Miku Land Gate is a VR World Opening This Summer Dedicated to Hatsune Miku

Miku Land Gate

Japanese videogame character Hatsune Miku has appeared in a couple of virtual reality (VR) titles over the past few years and this summer she’s going to return with her own world. Called Miku Land Gate, the virtual world will be a limited time event for Hatsune Miku fans.

Hatsune Miku

Hosted on Virtual Cast, a live VR communication service which launched back in 2018, Miku Land Gate is essentially a Hatsune Miku themed amusement park designed Japan-based Takeru Shoji Architects; a firm which normally works on homes and shops.

Virtual Cast is downloadable for free on Steam supporting headsets including Oculus Rift and Valve Index. The PC version of Miku Land Gate will allow users to create their own avatar before heading inside the park. Then they can attend an opening/ending ceremony, interact with other visitors and purchase merchandise. These will be digital and physical products made exclusively for the event.

If you don’t have a PC VR headset then you can always join in via mobile. You’ll need Gugenka’s Holomodels smartphone app (available on iOS/Android) to participate plus the app will be selling a digital life-size Hatsune Miku figure.

Hatsune Miku VR

As mentioned Miku Land Gate won’t be a permanent virtual attraction as it’ll only run for a couple of days from 8th – 10th August 2020.

Created by Crypton Future Media, Hatsune Miku has gained quite the following both in its native Japan and abroad thanks to the catchy music, anime style and interactive gameplay in titles like Hatsune Miku VR. For further VR updates on Hatsune Miku, keep reading VRFocus.

Rem From Re:Zero Comes To HoloModels, The AR Anime Figure App

Earlier this year VRFocus reported on the release of a new augmented reality (AR) app called HoloModels, released by Japanese company Gugenka from CS-REPORTERS.INC. The app allows user to build a collection of anime figures within virtual space and decorate their surrounding with them. Now, HoloModels has announced a new figure is coming to the app as part of a collaboration with the popular anime series Re:Zero.

HoloModels Rem

The collaboration sees the character Rem having been released as an additional figure who can be purchased within the app. Rem comes in her iconic maid outfit complete with a number of items to allow users to pose her however they want. From action scenes to having her prepare breakfast, HoloModels allows users to place, pose and capture their virtual figure collection however they wish.

Rem also comes with a few extras including a cutout of one of the enemies from Re:Zero which can be used to set up fight scenes. With the included posable morning star weapon, Rem can deliver justice to anyone or anything that the user so wishes. A number of posable hands and stickers also come with the purchase of the Rem pack offering new options for users to build scenes. Of course, these can be mixed with the other characters and items meaning the limit is only the users imagination and available items.

HoloModels Rem

When placed in the world, Rem and the other characters with HoloModels, can be posed and adjusted up to a life-size scale allowing users to then walk around them in full 360. Users are able to adjust Rem’s facial expression as well to help set the tone of the scene. Once everything is set up and in place users are able to take photos and then share them over social media to share off their collection.

Later this year there will be another new character coming to HoloModels in the form of a life-size Yui model from the One Room VR app, which is being demonstrated at an upcoming event in Tokyo on 3rd May. HoloModels is currently available to download for free on iOS devices running iOS 11 and up with an Android release planned.

VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on HoloModels and its future collaborations so stay tuned for more.

Gugenka Release HoloModels, AR Anime Figures

A new app released by Japanese company Gugenka from CS-REPORTERS.INC allows users to decorate their homes with augmented reality (AR) figures of anime characters.

HoloModels Promotion 02

Gugenka specialise in creating AR and virtual reality (VR) apps for users based on a range of different franchises and intellectual property’s (IP). Their latest release, HoloModels, gives users with a compatible device the ability to indulge in the collection of anime figures all within virtual space. By using the ARKit within iOS, HoloModels is able to scan a playable surface and then let users start decorating the space however they wish.

Characters that are placed in the world can be posted and adjusted to create scenes that a user is then able to walk around in full 360. With the built in tools a they can adjust the size of the character, post each joint of the figure, find the ideal facial expression for the pose and place items in the hands of characters and in the world as well.

HoloModels Promotion 03

The app features an original character who is included in the app right away. Megu Shinonome is the main character of Gugenka’s original 3D animation “Utatte Onpukko♪,” which is set to be released on YouTube. The Megu Shinonome set included in the app comes with six types of hold-able items, include microphones and cutlery, along with ten types of ornaments such as a karaoke set. Users can also purchase additional AR figures for use within the HoloModels app via the HoloModels website.

HoloModels is available to download for free now for Apple iOS devices running iOS 11 or newer. A release on Android devices is planned for the future.

Some of the other AR apps that Gugenka have released are based on other popular anime franchises such as Sword Art Online. Cardcaptor Sakura, Re: Zero and many more. Their work focuses on AR and VR technology and creating experiences for fans to enjoy.

You can see HoloModels in action in the below video, which is currently only available with Japanese dialog. Subtiles are available thanks to the YouTube player.

For more on Gugenka and HoloModels as updates are released, keep reading VRFocus.