IMAX Officially Closes its Pilot VR Programme

In a blow to digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) for the virtual reality (VR) industry, it has been revealed that IMAX Entertainment will now be closing its VR programme, and with it the rest of its VR centres.

MAX VR Centre Pod Layout

This isn’t too shocking a surprise as the company has been slowly shuttering several of its centres over the last few months. IMAX began its location-based VR adventure in 2016 with the completion of a $50 million USD VR fund with several others investors, aiming to open several centres around the world featuring the latest immersive technology.

This was just a pilot programme and it first started to show signs of trouble with the closure of one of its New York locations in June, followed by its Shanghai, China facility soon after. Then in October the other New York location closed, and last month saw IMAX VR in Manchester, UK, close its doors.

Spotted by Variety, IMAX filed a report with the SEC noting its intention to end the programme: “In connection with the Company’s previously announced strategic review of its virtual reality pilot initiative, the Company has decided to close its remaining VR locations and write-off certain VR content investments.”

Imax VR

“With the launch of the IMAX VR centre pilot program our intention was to test a variety of different concepts and locations to determine which approaches work well. After a trial period with VR centres in multiplexes, we have decided to conclude the IMAX VR centre pilot program and close the remaining three locations in Q1 2019,” an IMAX spokesperson told Variety.

These final locations are in Bangkok, Los Angeles and Toronto. This continues IMAX’s VR woes as the company also halted development of a VR camera in conjunction with Google. Should things get better (or worse), VRFocus will bring you the latest announcements and updates.

IMAX to Close Down All Remaining IMAX VR Centres Soon

IMAX shut down a number of its out-of-home VR Experience Centres a few months ago with the proviso that the company wouldn’t be making further investment into VR during 2019. What wasn’t certain at the time was the fate of the rest of its VR Centres. According to a recent Imax report filed with the SEC, the company is officially stepping away from VR with the closure of its three remaining locations.

In the statement, Imax says it “has decided to close its remaining VR locations and write-off certain VR content investments.”

Speaking to an Imax spokesperson, Variety obtained this statement confirming the closures:

“With the launch of the IMAX VR centre pilot program our intention was to test a variety of different concepts and locations to determine which approaches work well. After a trial period with VR centres in multiplexes, we have decided to conclude the IMAX VR centre pilot program and close the remaining three locations in Q1 2019.”

Two short years ago, Imax garnered $50 million in VC funding for its pilot VR program with the intent to not only open VR centres worldwide, but to create “at least 25 new interactive experiences,” something Imax CEO Richard L. Gelfond at the time called “a new level of premium, high-quality content for use throughout the VR ecosystem.”

Image courtesy IMAXimax vr

Starting in early 2017, Imax opened a number of VR Experience Centres in major cities such as New York, L.A., Manchester, Bangkok, Shanghai, and Toronto. The ultimate aim was to bring movie-going crowds high-quality VR games and brand engagement experiences such as ILMxLab’s Star Wars: Trials on Tatoine, and showcase new VR tech such as Acer & Starbreeze’s wide field of view VR headset StarVR.

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Starting in June 2018, the company closed one of its premier New York locations, which was soon followed by the closure of its only China-based facility in Shanghai. In October, the company announced the closure of its last remaining New York location at AMC Kips Bay.

Only two weeks ago. Imax closed its last remaining European location in Manchester, leaving only three locations carrying the Imax VR name: Toronto, LA, and Bangkok.

All three remaining locations are due to close sometime in the first quarter of 2019.

The post IMAX to Close Down All Remaining IMAX VR Centres Soon appeared first on Road to VR.

IMAX: VR-Arcades schließen Anfang 2019 endgültig

IMAX zieht sich endgültig aus der VR-Branche zurück und schließt seine letzten drei VR-Arcades zu Beginn nächsten Jahres. Das Projekt sei nicht profitabel genug gewesen, wie es von offizieller Seite heißt.

