11 FEBRUARY 2015
Remember last year when 3 or 4 different studios brought virtual reality exhibits to SDCC - and then they were almost impossible to get into? Well, you can expect more of the same this summer, though hopefully they'll be more accessible.
I feel like this is one of the moments we'll all recall decades from now when we're old (at least, old but feeling young through the miracles of Radical Life Extension.) Then, when virtual reality is as part of the daily fabric of our existence as the Internet is now, we'll fondly recall those days when we took our first trembling steps into VR at Comic-Con.
Anyhow. Here's the story. Legend3D, which is a 3D conversion and VFX studio, has launched a
Virtual Reality division. (How cool would that look on your business card?) And they're partnering with major Hollywood studios, ad agencies and stores to create "immersive VR experiences in both 2D and 3D formats." One of those stores - a leading retail brand which I pray is not something boring like the Gap - has give them a contract to provide a 360-degree stereoscope VR experience. Movie studios will be utilizing their magic as well.
Now, here's where it gets SDCCish. Legend3D will be making "cinematic VR content" for "key marketing initiatives, from tentpole releases to installations at San Diego Comic-Con." While it's not entirely a surprise that we will see more VR at the Con, the fact that retailers, studios and agencies are jumping into the mix shows that VR is no longer an alien futuristic technology but something accessible and popular. And given that companies typically bring their A game to the Con, we should see some dazzling VR scenarios - if not this summer, then definitely next.
