2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg business gives customers a chance to play virtual reality games
If you've ever wanted to zap zombies in a wartorn warehouse or fight phantoms in an abandoned abode, step into Another World.
The business, which opened in Winnipeg's North Kildonan neighbourhood at the end of March, gives customers the chance to play a variety of virtual reality games.
Situated in Rossmere Plaza, the strip mall at the southwest corner of Henderson Highway and McLeod Avenue, it's the first Manitoba outlet in a chain that includes more than 300 locations in 52 countries.
Owner Ayo Orisalade discovered Another World while researching franchise options online. After contacting the company, learning more about it and visiting locations in B.C., Ontario and Quebec, he decided it was something that could work in the keystone province.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Another World owner Ayo Orisalade
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Another World owner Ayo Orisalade
'If I bring something like this to Winnipeg it contributes to building the social scene and (provides) entertainment (options),' Orisalade said. 'I thought, why not?'
Players don wireless headsets and hand controls, enter Another World's virtual reality arena and immerse themselves in one of the 14 games the company has created. Games last 30 to 45 minutes and include two to 10 players who can choose to work together or compete against one another.
Examples include 'Shmooter: Space Battle,' which requires hunting alien invaders that are threatening to take over a space station; 'Ghost Tower: Dance,' which involves competing for the most points in a lively dance battle; and 'Ghost Tower: Fishing,' which challenges players to catch as many fish as they can.
'When you are immersed in our games, it is sometimes difficult to determine where the game ends and reality begins,' Another World advertises on its website. 'This atmosphere allows for unforgettable emotions.'
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Using wireless headsets and hand controls, players enter Another World's virtual reality arena.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Using wireless headsets and hand controls, players enter Another World's virtual reality arena.
Admission is $30-$35 per person. The 3,740-square-foot space includes two party rooms on site that customers can rent for birthday celebrations and corporate events.
Orisalade has been pleased with the response so far. He's confident that if people visit once, they'll want to return.
'People have come back seven, eight times — one family comes here every Saturday,' he said. 'That's how enjoyable some people find it.'
Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Orisalade moved to Winnipeg with his son three years ago. The 39-year-old is a lawyer and has a day job as a contract manager at a construction company.
He runs Another World on evenings and weekends with the help of two employees who orient customers and oversee the games.
Another World was pleased to partner with Orisalade and support the opening of the Winnipeg location, said Anatoly Abdalov, who assists the company's North American franchisees.
'Usually (partnering with a franchisee) is really personal because we are not only selling the licence — we're looking for people with the same spirit as us,' Abdalov said. 'We're really proud to have him with us in partnership.'
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Admission for Another World is $30-$35 per person.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Admission for Another World is $30-$35 per person.
The first Another World outlet in Canada opened in Gatineau, Que., in 2022. Today there are 10 locations in the country and Abdalov said the company has signed agreements to open 12 more.
Licenses cost between $27,500 and $41,300, Abdalov said, and franchisees spend additional money — sometimes up to $110,000 — renovating their location to Another World's specifications. (Orisalade used personal savings and loans from friends to start his location; he declined to say how much he spent.)
'It's our goal to make it as cheap as possible (while providing) all the help we can give,' Abdalov said, adding that he sees potential for more locations across the country. 'I hope someday every Canadian city will have an Another World VR arena.'
Franchisees pay the chain a royalty fee of $2.75 to $5.50 per paying customer, Abdalov said.
Rossmere Lanes owner Jamie Newton said he's happy to have Another World next to his bowling alley, especially since patrons need to walk downstairs to access both businesses.
'Any tenant next door helps,' said Newton, who has worked at the bowling alley since 1986 and owned it since 2013. 'With us being in the lower level, any walk-by traffic generated by them (is) positive.'
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
The 3,740-square-foot space includes two party rooms on site that customers can rent for birthday celebrations and corporate events.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
The 3,740-square-foot space includes two party rooms on site that customers can rent for birthday celebrations and corporate events.
Rossmere Plaza has many longstanding tenants including the Henderson Library and a Tim Hortons location, Newton added, so the strip mall receives many visitors.
'It's very busy, there's no doubt,' he said.
For Orisalade, Another World is just the beginning. He has aspirations to further shape his reality by opening other businesses.
'My 9-to-5 pays fairly well — it will take care of me,' he said. 'But as a person I always like to improve myself and do more for myself, and I believe having a business in Canada is one thing that helps (a newcomer) integrate properly in society.'
Another World is located at 1042 Henderson Hwy. The space formerly belonged to the Play Pen, an indoor soft play gym for children that closed last November.
Aaron EppReporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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