends only on the space required to house the VR setup and the players.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/vr-less-space-required-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"vr shrinks space needed to host an escape game.\" title=\"vr less space required\">\n\t\tThe players could experience walking through an entire space station while just sitting on their chairs.\n\t<p>It has almost <em><strong>no dependence<\/strong><\/em> on the world being portrayed in the game itself, which is a major advantage.<\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\tMore players can be accommodated at once\n\t<\/h3>\n\t<p>In a VR escape room, a lot more players can play the same escape game than in a traditional escape room.<\/p>\n<p>That is because, like I said, VR escape rooms operate in the virtual reality world.<\/p>\n<p>Does that lead to management problems?<\/p>\n<p>Absolutely not.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the beauty of a VR escape room.<\/p>\n<p>More players can play the same space without any problem whatsoever for either them or you and your management team.<\/p>\n<p>This is a direct contrast from physical escape rooms, in which more players sometimes leads to operational problems.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the space limits of a traditional escape room, you may only be able to host up between 4 and 6 people at a time.<\/p>\n<p>But sometimes, groups of 10 or more people arrive for a game, and they may not appreciate being broken up to experience the game in two separate groups.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>VR escape rooms make this a problem of the past.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the power of VR tech, all you need is to give the large party group VR glasses to get the party started.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ll still need to move around during the game, but will require less space.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Entermission VR escape games, for example, can hold <strong>6 people per 170 square feet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/entermission-vr-space-requirement.png\" alt=\"entermission vr space requirement\" title=\"entermission vr space requirement\">\n\t\tSelecting the right VR franchise can result in dramatic savings in space required.\n\t<p>Now, if you run a traditional escape room, I will wager that 6 people per 170 square feet of room space is a lot higher than your space utilization.<\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\tA higher ROI\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/vr-savings-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"vr savings\" title=\"vr savings\">\n\t\tVirtual reality will help you grow higher profits.\n\t<p>From the investment point of view, you are more likely to get a higher Return on Investment (ROI) with a VR escape room than if you invest in a physical escape room.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Well, for three key reasons.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One<\/strong> is that you will be able to accommodate more players per unit area of the space you\u2019re leasing for your escape room.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Just as we saw earlier.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Two<\/strong> is that your costs, as in payroll costs and setup costs will be lower.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Since players will either be seated or moving around in a small space, it\u2019s easier to monitor the escape game sessions.<\/p>\n<p>This means <strong>fewer games masters<\/strong> required.<\/p>\n<p>Your games require only a VR setup.<\/p>\n<p>This means <strong>fewer <\/strong><strong>support staff<\/strong> will be required.<\/p>\n<p>In a traditional escape room, there are so many aspects to watch over &#8211; the puzzles, the props, the room design, and so on, which means you\u2019re dependent on various kinds of support staff.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Three<\/strong>, since you\u2019re offering a much more comprehensive escape experience, backed up by haptics and sensory input, your ratings will go up, attracting more players.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The combination of haptic technology and sensory inputs in a VR escape room can make a sensation of zero gravity in a space station (just taking a random example) very realistic.<\/p>\n<p>Whereas in a traditional escape room, a space station scene could be created via room design, but think how difficult and expensive it would be to simulate zero gravity!<\/p>\n<p>And this wouldn\u2019t be just any escape room but virtually any escape room imaginable, be it a space station, or inside a person\u2019s mind; you name it.<\/p>\n<p>You will also cut the cost of actually setting up the rooms by coordinating the activities of the players remotely using software.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Your main investment would be upfront, in acquisition of the VR hardware and peripherals.<\/p>\n<p>After that, it\u2019s simply a question of acquiring different games software, depending on which games you want your VR escape room to feature.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, this is not simply a matter of cutting costs.<\/p>\n<p>With so many different kinds of games available, backed up by haptics and sensory inputs, your VR escape room will shoot up in the ratings, leading to more bookings.