Oculus Rift’s Story Studio team finally took the wraps off its new virtual reality film Henry on Tuesday at a special event in Beverley Hills, California.
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Henry, a short animated film about a lonely hedgehog who just wants a hug, debuted Tuesday, but it won’t be coming to a theater near you.
Oculus doesn’t plan to sell “Henry”, the second film from its film division, Story Studios, which employs both video game engineers and former Pixar animators. Its first production, titled Lost, is about a mechanical device that comes to life in a forest and debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014. Further, the real-time scene means that users can have a level of interactivity not possible in traditional film-like shaking their head yes or no to communicate with characters, or to look around the scene as they please, with the ability to lean around corners, under tables, etc.
The films use VR technology to immerse viewers in the story. “It’s to develop experimental stuff”, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey told Reuters in an interview. “It’ll be a lot more healthy to have a various ecosystem”.
“We’re open to it and looking at different things”, he said, “but there’s nothing that has moved us”.
“I assume there’s room for all distinction sorts of experiences, the place they are often kind of interactive”, stated Lopes Dau. “In the case of ‘Henry, ‘ it is extra concerning the character. We use those moments when he’s happy or sad to look at you no matter where you’re standing”. Or is it a game?
“I don’t think anyone really knows”, said Lopes Dau. “Personally, I don’t care what it’s called”. The 12 minute film will be released for the general public on a cost free basis next year, provided consumers are interested in purchasing the Rift.
The former start-up, which ignited the latest VR obsession three years ago, now has several competitors similarly diving headfirst into the marketplace, including Valve and HTC’s Vive headset and Sony’s Project Morpheus, which works in tandem with the PlayStation 4 console. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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