Europe-based virtual reality experiences provider The Park Playground recently launched its latest offering, a new esports-inspired VR experience called NanoClash Focus. A first in the industry, this new virtual reality game allows two opposing teams to battle it out simultaneously on two independent fields. It’s a fully mobile, free-roam game that aims to provide an immersive and engaging VR experience for players.
An Exciting Combo of VR Experience and Esports
For NanoClash Focus The Park Playground partnered with HTC and Triangle Factory. The company was encouraged by the success of one of its past VR experiences that allowed players to compete remotely in a virtual battlefield in separate cities. This led to the development of NanoClash Focus, which used elements from esports in its design and artificial intelligence technology to ensure an enhanced user experience.
Players of NanoClash Focus are virtually transported to a hanging platform in a futuristic setting, where they compete against another team in a laser shoot-out, sports battle-style. Each team consists of four to eight people, and the goal is to be the first to reach the arena floor and prevent opponents from doing so by shooting with either laser guns or laser cannons.
Using HTC VIVE Focus 3 wireless headsets that offer greater mobility, players can freely roam the playing field. “Power-ups” are up for grabs in the game, giving teams a solid advantage when they utilize them strategically. The game is a VR experience combined with the exciting features of esports, a move that The Park Playground wants to pursue.
“With two teams positioned on two independent free roam fields and rewards given for teamwork and strategic thinking, NanoClash Focus is an exciting example of how we’re driving technological innovations in LBE VR alongside our partners,” The Park Playground CEO Peter Vindevogel said in a press release shared with ARPost.
According to Vindevogel, the company plans to develop more experiences that use elements of other gaming formats. NanoClash Focus is an example of a location-based VR experience that is inspired by esports for a more immersive, interactive, and inclusive experience. “We’ll be seeing this cross-pollination between LBE VR and elements more traditionally associated with gaming surfacing much more frequently in the future,” Vindevogel further explained.
Developing More VR Experiences with AI
The release of NanoClash Focus is an exciting achievement for The Park Playground. The company has only recently begun experimenting with AI technology and data management in its game development process. The result is a more efficient way of developing seamless and innovative VR experiences that The Park Playground aims to achieve.
“Tapping into emerging technologies like AI is something LBE VR providers must consider doing to remain relevant and drive innovative VR experiences that keep people coming back for more,” said the company’s CTO Gilles-Adrien Cenni.
With the launch of NanoClash Focus, The Park Playground seems poised to enter more markets in Europe, Australia, and the US. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the VR experience company currently has 13 owned and franchised locations around the world.
It recently opened two new locations in Brisbane, Australia, and Leeds, UK, and is set to open another venue in Birmingham this year. NanoClash Focus is available for players to try out in all of The Park Playground’s locations globally.
Sandbox VR, known for its location-based VR games, announced today the launch of its newest VR experience. Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire is the company’s first VR game that features multiple storylines, created by the company’s AAA in-house gaming studio.
VR game “Dragonfire”: A New Immersive Experience Each Time
After a successful partnership with Netflix that will see its hit series Squid Game developed into an immersive VR experience later this year, Sandbox VR continues to explore new ways to develop VR worlds for its customers. Dragonfire’s multiple storylines allow players to experience something different each time they play, even after completing it.
Developed by experts in the VR industry, Dragonfire was helmed by the former lead designer on Assassin’s Creed franchise and Sandbox VR’s VP of Content and Creative Director, Michael Hampden.
The new VR game makes full use of Sandbox VR’s proprietary technology that lets players experience a fully immersive, VR-powered adventure. It’s the first game that features branching storylines, making each experience different from others.
Sandbox VR Develops Unique VR Experiences
For Sandbox VR CEO Steve Zhao, developing Dragonfire is a step toward the company’s goal of providing unique VR experiences. “With each experience we create, our goal is to push ourselves to invent new ways to immerse players in virtual worlds,” he stated in a press release shared with ARPost.
Set in a castle in a fantasy world, VR game Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire sees players come together as a group of explorers. They encounter a variety of enemies and mysteries and go through several different areas to accomplish their mission.
Because of the branching story arcs within the game, players can choose from many options during gameplay. In essence, players can experience different versions of Dragonfire, depending on their choices. In fact, younger gamers will be able to play an age-appropriate version of the game that does not contain violence.
Consequently, such a complex design posed a big challenge for Sandbox VR in the development of Dragonfire.
“There’s a reason why there isn’t anything like Dragonfire available out there, because so many features have to be designed from the ground up,” Hampden said. “Melee combat, magic weapons and spells, unlockable items, and choosing where to go next are just a few of the new features we have added to make this perhaps the deepest and most replayable location-based VR experience yet.”
Expanding Sandbox VR’s Virtual Worlds
Sandbox VR is a location-based VR startup with over 35 locations around the world. It provides immersive VR experiences to guests, which the company describes as similar to the fictional “holodecks” popularized by the Star Trek franchise. Up to six guests can participate in each experience.
Sandbox VR uses motion capture technology and high-quality haptics to give players a sense of realism while they explore virtual worlds. Each gameplay is designed to be a social experience where friends and family work together to complete game objectives.
Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire is the seventh exclusive immersive experience developed by Sandbox VR, along with Amber Sky 2088, Star Trek: Discovery, Deadwood Mansion, Deadwood Valley, UFL: Unbound Fighting League, and Curse of Davy Jones. Squid Game, the highly anticipated VR experience in partnership with Netflix, is currently under development, set to launch in late 2023.
It is generally assumed that the VR and XR industry managed to weather the pandemic quite well. However, not all virtual reality endeavors benefited equally. For location-based entertainment (also LBE or LBVR for short), the pandemic had devastating effects.
Even with the social distancing measures and disinfection protocols, the idea of sharing headsets inside a busy venue did not seem very appealing, and just like cinemas, most had no choice but to shut down.
The biggest casualty of that time had to be The Void. They were considered pioneers and one of the biggest players in the LBE space, so their closure and subsequent bankruptcy were seen by many as a grim indication of what was to come.
However, just like with cinemas, location-based destinations are back in business. And while The Void is still closed down (with rumors it might reopen sometime soon), most LBEs are already back on their feet, together with a whole cast of new players, big and small, all interested in exploring this new, emerging frontier.
VR Unleashed
It seems location-based venues continue to attract fun-seekers for a variety of reasons. One is that they offer a high-fidelity experience. Users can walk around freely without the need for gamepads or any other artificial locomotion. Experiences are designed with immersion in mind, taking full advantage of VR as a medium in a way that cannot be replicated at home. This can be especially powerful when experienced by newcomers who’ve never encountered VR before.
Another reason is the social aspect of LBEs. Whether it’s a group of friends or a family, it’s all part of a shared adventure, similar to cinemas, arcades, and many other leisure activities. Booking, getting to the venue, gearing up, and having a chat afterward are all part of this ritual.
Given all of this, it makes sense that, despite the pandemic, LBEs have managed to find an audience again.
But enough theory, time to look at LBEs in practice! I had a chance to try three of the more popular venues. They all have a slightly different approach. Here are my impressions.
1. Dreamscape Immersive
Dreamscape Immersive has currently six centers, three in the United States and the other three in Dubai, Riyadh, and Geneva. Looking at the interior, it’s obvious Dreamscape aims to create a cinema atmosphere. Movie-like posters advertise available experiences, screens inform of the next showings and a sizable cafeteria allows for a place to sit down and relax before the onboarding.
I had the opportunity to participate in the Curse of the Lost Pearl — an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure where you embark on a mission to find an ancient pearl deep in the catacombs of what looked like either a Mayan or Aztec pyramid.
Dreamscape Immersive uses trackers for motion control, one for each hand and one for each foot, as well as laptop backpacks. They also make good use of tracked props. Participants can expect to carry tracked items light torches or the aforementioned lost pearl.
In fact, right from the start, we were asked to push a lever that existed in both the virtual world (as an interactive element) and in the real world (as a feedback prop). This immediately helped blur the distinction. Next, we had to step through the projector, which turned out to be a portal — another clever trick that created a sense of awe as the horizon suddenly expanded miles into the distance.
Dreamscape Immersive scripts feel very engaging and creative. At some point, you might be asked to wave to your pilot. At other points, you’ll get separated. Their venues feature floor which has motorized elements that provided rumbling and trembling during descent. There are also other immersive elements such as wind, heat, or water.
The Curse of the Lost Pearl has no shooting in it. Users can expect scares and traps, but it’s meant to be cinematic first and foremost. It does, however, allow for a bit of flexibility. In my case, for example, at one point, I took a torch from another participant and ended up carrying two. Location-based experiences are always a bit unpredictable as we all react differently, so it’s nice when everything behaves the way you would expect it to, even when things go off script.
Thanks to a technique called “redirected walking”, participants feel like they traverse large distances when, in fact, everyone is walking in circles. Moving platforms, elevators, impossible geometry all of those can be used to make us forget our real-world bearings.
Technically, it would be nice to see higher-fidelity avatars. They all looked a bit lifeless and crude compared to the rest of the experience. Also, our feet didn’t track nearly as well as our hands, resulting in some awkward walking animations, but those were the only real issues I had.
2. Zero Latency VR
Zero Latency VR is a well-known company in the LBE space. They currently have 70 venues in over 26 countries and target intense, gaming-like scenarios.
I had a chance to try two of their adventures. One zombie-themed is aptly called Zombie: Outbreak Origins and the other one is a well-received Far Cry: Dive Into Insanity, which is based on a popular gaming IP. It features arguably the most recognizable character in the entire franchise — Vaas Montenegro.
Zero Latency experiences focus primarily on action and shooting. You wear a backpack but throughout the whole game, you will only need to hold one prop: the gun. Same with onboarding, it mostly focuses on how to reload and fire. There are other game-related mechanics as well, such as respawning, points, and leaderboards.
Far Cry VR made us feel like we were doing great, even though we actually scored 141st
Zombie: Outbreak Origins is pretty much a non-stop shootout between you and the undead. Far Cry VR, on the other hand, features storyline elements, where participants end up captured by Vaas and thrown into what looks like a world of hallucinations. The shooting remains the key component, but thanks to these intermissions, it makes the experience much more intriguing and also helps glue all the action scenes together.
Like many other LBEs, Zero Latency takes advantage of redirected walking, making users traverse the large-scale arena in redirected patterns while the action keeps moving onward in VR.
In my case, I found Far Cry VR to be rewarding and even thought-provoking, but Zombie: Outbreak Origins was fun as well, simply because you roam this big virtual world on foot, making the immersion so much more profound.
3. Divr Labs
Divr Labs was founded in 2016 and its arenas are currently available in three locations: Prague, London, and Stockholm. I had a chance to try their prehistoric adventure titled Meet the Dinosaurs, where you become a time-traveling scientist on a mission to collect some data from 80 million years ago.
What makes Divr Labs stand out is the graphical fidelity of their experiences. The prehistoric jungle, along with its inhabitants, feels high-quality and very realistic. Divr Labs decided to forgo props or guns, opting instead for hand tracking. As a result, everything feels very intuitive. There is no fighting or shooting and instead, participants are asked to gather as much data as possible in the form of specimens, plants, leaves, eggs, and so on. It’s a bit of a game of hidden items.
The story elements were pretty straightforward and there is no plot, other than you being a scientist from the future. Moreover, all the dinosaurs and environments remain true to our current understanding of the Mesozoic Era which makes the experience somewhat educational.
In my case, I really enjoyed the hand tracking aspect of the experience. I could move my hand past things like grass or leaves and the leaves would waggle accordingly. It felt convincing, even though my hands were not receiving any feedback. Collecting hidden items was done by opening my hand over various specimens, which triggered a download animation around my palm.
Towards the end, I had a face-to-face encounter with a T-Rex, plus a virtual photo as my scientist avatar before it was time to leave VR and off-board. I was also given their personal score based on the amount of data collected, which is a nice touch for those planning to go again.
Unfortunately, my experience wasn’t without hiccups. At some point, my hand tracking stopped working. Instead of focusing on the world around me, I anxiously waited for the issue to get fixed. Despite restarting tracking, the issue persisted, which left me without tasks to do and without any interactive elements. Online, some users complained they had missing audio and encountered other technical problems. These aren’t design issues as such, but suggest focus should be on quality assurance so that every experience is always great.
More to Come
Location-based entertainment is not limited to cinematic and gaming entertainment. There are museums, art exhibitions, and other truly amazing free-roaming LBE venues out there, such as the massive, over 1,150m2 (over 12,000 ft2) Space Explorers: The Infinite where participants get to spend one hour in a full-scale replica of the International Space Station.
In the coming years, LBE venues will continue to offer the most refined and sophisticated VR experiences available. They allow people to try virtual reality without the risk of the so-called ‘well-poisoning’, which is an insider term for when someone’s first experience with virtual reality is so inadequate that it effectively kills their interest forever. That was the argument often leveraged against very cheap cardboard and smartphone headsets.
Location-based entertainment is the opposite of that. You can say it sweetens the well by making people immediately aware of the potential of VR and making them curious about what else virtual reality has to offer. It serves as a great ambassador for the entire industry.
About the Guest Author(s)
Mat Pawluczuk
Mat Pawluczuk is an XR / VR writer and content creator.
So, in the past few weeks we have seen big tech, including Meta and Microsoft, announce massive layoffs, mostly to their XR division and at the same time, pivoting towards artificial intelligence and generative content.
Despite the news, this year’s DEAL expo was as busy as ever. Teeming with an array of VR devices, games, contraptions, and a myriad of other VR-related gizmos that filled the halls, it, quite frankly, surpassed expectations.
It’s clear that there’s an appetite for virtual reality and that the VR industry as a whole has no intention of slowing down. Here’s a short rundown of the most interesting things that caught my eye.
Meta4 Interactive
Meta4 Interactive were on the floor showcasing their arena player vs. player battler based on the well-known Transformers IP. I had the chance to battle it out with the CBDO of Meta4, Sylvain Croteau, as well as other members of the team.
They were all great at the game, which might seem obvious since it’s their product after all, but you would be surprised how often management is actually disconnected from their games or brands. It was nice to see that in this case the team is not only up to speed with their products, but also plays Transformers: VR Battle Arena for fun.
The hardware consisted of blue HTC Vive Pros connected to the gaming PCs above. This kept the headsets tethered without me actually feeling the tether as the cables were suspended from above. Also, the game is stationary, as you teleport from platform to platform (not unlike Tower Tag). I dodged bullets and turned in all directions without any issues.
Meta4 Interactive booth
Transformers VR: Battle Arena was originally developed in 2019 but I only had a chance to try it out recently. On their website, Meta4 claims their games run at a 90hz refresh rate, but it felt like less. Perhaps more like 60fps or 45fps with reprojection to 90hz?
The HTC Vive Pros were tethered, so there was no latency but the game did have a peculiar dense, dreamlike aspect to it, which often stems from lower refresh rates. I would gladly play a slightly stripped-down version of the game if it meant running it at 120hz native.
PvP arenas are very engaging thanks to their competitive aspect but it also means they work best for groups of friends, gamers, and people who want to compete and see who’s the best. All in all, I had fun and can’t wait to see what Meta4 has in store next.
