All the 360 explosions and giant robots you can handle.
Say what you will about Michael Bay, but the man knows how to film a giant robot battle or a massive car crash. That’s why it’s beyond exciting to hear that the master of special effects himself will be dipping his toes into the thrilling pool that is virtual reality.
Officially formed February 11th, 2016, The Rogue Intiative is a brand-new AAA production company specializing in VR storytelling. According to a press release, the company is heavily invested in pairing Hollywood talent with AAA developers in an attempt to bring new levels of immersiveness to VR entertainment. This of course includes the talents of Mr. Bay who will be directing projects in production by Rogue Initiative.
Pete Blumel, co-founder and CEO of The Rogue Initiative, said: “I’ve enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Mr. Bay and couldn’t be more excited to work with him and truly leverage his unique vision and incredible depth of experience to this amazing new medium. We’re all absolutely thrilled to be working with such a cinematic powerhouse in the field of action entertainment.” Bay said: “I’ve known Pete for a long time, and he’s put together a great team. I’m excited about building new visual worlds for this innovative medium with them.”
Rogue Initiative VR concept artwork.
The company is based out of Los Angeles, California and is currently knee-deep in production of several original AAA intellectual properties. These upcoming interactive VR experiences include a big episodic action tentpole franchise, a psychological thriller, and a stylized animated action adventure. Rogue Initiative isn’t pulling any punches with distribution either, listing a slew of possible partnerships with platforms and outlets including Sony PlayStation, Oculus, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, Netflix, Hulu, feature film, network and cable television. Damn!
Rogue Initiative VR mobile fortress concept artwork.
Michael Bay is the kind of director who values a truly spectacular visual experience. It’s exactly this reason that he may be the perfect person to bring mainstream Hollywood storytelling to VR. His brand of fast, eye-candy action sequences are begging for virtual reality. You’ll definitely want to keep a look out for what Bay and Rogue Initiative have in store for us.
The Rogue Initiative is backed by top Silicon Valley investors, including Presence Capital and The VR Fund, and led by a veteran team of award-winning entertainment industry professionals, including alumni from the original Call of Duty team, Amblin Entertainment, Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Disney and Activision Studios and Sony Pictures and NBC.
