For location-based VR experience destinations, 2020 was a disaster. The Void (Star Wars) and Avengers VR experience got forced to close down permanently while Dreamscape was closed for most of the year. However, as things pick up on the pandemic front, we are starting to see new location-based VR experiences emerge. One of them is Viva Las Vengeance, made to support Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Netflix Dominates For this, Netflix partnered with Pure Imagination Studios creating a tactical taco truck ride for up to six players as they fight their way through zombie-overrun Las Vegas. It isn’t strange or unusual for Netflix to
Google bringing 1 million VR expeditions to Middle Eastern students
It looks like nothing is immune to the spread of virtual reality. Education certainly isn’t, and as part of Google’s push for VR in education, the company is bringing its “VR Expeditions” to students in the Middle East. VR Expeditions allow virtual tours of locations all around the world, which provides a more interactive learning experience for students. To make this possible, Google is partnering with Munfarid, a VR/AR-centric Middle Eastern company. The partnership between the two has produced the VRXOne kit, which includes headsets for students and a tablet for instructors to control the experience. With the help of Google Expeditions, Munfarid plans to
Can Baahubali and its VR Experience Break Bollywood into Mainstream?
There’s no denying that the Indian movie industry is one of world’s leading cinemas, and one of most productive industries in the world. The amount of Bollywood movies that are coming out is just staggering, and easily beats Chinese or the American production capabilities. However, the need to support multiple languages (Hindu, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu – barely any English) caused strain on the budgets, limiting the directors vision. Enter Baahubali Series, with the second movie breaking all the domestic and global records for an Indian-made movie. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion opened on a record number of theaters in India, numbering more than 7,000 screens. That is
Do Humans Dream of Electric Sheep? Blade Runner Enters VR
Art has the ability to provide emotional stimulation changing the perception of reality in a relationship. An idea, that new energy, can be born and ultimately change our consciousness, how the world may be happening. Technology is also beloved in part for this reason and VR is the next step. I was in a strange and distant places and met a strange and distant people and then at one point, between piles of incomprehensible words. Few short sentences, quote of movie and what was distant, became close. What’s left is just here: “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” is a 1968 science fiction novel by Philip
BBC Moves into VR With Spacewalk Experience
BBC is moving into the Virtual Reality in a big way. British broadcaster is known for its approach to documentaries which put rivals to shame, and VR is looking to be the same – contracting REWIND to develop a Vitual Reality experience. However, this experience wasn’t a clear outsource move. Rather, REWIND worked with BBC Science, BBC Learning and BBC Digital Storytelling in order ot create a 15 minute experience delivered to Steam VR i.e. HTC Vive (and OSVR). REWIND used Unreal Engine 4 to its full extend, and you will need a high-end computer in order to enjoy BBC Space in its fly glory. As the
Graffiti VR Experience Paints the Future of Art & Entertainment
There are countries in the world where painting graffiti outside designated areas will get you in serious trouble. Yet, this urban art form has its numerous fans across the globe. In the exact opposite case of Singapore, where caning and jail sentence are a possibility, Croatia renamed the railway bridge into ‘Hendrix Bridge’, based on the graffiti that enthusiasts drew on the middle of the bridge, some 25 maters / 60 feet above the river. Thanks to King Spray, all graffiti enthusiasts will now get a chance to test their skills in the safety and creativity of Virtual Reality. Graffiti Simulator launches next week on Steam and takes the
GameFace Labs VR: Works Standalone and on the PC
During the Game Developers Conference, we encountered a young hardware development team named GameFace Labs. This small but rising startup is working on creating an ultimate VR experience, enabling you to use the device while you’re moving, and once you’re home – you can connect it to the PC. Unlike any other product on the market, there is no ‘collision of worlds’. HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are experiences that require a PC and are intended for internal use, while mobile headsets like the Samsung’s GearVR work wherever you are. With this concept, GameFace Labs wants to cover both angles. The concept behind the retail device will be to offer ultimate mobile
Dimensional Intersection Psychedelic VR Experience Coming Soon
Back on Game Developers Conference, we heard about a new, psychedelic VR experience coming soon from the Swedish studio DNV, and published by Nicalis, a publisher from southern California. Targeting the SteamVR (HTC Vive), Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR, Dimensional Intersection is best described as a ‘WinAMP visualization plug-in for your brain.‘ “Dimensional Intersection is a crazy experience that distills music into the purest form,” said Tyrone Rodriguez, Founder of Nicalis. “It’s being developed in a place very close to the origin of psytrance and that influence is evident in the game.” The interesting bit of this VR experience, was the QA process, which took place
Toyota Spain Creates a Scary VR Experience
Can a scary driving experience persuade a potential customer to purchase a vehicle from one brand instead of another? The answer to that question comes from Toyota Spain, which partnered with Antiloop Studio to create an immersive virtual reality experience. Antiloop Studio then created the experience using an Oculus Development Kit and Xsens motion capture suit, in a sizable Motion Capture Studio. The tagline for the experience is: “What would you do if your car stalled in the middle of a drawbridge that was opening? Would you defend your family against a bear if your engine suddenly gave it in front of one? Could you fight off a gang