IMAX – Rückzug aus der VR-Industrie und Schließung der letzten Arcades

Das Projekt IMAX VR ist offiziell beendet. Nach und nach wurden diverse Arcade-Einrichtungen seit dem Start 2017 geschlossen. Zuletzt die einzig europäische Einrichtung in Manchester im letzten Monat. Nun sollen auch die letzten drei Spielehallen in im Q1 2019 die Türen schließen. Dazu zählen die erste Flaghsip-Arcade in Los Angeles sowie die beiden VR-Zentren in Bangkok und Toronto. Grund dafür sind fehlende Umsätze, die Arcades sind einfach nicht lukrativ genug. Lediglich eine der insgesamt sieben VR-Zentren habe Gewinne erzielt.

Imax VR 2

So heißt es von offizieller Seite gegenüber Variety:

Mit dem Start des IMAX VR Center Pilotprogramms wollten wir eine Vielzahl verschiedener Konzepte und Standorte testen, um festzustellen, welche Ansätze am besten funktionieren. Nach einer Testphase mit den VR-Zentren in unseren Multiplexkinos haben wir uns dazu entschlossen, das IMAX VR-Pilotprogramm zu beenden und die verbliebenen drei Standorte im ersten Quartal 2019 zu schließen.”

Das Projekt startete erstmals im Jahr 2017 in der Grove Mall in Los Angeles. Vor Ort konnten die Kinobesucher neben einem Filmerlebnis zusätzlich mit einer HTC Vive oder StarVR-Brille in die Virtual Reality abtauchen. Das Angebot wurde insgesamt positiv angenommen, woraufhin eine weltweite Expansion folgen sollte.

StarVR, Kino VR Experience mit Gun

Das Problem dabei: Die Angebote unterschieden sich nicht großartig vom VR-Heimbetrieb. Im Gegensatz zu beispielsweise The Void fehlte spezielle Hard- oder Software, um ein einzigartiges VR-Erlebnis zu gewährleisten. Zwar wurden exklusive VR-Erfahrungen wie Justice League im November angeboten, diese fungierten jedoch mehr zu Promozwecken, anstatt eine besondere Multiplayer-Erfahrung oder Ähnliches zu gewährleisten.

Zusätzlich waren die recht kurzen Sessions vergleichsweise sehr teuer. Mit knapp einem Dollar pro Minute in den virtuellen Gefilden, musste man tief in den Geldbeutel greifen.

(Quellen: Upload VR | Variety)

Der Beitrag IMAX: VR-Arcades schließen Anfang 2019 endgültig zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

IMAX VR Is Dead

IMAX VR Is Dead

A regulatory filing confirms what’s been clear for some time — the IMAX VR experiment is over.

We first set eyes on IMAX VR’s efforts early last year with its well-equipped pods featuring HTC Vives and an early StarVR prototype we noted lacked the smoothness expected from a paid VR experience.

The location was also separated from a theater multiplex so it was unlikely to get much foot traffic — an odd choice for the premiere location of the IMAX brand of VR arcades. We’ve reported on earlier closures, but this latest filing is the nail in the coffin for IMAX VR.

From the filing:

In connection with the Company’s previously-announced strategic review of its virtual reality pilot initiative, the Company has decided to close its remaining VR locations and write-off certain VR content investments.

Many of the virtual worlds IMAX VR embraced for selling tickets were readily available on home VR systems. Other types of location-based VR, like The VOID and Dreamscape Immersive, however, have roll-outs planned heading into 2019 for a caliber of immersion that is unattainable at home. Some of those locations are in the highest foot traffic areas on the planet with brands like Ghostbusters or Star Wars offering exclusive experiences meant to draw people in — so we will be curious to see how those perform over time.

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IMAX Shutters VR Experience Centre in New York, No New VR Investment in 2019

Last year, IMAX opened a number of VR Experience Centres in major cities across the world with the hopes of bringing movie-going crowds high-quality VR games and brand engagement experiences such as ILMxLab’s Star Wars: Trials on Tatoine. Now, the company has shut down their last remaining New York location, and has said they won’t be investing any more into VR during 2019.

As reported by Variety, IMAX says the closure at AMC Kips Bay in New York comes as the conclusion of a pilot test. An IMAX spokesperson told Variety this:

“With the launch of the IMAX VR pilot program our intention was to test a variety of different concepts and locations to determine which approaches work well. After a trial period with VR centres in multiplexes, we have decided to conclude the AMC Kips Bay 15 IMAX VR pilot run.”

