Ready Team One Townsville brings free-roaming virtual reality gaming technology to east coast

A boredom-busting arena featuring free-roaming virtual reality gaming technology has opened in Townsville. See where you can battle zombies, aliens, and your friends.

Ready Team One Director Scott Whiteley, Ready Team One Director Stacey Ginard, and E-Property Consultants NQ sales and leasing executive Steve Whaling. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A cutting-edge arena has opened in Townsville offering free-roaming virtual reality gaming technology not seen before on the east coast of Australia.

Founded by three mates from Perth, Ready Team One is an Australian-based virtual reality development company transforming the way the world games by turning virtual reality into a fully immersive social experience.

With its unique Hollywood-style full body tracking equipment and internationally award-winning VR games to create mind-blowing experiences, the company caught the attention of Stacey Ginard.

A Townsville resident and former-Australian Defence Force member, Ms Ginard was sick of being stuck behind a desk and had wanted to start a business doing “something completely different” with her husband James, who is also an ADF veteran.

“I’d been trawling the internet, researching heaps of different things, and I came across Ready Team One … and it was very unique,” Ms Ginard said.

“VR and eSports is a massive emerging industry, and to find nothing in North Queensland was crazy, so I saw a gap in the market.”

Since opening on August 5, Ready Team One Townsville has welcomed hundreds through the doors to play the four games currently on offer for 40-minute sessions.

“This arena is about social interaction and gaming, rather than just on your own in front of the PC, so a lot of the games involve more than two people, the more the merrier,” she said.

“It’s taken over paintball and laser tag because it’s fully immersive and as lifelike as you can get without actually being in it.”

Stacey Ginard, Director, Ready Team One Townsville and Scott Whiteley, Director Ready Team One. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Ready Team One Townsville. Picture: Shae Beplate.

She said the games ranged from solving puzzles, to playing “cartoony” party minigames, to fighting off zombie hordes or aliens, or military player vs. player, with a new game released every six months.

After months searching for the right building for a Ready Team One franchise, Ms Ginard said they were just about to give up before E-Property Consultants NQ sales and leasing executive Steve Whaling came to their aid.

Ready Team One Director Scott Whiteley, Ready Team One Director Stacey Ginard, and E-Property Consultants NQ sales and leasing executive Steve Whaling. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Inside the Ready Team One Townsville gaming arena. Picture: Supplied.

“After scouring the local market for suitable premises we identified 5-11 Fleming Street as an ideal location for Stacey and her team – with the full support of the Landlord, BM Webb Group, terms were swiftly negotiated and a fit out underway,” Mr Whaling said.

“Italian On Fleming is an ideal location in the geographical centre of Townsville with ample on-site parking and certainly met the brief for Ready Team One.”

With gaming slots quickly filling up, Ms Ginard urged people wanting to step into the virtual realm to take advantage of a two week sale and visit their website to make a booking: readyteamone.com.

Originally published as Ready Team One Townsville brings free-roaming virtual reality gaming technology to east coast