World of Tanks and World of Warships developer, Wargaming.net likes to commemorate major wartime events and dates with innovative promotions. Last month the company launched Tank 100, an augmented reality (AR) app to celebrate 100 years since the first tank entered battle in World War 1. Today Wargaming.net has unveiled a virtual reality (VR) around the HMS Belfast.
The HMS Belfast 360° VR Experience takes viewers through the history of the vessel, which played an important role in the Battle of the North Cape in 1943, assisting in the destruction of one of the last big-gun German warships: Scharnhorst. Whilst in service the ship was the most advanced light cruiser in the world, and she will soon arrive in World of Warships as a Tier VII Premium ship, as part of the Royal Navy line.
HMS Belfast is the largest preserved warship in Europe, and with the help of World of Warships historians Richard “The Challenger” Cutland and Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran, viewers will be able to learn about the battle and the ship through 360-degree footage and CGI animations using the detailed 3D ship models from World of Warships.
“HMS Belfast is a famed vessel that inspired us to create an unprecedented VR experience that deepens the historical connection to the World of Warships in-game experience,” said Alex Bobko, Head of Marketing Special Projects at Wargaming. “We just couldn’t pass up such deep access to this noteworthy ship. Visiting her in London allowed us develop groundbreaking content for our viewers, inviting them to jump into a mixed reality VR experience on the real ship, and then get hands-on experience with her in-game.”
The experience can be viewed below, with panning controlled by a mouse or keyboard. The experience can also be viewed through the Littlstar app for devices such as PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and iOS or Android devices for use with Google Cardboard.
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