VR game licenses

Due to the massive growth and development of Virtual Reality in recent years, there has also been a tremendous increase in the Virtual Reality entertainment industry. More and more VR arcades are offering all sorts of VR experiences to their customers. This is not surprising, as VR is becoming increasingly accessible to the masses, and arcades can start small. After all, you only need a VR headset (and possibly a computer) to let someone start playing. There are even some free (demo) games that well demonstrate the qualities of VR content, making it a good move to step into the VR market. But unfortunately, you cannot simply use all VR content for free. If you want to offer Virtual Reality in a commercial environment - that is to say: an environment where you plan to make money - you need to have a game license.

A few years ago, there was hardly any talk of a game license; you just bought a game and could offer it. However, these days game developers are much more directly involved, meaning you as a VR arcade need to delve into the licenses. Fortunately, there are also a lot of tools available today to make the licenses easier and more organized. Therefore, in this article, you will read everything about applying for, using, and buying game licenses.

The most used VR platforms are SteamVR, VivePort, and Oculus Home. There are a ton of games to find in the game library, often for reasonable prices. You can buy these games, but not share them with other people. Therefore, all platforms will inform you that you are not allowed to distribute the game. If you do, it could result in a ban from your arcade account or - perhaps even worse - a permanent ban from the platform. In this way, it is no longer possible to use the games, and of course, that is the last thing you want as a VR arcade. Therefore, always first check if it is possible to get a commercial license for a game before you open it up to the masses.

Fortunately, there are also ways to use the games in a VR arcade or other commercial environment. You have the following options for this:

• Directly through the game developer/publisher;
• Via a license platform.

Perhaps the easiest and most straightforward way is to apply for a license directly from the developer. Through the game platform on which the game is offered, it is often easy to get in touch with a developer. In this way, you can ask the developer how they offer their games at other arcades. The way this happens varies per game and per developer. Some games require a one-time purchase, others require a pay-per-minute. Therefore, it is entirely dependent on the developer and the game what type of licensing they can offer you.

Once you have made contact with a VR game developer, you can discuss the agreement that you want to establish with each other. After all, you want to be able to offer the game in your VR arcade, and the developer wants to get paid for their work. The most appreciated way to come to an agreement between the user and developer is to set up a license agreement in advance. This is a legal document in which you make a proposal to the developer to use the game. Upon signing this document, you get certain rights to use the VR game, in exchange for a certain amount that you pay to the developer.

Some examples of well-known developers in the VR arcade market are:

• Vertigo Games (Arizona Sunshine Arcade);
• Tower Tag;
• Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed Escape Rooms);

An arcade software management system is essentially an overarching platform of licensed VR games. Game developers are connected to the platform, and when you sign an agreement with the platform, you automatically have the developer's permission to use the game. There are also different options for this platform, but we will explain the most commonly used game license platforms here for you.

SpringboardVR is a game license platform specially designed for Virtual Reality arcades. The core business of SpringboardVR is the management of game licenses, but there are also a lot of other handy features that SpringboardVR can offer your arcade. For instance, SpringboardVR offers the possibility to manage multiple VR stations from a central point, gives you insight and analyzes your played VR games, in-game software to give users a tutorial of the controllers and headset, and they offer a handy tool to implement a booking system in your arcade.

The game licenses of SpringboardVR are arranged via the Springboard-market place. On this license market, content creators and developers are directly connected with VR arcade operators, making it much easier to get in contact with each other. You don't have to negotiate or come up with a legal document yourself, but everything is already arranged and established in advance. After closing a subscription at SpringboardVR, you pay a fixed amount per month and deductions are automatically fulfilled. The amount you have to pay (often per minute) varies per game, but it averages out to $0.07 per minute.

Synthesis VR essentially offers the same possibilities as Springboard VR. With Synthesis VR, you also use the management system with which you can easily control all VR stations from a central computer. Synthesis VR is characterized mainly by its ease of use. While Springboard VR has a whole bunch of features for all kinds of handy solutions, Synthesis VR offers a relatively simple interface where you can easily choose between games. Synthesis VR offers the possibility to pay per minute or pay a fixed price for all games.

Viveport Arcade offers two ways of payment: pay-as-you-go and a monthly subscription form. The advantage of pay-as-you go is that you only spend money on VR games that are played. In this way, you buy 'points' that you can spend per VR game. This is a good solution for starting and/or smaller VR arcades, because you do not have to make a large monthly expenditure in this way.

It is also possible to pay monthly at Viveport Arcade. You sign up for a monthly subscription with which you can play a number of games. The subscription price is the same every month. Therefore, this form of payment is a good license agreement when you have a large VR arcade or attract a lot of visitors with some certainty. You can also make a combination of the above methods: pay-as-you-go to test a game, and then connect a monthly subscription when you notice that it is successful.

ARVI VR Labs started as a game developer specifically for VR Escape Room games, but has since grown into a real game platform suitable for VR arcades. On the ARVI VR Labs platform, there are now a lot of VR games to find, ranging from an escape room game to a multiplayer shooter. And the biggest advantage of ARVI VR Labs is that, in addition to the games suitable for a VR arcade, the entire launch platform is also set up for VR arcades. This way, you can control multiple computers and VR glasses from one central place (for example, via a laptop or tablet). This is ideal for the operator in the room, so he or she doesn't have to be physically present with each player, but can simply watch from a distance.

Want to know more about ARVI VR Labs? Read our blog VR Escape Room Games for VR Arcades & Gaming Halls here.