When it comes to virtual reality (VR) the usually highly experimental SEGA have been a tad hesitant to embrace the new technology. With the exception being the releases on PlayStation 4 of the PlayStation VR compatible games relating to Hatsune Miku. But Miku and her Vocaloid brethren are still licenced characters, and SEGA have yet to bring any characters or franchises they expressly own over to VR. Which is a little odd, as it’s not like they haven’t a fair few that could make the leap.
That’s not to say SEGA aren’t known to have been experimenting with it and other vision technologies. Videos from both SEGA Europe and SEGA America have both shown various headsets at their offices. SEGA America’s being a somewhat jokey (and meme related) mixed reality (MR) video for the Sonic The Hedgehog social media accounts that showed that the branch was in possession of at least one Microsoft Hololens.
The dream is real pic.twitter.com/JQtW6OVwP7
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) January 18, 2017
Now it seems something more concrete may have come from their – or someone connect with the publisher’s – efforts. Eagle-eyed members over at UK-based Sonic The Hedgehog fan site The Sonic Stadium spied that something distinctly hedgehog related is apparently coming to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). As well as a line-up of other VR and augmented reality (AR) experiences, including many previously featured on VRFocus such as Raw Data, Paranormal Activity, Project Cars and John Wick, slotted away on the Comic-Con website’s Toucan blog is also the apparent reveal of a Sonic-related AR to be found at The Futurism & Tech Pavilion.
“Sega is presenting an AR Sonic experience and a special concert with the awesome Shota Nakama on Thursday evening, and dome takeover on Friday!”
The ‘dome takeover’ it seems refers to the MR/360 domes of FulldomePro that will be at the pavilion and will apparently be involved in some way after the initial reveal. There is no word or clarification from SEGA yet as to what this experience entails or if it involves forthcoming videogames Sonic Forces or Sonic Mania, but it is likely that more will be revealed early next week.
VRFocus will of course, barring any giant water monsters or moustachioed space stations, bring you more news when it is revealed.