VR Review: Jon Favreau’s ‘Gnomes & Goblins’
Fresh off his blockbuster success with “The Jungle Book,” Jon Favreau is trying his hands at an entirely different medium. With “Gnomes & Goblins,” Favreau is pushing the boundaries of virtual reality storytelling, and laying the foundation for the creation of a magical world of immersion.
a free preview for the HTC Vive ..., which offers users the ability to move about within a space of up to 10 by 10 feet. It’s what’s being called a room-scale experience, and in this instance it puts participants right into a small clearing between a few trees that turn out to be anything but ordinary.
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At first, there is no sign of the tiny inhabitants who have made these trees their home, and there’s no task or puzzle that would suggest the need to do anything. Instead, the viewer is free to explore this world on their own terms. The will-o’-the-wisps also help to guide one’s attention, pointing out various objects to look at and places to explore.
...But then, a tiny goblin appears. Timid, yet curious, he tries to keep his distance, looking at the viewer and responding to their motions. Extend your hand towards the goblin, and he will move out the way. Move your head or change your position in the room, and his eyes will follow you around.
“Gnomes & Goblins,” which was created by Favreau, has been developed by Venice, California-based virtual reality studio WEVR in cooperation with Reality One, with Jake Rowell as creative director and Andrew R. Jones as animation director.
And it is definitely a process. Favreau and WEVR plan to add to “Gnomes & Goblins” over time, and want to use the preview release to gather feedback from the community to plot their future course.
In many ways, that’s actually fitting for a magical forest. You don’t know what adventures lie ahead of you. What’s clear, even with this early preview, is that “Gnomes & Goblins” is going to be exciting. In fact, the title is so impressive that it will quickly become one of the handful of experiences any HTC Vive owner will use to show off the world of virtual reality to their friends and family.
See the full story here: http://variety.com/2016/digital/reviews/vr-review-jon-favreaus-gnomes-goblins-1201858143/