This brings the number of closed IMAX VR Centres to a total of three, two locations in New York and another in Shanghai. Only four centres remain: Toronto, LA, Bangkok and Manchester.

Photo courtesy IMAX

In IMAX’s Q3 earnings call last week, CFO Patrick McClymont said the company is “not looking for new business projects. We’re keenly focused on the core business. And that will be approach for next year as well.”

While the earnings call didn’t reveal specifically how their VR locations have performed over the course of the last two years, its ‘New Business’ sector, which includes its VR investments, posted less than half the sales numbers in 2018 in comparison to 2017. IMAX’s ‘New Business’ sector includes the company’s virtual reality initiatives, content licensing and distribution fees of original content, IMAX Home Entertainment, and other business initiatives that are in the development and/or start-up phase.

The earnings call did however reveal that the company’s cost-savings initiative will result in “continued scale-back” of VR and other ‘New Business’.

IMAX’s heavy-handed pay-to-play strategy may be somewhat to blame here. At between $10 – $12 for only 10 minutes of playtime per game, it’s likely not enticing enough for repeat business, as it’s only short enough for a demo of the content, and much more expensive than an IMAX film. The most extreme example: the centre’s four-player room-scale game Curse of Davy Jones costs a staggering $120 for only 30 minutes of gameplay. A $1.50 online booking fee per experience is only adds insult to injury.

Early this summer, IMAX and Google also put a hold on their joint VR camera project, which came only a few weeks after the company closed its Shanghai and second New York VR location.

Whether the cut-backs mean the remaining four locations are due to close as well, we can’t be sure. As a pilot program, it’s been a relatively small exploration into the location-based VR scene in comparison to its core business, which oversees the operation of more than a thousand IMAX theaters worldwide.

The post IMAX Shutters VR Experience Centre in New York, No New VR Investment in 2019 appeared first on Road to VR.

The Virtual Arena: VR’s Bonanza for Commercial Entertainment (Part 2)

Industry specialist Kevin Williams of KWP, concludes his report on the latest developments shaping the digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) sector and all things to do with Commercial virtual reality (VR) deployment seen internationally. In this final part we see the drive for new investment and the realities and speculation on the market’s true worth.

With this final part of our coverage and we rush from Germany, to the Czech-Republic, and a major event in the country’s capital, underlined the influence that this new commercial entertainment utopia is having on the investment community. Held at the beginning of September, Future Port Prague was a two-day gathering of innovative technology trends and influential speakers on the subject. Along with dedicated conference events there was a showcase arena that comprised demonstrations of the latest tech-trends, ranging from Drone racing, electric-automobiles, smart home appliances and 3D printing to just name some of the exhibits. As part of this, local Czech developers were also promoting their influence on the scene, and VR made a big showing.

Future Port Prague 2018
Future Port Prague 2018 – A packed outdoor festival conference stage. (Credit: KWP)

We have already mentioned in part one of this feature Beat Games; the Czech-based company had a version of the Beat Saber VR arcade setup demonstrating to attendees in the VR Zone of the event. It was interesting to see that unlike normal VR arcade deployments of the game, this enclosure used the latest technology from new industry start-up LIV. The green-screen enclosure and specially tracked virtual camera, placed the player in the centre of the action, superimposing them into the virtual environment – but not only creating a great audience element, the LIV system has been developed to offer a unique takeaway, with the player able to download a video of their ‘performance’, with appropriate social media hooks. The company looking to deploy this platform at several VR arcades.

LIV captures Beat Saber performances
LIV offers an added element to the Beat Saber experience. (Credit: KWP)

Another local Czech-based developer is DIVR Labs – the company famous for a local Prague tourist attraction that is seeing phenomenal business. Golem VR (not to be confused with the other Golem), the attraction is one of the largest free-roaming virtual experiences operating. The basement of the local Prague Hamleys toy store transformed to accommodate a backpack-based VR experience using Oculus CV1’s. Groups of up to four guests traverse the virtual environment – in an experience that sees them transported through time to the 16th century, to discover the mythical Golem and its creator in an interpretation of the story. DIVR has partnered with Hamleys to develop this first free-roaming VR adventure that has no weapons or shooting (one of the first of its kind). The company in negotiations to open additional venues.

