New 4D game to bring real world to players
A Scots entrepreneur is planning to boldly go into the gaming world with a brand new Star Trek-style virtual reality attraction.
Retired RAF engineer Kevin Blair is launching the UK’S first Atmos VR centre next year, which will allow individuals or small groups to enjoy 4D virtual reality games as seen in films such as Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.
The 49-year-old from Falkirk was inspired by next generation VR simulators in the
RAF and has been working for the past four years to bring it to the general public.
Players will use a special headset to navigate a massive game room where they will be hit with smells, temperature controls and vibrating floors as part of a totally immersive gameplay session – with Covid-safe number controls and social distancing.
He compared the “psychologically intense” experience to the futuristic game world Oasis seen in Ready Player One
– or the holodeck rooms from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
“At the moment if you’re playing a game like World War Two Call of Duty, you’ve still got a two-dimensional screen and a controller, but here we build the whole world around you,” said Mr Blair.
“If guns are going off, you can smell the cordite. It’s probably as close as we can get at the moment to the Oasis in the film Ready Player One.
“I couldn’t claim it’s the holodeck (from Star Trek) because that would be trademarked. But when I’m in it, I’m gonna feel like I’m in a holodeck.
“It’s not a room where things magically appear but when you’ve got the headset on you’ll believe you’re in different worlds, which is the same sort of concept.”
Mr Blair spent 22 years in the RAF as an electrical engineer and moved into the events business when he retired from the service.
Commenting further on his project, he added: “It’s not just about fooling the eyes, it’s about fooling all the senses. It’s psychologically intense. Imagine looking at a fire and being able to smell the smoke and feel the heat, then have a vibrating floor in an elevator or earthquake simulator.”
Mr Blair announced the plans for the new centre after securing £1 million investment via Samahoma Media Advisors and Insight Media Fund. He plans to open the first branch in Birmingham in May, with a Glasgow venue also in the pipeline.
“We’re planning eight venues around the UK and aim to link them all up so you could theoretically play a team in Glasgow against teams in Manchester or Birmingham.”