<\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\tSmaller spaces can be used satisfactorily\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/less-space-needed-to-host-vr-players-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"less space needed to host vr players\" title=\"less space needed to host vr players\">\n\t\tA VR escape game can enable small spaces to be utilized.\n\t<p>With Virtual reality powered escape rooms, one can utilize a small space to serve all their available clients satisfactorily.<\/p>\n<p>That is because the space you need is limited to setting up VR and other hardware (like the scent and wind generators) and to provide space for players to sit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For example, in case of Entermission, you need about 170 square feet to house 6 clients.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the case with regular escape rooms where you need real world space comparable with the escape game scenario.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And your players will be just as, or even more, satisfied with the escape game, leading to higher ratings, and more referrals.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\tBetter and more varied experiences than a traditional escape room\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>Since the entire game takes place in the virtual reality world, you can set up more or less <a href=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/blog\/vr-escape-rooms-versus-traditional-escape-rooms\/#in-a-vr-escape-room\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">any experience that you want<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Say you want to have an escape game based on a space station.<\/p>\n<p>If you do it in a physical escape room, it means designing an entire escape space with loads of props, careful room design and special effects planning.<\/p>\n<p>For a VR escape room however, it means the same VR setup as with any other VR escape game, only with the space station game uploaded into the server.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/vr-same-headset-different-games-300x200.png\" alt=\"vr same headset different games\" title=\"vr same headset different games\">\n\t\tThe same setup could run various VR escape games.\n\t<p>It\u2019s almost a \u2018plug and play\u2019 situation.<\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\tGuests love new experiences which VR escape rooms offer\n\t<\/h3>\n\t<p>With the advantage of \u2018plug and play\u2019 escape games in VR, you can offer diverse kinds of experiences, incorporating a lot more variety than would be possible in a traditional escape room.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not only scenarios.<\/p>\n<p>Guests can adopt a myriad of avatars in a VR escape game. They can even do things like shooting lasers, and using telekinesis.<\/p>\n<p>In a traditional escape room, this would be limited to providing costumes for guests, and maybe laser shooters. The effect would be nowhere near that achieved in a VR setup.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The fact that VR uses the \u2018Point Of View\u2019 vantage point makes the game experience all the most exciting. <\/p>\n<h4>\n\t\tOffering more options and getting repeat players\n\t<\/h4>\n\t<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gfycat.com\/giganticheavychimpanzee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gif courtesy Gfycat<\/a><\/p>\n\t<p>One of the sustained challenges of a traditional escape room has been getting repeat players.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, say a traditional escape room has two escape games.<\/p>\n<p>The owner has invested extensively in game planning, puzzle creation, and room design and reviews are stellar.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is, however good the rooms are, once a group of players completes both rooms, there\u2019s little chance of them booking again.<\/p>\n<p>Unless of course, more space is hired, and a third escape game added, or an existing game replaced&#8230;or the owner hired extra space at the beginning to be able to expand.<\/p>\n<p>All of which are expensive and time-consuming options.<\/p>\n<p>Whereas in a VR escape room, all you need to do is license another game.<\/p>\n<p>While technically speaking they won\u2019t be \u2018repeat players\u2019 since you have to add a new game for them to return, the process is so easy you might as well consider them \u2018repeat players\u2019.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\tGaining a competitive edge in the industry\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>The escape room industry is becoming <a href=\"https:\/\/thelogicescapesme.com\/news\/international-escape-room-markets-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">increasingly competitive<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A number of markets (like Israel and Poland) have seen <em><b>net closures<\/b><\/em> of escape rooms over the last couple of years.<\/p>\n<p>Other markets, like the US, have seen some growth, but that\u2019s still <em><strong>net growth<\/strong><\/em>, that is, there have been openings, but there have been closures as well.<\/p>\n<p>Maintaining a competitive edge in the industry can be your insurance against being forced into closure.<\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\tAdding VR to your escape room\n\t<\/h3>\n\t<p>How likely is it that VR escape rooms will completely replace traditional escape rooms?<\/p>\n<p>Not very likely, at least in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>As a thrilling team-based activity, the traditional escape room will have its share of enthusiasts.<\/p>\n<p>However, VR escape rooms are starting to develop a fan base of their own.