How VR Startup Nomadic Adapted ‘Arizona Sunshine’ for Location-Based Virtual Reality
When Bay Area-based virtual reality (VR) startup Nomadic began to work on adapting the VR zombie shooter “Arizona Sunshine” for location-based entertainment, it first built a doll house-scale model of the stage that players would eventually be able to enter.
On a wooden peg board, the Nomadic team arranged small wooden doors, walls and physical props — all the things that make location-based VR so realistic, tricking the brain into believing that you really walk across a plank from one roof to another. “We used cans of Red Bull to represent players,” said Nomadic CEO Doug Griffin.
The results of Shafer’s work can now be seen at the Pointe Orlando mall in Florida, where Nomadic recently opened its first VR center. Groups of up to four paying customers get to strap on a computer backpack and put on an Oculus Rift VR headset, and then enter the world of “Arizona Sunshine,” where they are tasked with finding a cure for the zombie outbreak — a task that naturally involves shooting a lot of zombies.
Throughout the experience, there are real walls, doors and other physical cues that correspond with items in the virtual world shown in the headsets. Players get to turn door knobs and open doors, press buttons, turn levers, and yes, even touch a dead body.
When they stick their head out of the moving train, wind blows into their face. The plank wobbles, platforms move under their feet. Especially curious minds will even find real drawers to open, hiding gimmicks like a real rubber ducky. “I spend a lot of time crafting those Easter eggs,” Shafer said.
One example: The aforementioned plank was initially positioned towards the end of the experience, leading a few players to literally freeze up. Now, it’s at the beginning, easing players into the experience. “We are challenging people to do things that they normally wouldn’t do,” Shafer said, adding: “They can be the hero of their own adventure.”
Nomadic can guide up to four groups at the same time through the experience, with doors locking and unlocking in time to make sure that groups don’t accidentally stumble across each other.
Griffin isn’t worried about the competition, arguing that there is still a lot of unmet demand for location-based VR. “The industry has been responding with excitement — and way more demand than we are able to accommodate,” he said.
See the full story here: https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/nomadic-arizona-sunshine-1203035531/