Telenet : The Park signs an agreement with Kinepolis for Virtual Reality experiences in Antwerp, Bruges, Breda and Utrecht

• You can now book a virtual reality experience alongside your film
• The K3 film 'Dance of the Pharaoh' shows the possibilities of the total experience: watching and taking part yourself

From June 9, visitors to Kinepolis in Bruges, Antwerp, Breda and Utrecht can now book a Virtual Reality experience in addition to a film experience. The Park has thereby entered into an agreement with Kinepolis for this. Various games are available, but the new K3 film 'Dance of the Pharaoh' is the first to show the possibilities of the total experience. You can not only watch the film as a spectator, but can also step into the story yourself, together with your friends and family, and go to rescue K3 yourself. Thanks to the cooperation with Kinepolis, The Park is not only expanding its available playing areas, but can also focus even more strongly on linking local films and series with a Virtual Reality experience. If the concept proves successful, other Kinepolis locations may follow.

Step out of the cinema into the world of Virtual Reality

The Park, which is known for its virtual reality experiences from De Mol, De Dag and the - brand new - K3 in VR, will now also work together with Kinepolis. A large VR booth of more than 100 m² will be appearing in the cinemas in Antwerp, Bruges, the Jaarbeurs Utrecht and Breda, in which visitors can step into the different worlds of The Park. Thanks to this cooperation, The Park will expand from seven to eleven locations, and, if the concept catches on, additional Kinepolis locations may follow.

Through this cooperation, the viewer is able to feel the link between fiction and Virtual Reality even more strongly. The Park has previously focused on the link between well-known television formats and a virtual game environment. Players have already been able to participate in the 'De Dag' fiction series, or to experience what it is like to be a candidate in 'De Mol'. With the latest K3 film, 'Dance of the Pharaoh', viewers will be able to walk from the cinema into the virtual K3 world at The Park.

Philippe De Schutter, CEO of The Park: 'For us, this cooperation goes beyond merely expanding our number of playing areas, and allows us to once again showcase the innovation that exists in the local media landscape. It's an absolute first that a film has just been released with an immersive and interactive variant - and both at the same location this time. We can thereby immerse fans in the action more than ever. We hope the concept catches on, and look forward to expanding even further into additional locations, and adding innovative, locally-inspired games.'Eddy Duquenne, CEO of Kinepolis Group: 'Our cinemas are easily accessible locations that attract a wide audience. We try to bring together different activities on our sites, as is also the case with our catering partners. The Park offers an additional entertainment experience that complements a cinema visit. The fact that this also creates opportunities for a VR experience that is linked directly to a film we are showing is an additional reason for entering into this collaboration with great enthusiasm.'

Three VR experiences at Kinepolis

Visitors can enjoy three Virtual Reality experiences at the Kinepolis locations: the 'The Hallow' zombie game, 'De Mol' ('The Mole') adventure game (derived from the well-known TV program) and the brand-new family game 'K3 - Pyramid of Love'. All the experiences last about half an hour, and are suitable for 2 to 6 players. Bookings can be made via The Park's website, and a VR session can also be booked without going to the cinema.

The Park offers 'free-roam VR': this means that your VR goggles are not attached to cables and you can therefore walk freely through the arcade. Once you put on the goggles, you, as an avatar, are sitting in the middle of the game's setting, with a 360° view. You can also see your fellow players moving next to you, and can talk and interact with them during the game. The 'The Hallow' and 'De Mol' ('The Mole') games are suitable for players aged 12 and up, while 'K3 in VR' can be played from about 7 years of age.

The growth of The Park

The Park was launched in 2018, with two gaming experiences in Antwerp. The offer quickly grew to 7 locations in Belgium and the Netherlands (Antwerp, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Brussels, Eindhoven and Breda), accounting for 9,000 m² of gaming surface. The Park continuously invests in new experiences, which it develops itself together with the Ghent company Triangle Factory. There are now 5 different free-roam VR experiences in the meantime. Through collaborations with local content players such as Woestijnvis and Studio 100, unique derivatives of well-known local fiction or programs such as De Dag (The Day), De Mol (The Mole) and the K3 film 'Dance of the Pharaoh' have been created. The cooperation with Kinepolis is a next step in the growth of this young company.

Philippe De SchutterManaging Director The Park

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