VEX Solutions
VEX Solutions showcased two turnkey solutions side by side. The first one, “VEX Adventure,” offered a more comprehensive LBE-type experience with a motorized floor, wind and heat, onboarding, and full cooperative plot-driven gameplay. The other one, “VEX Arena,” is a lighter, less premium version, aimed at higher throughput.
VEX Arena (front) and VEX Adventure (back)
Both setups used haptic vests but otherwise, the hardware differed significantly. VR Arena used a Vive Focus 3, while the more premium VR Adventure opted for some kind of hybrid setup. It looked like Pico Neo 3, combined with SteamVR tracking, hand tracking, and Pico 3 controllers that were mounted into the guns. A true patchwork of all the different technologies.
Pico Neo 3 together with Vive trackers, hand tracking, and Pico 3 controllers
The VEX representative declined to discuss hardware aspects, which I can understand. When it works, it works. However, having a multitude of varying components increases the number of potential failure points, which is not desirable. To that end, their other less premium offering, VR Arena, seemed a bit more manageable, but again I didn’t have the chance to ask about any specifics.
WARPOINT
For those looking to get into VR arenas on the cheap, WARPOINT had their own super basic solution. All it requires is 10 Meta Quest 2 headsets and a tablet. This must be the most affordable turnkey solution I saw at DEAL 2023. You could even forgo buying brand-new headsets and instead opt for second-hand ones to lower the costs even further.
WARPOINT: Meta Quest 2s equipped with power banks are waiting their turn
All the Meta Quests operate in standalone mode using software developed by WARPOINT themselves. All the modes and maps are designed for PvP combat and marketed as a form of e-sport.
WARPOINT booth in action
Moviemex3D
Moving on, I encountered Moviemex3D. It’s a company that specializes in VR movies and VR simulators, but they also offer an arena experience called VR Labyrinth. It’s a popup box that features redirected walking, gaming elements, and even some motorized rumble effects.
Yours truly, stepping onto a VR elevator (with rumble effects)
If you ever tried TraVRsal or Tea For God, you will know what the deal is. Even if the pop-up box looks small, the VR game area is much larger thanks to redirected walking, elevators, and so on. Expect traps, action, and shooting. Overall it’s a fun single-player experience.
From a hardware perspective, Moviemex3D used a Pico Neo 3 headset streaming from a PCVR computer. It’s not a bad solution but again, just like with the Transformers VR, I felt like the game wasn’t running at high enough refresh rates, making the entire experience feel heavy and dreamlike.
FuninVR
FuninVR had this pretty, eye-catching centerpiece.
UFO-shaped VR simulator (FuninVR)
It’s a massive UFO-shaped VR simulator. Not exactly a VR arena, but I had to try it out. The team was running a variety of experiences. People before me tried some kind of moon landing. In my case, it was a fantasy-themed rollercoaster.
Unfortunately, the VR simulator was out of sync with the roller coaster animation. Sometimes the track would turn left but the UFO didn’t – forcing me to either turn my head 90 degrees or face the walls. This left many participants nauseous.
There were also other questionable elements, like sudden impacts that made the roller coaster stop in place — basically, it’s like the developers deliberately broke every established rule on what not to do. I have strong VR legs, but still felt queasy.
Each participant had buttons on each side of the seat, which we used to shoot enemies, dragons, and other baddies. Aiming was done with head-tracking and it was a fun interactive element that I enjoyed, even if the shooting was only done for theatrical purposes — we were all running separate instances of the roller-coaster animation and there was no way to stop the simulator from progressing further.
Perhaps it would be better if I had tried the moon landing demo because, unfortunately, the roller-coaster had too many sync and motion issues to be enjoyable.
Hero Zone VR
One last turnkey VR solution worth mentioning is Hero Zone VR. It’s another fully standalone arena experience, this time running on a Vive Focus 3. This allowed the developers to take advantage of the headset’s larger resolution and higher-clocked XR2+ chipset.
Participants getting ready to try out Hero Zone VR
There was a queue of people waiting to try out Hero Zone VR, so I didn’t get the chance to try it myself, but it looked like there was a selection of both cooperative and PvP games. I spoke briefly to one of the team members and he seemed to be quite proud of what they managed to achieve by going full standalone.
No Beat Saber?
There were also a lot of usual suspects: VR cabinets, VR kiosks, and VR arcades. Notably, Beat Saber was nowhere to be found. I wonder if it became too expensive to license or perhaps it has lost a bit of its novelty value. Instead, Synth Riders came in to fill the void, along with other fast-paced games like Zombieland VR.
Synth Riders. By all accounts a great rhythm game.
One arcade cabinet I really enjoyed was VR Shotgun by VR 360 Action. You step into a minigun cart and it’s basically laser shooting reinvented. Spooks and baddies come from left and right and you just have to blast away.
VR Shotgun by VR 360 Action
The minigun prop felt heavy and it had some nice haptic feedback to it. I was also happy with the decision to use the HP Reverb G2 headset, which still presents a very high bar when it comes to clarity and resolution. The game was running buttery smooth. Of course, the gameplay was pretty unsophisticated and there was no locomotion (it would be nice to have some kind of on-rails movement to break the mold), but VR Shotgun did make me wish all the arena and LBE software would have this level of visual comfort and fluidity.
Summary and Takeaways
So, what are my main takeaways from this year’s DEAL?