Golem VR
A view of the Golem VR experience at Hamleys in the city centre. (Credit: KWP)
(Credit: KWP)

Returning to Future Port Prague, and another Czech-based developer, VRgineers took an exhibition space to offer the first public demonstrations of their XTAL head-mounted display (HMD). This system offers what the company calls an Enterprise-ready solution with a world’s first AutoEye system, offering automatically aligned lenses to the user’s eyes as well as an incredible wide field of view. The system has already been taken up by the local automotive industry, and the company is now in the process of receiving additional investment towards offering the platform too interested location-based VR developers. The company running at the event the ability to fly in a networked aerial combat using the visual fidelity achieved with the XTAL.

XTAL
The XTAL headset in action. (Credit: KWP)

The next phase of high-end VR headsets has seen a shift in focus towards Enterprise opportunities (a sector prepared to pay for a technological lead). Most recently Kickstarter-funded Pimax demonstrated in Europe the production version of the Pimax 8K wide-field of view system, but also at the same time revealed a cost-reduced version. We saw at the Chinese Amusement trade conference in March one of the first Chinese attraction developers experimenting with the Pimax dev-kit on their robotic arm motion platform, and there are reports of at least one major VR park developer looking to deploy this at their site.

VR Enlightenment - Asia Amusement & Attractions (AAA) Expo 2018
VR Enlightenment – Up in the air in a Pimax back at the Asia Amusement & Attractions (AAA) Expo 2018. (Credit: KWP)

The consideration to a wholly focused Enterprise initiative was also seen from StarVR, the company’s Vice Chairman Jerry Kao reported as saying the company was shifting its operational focus to high-end enterprise applications, with the location-based entertainment market to aerospace and automotive. This was reported following the companies unveiling of the StarVR One HMD during SIGGRAPH in Canada. The new headset offering what the company calls a “100% human viewing angle” is clearly packaged to address a DOE centric business model; building on previous associations with IMAX, SEGA and the VRPark in Dubai, as well as through VR attraction projects with StarbreezeZerolight

This year’s SIGGRAPH saw a major push towards location-based VR application of the latest high-end graphics and computer power – many exhibitors showing a shift towards this new business dimension. Leading tracking specialists OptiTrack, introduced their new Active Puck Mini at the event, offering a cost effective and 40% reduced option. The company confirmed that along with conventional motion capture business the system had Location-Based entertainment offerings squarely in their sites. The company has been deployed in many of the leading free-roaming VR installations, and OptiTrak has partnered with Dreamscape Immersive, offering their tracking solution, as well as working in conjunction with several other developers.

Dreamscape Immersive, have been in the news for the tests of their own free-roaming Alien Zoo concept – and the company partnered with movie theatre chain AMC Entertainment late last year, the deal coming after closing some $20 million (USD) of their Series B funding. It is this drive by the movie theatre business to embrace the opportunities of LBE VR that has seen momentous developments in recent weeks. One of the biggest was the announcement that Canadian cinema giants Cineplex had signed a strategic partnership with VRstudios (famous for their VRcade platform and VR experiences). The deal saw Cineplex strategically invest in their VR business, with at least 40 multiplex and location-based entertainment centres planned in the Canada territory by 2021.

Group of players start their progress through VRcade’s Terminal 17 at IAAPA 2017. (Credit: KWP)

This undertaking is mirrored by other cinema chains taking the plunge. The VOID’s “hyper-reality” location-based entertainment (LBE) operation, announced the first “In-Theatre” VR installation in the States – following the signing of an exclusive expansion agreement with leading entertainment and media company Cinemark. This development also saw The VOID LBE VR venues opening across Canada. This news follows on from continuing developments in the movie-theatre sector to embrace the opportunity of VR attractions tailored for their unique audience mix. With the expansion of the operation The VOID was also linked to brand new game content building on influential Intellectual Properties (IPs) – a joint venture of ILMxLAB, a division of Lucasfilm, and The VOID, will see a “one-of-a-kind, original adventure” based in the Wreck-it Ralph films’ unique world (tentatively called Ralph Breaks VR). This is the first of several immersive virtual reality properties from the developer, based on film licenses, building on previous Ghostbusters and Star Wars experiences.

