Startup Backed by Spielberg and Studios Seeks to Create VR Experiences for Malls
A new venture backed by three studios and director Steven Spielberghas raised $11 million as it aims to launch its first VR storefront at a Los Angeles mall this fall with plans for a wider rollout next year.
Dreamscape Immersive will feature original VR experiences and ones tied to major film franchises, said co-chairman Walter Parkes, a former DreamWorks motion picture chief and longtime producer.
The company’s technology, developed by Swiss firm Artanim, allows multiple people to interact in a single virtual reality environment. It uses 16 cameras and sensors on as many as six users’ hands and feet, making it more advanced than the home systems currently offered by companies such as Sony Corp. and Facebook Inc.’s Oculus.
Dreamscape’s chief executive is Bruce Vaughn, who worked at Disney for 23 years, most recently as chief creative officer of the Imagineering group that designs theme park attractions.
“What’s similar is we’re creating shared experiences and transporting people to worlds that otherwise only exist in their imaginations,” said Mr. Vaughn. “What’s different is we’re not building bricks and mortar and walls that you can’t change your mind about.”
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