Bandai Namco has launched many exclusive VR titles over the past year. This includes Mario Kart Arcade GP VR on the HTC Vive. And while only customers who attended the VR Zone Arcade in Shinjuku, Tokyo got to enjoy the experience, Bandai Namco looks to expand their footprint by bringing the VR title over to the west.
Bandai Namco will be launching the Mario Kart Arcade GP VR experience in London inside the Hollywood Bowl at the 02 in Greenwich. “The decision to bring Mario Kart to VR was a no-brainer” said Matt Bradley, VR project manager at Bandai Namco to Wired. “When you say Mario Kart, all kids know Mario Kart, all grown-ups know Mario Kart.”
If you’ve ever played any Mario Kart game, you will know that it gets quite competitive. Players will be able to choose from a variety of Nintendo characters and race your way down a track against your friends. While driving the kart, you will run across various loot boxes that reward you with weapons to take down your friends. The ultimate goal in the game is to get first place in the race.
But the unique thing about Mario Kart VR is that you get to experience the game in virtual reality. You will be able to look around in an immersive environment and also use your hands to control the kart instead of using conventional console controllers.
Mario Kart VR currently consists of one track which approximately lasts around 5 minutes. The cost will be £7.99 per player. The experience itself is set to launch on August 3rd.
There are no words yet on its release in the United States but we hope to see it reach the American market soon. Mario Kart VR is licensed through Nintendo by Bandai Namco.
It’ll probably never come to America in more than a technical sense.
They will, eventually, put a single installation in New York City. Then they will pretend that one installation servicing an entire continent is the same as one installation servicing a couple of islands.
They will be perpetually confused as to why we greedy americans think we’re so special we deserve a second install, maybe even as many as FIVE.
That’s what usually happens. Even though for most americans, the London and Tokyo sites are exactly as accessible as the New York site.
What? Me? Bitter? Never!
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Bandamco, just create some more tracks and put Mario Kart VR on Steam. You’ll make a lot more money in America that way.