Ralph Breaks VR

Investing into the cinema scene has gained momentum as the theatre business has seen in the US a 16% decline in ticket sales, attributed to a need for a more diverse offering for the “millennially-minded” audience hoping to be attracted to their locations. Following a spate of mergers and acquisitions in this sector the market has fixated on finding an entertainment-mix to incorporate as a “in-theatre” offering. As we reported in our coverage from the LBE VR summit, manufacturers such as D-BOX Technologies had invested in their own D-BOX Cinematic VR Experience which launched earlier in the year at an Ottawa theatre.

Microsoft LBE Summit 2018: D-BOX’s cinema seat put through its paces with the latest VR experiences created for this sector
D-BOX’s cinema seat put through its paces with the latest VR experiences created for this sector. (Credit: KWP)

This also brings us to developer Nomadic, who have been developing their own location-based adventure-based, tactile VR experiences – the company has promoted heavily in the cinema industry (presenting at the 2017 CinemaCon, and reportedly raising some $6 million in seed funding). Focused initially on a in-theatre approach, the company recently announced they had partnered with Vertigo Games to deploy a turn-key, modular-based VR platform based on Arizona Sunshine LB Elite. The first installations schedule to open fall this year. How much this space will mirror the wireless VR experience seen at Gamescom, in Germany recently has yet to be revealed. But this nicely takes us full circle from where this coverage began.

Arizona Sunshine LBE at Gamescom 2018
Arizona Sunshine LBE at Gamescom 2018. (Via HTC)

In just a matter of months and we have seen a level of investment in immersive entertainment focusing on developing virtual reality – far surpassing the previously wild speculation of the consumer VR sector. We have seen colourful analysis on the worth of the Commercial Entertainment or LBE VR market – most notably the SuperData chart that looked at a $995 million valuation of Location-Based entertainment by 2021. And we have seen other charts rise the gambit as high as $12 Billion by 2023 (Greenlight Insights), hopeful speculation to be sure – but based on a growing hunger to maximise the aspirations of the audience, to the abilities of this sectors technology, where the consumer equivalent has failed to deliver (for whatever reasons).

LBE Market Forecast via SuperData
LBE Market Forecast via SuperData

It is important to understand that the VR arcades scene is still at a very early stage of development and has by no means established itself as a dependable business model. One such example of this is the IMAX pilot scheme to establish their concept of IMAX VR LBE operations. News recently broke that two of the seven opened sites had been closed (one in New York and one in Shanghai). The IMAX board had already revealed at the beginning of the year in an investor call that the sites were not all operating at the expected financial level, and there was no real surprise that the roll out was being reversed.

On a recent visit to the only European IMAX VR location in Manchester, the site was seen to be closed off for a private party – and while claimed to still be popular, it was revealed that the adjacent Odeon cinema had been giving away vouchers for free VR experiences, with the purchase of movie tickets; in a hope to drive some business. We have also heard reports of major reshufflings of executive teams and complete management replacements at some of the early LBE VR manufacturers and operators, The VOID saw the departure of their CTO and CEO, while other operations in pivoting towards a commercial entertainment business model have had to drastically restructure their executive team, unable to fathom the realities of the DOE business.

But we have not seen anything yet, and one of Europe’s largest amusement and attraction conventions is about to take place in a matter of weeks – already sources have revealed a record number of new VR attractions about to be launched. While the UK amusement trade will hold their Autumn Coin-Op Show (ACOS), taking place at Olympia London during October, and will include the first London Future of Immersive Leisure (FOIL) seminar run alongside ACOS, focusing on the business opportunities presented by immersive technology to the UK’s out-of-home entertainment industry (this event hosted by our consultancy KWP) – look out on VRFocus for the latest developments from these events in the days and weeks to come.

 

Google And IMAX Have Halted Work On Their Cinema VR Camera

Back in 2016, Google and IMAX announced that the two companies would be embarking on a joint venture to build a virtual reality (VR) camera. Now it seems that this will no longer be happening as the project has quietly be canceled following months of work and a pilot program that was launched back in early 2017.

