It’s that time again—our look back at the immersive week that was. What all happened?
Well, Microsoft announced Minecraft Earth, a new social augmented reality mobile gaming experience in the spirit of Pokémon Go; Minecraft Earth will be in beta this summer on iOS and Android. Stanford’s Jeremy Bailenson and other researchers released a report about how interacting with a virtual person in augmented reality changes people’s behaviors, even after the goggles are removed. Nomadic VR announced it will be coming to AREA 15 in Las Vegas, alongside the upcoming new Meow Wolf location…and speaking of Meow Wolf, they have announced that they’ve raised a whopping $150 million for their expansion. Sundance Institute announced this year’s New Frontier Story Lab Fellows for 2019. The BBC released The Runaway, a free VR adventure starring Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who; the experience is available on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Polyarc announced a free story expansion for their hit VR game Moss in celebration of its release for Oculus Quest (which comes out May 21). Disney CEO Robert Iger stated that the company won’t use virtual reality at its theme parks, preferring real-world immersive experiences instead. And The Guardian asked if interactive mixed reality was the future of storytelling.
As for us? NoPro went to a science fiction dystopian future, visited a spooky escape room-theatre hybrid, and spent some time in a LARP with Frankenstein vibes.
And looking at the horizon, there’s even more good stuff on the way.
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ON THE PODCAST THIS WEEK
NoPro Managing Editor Kathryn Yu sits down with Evan Neiden, the creator behind Candle House Collective. The group has been creating ephemeral immersive experiences — usually for an audience of one — both in-person and remotely.
OUR GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD FRINGE IMMERSIVE
NYC: SAVE THE DATE!
FROM THE WIRE: SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES
Boston: Carneval di Obscurità
Charleston, SC: The Fever
Chicago: Alice
Denver: Denver Public Library Immersive Theatre Sprint
NYC: Surrounds; Reich Richter Pärt; The Unbrunch (Remount/Revamp)
Kansas City, MO: Reflecting Motion
Pittsburgh, PA: King Lear
SF: The Liminal House of the Adjudicate
Toronto: The Funhouse; The Tape Escape
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REVIEWS
From No Proscenium:
‘The Shadow Space’ is a Murder-Mystery Dinner with a Twist (Review)The Best Medicine Productions’ show blends up escape rooms, immersive theatre, and a mysterynoproscenium.comPotential Goes Unfulfilled in ‘The UVX’ (Review)Future Proof struggles to follow through on their dystopian sci-fi world’s promisenoproscenium.comChoices and Cutscenes: ‘Captivated: You’ (The NoPro Review)They Played Productions focuses on audience agency in the final installment to their ‘Frankenstein’ storynoproscenium.com
From David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist:
“These two games from our recent trip Montreal were outstanding. They both had especially impressive sets, in different ways.”
Codex - The Night of the Wolf and the Serpent [Review] - Room Escape ArtistHammer of the Gods Location: Laval, Quebec, Canada Date Played: April 6, 2019 Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-6…roomescapeartist.comSauve Qui Peut - Wrath Of Poseidon [Review] - Room Escape Artist9 out of 10 gods recommend Trident. Location: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada Date Played: April 8, 2019 Team size…roomescapeartist.com
STORIES
From NoProscenium.com and our Twitter feed:
Nathan Felix Immerses Audiences Through Headphone Plays (Q&A)We interview the musician and composer about his work and the upcoming ‘Fury in Sound’noproscenium.comMinecraft Earth goes a step beyond Pokémon Go to cover the world in blocksAlex Kipman, Microsoft's HoloLens and Kinect creator, is always enthusiastic about the future of computing. As he…www.theverge.comSundance Institute Announces 2019 New Frontier Story Lab FellowsGroundbreaking Group of Emerging Media Creatives Convene to Push the Boundaries of Storytelling and Technology Los…www.sundance.orgBBC launches Doctor Who's first-ever virtual reality episodeJodie Whittaker's Time Lord enters a new dimension - VR - and you must be her companion, pilot her ship and save an…www.theguardian.comDisney parks will feature immersive experiences rather than virtual reality - L.A. Biz"We're not trying to fake immersion," Disney (NYSE: DIS) CEO Robert Iger said at the MoffettNathanson Media &…www.bizjournals.comNot quite film, or games ... is interactive mixed reality the future of storytelling?Cutting-edge tech utilising VR and augmented reality is inspiring new narrative forms. And creatives at Sundance…www.theguardian.comNo tethers, no limits - SUPERHOT VR on Oculus QuestA very long post about rebuilding SUPERHOT VR for the first standalone VR headset in the world and why it's the best…superhotgame.comAugmented reality affects people's behavior in the real world | Stanford NewsAs major technology firms race to roll out augmented reality products, Stanford researchers are learning how it affects…news.stanford.eduNomadic rolls out new mixed reality arcade in Las Vegas with Area15Nomadic has unveiled its latest mixed reality arcade for its first-person shooter game Arizona Sunshine in Las Vegas in…venturebeat.com
From David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist:
“Manda Whitney of the Room Escape Divas podcast is blogging about her experiences in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Houston this week!”
From Laura E. Hall of Timberview Productions:
“Jane McGonigal is seeking parents to answer a 2-minute research survey. The work ‘will help develop the next generation of tools for parents to maximize the benefits of games and minimize the potential risks or harms for their kids’”:
From Kent Bye of the Voices of VR podcast:
“I talked with Anagram, the creators of The Collider at Tribeca, and they’ve got a ton of experiential design insights for how to use your body & memories as a platform for cultivating narrative tension & exploring your relationship to power through embodied actions that are unpacked through conversation.”
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