Where as the idea of playing a card game on a computer has always been something readily accepted – largely in part to the likes of Solitaire being bundled with windows seemingly forever. The idea of playing a videogame version of a board game that wasn’t chess or othello/revesi took a little bit longer to be readily accepted. Now of course we have the likes of Tabletop Simulator that keep us readily entertained, and of course Mario Party to keep us readily trying to strangle our quote-unquote friends.
So, it shouldn’t be that surprising that Magic Leap’s L.E.A.P. conference in Los Angeles we would be introduced to a mixed reality (MR) board game for the Magic Leap One. Although the subject matter may indeed be a little head scratching to some.
From the team at Framestore comes their first content for the headset, in the form of the Air New Zealand sponsored Fact or Fantasy? The Fantastical Game of New Zealand. A four-player shared MR experience, Fact or Fantasy? The Fantastical Game of New Zealand uses a physical board, a digital quizmaster and brings aspects of the country to life in your living room.
It is, of course, a promotional piece to encourage you to go on holiday to the country. Something the General Manager of Global Brand and Content Marketing for Air New Zealand, Jodi Williams, addresses.
“This partnership is an important step towards understanding the part spatial computing could play in the future customer experience both on the ground and in the air. By getting in early and being both a developer and creator we have been able to test and learn, creating an incredible platform from which to explore the potential of this technology as part of our Future Aircraft Cabin Experience programme including concepts such as being able to reframe customers’ perceptions of the physical cabin environment.”
“We are storytellers at Framestore, first and foremost; innovation courses in our veins.” Adds Framestore CEO Sir William Sargent. “The promise of mixed reality excites us enormously, and we are delighted that this project with Air New Zealand and Magic Leap provides us with the chance to show the world the extraordinary potential of this new medium, as we experiment with new ways to share narratives.”
You can check out a video from Air New Zealand showing off the title in action below. VRFocus will have more stories about the developments at the L.E.A.P. conference very soon.