This is how HTC will sell the Vive to the British public
You can grab a demo inside Currys PC World, Overclockers and Scan Computers.
HTC's Vive VR headset is almost upon us. Pre-orders went live on February 29th and the first units should be heading to early adopters' doorsteps on April 5th. One question has long lingered in the back of our minds, however. How does HTC plan on selling this product to the masses? Well, aside from gaming conventions and traditional advertising, the company is organising some hands-on booths inside brick-and-mortar stores. In the UK, that involves a few Currys PC World locations (Leeds, Reading and Tottenham Court Road in London) and PC specialists Overclockers (Newcastle-under-Lyme) and Scan Computers International (Bolton).
Of course, we had to go and check one out for ourselves. In London, we walked to the back of Currys PC World -- the same location that houses the Google Store -- and found a small area cordoned off with enormous Vive posters. A HTC employee took us through three games -- Job Simulator, Google's Tilt Brush and Space Pirate Trainer -- for roughly 15 minutes. (Your experience might vary if there's a long queue in the store). Once we finished the taster, there was an opportunity to ask questions about the Vive's PC requirements and the physical space that's needed to play.
While you can pre-order a Vive, that's not the sole purpose of the booth. The demonstrations will, for many people, be their first exposure to VR, so there's also an educational aspect. If Vive is to succeed, HTC needs to show what a premium VR experience is capable of, and why it's worth £689. It's a tough ask, but if virtual reality is going to take off, it's these hands-on experiences that will ultimately prove and sell the concept to skeptics.
