The possibility of Olympic medals may come one step closer to the lounge with Racket: NX taking a pivotal step towards being recognised as a candidate for the (Virtual) Olympic Games.
The IOC-recognized International Racquetball Federation (IRF), based in Colorado Springs, USA, has followed the IOC’s announcement of their Virtual Sports Series with a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in developing Tel Aviv-based One Hamsa’s immersive virtual reality (VR) game Racket:Nx as a potential full Olympic Virtual Sport and an eventual candidate for the Olympic Games1
The Olympic Virtual Series
The International Olympic Committee in a bid to expand and modernise itself had stepped into competitive virtual sports, with the first ever event held earlier this year between May 13 through to June 23. The Olympic Virtual Series featured baseball, rowing, sailing, cycling and Gran Turismo.
However, none of the games in the series were a truly immersive virtual reality experience / sport and only two were physical in nature – cycling and rowing. Perhaps in the next iterations we may see an explosion of physical, virtual sports on the scene – what other titles could possibly make the leap?
I know I wouldn’t mind having a crack at Olympic GOLD on the virtual court (Racket:NX) or table (Eleven TT)!
Pathway to Gold
Now in reality the pathway to winning Olympic gold is probably a little while away, but it sets in motion an important sequence of events to recognising an alternative avenue to sporting achievements (for wider than just Racket: Nx)
Among other criteria to be met, formally, the Olympic Charter indicates that for a sport to be accepted (and to win medals!), it must be widely practiced by men and women across a number of countries and the sport must increase the “value and appeal’’ of the Olympic Games and retain and reflect its modern traditions.
- Racket:NX boats a large following across a number of countries, and as VR expands, it can easily scale the requirements to be “practiced across a number of countries”, it already has 150,000 players on board!
- Let’s face it, the format of the Olympic Games really hasn’t changed for a while and Virtual Sports has an opportunity to change the conversation and appeal of the Olympics. Games such as Racket:NX undeniably will increase the “value and appeal’’ of the Olympic Games by unlocking new generations of players and interest.
- You only have to look at the success of Fifa, LoL Dota or Overwatch world cups / championships to see that this is a trailblazing scene and bringing a virtual-physical championship component into it will be a unique hook for the Olympic federation as it modernises.
- So, the modern traditions might be bit hard to meet, but technically the game still involves a racquet and ball! ✔ :)
Haven’t joined the Racket:Nx world yet?
Racket:Nx is fully immersive and fully athletic, allowing players of all racquet sports – not only racquetball – to jump inside a lighted, player-responsive, sound and music-filled dome, in a game that is blow-your-mind unique and engaging.
The game features:
- 2 single player modes - a campaign and an endless runner
- Versus & Co-op multiplayer supporting cross platform and multiple devices with the same user
- A sick original soundtrack and the option to play your own music in game.
Add Racket: Nx to your Quest 2 library today – and use code GOLD at checkout to get 40% OFF!
See you in training!
References
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash