VRLA is exploring new realities and bringing the future of immersive entertainment to the Los Angeles Convention Center on May 4 and 5, featuring the latest innovations in virtual, augmented and mixed reality across tech, gaming, film, consumer and professional industries. VRLA is open to the public and offers one- and two-day passes for pros, consumers and tech enthusiasts alike, with industry-leading companies exhibiting a wide array of immersive technology solutions and presenting a full schedule of keynotes, panels and sessions.
Intel powers advanced virtual reality technologies from processing power to depth-sensing cameras. At VRLA, Intel will be unveiling a new cultural partnership that will transform the future of arts, entertainment and education through immersive, digital experiences. In addition, the company will offer hands-on demonstrations in a classroom of the future at the Intel booth, South Hall 201.
Location-based VR entertainment company Neurogaming will showcase an untethered, networked multiplayer first-person VR shooter with full body tracking by OptiTrack. Using Neurogaming’s PolygonVR platform, up to four players at VRLA will be able to simultaneously battle gamers in New York, Amsterdam and Moscow. Neurogaming is also partnering with Exit Reality to exhibit the immersive MMO behemoth “World of Tanks VR” and industrial training applications that demonstrate practical applications of VR for professional on-the-job training.
Microsoft will be exhibiting the Windows Mixed Reality Developer Showcase, where attendees will be able to engage in immersive gameplay of “Beat Saber” and “Pixel Ripped 1989.” Developers will have the opportunity to learn from the pros and see how Windows Mixed Reality brings VR experiences to life.
Red Frog Digital will be debuting the Zombie HoloMaze, an interactive augmented reality horror experience inspired by Scare Mazes at theme parks across the globe. “With augmented reality at the forefront of technology, we thought it be amazing to replace human actors from traditional Scare Mazes with incredibly detailed 3D holograms,” said James Loveridge, Commercial Director at Red Frog Digital. “Our HoloMaze effectively transports guests inside of a video game, blurring the lines between real and virtual terror.” The chicane-style walk-through maze transports guests to a decrepit penitentiary overrun by zombies. While wearing a Microsoft HoloLens, attendees have a limited amount of time to find a secret antidote by exploring the maze, while encountering AR trap doors, two-headed zombie dogs and a host of terrifying blockades and undead creatures. If guests don’t find the antidote in time, they’ll be trapped in the maze forever and join the zombie prison population. “It’s a must-see experience for all VRLA attendees,” noted Loveridge.
Created in collaboration with LACMA, the centerpiece of this year’s show floor will be MEZO, an interactive art installation that explores an alternative future where Mesoamerican societies have thrived and become technologically advanced. A 20-foot futuristic temple will tower over the VRLA show floor, fully equipped with LED panels, lasers, spatial music and an AR experience that transports attendees to a cyborg Amazon forest. In tandem, live performers will interpret Mesoamerican-styled dance around the temple, resulting in a visually and sonically stunning journey through destruction, creation and rebirth.
For the first time ever at a live event, leaders in AR storytelling Living Popups will be debuting a premier episodic comedy that VRLA attendees can experience in augmented reality. Created by a team of writers from “The Simpsons,” each episode of the office satire can be viewed in AR on mobile devices in locations throughout the VRLA show floor. The character-driven series demonstrates practical monetization of AR content, while providing endless laughs and a clever narrative for attendees as they explore the show.
Fans of the classic Sega Dreamcast rhythm game "Space Channel 5” are in for a treat, as the game is being rebooted for the first time ever in VR and debuting in English on the VRLA show floor. Don’t miss the premiere of “Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash” by Grounding Inc.
Bridging the gap between art, technology and consciousness, Visual Reality will be showcasing an immersive chill out lounge with live performances, the psychedelic Visionary Art Zone and a Digital Sanctuary for multi-sensory meditation. Also on-site will be The Scan Truck, a mobile photogrammetry studio fully equipped with more than 200 DSLR cameras and additional cutting-edge technologies that deliver the highest quality photorealistic 3D assets for film, VR, game, TV and commercial productions. For more in photogrammetry exploration, international VR/AR company Paracosma will be exhibiting full-scale 360° virtual tours of Pashupatinath temple and Lumbini (Buddha’s birth place) as well as hands-on demos of their immersive sandbox title with more than 18 interactive game rooms “UnnamedVR.”
Industry professionals who purchase the two-day Pro Pass will benefit from access to the full expo, shorter demo lines and an exclusive lineup of professional and developer programming. Friday panel highlights include “Can VR Be Decentralized Using Blockchain?” – an engaging discussion with Philip Rosedale and experts in the blockchain/cryptocurrency space on how decentralized ownership of identity and digital spaces will disrupt and transform the future of immersive technologies. Sharing valuable insight on content engagement, monetization methods and the integration of blockchain into the VR business, Ryan Andal, President and Co-founder of Secret Location also takes the stage Friday in a discussion on “Making Money With Virtual Reality.” Additional Friday highlights include “Discovering New Worlds: Using VR/AR/MR for Space Exploration” presented by NASA’s JPL; “The Future of VR Storytelling and Distribution in Location Based Experiences” presented by HP; and keynotes by The VOID, Qualcomm, Altspace VR/Microsoft, Dell and VIVEPORT.
Passes start at just $30 and are available for purchase online until Thursday, May 3rd at 11:00pm PST. For more information and to purchase a pass, visit: https://virtualrealityla.com/