» Even if the early days are behind us, we’re still in the days of rapid innovation and prototyping. This makes it hard for VR arcades and arenas to keep up. I saw almost every kind of headset this year, from the oldest Oculus Rift CV1s, through Vive Pro, Windows Mixed Reality, Quest 2, Pico 4, and Vive Focus 3, running standalone, streaming, and wired.
» Meta presence in the amusement and entertainment sector could be stronger. Despite spending egregious amounts, most of the money went towards metaverse and mixed reality — both of which do not gel very well with the arcade environment. The Quest Pro was nowhere to be seen but maybe because it’s such a fresh headset.
» Virtual reality is becoming more and more normalized. At least 30-40% of the booths were virtual reality oriented. With everyone around wearing and trying headsets, people have stopped feeling insecure about how they look with a headset on and instead enjoy their experiences, treating VR like any other tech.
Have fun and keep on rocking in the virtual world!
About the Guest Author(s)
Mat Pawluczuk
Mat Pawluczuk is an XR / VR writer and content creator.
The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals has once again taken the world by storm, delivering a jam-packed 10-day event featuring a variety of activities for audiences to explore. Hosted in Austin, TX, SXSW 2023 ran from March 10–19, 2023.
Attendees from around the globe also got the chance to immerse themselves for a couple of days in the fantastical world of the SXSW XR Experience. SXSW 2023 boasted a brand new look and feel this year, complete with Congress Avenue and Red River Cultural District creatively merged together and set afloat in space. The amazing visuals and virtual elements were designed in collaboration with VRROOM, a social XR platform for live shows in the metaverse, and world-renowned artists.
SXSW 2023 was especially exciting for those interested in virtual and augmented reality. XR programming and events this year included the XR Experience Competition, XR Experience Spotlight, XR and Metaverse Conference Track, and many other XR-related sessions. While SXSW 2023 was primarily in-person, attendees were also engaged with the XR Experience World through VRChat and other online immersive events.
SXSW 2023: A Quick Peek at Event Highlights
The SXSW 2023 event was packed with exciting and immersive experiences for attendees to enjoy, including several standout highlights. Among the highlights was the “Neo-Wulin: The Era of Black Ark” virtual performance series, the first of its kind in China. Created by the OXYZ3 team, this concert experience featured musicians in their own unique musical world that combined performance, exhibition, and social interaction. Even more exciting, the virtual world could be constantly extended.
Attendees were also treated to other immersive and engaging virtual music experiences. Web7, Le Juiice, and Maxence performed at the VRROOM Alpha Party, a live immersive concert in VR, in partnership with Deezer and Pico. Each of these emerging French artists performed in different virtual worlds.
Then, there was also the Metaverse Music Concert, presented by YOOM and Active Theory. The interactive, volumetric music concert took concertgoers into a special metaverse space inspired by the famous 6th Street in Austin, Texas.
SXSW 2023 also offered a range of compelling conference sessions across 15 tracks, including interactive tracks exploring science, technology, culture, government, and more; film tracks covering both the creative and business elements of film and TV production; and music tracks featuring content on the making, marketing, impact, and future of music.
Moreover, SXSW 2023 included several competitions, such as the SXSW Innovation Awards, SXSW Pitch, and SXSW EDU, as well as the SXSW Film & TV Festival and the SXSW Music Festival, both of which offered a wide range of content and experiences for attendees to enjoy.
A Marvel of Innovation – Multi-sensory Augmented Reality Gaming
Every year, the SXSW Innovation Award honors the most innovative and forward-thinking technology, design, and creative work in various industries, including music, film, and interactive media. This year’s SXSW 2023 awards featured over 50 digital projects from around the world, classified into 14 different categories such as Artificial Intelligence, Health and MedTech, and Sustainability.
One of the finalists in the Convergent Gaming category was Time Investigators, a multi-sensory augmented reality game by Picture This Productions and Mary Rose Museum. The AR game players become Time Detectives, investigating the sinking of Henry VIII’s favorite ship, the Mary Rose, which claimed the lives of almost all the 500 soldiers and sailors on board.
Project Director Charlotte Mikkelborg consulted with Dr. Alex Hildred, Mary Rose’s Head of Research, to make the experience as realistic and as true to history as possible. Time Investigators, which also took the Award for Convergent Gaming home, immerses players in the sights, sounds, and even smells of life on board the ship almost 500 years ago.
Reflecting the true diversity of our world then and now, the game brings players on a roller-coaster journey through history. Players choose a character and receive a mission from the king. Using their smartphones as spyglass, they unravel secrets from the past. Then they follow a trail to solve the mystery and complete their mission. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Cutting-Edge XR Experiences That Push the Boundaries of Storytelling and Technology
The SXSW XR Experience showcases the latest in immersive technology and XR. For many years now, it has provided creators and developers with a platform to showcase their innovative projects. It has also allowed attendees to immerse themselves in cutting-edge XR experiences that push the boundaries of storytelling and technology.
The SXSW 2023 XR Experience gave us the latest and most innovative immersive experiences, from VR concerts to interactive installations. Three standout experiences include the aespa VR Concert, Once A Glacier, and Symbiosis.
