Visitors flock to virtual reality games at SEC

Virtual reality (VR) games have become the “most preferred activity” at Summer Entertainment City (SEC), attracting a large number of visitors daily, QSports founder and board member Adil Ahmed has said.

The SEC, which forms part of Qatar Summer Festival 2018 and is spread over 29,000sq m of space at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, features more than 75 gaming experiences, 40 food outlets and the 'Summer Shopping Souq'.“VR games topped the (structured) survey we did over the past month, and people say it is their most preferred activity here,” Ahmed, who is also the SEC project director, told Gulf Times.He said the survey scores also correlated with their sales numbers, confirming that such an offering has been a favourite and the busiest section at the SEC.Some of these games include different kinds of simulators such as Formula 1, VR Park, Space Trip and Flight Simulator, among others.

“Many people prefer VR games because the technology is new and the type of VR games we have introduced here are full of motion, giving you a more realistic experience,” Ahmed said, adding that the VR games at the SEC have not been tried in Qatar previously. “About 70% feature brand-new technology that was not here before.”Attendants echoed Ahmed’s statement, saying they have been continuously receiving a lot of players, young and adults, especially during the weekend. According to Ahmed, the SEC has so far attracted more than 59,000 visitors from the time opened on the first day of Eid al-Fitr until yesterday.Besides VR games, amusement rides and other activities, cultural and entertainment shows by members of various expatriate communities in Doha have also been a family favourite at the SEC.Groups of performers from the Filipino community, sponsored by the Philippine embassy in Doha, enthralled families and children yesterday, featuring traditional dances and songs.“Last week, we had (artistes from) Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh performing live on stage, which added different flavours to the event,” Ahmed said.The SEC also welcomes visitors - including adults as well as youngsters - to its mini golf, teaching them the skills to score points. The gold pass (QR135) allows people to play 40 rounds. For an interactive fun experience, the ‘Crazy Chicken’ is the right section to visit while the Kids Driving School gives children “a feel of how is it like driving in your neighbourhood”. It also teaches them the basics of driving and about being safe.