Even in its relatively short lifespan the virtual reality (VR) industry has seen plenty of movie and videogame collaborations, with the biggest probably being the launch of Marvel Powers United VR this month. But that’s not the only movie tie-in this month with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality announcing a new VR rhythm title called Hotel Transylvania Popstic.
Created in collaboration with immersive content studio Specular Theory, Hotel Transylvania Popstic is based on Sony Pictures Animation’s popular Hotel Transylvania franchise – which recently debuted Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.
The title enables players to choose between characters Drac, Mavis, or Johnny as DJ and select songs from that character’s playlist. Players then move to hit incoming targets and avoid obstacles with the help of a custom VR peripheral attachment called a Stic.
“It’s been great to partner with the team at Sony Pictures Virtual Reality to work with their IP in a new way and create something authentic for the VR medium. It demonstrates a needed shift in the ecosystem, and we look forward to more major studios collaborating with indie creators to elevate the industry,” said Ryan Pulliam, CMO and Co-Founder Specular Theory.
The Stic is built for all ages and skill levels with several hundred – which are recommended but not required – shipped to arcades around the world.
“From the outset, Hotel Transylvania Popstic was designed to work for the growing VR arcade audience. It’s the perfect pairing of a movie brand that families love and a music rhythm game that is as fun to watch as it is to play,” said Jake Zim, Senior Vice President, Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Hotel Transylvania Popstic can only be found at VR arcades, with more than 500 already on board including SpringboardVR, Private Label VR, Synthesis VR, VR World NYC and Viveland, in North America, Europe and China.
“The game is well designed and a blast to play. This partnership represents the best in how SpringboardVR, creators and operators can be aligned in getting great content out to the market,” said Will Stackable, Co-Founder, SpringboardVR. “The way Specular Theory and Sony Pictures VR thought about the benefits of launching first in the out-of-home VR space and designing the game accordingly is exactly what we welcome from the creator community.”
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Specular Theory and its latest VR projects, reporting back with any further updates.