Aespa at KWANGYA
Aespa, a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment, presented the world premiere of their VR concert at KWANGYA at the SXSW 2023 XR Experience. In the virtual world of KWANGYA, created by SM Culture Universe, the four-member K-pop group performed their debut song “Black Mamba” and “Illusion” to a global audience.
The concert was captured using AmazeVR’s proprietary technology, which delivers high-definition stereoscopic live-action footage. Unreal Engine-based VFX tools, AI modules, and other state-of-the-art production software were used to deliver the next stage of music.
To offer more fans the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the members of aespa and see their performance up-close in 9K+ resolution, the aespa concert at KWANGYA will soon be launched on major VR headset platforms.
“Once a Glacier” – A One-of-a-Kind Story Experience
A 10-minute VR film Once A Glacier, which had its world premiere at SXSW 2023, merges the interactive world of glaciers and 360 storytelling. The experience was created by Director and Writer Jiabao Li, and Executive/Creative Producer Jenny Qinya Guo, who guided the narrative filmmaking within VR technology.
Utilizing real-world audio collected by Jiabao Li from glaciers in Alaska, the experience offers a multi-sensory journey into the heart of glacier culture with the smells of the glacier, swamp, freezer, and museum being released as the story progresses. The team used satellite data of Matanuska glaciers to model the disappearing glaciers in the experience. The contrast of scale within the experience is remarkable. It clearly showed the contrast between an enormous glacier during the first expedition and the tiny ice that was left of it in the latter part of the story.
The experience merges technology with storytelling to offer a better understanding of climate change and its effects on our world. Through the use of VR technology, the audience can participate in helping save the last glacier ice with a young girl. It also incorporates the Himalayan process of marrying a male glacier and a female glacier to grow a “glacier” over time for irrigation, showing where agriculture and ancient wisdom converge.
The final scene where the girl’s chunk of the glacier is auctioned to a group of cosmopolitan elites reflects the irony that despite being the largest climate change contributors, the elites are still the ones who can preserve the last remnants of the natural world for themselves. The use of VR technology allowed the audience to participate in the action of helping save that last glacier ice while also addressing the commodification of nature by elites.
“Symbiosis” – Merging Humans, Technology, and Nature
Symbiosis is a multi-sensory XR experience created by Dutch interdisciplinary artist collective Polymorf, in collaboration with Studio Biarritz. Polymorf brought Symbiosis to the US for the first time in November 2022, and it got its Texas premiere at SXSW 2023.
The experience takes place in a fictional world set 200 years into the future. In this world, humans have merged with technology and nature to become a symbiont—a human-animal and human-machine hybrid. The biotope now teems with genetically altered life forms, enhanced biochemical life, robots, autonomous intelligent systems, and other artificial or enhanced forms. In this world, all share resources and cohabitate in symbiosis.
When participants enter the virtual world, they become both a spectator and a performer. They choose a symbiotic role and interact with their surroundings. Through individualized haptic suits, soft robotics, taste and smell-based story elements, and VR headsets with olfactory fixtures, they experience a fully immersive, multi-sensory world that engages all five senses. The experience culminates in a collective eating ritual where participants share virtual and real foods.
An Exciting Year Ahead for the XR Industry
The pace of technological innovation is only going to accelerate as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. As we look ahead, it is important to keep in mind that these new technologies will bring not only new opportunities but also new challenges. It will be critical to approach these innovations with a keen awareness of their potential impact on society and the environment, and to work together to ensure that we harness their power for the greater good.
Still, the future of the XR industry is full of promise, and the possibilities are endless. By embracing the spirit of innovation and collaboration, we can build a brighter tomorrow for ourselves and for generations to come.
February is Black History Month and it’s not too late to honor through the magic of XR thanks to these activations from ROSE, TIME and Meta, and Virbela.
Walk Through Black History With ROSE
As a Black-owned company, ROSE makes an effort every year to create an immersive and educational experience for Black History Month, and this year the company delivered yet again. This year’s AR experience, with “resistance” as the highlight, is titled Marching Forward.
The experience, which you can visit here on your smartphone, takes the form of a double row of AR statues. You walk down the aisle and tap the statues to learn more about their inspiration.
“We really wanted to create balance within the experience with the solid bronze look of the statues and in turn, draw the users to explore the changing Black Lives Matter text on the ground,” explained ROSE Art Director Jourdan Johnson. “The text updates to display colorized images related to the moment to get a better understanding of what they are learning about.”
This involves physically moving down the aisle, which is a powerful experience but can be complicated for example in smaller spaces. If you need more room or have mobility issues, you can reposition the experience to make it easier.
The stories start with the roots of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, moving up through the Black Panther Party, art and literature movements through the 1980s, and moving up into the current-day BLM movement. The story behind each statue is read by professional voice actress Joy Ofodu. You also have the option to read the information yourself.
“From a podium or a canvas, your voice can be heard and can make a difference. That is an important message for everyone going through this experience,” said Johnson. “We can use the knowledge of the past and get inspired, particularly for those who are not Black, to support and amplify Black voices in our communities in a multitude of ways.”
Experience the Struggle With TIME and Meta
Meta teamed up with TIME to create MLK: The Time is Now, a free experience exploring how ongoing issues like housing, voting rights, and law enforcement practices remain real issues facing the Black community 60 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The experience works comfortably while sitting and employs hand tracking.
