SPREE Interactive, a leading provider of active free-roam VR experiences, is rejecting the traditional industry narrative that VR isn’t designed for kids in the lead-up to IAAPA Expo.
With the majority of virtual reality headset manufacturers suggesting that their products only be used by people aged 13 and up, SPREE Interactive has taken a different approach. However, SPREE Interactive has spent the last four years effectively developing games and attractions that can also be enjoyed by families with children aged four to twelve. The SPREE Arena has been installed in over 50 locations worldwide, with another 75 more planned in the next 12 months.
“SPREE has been successful where no other company has tread because they’ve relentlessly focused on the younger audience,” says SPREE Interactive board member Bob Cooney, a leading expert on the use of VR within location-based entertainment. “By studying how kids play, SPREE’s game development team has built mastery in building social games that young kids take to immediately, but also have layers of sophistication to engage their older family members. They are like the “Disney” of location-based VR right now.”
Helping families play
SPREE’s co-founder and managing director Jonathan Nowak Delgado adds: “We started focusing on making attractions for trampoline parks because it was an underserved market. The primary customer age in those locations was under 12. But we also observed that parents were not playing with their kids. They tend to drop them off and watch. We wanted to find a way to help the families play together.”
Sarah Stief, head of VR games at SPREE, says: “One of our core competencies is understanding our player groups. For example, guests at trampoline parks like to play physically. So, we develop mechanics that relate to physical skill, without assuming a certain fitness level so as not to exclude anyone. We also find children take to VR much faster than adults, so we must consider what friction parents might cause when playing.”
Next generation gaming
SPREE often conducts feedback tests at various sites to confirm and change game concepts as needed. “It is interesting to note that it is especially the children who are often underestimated,” adds Stief, “but they understand much faster and are often much better than adults.”
For the last decade, the focus in the FEC industry has largely been on how to cater to millennials. However, a new generation is making its mark. Generation Alpha refers to anyone born after 2013, with the oldest being roughly 10 years old and fully integrated into twenty-first-century living. As the first generation to be exposed to virtual reality technology from a young age, SPREE Arena provides an ideal virtual reality metaverse where up to ten kids ages 4 to 12 and their parents can have fun together.
According to Party Center Software research, 74% of birthday parties are for children aged 4 to 12, the core of “Generation SPREE”.
SPREE Interactive will be showcasing its Generation SPREE VR games at IAAPA Expo this week. VIP Demos at Booth #3889 can be booked in advance online. SPREE Interactive has also recently revealed details of its latest game, Christmas Crunch, ahead of the event.
