ACCESS All AreAS cOVER fEatuRE
“ People report feeling they were using a VR screen for longer than they actually were "
- Stephen Bowman , managing director at VR Centre
venues which were enhanced by very different virtual reality experiences .
At the Burj Khalifa , VR users paid up to £ 98 ( Dh500 ) to head up to levels 124 and 125 of the tower to enter into one of seven VR pods . A mission commander provided instructions while riding the elevator in VR mode to the 160th level . Users experienced the gravity-defying ride up , which was gamified by collecting suction globes to ascent to the spire . Once up top , the next step is grabbing the parachute for a free-fall experience into the dancing fountains .
Meanwhile , The Shard , London ’ s tallest building , charged visitors around £ 25 for ‘ Vertigo ’, a virtual adventure which travels back in time to The Shard ’ s construction . VR guests follow Romeo the fox while taking instructions from the construction foreman to build the iconic tower .
Patrick Allen , CEO of The View from The Shard said : “ As the tallest attraction in the UK , we are always looking for new ways to offer exciting and innovative experiences for our visitors . The consumer technology space has been an area we ’ ve been keen to explore for a while and we are excited to be working with the design companies behind the VR , Happy Finish and Inition to introduce these two new adventures to the attraction ’ s visitors .”
Of course , the level of production required to create VR content is often higher than the more linear world of video . “ A package often starts at £ 1,500 for a day with a Nokia Ozo camera setup , but it is pro level with post production and a qualified technician ,” says Wilton .
“ 360 degree video is basically a ' ball of video ', but you don ’ t need a headset on your face . It can be viewed on a flatscreen phone . VR is created to be immersive . It ’ s a teleporter . It takes you to a totally different place . That can be where you could be in reality , or a place of the content creator ’ s imagination .
“ VR is a time machine . You can be in the middle of something set way back or far forward in time . Its third , quite extraordinary , power is to change you temporarily . You are a different person while you are in that VR headset . That ’ s what the gaming and event industry wants . Put the headset on and you are Batman .”
Looking to the future of VR , Stephen Bowman , managing director at VR Centre , says that various consumer technologies are converging to bring mass adoption , and a cheaper price point for entry-level events . “ Location-based software is improving , while mobile devices ’ processing power is increasing rapidly . Meanwhile , 6 DoF technology [ referring to freedom of movement of a rigid body in threedimensional space ] is set to be rolled out , allowing for real time location and interaction .”
Leu adds that new headsets from the likes of HTC ( CS PRo ) and Pixmag are making VR more accessible for events . “ Previously there were more limitations . Virtual tennis games for example would not translate to VR because the wires would interfere with human movement . However , a new generation of VR experiences feature wireless headsets and built-in environment measuring technology . Currently , many use physical ‘ lighthouses ’, which are laser-based positional tracking systems developed by Valve for SteamVR and HTC Vive . These are erected in a dedicated VR area to simulate a physical environment .”
Bowman experienced the Pimax first hand at CES last month . He told Access : “ What really impressed me was the 200 degree field of vision they ’ ve managed achieved , a break from the usual 100 degree field . What ’ s great about VR from a brand perspective is the concept of time-displacement . People report feeling they were using a VR screen for longer than they actually were , which gives brands the chance to fit in a lot of content and create a real impact in a shorter timespan ,” he says .
Most people are now ‘ VR aware ’, and offerings from Lucasfilm and high street brands have helped cement the range of experiences the technology can offer . Now , with top Hollywood studios involved , and ever-cheaper at home technology , VR is here to stay . AAA
34 FEBRUARY 2018 AccEssAA . co . Uk