Hand tracking is often an intimate part of the experience, bringing users into the different vignettes presented in the experiences. For example, the second experience, putting you in the seat of a Black man in a car that has just been pulled over, only progresses when you take your hands off of the steering wheel, escalating the situation with the four police officers.
The experience, available on Meta Quest, uses a combination of artistic and engaging virtual reality, moving voiceovers, recorded interviews with modern subjects, and archival footage and audio. Overall, the experience is a brief but powerful exploration of the fact that the Voting Rights Act did not bring complete equality.
This experience was not created specifically for Black History Month – it actually came out last month. But, if you’re looking for educational XR experiences to celebrate BHM, put this on your list. And, if you don’t get around to it in February, it isn’t going anywhere.
Step Into Virbela’s New and Improved Black History Library
For our final stop this Black History Month, we’re visiting Virbela. If you’ve celebrated Black History Month with ARPost in the past, you already know about Virbela’s Black History Library. It’s true, this isn’t the first time that the platform has hosted this initiative, but it is the first time since the platform got a major graphics update last spring.
The library is bigger, brighter, and better than ever in its new home. Inside, the library is divided into sections on musicians, authors, playwrights, programmers, and more. So, browse around or go straight to what interests you. The actual items in the library are links that take you to reading suggestions, music playlists, and other resources.
To find the library, enter the Virbela open campus. Then, click on the map icon in the upper right corner. At the top of the page, change the view from “Campus Map” to “World Map” and select the Black History Library from the menu on the right.
How Do You Honor Black History Month
Whether you’re walking through Black history with ROSE, putting your hands on it with TIME and Meta, or reading up on it with Virbela, we hope that you make the best of this Black History Month by diving into XR.
With 1.65 billion hours viewed, Squid Game is Netflix’s most-watched series. And soon, Squid Game fans will be able to do more than just watch their favorite show. Netflix has announced a partnership with Sandbox VR to create a fully immersive Squid Game VR experience. Thus, everyone will be able to become an actor and experience the action in the show in a premium location-based VR experience.
Squid Game Becomes a Top Location-Based Virtual Reality Experience
Sandbox VR focuses on building location-based immersive experiences using VR technology.
Using patented motion-tracking technology, the company lets players use their own bodies as controllers. This offers the most realistic and immersive experience – free of handheld devices, wires, and other physical limitations.
These are some of the reasons why Netflix chose Sandbox VR to develop the Squid Game VR experience. The players will find themselves in the well-known locations of the show and will engage in competitions with other players.
Become a Star in the Squid Game VR Experience
What is more exciting about this VR experience is the fact that you will leave with more than just memories. Each player will receive a personalized video showing the highlights of their actions in the game and a summary of their Squid Game storyline.
This is the next best thing to actually starring in the show, something that Sandbox VR considers important.
“Our mission is to bring people closer together through world-class immersive experiences. What could be a more perfect fit than Squid Game, the most widely shared and discussed television series of the past years?” said Steve Zhao, founder and CEO of Sandbox VR, in a press release shared with ARPost. “It’s an amazing opportunity to partner with Netflix to provide these fans the chance to transport themselves into the world of the show.”
Sandbox VR – the Right Choice for a Premium VR Experience
The choice made by Netflix for this partnership is fully justified. Sandbox VR is a fast-growing company. They are now operating in over 30 locations across five countries and expanding rapidly.
Sandbox VR – Chicago, IL
Sandbox VR currently offers six proprietary experiences: Deadwood Valley, Amber Sky 2088, Curse of Davy Jones, Deadwood Mansion, Star Trek: Discovery, and Unbound Fighting League (UFL). According to the company, “all Sandbox VR experiences are developed by an in-house AAA gaming studio led by game industry veterans and are specifically designed for groups to play as social experiences.”
As Zhao put it, adding Squid Game to their line-up of experiences is “a perfect fit”.
When Will Squid Game VR Experience Be Available and Where?
The Squid Game-based VR experience will open in late 2023. The US fans can enjoy this and other Sandbox VR experiences in more than 20 locations, and more than 15 states, including California, New Jersey, Texas, Minnesota, Nevada, Illinois, and Washington.
Sandbox VR – San Francisco, CA
More locations are set to open in the near future in Kentucky, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
BRCvr, the award-winning virtual version of Black Rock City, will present Re-Burn-23 this month. The global virtual Burning Man-inspired event can be accessed via Zoom and AltspaceVR. It will run from January 27 to January 29, 2023, and will include exciting additions to its lineup, such as the metaverse environment “Blind Burners World.”
What Is Re-Burn-23?
Re-Burn-23 is a three-day immersive virtual event that will bring together artists, technologists, Burners, the Burner-curious, and other creatives in a Burning Man-inspired event.
It will feature new additions, such as Blind Burners World, as well as popular immersive worlds from previous virtual burn events. “We are taking the principle of ‘Communal Effort’ to a whole new level, bringing technologies and artists together in a robust collaboration that integrates 360 video from the 2022 burn with 3D digital assets, continuing our efforts to bring a rich Burner experience to the globe,” said Athena Demos, co-founder of BRCvr, in a press release shared with ARPost.