Google Logo

The news comes from Variety who reported that the project had be canceled after receiving an email from a IMAX spokesperson. They also reached out to Google for a comment but a spokesperson declined to comment on the partnership and the status of the headset. “We’ve currently paused the development of the Imax VR camera while we continue to review the viability of our pilot program,” IMAX said in their email to Variety.

The pilot program that was launched back in 2017 saw IMAX opening a number of different VR centers within several locations around the world. Recently two of those canters were closed, and plans to decide the future of those that remain will be sorted in the coming months.

The actual decision to stop the development of the VR camera though apparently came from Google, a source told Variety. Google reported canned the project late last year as part of a shift to focus on augmented reality (AR) rather then VR, the source claims. This may or may not be the case but given Google’s continued work on their ARCore it could very well be true.

The VR headset that the two companies were working on was designed to offer cinema-grade quality within a compact VR headset which would allow filmmakers and content creators a means to deliver the highest-quality 3D 360-degree experiences to their audience across the world. Of course, now that the project has been canned it is unclear what will happen to the work that was already put into the project or the fate of the remaining IMAX pilot centers.

Recently IMAX has been working with the likes of Nickelodeon to offer unique VR experiences but there has been no word on any work related to VR headsets. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest from both Google and IMAX in the future, so stay tuned for more.

IMAX VR: Nickelodeon veröffentlicht SlimeZone VR

Nickelodeon hält mit ihrer neuen sozialen VR-Erfahrung SlimeZone VR Einzug in die IMAX VR Zentren an diversen Standorten. So ist der spaßige Multiplayertitel ab sofort in Amerika in Los Angeles, New York und Toronto spielbar. Zukünftig soll das schleimige Vergnügen ebenfalls nach Schanghai, Bangkok und Manchester expandieren.

Slimezone VR in amerikanischen IMAX VR Zentren verfügbar

Die VR-Erfahrung SlimeZone VR erlaubt es bis zu sechs Spielern gleichzeitig, in die bunte virtuelle Welt von Nickelodeon einzutauchen und mit anderen Spielern in Form von bekannten Franchise-Charakteren zu interagieren.

Dabei stehen zahlreiche Minispiele wie Basketball sowie Ping Pong zur Verfügung und auch das Zeichnen von Kunstwerken in 3D ist möglich. Wie der Titel es verspricht können sich die Besucher auch mit grünem Schleim bewerfen. Außerdem sind das Betrachten von Cartoons und zahlreichen weiteren Unterhaltungsmöglichkeiten möglich. Leute außerhalb der VR dürfen in einem Zuschauermodus eine virtuelle Drohne steuern und dadurch mit den VR-Spielern in Kontakt treten.

Die VR-Erfahrung wurde im Nickelodeons Entertainment Lab entwickelt, ein Entwicklerstudio mit Fokus auf AR- und VR-Technologien zu Unterhaltungszwecken. Sie basiert auf der Unreal Engine sowie auf Nvidias FleX-Partikelsystem zur Darstellung des Schleims. Der Multiplayertitel ist ab sofort in IMAX VR Zentren in Amerika verfügbar, soll jedoch zukünftig auch in weiteren Teilen der Erde wie Schanghai, Bangkok und Manchester zugänglich werden.

David Campbell, der Executive Vive President für Unternehmensentwicklung und Theaterbetrieb, freut sich über den Einzug der VR-Erfahrung in die IMAX-Zentren: „IMAX VR dient als eine Anlaufstelle für große soziale Gruppen zur Unterhaltung. Dementsprechend ist Nickelodeons SlimeZone eine perfekte Bereicherung für unsere VR-Zentren. Wir freuen uns sehr darüber, dass unsere VR-Spieler ab sofort einen exklusiven Zugang zu dieser aufregenden, lustigen und familienfreundlichen virtuellen Welt erhalten.“

Weitere VR-Erfahrungen aus dem Hause Nickelodeons könnten uns auch in Zukunft erwarten, denn das Unternehmen investierte kürzlich in das VR-Start-up Dreamcape Immersive, ein Joint Venture unter anderem zwischen IMAX, Warner Brothers und Twentieth Century Fox. Ein zukünftiges VR-Projekt wurde bereits bestätigt.

