'China's Netflix' iQiyi launches an immersive VR ride based on its own show

BEIJING — Chinese video streaming level iQiyi announced Monday the opening of its immersive virtual world acquisition successful Shanghai.

The task combines immersive theater, virtual world and carnal instrumentality to springiness participants the content that they are walking — oregon riding successful boats and different vehicles — done a phantasy satellite implicit with waterfalls, beardown winds and explosions. Participants tin besides sprout virtual arrows astatine "enemies."

While resembling a taxable parkland ride, the virtual world acquisition lone takes up 300 quadrate meters of space, according to the company. That's astir a quadrate batch 17.32 meters (56.82 feet) long.

Baidu-backed iQiyi is sometimes dubbed China's Netflix since the Chinese online video level besides sells TV bid and movies to subscribers. Tencent Video, Alibaba-owned Youku and Bilibili run the 3 different large video streaming platforms successful China.

IQiyi calls its caller merchandise "a thrilling 50-minute VR-powered journey." The acquisition is based connected iQiyi's 2021 tv play "Luoyang," acceptable successful the past Chinese superior metropolis of the aforesaid name.

Tickets outgo 198 yuan ($29) to 398 yuan each, according to a Yelp-like introduction connected China's DianPing app. Time slots are sold by the hour, moving from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. each time of the week, the tract showed.

The acquisition is located successful downtown Shanghai and is acceptable to tally done May 18, according to accusation connected DianPing.

Zhang Hang, iQiyi vice president who heads the company's Dreamverse workplace down the VR project, antecedently told reporters helium expected the VR acquisition could spot astir 40,000 visitors a twelvemonth per store.

At database summons prices, that means iQiyi could marque much than $1 cardinal a twelvemonth from its VR product. However, close present it's not wide to what grade the acquisition volition beryllium disposable for the remainder of this year.

Zhang formed the VR acquisition much arsenic a movie than an interactive game. He said his squad was moving with the company's contented accumulation squad truthful that standards could besides conscionable VR requirements.

IQiyi has said it uses artificial quality to assistance with contented production. The institution is acceptable to study quarterly net connected Wednesday.

In the 3rd 4th ended Sept. 30, iQiyi said gross fell 2% from a twelvemonth agone to $1.1 billion. The institution said the monthly mean gross per rank for the 4th was 13.90 yuan, up from 13.65 yuan a twelvemonth ago.