So far over the course of this month the BBC has delved into whether virtual reality (VR) can help mental illness, released its first augmented reality (AR) app, and today announced another VR experience. BBC Worldwide has teamed up with Google on a natural history app called BBC Earth: Life in VR for Google Daydream.
Built by BAFTA-winning videogame studio Preloaded in collaboration with BBC Earth Productions and BBC Studio’s VR team, BBC Earth: Life in VR has been inspired by series like Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II. The app allows the user to enter a real-time world, moving them from a passive viewer to an active participant, witnessing first hand the creature behaviours and relationships which sustain the ocean’s rich and diverse ecosystems.
“The journey begins on the Californian Pacific Coast, following a mother sea otter as she forages in the coastal waters,” states the official description. “After exploring kelp forests the player can plunge into the depths of an oceanic trench, experiencing this unique environment and behavior of the animals who live there. Along the way they meet and can interact with a range of animals from microscopic plankton to giant squid and a gargantuan sperm whale.”
Kellee Santiago, Sr. Producer forDaydream Apps said in a statement: “BBC Earth’s experience on Daydream makes exploring the wonders of our world more immersive and accessible than ever before. It allows audiences to guide themselves, based on whatever takes their interest. The experience truly showcases the unique capabilities of the interactive and immersive format of Daydream to provide a platform for deeper understandings of our world.”
“We are really excited to be working with Google to bring BBC nature content to Daydream. VR allows us to provide our audiences a new level of immersion unparalleled by other mediums and tell stories of the natural world in a new and exhilarating way,” adds Bradley Crooks, Head of Digital Entertainment & Games, BBC Worldwide.
BBC Earth: Life in VR is available now from Google Play as a free downloadable app. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the BBC, reporting back with further VR and AR announcements.