Re-Burn-23 is organized by Big Rock Creative (BRC), an award-winning company that crafts unique XR experiences. Offered as a gift to enthusiasts, this virtual event will be free of charge for interested individuals.
The event can be accessed by a global audience via Zoom, for mobile and desktop devices, and AltspaceVR, for VR headsets, Macs, and PCs. The wide accessibility via VR and 2D is an effort to bring about radical inclusion. Re-Burn-23 will be the final virtual burn event that will be hosted on the Microsoft AltspaceVR platform, since the platform is, unfortunately, shutting down on March 10 this year.
Blind Burners World
Re-Burn-23 will feature many new additions, and one of them is Blind Burners World.
Blind Burners World is the first-ever immersive metaverse environment that will showcase works by artists with visual impairment. In partnership with Blind Burners – a community of blind, partially sighted, and sighted artists and performers – Blind Burners World is designed to be navigable by sound. It will feature a gallery showcasing art and photography by artists with blindness and low vision, a Temple of Accessibility, and a Galactic Sound Garden. Each artwork will come with an audio description made and recorded by the artist.
“When Burning Man communities moved online in 2020, Athena and the team at BRCvr were the first to embrace our call for accessibility in the metaverse,” said Blind Burners founder, Chris Hainsworth. “Without accessibility, cultural claims to radical inclusion are as shallow as a teacup.”
BRCvr Immersive Documentary Experience
On Re-Burn-23, participants will have the opportunity to watch a preview of the BRCvr Immersive Documentary Experience. It will be presented in a format of mixed reality storytelling in an immersive documentary application. The preview will feature live-action content captured during the 2022 on-playa burn in Black Rock City and will allow participants to engage and share this new experience.
Re-Burn-23 will feature other events including Sovereign Light 2023, Daisy Shaw’s World Tour of Re-Burn-23, a content creator meet and greet, artist talks, and even a “Bad Movies and Pizza Party” event, where participants can enjoy watching bad movies while eating pizza.
After the exponential growth in the global VR market during the pandemic, the demand for more immersive gaming experiences continues to increase at a steady rate. In fact, the VR gaming market is expected to reach $33.65 billion by 2026.
One clear indication of this growth is the wide variety of virtual reality games available today. We can easily play RPGs, VR puzzle games, platformers, and other game genres on various devices such as VR headsets, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and PCs.
One of the latest additions to the growing list of immersive VR games is Shores of Loci, a single-player narrative puzzle game developed by a women-led production studio, MikeTeeVee. By combining mentally stimulating challenges and soothing sound effects, the game provides users with a unique VR puzzle game experience that eases stress and calms the mind.
Shores of Loci: A Puzzling Adventure
Shores of Loci transports players into a surreal world where they become part of a multidimensional story set in mystical realms. Each chapter takes players into a different dimension where they embark on an adventure, helping giants and villagers reclaim their land and rebuild their homes.
They must reconstruct the virtual domains by finding the right pieces of land and putting them together. Once all the correct puzzle pieces are in place, they merge together into spectacular scenery delivered in crisp 4K resolution.
The gameplay is highly intuitive, creating an inclusive experience as players travel through the different realms. As they complete the puzzles, unique characters start populating the cities and villages they have rebuilt. Aside from having a sense of accomplishment for successfully solving challenging puzzles, players also feel a sense of fulfillment for rebuilding and restoring forgotten civilizations and quaint towns, albeit virtually.
Shores of Loci is also one of the few VR games that are completely for all ages and all genders. The game can be played while standing or sitting, so it’s also inclusive. There are currently five chapters with twelve different puzzles and a sixth chapter set underwater that’s being developed.
An Immersive VR Puzzle Game Set in a Meditative Environment
What sets Shores of Loci apart from other VR puzzle games is the way it integrates a meditative ambience into its gameplay. With the game developed in the midst of the pandemic, its designers were intent on creating a VR game that nurtured the mental health and well-being of players.
Unlike other games that boost adrenaline by putting players in combat environments or competitive scenarios, Shores of Loci encourages peaceful exploration where there are no enemies, no battles, and no time limits. There are no penalties for choosing the wrong puzzle pieces, so players can go leisurely through each puzzle without stressing over scores or rankings. To make the game more relaxing, there are serene sound effects and calming music.
This relaxing gameplay allows users to see virtual reality games from a different perspective. Its compelling puzzles stimulate the brain and enhance logical thinking while its visually striking scenery, beautifully woven story, and tranquil ambient sound soothe the mind and provide a peaceful escape from hectic lives.
VR Games That Positively Impact Lives
As the demand for more meaningful experiences in virtual reality grows, we can expect to see more games like Shores of Loci that aim to positively impact its players. VR games that are both immersive and meditative will provide unique experiences that can uplift our well-being. They will transport us to virtual worlds where we can clear our minds and relieve our stress.
One of the finalists in the Convergent Gaming category was Time Investigators, a multi-sensory augmented reality game by Picture This Productions and Mary Rose Museum. The AR game players become Time Detectives, investigating the sinking of Henry VIII’s favorite ship, the Mary Rose, which claimed the lives of almost all the 500 soldiers and sailors on board.