<\/p>\n<p>People who appreciate a near-total break from their daily lives for a voyage into a dream land where they can fight killer robots and use telekinesis would happily opt for VR escape rooms.<\/p>\n<p>It is this group of escape room players that you can attract by adding VR to your escape room.<\/p>\n<p>And that will give you a leg up over your competitors.<\/p>\n<p>The space required for a VR escape room is so limited, you might be able to set up a VR escape game at your existing (traditional) escape room location.<\/p>\n<p>And then, depending on demand, you can replace your traditional rooms with VR, or rent a fresh location for VR.<\/p>\n<p>Giving players the choice to go for a VR escape room will boost your brand value considerably.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\tHow you can add VR to your escape room\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>Here\u2019s a brief walkthrough:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First, choose the developer\/distributor from whom you want to acquire the VR games.\n<ul>\n<li>Remember to enquire from the developer\/distributor how much space would be required for the VR escape game. For example, Entermission games can fit 6 players in 170 sq. ft.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Next, find such a space in your escape room location, and turn it into a separate room.<\/li>\n<li>Third, make a list of the VR hardware and peripherals that will be required, and make a detailed plan of how to install them.\n<ul>\n<li>For example, the VR escape game(s) will require one main server, which will need to be kept in a <a href=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/blog\/how-to-start-vr-escape-room-business\/#can-the-site-house-your-vr-escape-room-equipment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">well-ventilated place<\/a> to prevent overheating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>After that comes <a href=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/blog\/how-to-start-a-virtual-reality-business\/#___Hiring_and_training_your_staff__\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">staffing requirements<\/a> and hygiene procedures.\n<ul>\n<li>Generally, one games master should be able to handle multiple VR escape games simultaneously.<\/li>\n<li>Since hardware like the headsets come into direct contact with individual players, they will need to be cleaned after every session.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n\t\tConclusion\n\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>VR escape rooms are here to stay.<\/p>\n<p>They have several advantages over traditional escape rooms, like<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Better utilization of space.\n<ul>\n<li>Fitting in more players per unit area.<\/li>\n<li>Helping you make use of even small spaces in your premises.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Offering diverse, and more comprehensive experiences for players.<\/li>\n<li>Yielding a higher return on your investment.<\/li>\n<li>Adding a competitive advantage to your brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They\u2019re relatively easy to set up, and you can add VR to your existing escape room location. Which is way better than having to hire a new location right at the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to add this niche to your escape room, you can check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best VR escape room franchise in the USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Please leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below as we are constantly looking for ways to improve this article. Have a great day!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By shrinking space requirements, and providing a comprehensive experience, the VR escape room makes for an eminently sensible addition to your traditional escape room.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[307],"tags":[418,417,416,334],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":307,"label":"Virtual Reality"}],"post_tag":[{"value":418,"label":"benefits of adding vr"},{"value":417,"label":"benefits of vr"},{"value":416,"label":"vr benefits"},{"value":334,"label":"vr escape room"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/vr-adding-escape-room-benefits-1024x623.jpg",1024,623,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Christal Ho","author_link":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/author\/christal\/"},"comment_info":24,"category_info":[{"term_id":307,"name":"Virtual Reality","slug":"virtual-reality","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":307,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":307,"category_count":2,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Virtual Reality","category_nicename":"virtual-reality","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":418,"name":"benefits of adding vr","slug":"benefits-of-adding-vr","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":418,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":417,"name":"benefits of vr","slug":"benefits-of-vr","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":417,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":416,"name":"vr benefits","slug":"vr-benefits","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":416,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":334,"name":"vr escape room","slug":"vr-escape-room","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":334,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterthemission.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}