Wargaming.net, the developer behind World of Tanks and World of Warships, has announced a partnership with Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and Ballista Media, as well as Google Arts & Culture, on a virtual reality (VR) experience called Virtually Inside HMS Cavalier.
An immersive exploration of the last of the British Royal Navy C-class WWII destroyers, the developer will be holding a launch event at Google’s new building at King’s Cross, for the beginning of London Tech Week, starting on 12th June.
The event will feature a selection of guest speakers, including: Dan Snow, historian and TV presenter; Richard Cutland, Wargaming military adviser; Tracy Spaight, Director of Wargaming special project division; and Admiral Sir Trevor Alan Soar, former Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet of the Royal Navy and now Chairman of the Chatham Dockyard museum.
“The 360 VR project on HMS Cavalier is a natural next step in our mission to bring naval heritage alive for global audiences using new media,” explains Spaight in a statement. “Through the use of VR 360 video on the Google Arts & Culture platform, we can take our audience places that not even on-site visitors can go. Exploring the ship in this way leads to a deeper appreciation for the speed and power of these vessels – and the courage of those who served on them.”
Snow and Cutland will showcase a mixed reality (MR) exploration of off-limits areas like the ship’s Engine Room. While online viewers will be able to experience the ship from Wargaming.net’s VR drone and watch as load one of the ship’s six inch deck guns is loaded with HMS Cavalier veteran and author Barry Krell. The experience will then be available on Google Arts & Culture web portal, mobile app, and will be fully compatible with Google Cardboard headsets.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Wargaming.net, reporting back with its latest VR related experiences.