A virtual reality (VR) game parlour has opened near the ticket counter of Gate 4 of Eco Park. The parlour has four VR-based games and eight arcade games. “Four more VR games are in transit,” said the owner Sutapa Joardar, a resident of Sunrise Green in Action Area 1.
The indoor space, spread over 2,248 sq ft, is where a museum named Sangraha had opened in 2017 to showcase decor of 12 Durga puja pandals. But the exhibits, made of perishable commodities like sholapith, became unfit for display and the museum had to be shut down before the pandemic period.
The parlour was inaugurated recently by former Hidco chief Debashis Sen.
A VR car ride, with a ticket priced at Rs 150, takes a group of four on a roller-coaster ride with VR glasses on for five minutes. The terrains on offer for riders to choose between are mountains and a dinosaur age land. Since the seats move and bend, seatbelts are a must.
Another VR ride has a helicopter affixed to a spring which too offers a flying experience.
But it is nothing like a ride that Joardar has placed an order for. “It is a flight simulator with three monitors, joystick and the cockpit. It provides a virtual experience of a plane taking off the runway or landing on one. This is what trainee pilots are given training with till they are fit to fly,” she said.
One can also ride a lifesize bike that can veer sideways while dodging obstacles on the screen.
Another ride, VR 360, comes with a warning for those with heart ailments, vertigo and high blood pressure. This is because the seat turns 360 degrees on its axis, making the rider go upside down at one point.
There are other games as well which lets one keep one’s feet on the ground — like basketball, in which one has to hit the target with the ball as many times as possible within a specific time limit, or boxing where one has to hit a punching bag with as much force as possible, making the machine evaluate the strength. These are all multiplayer games, making it possible to have a contest among two or three players.
“This is an example of how technology can be used to entertain children who are stuck to their mobiles playing games by themselves. This is an additional attraction to entice children to visit Eco Park and adds to its bouquet of community activities,” said Sen, who took some of the rides.
Take Off, the parlour, is part of a national franchise, Joardar said. “The founder is a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself when I visited them in Visakhapatnam. Since then, I had been meaning to open a branch in Calcutta and Eco Park seemed to be the best place. Though it is visited by so many families, the place had nothing specifically for children’s amusement. Even older people can play these games,” Joardar said.
Response has been positive in the first week, she claimed. Eco Park is now open from 12 noon to 8pm.
Write to saltlake@abp.in
