Some of us like to escape from the daily grind by heading to a yoga class, heading to the local bar, or heading to the Cape as soon as Friday at 5 p.m. strikes. But what if you could really escape reality – by heading to a virtual reality café?
Nick Lee is trying to make such a café a, well, reality. Right now, he’s in the process of raising funds to launch Good Game Café on both Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, and if successful, a venue with virtual reality gaming stations that also serves food, drinks and hosts social meetups and events could be headed to Kenmore Square, per theBoston Business Journal.
According to the potential café’s website, Lee lived in Asia in 2012, where teens and young professionals alike spent much of their free time at PC gaming cafés, but not much of an equivalent exists here in the United States. Lee points out the pros on the company’s site, saying that it’s affordable, brings like-minded people together, is open late (a buzzy concept in Boston right now), and will have a “fun and relaxed atmosphere.” Look, for instance, to the events page on the website, which lists a movie night with popcorn and pizza, a ladies’ night, when women play for free, and a board game night. Not to mention, as a virtual reality café, Lee would be offering something to guests that they generally can’t afford to have at home: Good Game will use The Omni and Oculus Rift virtual reality experiences in the café, two futuristic gaming systems.
Right now, Lee’s Kickstarter campaign hasn’t made much headway, but there are still 56 days left to reach the goal of $25,000. As for IndieGoGo, Lee is working towards a $50,000 goal, and that campaign will end on August 11, 2014. If all goes well, Good Game could open in Boston – Lee is leaning toward Kenmore Square as a central location for both businesses and colleges – by the end of the year.
Currently, there’s no gaming café that will match Good Game’s technology level in the city, and according to Lee, Boston is a prime location because of its tech and innovation communities, as well as its student population. Learn more about Good Game here.
Image via Kickstarter
