Immersive entertainment is on the brink of a transformation, pushing the boundaries of reality and imagination. We sat down with HOLOGATE Founder and CEO Leif Petersen to glean his perspectives on the future of immersive entertainment and the exciting prospects awaiting enthusiasts worldwide.
You recognized the potential of VR back in 2013 and have been an industry leader ever since. What would you say are the biggest areas of growth in VR currently?
As we emerge from challenging times, we predict that experiences that support strong social engagement in small groups will become more popular than ever. We have also seen several HOLOGATE operators further ‘level up’ their social experience for their customers by implementing a party reservation model where guests can book access to the entire game library for a set period of time, order food and drink in advance and have a comfortable place to sit and socialize between games (similar to the bowling experience). Through the many testimonies from various HOLOGATE operators, we really see this added social experience directly increasing the system revenue per hour ratio, increasing team efficiency, increasing food and drink sales, and most importantly, increasing the social experience that leads to increased group happiness and ultimately more loyal and repeat business.
Home-based VR has grown in popularity recently. So why would people still go to entertainment locations to experience VR?
HOLOGATE delivers a social, multiplayer experience which gets customers off their couches and repeatedly into venues where they enjoy incredible experiences together with friends and family and create mind-blowing memories. Our incredible content library features fun for all ages and skill levels that, combined with epic immersion through haptic feedback, stunning environments and 4D effects like wind, transport guests to epic worlds they could only ever dream of. Players work together to catch ghosts, fight back against the zombie stronghold, or take to the high seas on a pirate ship – it’s a shared team experience people simply do not get at home.
Finally, it sounds like VR is the future! So what does the future hold for HOLOGATE?
This year we secured €8.3 million in external investment, a huge milestone for our company. The investment will propel us towards ambitious goals in this era of spatial computing, play a vital role in our plans for strategic hiring, explore new markets, innovate with new products and ultimately supercharge our growth, both in our entertainment and enterprise divisions. Securing this financing is a testament to the strength of our team and our unwavering passion for immersive, social experiences!
