New virtual reality experience opens at Ka Makana Ali‘i

Behind a door inside an unassuming storefront in a Kapolei mall, people are waging battle against zombies, werewolves — and each other.

Strapped into one of eight seats at Xtreme 7D Dark Rides’ at Ka Makana Ali‘i, players are immersed in interactive scenarios that play out on a curved screen extending beyond their peripheral vision. They wear 3-D glasses and pack laser guns, scoring points for each kill during their multisensory engagements.

“The chair does move along with the film and you’ll feel air blowing in your face,” said Xtreme 7D Dark Rides General Manager Justin Alpert. “And then there are LED lights in the room that change according to what’s on the screen.

“It’s a very unique experience.”

Virtual-reality venues like this one are a growing segment of the amusement park and attraction industry. According to Global Industry Analysts, the global market for virtual-reality hardware and software is projected to reach $22.4 billion in the U.S. by 2020. Companies investing in VR technology include Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Sony and Samsung.

The technology isn’t new, but it wasn’t until the last decade when Google and newcomer Occulus Rift introduced new devices that VR began to crossover into mainstream consumer electronics and attractions.

The Xtreme 7D Dark Rides uses technology created by the Canadian firm Triotech. In 2013, the ride earned a Best New Product designation from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. It has been installed in more than 150 amusement parks around the world, such as Legoland Resorts, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Dave & Buster’s and Lotte World Adventure.

(In Honolulu, both Dave & Buster’s and Lucky Strike Social offer another Triotech attraction, the Typhoon Motion Theater, which is built like a traditional coin-operated video game with two full-motion seats. The Kapolei attraction is a locally owned franchise.)

Triotech is also working to create even more realistic VR environments and its Maestro system that allows customers to interact with a game without having to hold a controller or other device. A “walk-through attraction” in development combines a thrill ride with an escape room, maze and interactive gaming, while a “flying theater” attraction blends live video footage with computer-generated images and 3-D glasses to make users feel like they’re airborne.

In Kapolei, four scenarios are offered, each lasting about five minutes, with varying levels of scariness, according to Alpert. Prices are $10.99 for one ride, $17.99 for two and $23.99 for three, but Alpert said a grand-opening special is in effect with rides priced at $8.99 before 5 p.m.

“So we have ‘Zombies,’ which is probably the most intense one,” he said. “Then we have ‘Werewolves,’ which is probably next most intense, but with better movement. There’s a lot jumping, flying and free-falling scenes.

“Then there’s ‘Road Fighter,’ which isn’t as in your face as ‘Zombies’ and ‘Werewolves,’ but the movement is a lot different. It’s a Mad Max theme, so you’re racing in a truck the entire time. And then we have ‘Los Banditos,’ which is more geared toward kids.”

No matter the artificial environment, participants are also competitors at Xtreme 7D Dark Rides. A video monitor in the lobby keeps track of scores in real-time, to the amusement of waiting patrons.

“Whenever you make it competitive, that makes things more exciting,” Alpert said.

Kawika Remmers, 32, of Makakilo, returned to Xtreme 7D Rides on Dec. 10 after visiting a week earlier with his family.

“It’s the winning that matters. I’ve got to beat them,” he said, motioning toward his wife and children. “I like how you can see the high scores of everyone who plays. We had fun.”

After trying the “Road Fighter” scenario on her first visit, Tessie Kotrys, 33, also of Makakilo, called the experience “intense.”

“Other ones, you’re just sitting there,” she said. “With this one, it feels like you’re right inside the action because it’s enclosed. You feel more engaged with the game. … It was like you were in a car, and the way the video plays, it feels like you’re free-falling at times. It was really good.”