Fancy shooting some zombies? New virtual reality centre set to open in Hanley
Customers of all ages will be invited to don a headset
Partners Rhys Davey and Lewis Armstrong want to send families on missions to hunt down zombies, flee dinosaurs and fly high above their homes - all from the centre of Hanley.
The gaming fans are looking to launch a virtual reality centre with seven 'arenas' along with a facilities for driving and flying experiences.
And the former catering and leisure workers hope XP-VR Ltd will help bring even more customers into Hanley after they revealed plans to overhaul the former Cafe 80s on Piccadilly.
If the proposals - submitted to Stoke-on-Trent City Council - are approved then Rhys and Lewis, who live together in Tunstall, are aiming to unveil the centre by the end of June.
Rhys Davey and Lewis Armstrong outside the venue they want to turn into a virtual reality gaming centre
They are promising customers state-of-the-art HTC Vive headsets and individual arenas measuring two-and-a-half metres squared where enthusiasts can get fully immersed in games and experiences in half-an-hour and hour-long slots.
Former Alton Towers worker Rhys, aged 30, said: "We want to appeal to all ages and there will be games where people can shoot at zombies and ones for younger children involving being around dinosaurs.
"We just want to bring something different to the area - there is nothing else like this in North Staffordshire. The equipment and games we will have can't be replicated at home. These centres are really popular in Asia and Hanley and they are starting to open up in different cities in this country."
In addition to donning a headset, customers can also experience flying above their homes with a hydraulic platform with fans blowing air into their faces. They will also be able to experience racing a car.
Lewis, aged 30, who has previously worked in catering and leisure with the National Trust, said: "We both enjoy computer games anyway. We will have lots of games that you cannot buy in shops. We will also have a flying experience which uses Google Earth and you can fly over your house."
Rhys added: "This will be something for people of all ages. We would like to host children's parties and work with other businesses when it comes to catering and things like that."
Meanwhile city centre shoppers have welcomed the scheme.
Liam Bloor, from Norton, said: "I love to play VR at home, I have all of the equipment and it would be great to play it on a bigger scale with some of my mates who don't have the stuff."
Lucy Kelly, from Chell, is looking forward to the new facility opening.
She said: "It would be something a little bit different for me and my friends to do - we're always doing the same things and it can get a bit boring. Recently new things have been introduced in Stoke-on-Trent and it is very exciting for us."
Lauren Wood, from Kidsgrove, added: "I've never played VR before but I've heard really good things about it. So if something like that came to Hanley I would love to try it out and I think my friends would too. As long as it's not too expensive."
The plans at the venue - which was once a nightclub - will be considered by city council planners.
Published on Stoke on Trent live May 2019