HP Innovation Journal Issue 10: Fall 2018 | Page 37

One of the experiences that HP showcased at the Cannes Film Festival’s Next VR event, Chorus is part sci-fi adventure, part interactive game, part music video. Colin Decker, WITHIN’s chief operating officer, describes it this way: “You very quickly realize you have abilities with your hands, lasers and whips and weird stuff. The most magical moment is when two people are in an experience together, and they acknowledge each other as these absurd creature-avatars. They typically burst out in joyful laughter.” “One of the complaints about VR is that it is isolating,” says Popper, noting that Chorus is a great example of where the art form is heading. “But in many of the location-based experiences, you are able to go and share it with you friends and family. In this case, up to six people can enjoy it together.” Dave & Buster’s multiplayer VR attraction, “Jurassic World,” launched earlier this month. Courtesy of VRStudios. “I THINK WE WILL GET TO A POINT WHEN YOU CAN GO TO A MOVIE THEATER AND EVERYBODY WATCHING THE MOVIE WILL EXPERIENCE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.” — Shane Hall, Chief Technology Officer, HP Inc. BEHIND THE MAGIC: HP TECHNOLOGY For VR filmmakers, having the access to cutting-edge technology like HP’s VR-ready backpacks is crucial to realizing their vision. “If you want to have a location-based experience with that kind of maximum fidelity, having a backpack that can give you the freedom to move is huge. We love the backpacks that have some sonic stuff in them, so you can feel the beats and things like that,” explains WITHIN COO Colin Decker, who hopes to have Chorus available later this year. For all the magic that current VR films and HP hardware pro- vides, the landscape is changing quickly, and the gear is evolving. “We’re constantly getting feedback from the market, and listening to what would make the experiences better,” says Popper. HP’s Chief Technology Officer Shane Wall likens it to another familiar tech evolution—from the first primitive command lines of Microsoft’s 1980s DOS to today’s rich, cross-platform Windows experience. “It took a number of years to see that happen,” Wall re- marked at the Cannes Film Festival. "We’re going to the same thing in VR. I am careful not to get too constrained by VR as we know it today.” One piece of equipment sure to change is the headset. Today’s bulky setup “blocks your vision and is pretty antisocial,” says Wall, who predicts we’ll see wireless headsets within the next two years. And after that? “I think we will get to a point when you can go to a movie theater and everybody watching the movie will experience something different.” The Garage by HP FIND AN EXPERIENCE NEAR YOU Are you ready to have your mind blown? No need to wait. Here are a few places to check out location-based VR: VR WORLD NYC – A $40 pass buys you two hours of VR experiences THE VOID – Bringing experiences like "Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire" to locations in Los Angeles, London, Florida and more IMAX VR – Now you can experience VR at select AMC movie theaters Zero Latency – Free-roam, multiplayer games, available in nine countries worldwide Periscape VR – Give VR a whirl while waiting for your flight at JFK airport (shown above, top image) Jurassic World VR Expedition at Dave & Busters – Fight velociraptors, T-Rexes and more at over 110 locations around the U.S. This article originally appeared on the Garage by HP. Visit garage.ext.hp.com for more stories on how technology is improving our world. 37