Only military headsets are more advanced, he said.
There are eight VR bays, five of them come with screens so folks not wearing headsets can see what’s going on through the HTC Vive Pro googles.
Redline VR has had its liquor license for about three weeks. That feels better than bloodying knuckles against a wall. In a boxing game, gamers could punch the plant as it was an opponent. The plants are also functional in the VR arena. “I didn’t want it to look like angry 12-year-old boy strip club time,” Sawyer said.įor example, instead of having those drab black walls illuminated by LED (the type of scene folks would see at laser tag center), Redline VR customers will see plants. Sawyer acknowledges that video gamers haven’t traditionally gone out of their way to welcome women. He has also put great thought into making the space functional, comfortable, and inclusive. Driving simulators are part of the experience. There’s also race car simulators with steering wheels and pedals. So that means the only way fans can virtually walk around the Star Trek’s U.S.S. Sawyer has relationships with game makers and often can work out licensing deals to obtain games normally not available. More musicians are also doing VR shows and Redline wants to make those concerts available. The NBA has experimented with VR broadcasts, and that is something Redline is looking into. Sawyer is proud to be a gamer and embrace nerd culture he touted his position as the leader of Chicago’s Star Trek Meet-Up group. Both are avid gamers and want to share their experience and make new fans of the VR experience. Seven years ago, Sawyer founded the Red Theater.
Irons worked on Amazon Studios’s Tumble Leaf, an animated kids series that earned an Emmy. Irons and Sawyer bring backgrounds in both computer animation and theater. The bar area where customers would go if they want a VR cocktail.
Unlike the Macallan VR cocktails, Redline’s will cost under $10. Sawyer is driven by a desire to spread VR love to the masses, so he’s planning to keep drink prices affordable. At $95, the pricey gimmick was also a way Macallan could raise brand awareness with influencers. The VR program was designed to accentuate the Scotch. For example, back in 2017, Scotch maker Macallan partnered with Baptiste & Bottle in River North. The venue also includes an escape room VR program, which Sawyer said could be modded to create a local brewery crawl, and has also hosted wine and paint nights. The bar and venue is in Malt Row, the nickname for the brewery-laden Ravenswood area that includes Michelin-starred Band of Bohemia, Begyle, Spiteful, and more. Redline only taps local beers and aspires to create VR experiences for all nearby brewers.
The “Pierced Navel” is supposed to make drinkers who went to college in the ‘90s and drank fuzzy navels feel good about themselves. Sawyer would like to swap the videos and VR drinks every season, but computer animation is expensive. Eventually, each drink will have its own video meant to enhance the experience. While the bartender mixes the drink, customers put on the headset and view a CGI video that’s about 30 seconds long. There’s the “Pierced Navel” (a modern take on the fuzzy navel) and the “Chicago Handshake,” which is made with Jeppson’s Malört. So far only two VR speciality cocktails are available. Now it’s ready to debut its VR cocktails, which patrons can order at the bar. Redline VR founders Jonathon Irons and Aaron Sawyer received the venue’s liquor license a little more than three weeks ago but has been open for a few months without serving drinks. But the current space is just an arcade, as its staff is prepping to launch a line of virtual reality cocktails. This is the draw of virtual reality, and Redline VR in Ravenswood is ready to show customers the power of its VR headsets. Imagine being fully transported into the world of Star Wars, swinging a light saber, or plunging underwater to observe a massive blue whale which gently swims by.