By Pankaj Joshi

The setting is a video console in a corner of an amusement park. The story is a familiar one.

The hero is outnumbered two to twenty and the villain's henchmen are hot on his heels in the ruined mill. His quiet getaway is spoiled when he stumbles. The sound brings two of his pursuers on the scene.

Now here is the twist. The viewer of this story, being enacted on the console of an interactive game, need no longer limit himself to holding his breath and clenching his fists. He can, with the push of a button, a touch on the screen, or by moving his joystick, bring the hero's karate-expert friend on the scene and help the hero out.

That is the magic of interactivity -- the sheer novelty of being able to influence the outcome. Welcome to virtual reality!

Do it yourself thrills
The typical player has two options --watch the story unfold on his private display or on a large video screen. Participation is enabled at different nodes in the game, called decision points. These are embedded at different points and various characters in the plot prompt the audience as part of the routine. Online votes are taken and tallied on computer and the plot swings according to the majority vote. In the case discussed above, the options could be (a) the villain's henchmen find themselves out of bullets or rope, (b) they get distracted and go hero-hunting in a different corner of the ruined mill. But if the majority of the viewers are keen on the karate kid, then that is what they'll get.

There is no interruption, no after-the-break pause. All decisions happen in real time.

Because of the multiple directions the show can take, you can see the same show many a time and yet not see the same show. In the developed economies, where such games are very popular in amusement parks, a game may have up to fifty decision points where the viewer can introduce a twist in the tale.

These days, interactivity is definitely the buzzword in the entertainment arena in Europe and USA. Interactive television, through the medium of different internet-TV combination systems, is making its presence felt. There are big plans in the pipeline for interactive cinema. So such environments will certainly not be out of place in modern mega amusement parks.

Groundwork through
The technological backbone is already in place. Now it is just a question of orienting customers, and employing creative marketing. The former is more important for it will help the idea achieve critical mass and help the technology become affordable. The customer's mind must be read accurately -- what kind of interactivity he wants and when.

Audience participation is going to be one of the new entertainment trends in the 21st century. Obviously people who are at home with computer or arcade games will relate more easily to an interactive show. The challenge lies in grafting the acceptance at the CD-ROM and arcade level on to the group participation level. The target audience is obviously the adventurous lot, the ones who are not satisfied with wild storylines, graphics and special effects.

In the words of Stacey Spiegel, CEO and co-founder of Immersion Studios, "Audiences want more and now we have it to give them as interactive cinema/theatre shows."

Virtual reality is virtually unknown in India, except in rare instances at the video arcade level. But international experience shows that it holds immense potential for amusement parks. After installing virtual reality machinery, parks overseas have found collections increasing for the other machines as well. A good virtual reality attraction can definitely make a difference in the intakes for an arcade. But, to quote a report at the website of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), "since VR is a totally different animal than a standard arcade game, some operator expertise is necessary to fully unlock its earning potential."

Key points
As the IAAPA articles emphasise, seating arrangements are important. The more flexible they are the better. Ultimately the final configuration of the total number and location of voting consoles and seats depends on the venue. For example a museum may go with a kiosk built within an exhibit, and an entertainment centre may opt for a themed environment matching the show's activity. The age group targeted -- children and young adults -- also counts.

Another key component is playability.
Certain features are a must in any virtual reality equipment. The most important one is the kind of games on offer. Research shows that games which most of the customers have on their home PCs, when linked to a virtual environment, are a runaway hit. The customer does not spend time finding out what has to be done. He starts off straightaway. Hence, a unit equipped with recognisable software has much better earning potential.

But even the most familiar game is a different proposition in the virtual reality mode. Hence, a helpful and friendly attendant is a big comfort factor and a great boost to revenues. Though the idea of dedicating manpower to a single machine might be unattractive, research shows that ultimately manpower costs take up only 10-20 per cent of revenues in a modern arcade, which means that the profit potential is high. Alternatively, some games have instruction stations where the next player in line gets familiar with the game.

The downside
But interactivity is not just about money flowing in. There are standard complaints among the parks abroad about the high costs of equipment, the game's quality being terrible and so on. But virtual reality machines are undeniably a big draw. So what are the reasons behind the grumbles?

The biggest cause for complaint is the interface,whereby the player interacts with the system. Head mounted displays, modified helmets or earphones, are the standard interfaces. But with the size of human skulls differing widely, this interface cannot be popular till it is personalised. The other obvious factors are hygiene and comfort. The only question is when will commercial viability catch up with conceptual necessity?

The other big complaint is about the software applications designed specifically for a 3D virtual environment. Research overseas shows that nearly all first-generation virtual reality games were home video games in a simulated environment. These games were not designed for multiple-pay, multiple-use platforms and applications. This drawback persists in a majority of the software even today. Hence the challenge, to quote an overseas analyst, is that "Entertainment software for virtual reality needs to perform in a facility with a regular and local clientele for the virtual reality installation to be a profitable enterprise. The challenges in this type of development are both artistic and economic."

Application potential
Industry reports chalk out three distinct basic markets for interactive games.