For many years IMAX has been leaders in the entertainment industry and this year sees them take things to a whole new level with the opening of their first ever public Virtual Reality (VR) Center. Although home VR entertainment systems and packages are available now and have been for a while, they don’t come close to what IMAX are giving you at the Center.
The world’s first IMAX VR Center has been built inside what was previously a hat factory and sits opposite the famous tourist attraction, The Grove, in Los Angeles. The interior of the building looks very sleek and modern but with a very sci-fi feel to it and once inside you are led naturally through several steps where you begin to create your very own VR experience based on ideas from games, movies, and even original concepts.
While you’re waiting for your turn, you have the opportunity to sit in one of the spectator stations and watch someone else enjoy their VR experience. You have the chance to play a solo experience or as a team and there are various levels of difficulty on offer. Currently, users can choose from Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine, Raw Data, The Walk, John Wick Chronicles, Rabbids VR Ride, VR Sampler, Eagle Flight, and Knockout League. However, more options are being worked on as we write and will include Archangle and Star Trek: Bridge Crew among others.
Each different option gives you an entirely different experience. For example, John Wick will have you running around rooftops (virtually of course) ducking and dodging bullets as you go while Eagle Flight will have you flying around the city fighting against other eagles and collecting rabbits as you fly the sky. The Walk, on the other hand, is a little slower paced, but no less intense as it will have you stepping out over dizzying heights as you walk a tightrope between the World Trade Center Towers.
It seems that this experience will take off in a big way and more facilities are already being planned to be developed across the country and the world. Another area we may see IMAX appear over the next few years is in special theaters where there is a single VR staging area on offer that can offer an experience based on the current movie that’s playing. There is also the potential for VR pay-per-view sporting events and concerts where you would automatically get the best (virtual) seats in the house.
Now, forgetting the entertainment side of things, VR Centers could also be used for educational purposes. Imagine being able to stand on the vast plains of ancient America and walk with the dinosaurs that once were, or battle with Roman soldiers, or be included in the Apollo mission to the Moon. All of this and more is easily achievable through the use of VR. And let’s not forget about how VR can accentuate cinema. Imagine sitting there watching the next new blockbuster and feeling a part of it. You could literally be in the middle of a gun fight, or tsunami. How exciting would that be?
According to Rob Lister, Chief Development Officer at IMAX, “At IMAX, we have always been focused on providing audiences with immersive experiences. With IMAX you aren’t just watching a movie, you feel like you are a part of one.” The company has also teamed up with Google to create an IMAX VR Camera that’s cinema grade and will help capture those VR experiences perfectly. Hopefully, the camera will be ready to be released by 2018.
Soon, no longer will you be simply watching your favorite artist perform or sports player play, you too will be part of the show with thanks to the upcoming developments in VR technology. IMAX is already a massively successful global company, and there is no doubt this next venture will be just as good as everything they’ve done so far.
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