The virtual Jöggelikasten - sociability instead of isolation

After you learnt yesterday about the functions and mechanics behind the great football box, it is more than understandable that the combination of robust craftsmanship and VR has a price tag that is a little high for home use. Depending on the configuration, this cool thing currently costs between 25,000 and 30,000 euros in prototype mode. 

As long as the price is still so high, the main target groups are therefore amusement parks, bowling alleys and arcades. "We are aimed at any operator who wants to captivate visitors so that they come back, stay longer and consume more." Kynoa founder Frank Kessaratos does not believe that staff need to be permanently assigned to the VR table: "You don't need an introduction because the game is so simple. But it's good if a member of staff at reception gives players tips on how to clean their glasses."

The Swiss start-up Kynoa is planning to significantly expand its Koliseum offering. VR table football tables will soon be installed in many large cities and serve as the basis for online tournaments. VR table football has great potential as an e-sport, says Kessaratos: "We are also publishing a Steam version on the internet so that players can better prepare for the upcoming tournaments."

The game should thrive on team spirit

Koliseum is fascinating because it combines the haptic experience of a table football table with virtual effects. "We thought about how we could make VR games more sociable and more interactive on a human level," says Kessaratos in an interview with Golem.de. "VR is the most exciting and innovative thing in the media world for many years. But it has the disadvantage that it isolates people, that it doesn't allow them to communicate." When looking for a brilliant game idea, the founding team first thought of table football. This game has been popular for a hundred years - and everyone knows how to play it, whether they are five years old or 85″, says Kessaratos. "It's important that the team spirit is maintained in the games, that the participants communicate with each other," says Kessaratos.

In addition to table football, the company is also planning a number of other games. "We will be releasing an ice hockey title in the first half of 2019. It has very similar controls." The new games will be released roughly every six months and their development will be coordinated with customer requirements.

Source: Golem, Kynoa