(Quellen: Upload VR | Video: Nickelodeon Youtube)

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Nickelodeon’s Social VR Experience SlimeZone Debuts Today at IMAX

This week Nickelodeon revealed it would be updating its mobile videogame Sky Whale with augmented reality (AR) functionality, as well as bringing SlimeZone – its first multiplayer, social VR experience – to select IMAX VR Centres. Today, the SlimeZone roll out has begun, with Nickelodeon confirming it’ll debut exclusively at IMAX VR Centres in Los Angeles, New York City and Toronto.

SlimeZone_GamePlay_1

Created in the Nickelodeon Entertainment Lab, SlimeZone is a multi-player social VR experience that allows kids and families – up to six players at a time – to step inside the Nickelodeon virtual world, play games, watch cartoons and slime friend​s.  After selecting an avatar, users of all ages can slime blast their friends with Nickelodeon’s iconic green slime, play games such as ping pong and basketball, create art projects using glitter streams and colorful paint, and watch fan-favorite Nickelodeon cartoons.

“Our SlimeZone partnership with IMAX lets kids and families interact with Nickelodeon properties and characters by bringing them to life in new and innovative ways,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon Group in a statement. “This new VR experience will also show the creative community how we are using technology to create unique forms of entertainment for all ages.”

Non-virtual reality players can participate alongside their friends and family as they explore the Nickelodeon world in spectator mode, by flying a virtual drone from a device to slime players.

SlimeZone GamePlay_2

“IMAX VR is designed to be a highly social, group experience – which makes Nickelodeon’s SlimeZone a perfect fit to bring to our centres,” says David Campbell, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Theatre Operations, IMAX Corp. “We are excited that IMAX VR players will get exclusive access to this exciting, fun and family-friendly virtual world.”

SlimeZone was built using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Nvidia FleX particle system for slime simulation. While  SlimeZone debuts at IMAX VR Centres in Los Angeles, New York City and Toronto today, it’s also scheduled to launch at centers in Shanghai, Bangkok and Manchester (UK) soon. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Nickelodeon and IMAX VR, reporting back with the latest announcements and updates.

IMAX: VR Fulfils the ‘need to wow audiences’

Out-of-home entertainment has suffered a continuing decline for decades, with arcades, cinemas and more becoming less relevant amidst the huge variety of consumption opportunities in the home. However, IMAX Corporation sees virtual reality (VR) as an opportunity to change this, with new entertainment experiences challenging the accepted norm.

Giovanni Dolci, Vice President of Theatre Development, IMAX Corporation, has recently presented his predications for the year ahead. Openly stating that IMAX sees VR as a high-end addition to the company’s business strategy, Dolci believes that the immersive technology employed by the company can offer experiences consumers simply can’t get anywhere else.

“With the ever-changing entertainment landscape, and media being consumed in a multitude of formats, consumers need a reason to leave the comfort of their homes. Now, more than ever, we need to ‘wow’ audiences with immersive experiences and content that captivates them, in a viewing quality far superior to what they can achieve at home,” stated Dolci. “This 24-carat treatment incorporates all aspects of the cinema experience – from the sound quality, visual projection and screen technology, all the way through to the seats you’re sitting in. But it actually begins before you even enter the theatre with filmmakers and content creators pushing the limits of innovation to bring stories to life in incredibly new ways – whether it’s Christopher Nolan strapping cameras to spitfire planes or new virtual reality experiences that allow you to become your favourite character after seeing him or her on screen.”

Justice League VR

IMAX has been utilising VR as a method of extending the cinema experience for some time, most notably with last year’s Justice League VR. This will continue in 2018, but with the addition of new social experiences.

“Over the past few years, virtual reality has moved from an exclusive technology to a mainstream consumer product with very diverse uses. Yet 2017 was the first time that we really started to see the content itself matching the huge potential of this technology breakthrough.

“With developers across the globe focusing on engaging, exciting and meaningful content, we are now beginning to see how VR can make a real impact – especially within the entertainment industry. The next step in the evolution of VR will be making it an inclusive, social experience that you can share with your friends and family, as this is where the demand now lies.”

Exactly what IMAX is planning for 2018 – beyond the addition of new IMAX VR Centers – is not yet known. VRFocus will of course keep you updated with all the latest details from IMAX Corporation and other out-of-home entertainment providers working within VR.