10 Reasons Parents Love VR Birthdays
We’ve been running virtual reality birthday parties for over 4 years, nearly as long as the technology has existed! In that time we’ve seen hundreds of happy families hold their boy or girl’s special day in a virtual world, sometimes for multiple siblings and again the following year! Why? Here are the top 10 reasons why parents will choose a VR party:
1. Happy kids = Happy family
The massive boom of online streamers on platforms like YouTube and Twitch means kids are more tuned in than ever with what’s hot in gaming, even if they’ve never played the game themselves. Kids will point at popular games like Job Simulator, Beat Saber, Rec Room Paintball, or SuperHot VR as something they’ve watched online and can’t wait to play.
2. It’s Still New
VR has been around in early awkward forms since the 1960s, but it’s only since 2016 with the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive that VR has become a viable product. Six years later in 2022 the vast majority of players at The VR Club are still trying it for the first time, and that is one of the most exciting factors in anticipation of a unique party!
3. Organisation is a Breeze
The parent’s job is done when they arrive at The VR Club. All there is to decide is how long to let the kids play (50, 80, or 110 minutes), from there they can either watch the kids play or head out for a coffee and chill. The more extravagant parties have the option to setup balloons and cake in the party room while the kids are busy in VR.
4. Safety First
In VR you can travel to distant worlds and explore strange new lands, but from the outside in the real world everyone is simply standing next to each other in the same room. This makes it super easy for concerned parents to keep all the kids within eyesight, there’s no chance of a child running off in a massive park and becoming lost.
5. There’s a Little Something for Everyone
VR really makes you FEEL like you’re somewhere else. The VR Club has over 40 games to choose from for all ages and tastes, and our staff are happy to make suggestions for your group, as well as restricting scarier games for younger kids. Popular options for parties are Rec Room Paintball (and the virtual pellets don’t leave bruises afterward!), SkyFront (grapple around like Spiderman… in an arena shooter!), and QuiVR (team up with your friends and defend the castle walls with your bow and arrow!).
6. It’s Cost and Time Effective
Starting at roughly the price of a movie ticket per person, The VR Club packs as much entertainment as possible into the timeslot of your choice. But instead of getting restless after watching a movie, by the end of the VR session the kids are worn-out yet buzzing with satisfaction, and ready to relax with some food or chill out at home.
7. Create Memories Together
An interesting side effect of VR is how it feels as though it is an “experience”. That’s not just a buzzword. VR creates memories from actions you performed and activities you participated in, which is why VR is becoming a popular training tool for police, firefighters, medical professionals and more. So when that experience is flying around with jetpacks with your friends, it quickly forms lasting happy memories.
8. It’s Almost as Entertaining for Spectators
There’s nothing quite as amusing as watching a friend or child flailing their arms around at invisible obstacles or dodging invisible projectiles, especially when they can’t see you pointing and laughing and recording them with your phone… the person playing loses all inhibitions about looking silly and even feels proud of what they achieve in the game by jumping around so much!
9. The VR Club is Unique
Not only is The VR Club the only location in Auckland where up to 8 people can play in the same VR game in multiplayer at the same time, but The VR Club is also one of the first locations in the world to introduce high-end wireless VR streamed over WiFi from gaming PCs in a commercial setting. Blazing a trail with tech is sure to appeal to the tech crazy kids in the family!
10. Time Flies When You’re Having FUN.
When you hear “Is it over already?” or “That was an hour? It felt like 10 minutes!” and “I want to come back here for MY birthday!” at the end of a VR party you know it was a good one.
