The Odyssey VR journey: from Viral Entertainment to Corby
We did not start out as Odyssey VR. Back in November 2019 we opened Viral Entertainment in Corby. Four months later the pandemic hit and, like a lot of new businesses, we spent the next few years just trying to stay open.
The hard years
We kept Viral Entertainment going for over three and a half years through lockdowns, the Rule of 6 and every rule change in between. The doors were shut more often than we would have liked. Money came in and went straight back out on bills. We worked 60 and 70 hour weeks and still found it a struggle. At some point it became clear that carrying on exactly as we were was not going to work.
Where the name came from
The name Odyssey came from an unlikely place. We were on a cruise in Norway and met an a cappella group called Odyssey, styled ODY-C. It stuck. An odyssey is a long journey full of ups and downs, which felt about right for what we had been through, so we registered the name and started again.
Finding a home in Corby
At first we thought about staying mobile and bringing VR to people wherever they wanted it. But the demand for parties and family bookings kept pointing us toward a fixed home. Then a local Brazilian jiu-jitsu school, ACTJJ Corby, moved out of their space and gave up the lease. Garry had trained in jiu-jitsu for years and knew the building. The rent was fair and the space was right, so we took it on and turned it into a VR centre.
Where we are now
That building is now Odyssey VR at Corby Business Centre, the only dedicated VR venue in Northamptonshire. Over 1500 square feet of open floor for free-roam VR, eight escape rooms, birthday parties and team building. We are still a family-run business, and we still care most about people leaving with a good story to tell.
Thanks to everyone who stuck with us through the change. If you knew us as Viral Entertainment, come and see what we built. If you are new, come and say hello.
Finding us today
We are still the only dedicated VR venue in Northamptonshire, based in Corby and an easy drive from Kettering, Wellingborough, Northampton, Market Harborough and Leicester. If you have been searching for free-roam VR near you and kept coming up short, that is why. There is not much like it in the county, so people travel to us. Free parking is right outside, and you can book a visit online in a couple of minutes.
