The dirtiest incubator in tech comes to VR with over 750 interactive items.
With the premiere of season 5 of Silicon Valley just two days away, fans of the raunchy tech-centric comedy are foaming at the mouths, desperate for more of the misadventures of Richard, Dinesh, Gilfoyle, Jared and of course Jian-Yang. The Emmy-winning HBO series has become a staple within pop culture, providing only a slightly-exaggerated reflection of the current software gold rush happening on the west coast.
Now, after a grueling 5-month wait, true fans of the show will finally have the chance to step into the show themselves via a brand new VR experience for the HTC Vive. Developed by immersive content studio REWIND using Unreal Engine 4, Silicon Valley: Inside the Hacker Hostel is a faithful recreation of the show’s famous incubator dining room/office that was pieced together using a collection of HDR 360 photos captured by REWIND on the actual set.
Simply put, this is a must try for any true fan of Silicon Valley.
Once inside the weed-ridden Hacker Hostile, users have their pick of over 750 interactive elements to choose from. Help Richard with a massive coding crisis. Try on a VR headset while in a VR headset. Jam out on a fully playable piano. Try on Pied Piper swag. Fool around with the shows ‘Not Hot Dog’ app. Rip a bong. Burn toast. Guzzle tequila. Punch a hole in the wall. Draw a weiner on a whiteboard. Slap a tuna continuously on a table. You know, the usual Silicon Valley activities. Jokes aside there’s a surprising amount of things to do and objects to break, which really helps immerse you into the chaotic atmosphere of the show.
Thomas Middleditch (Richard Hendricks) steps inside The Hacker Hostel VR.
Using a combination of 3D Max and Maya, REWIND was able to render an authentic recreation of the original set. After that the team utilized Substance Designer and Substance Painter to reproduce the material of each asset using a collection of set photos for reference. However, it’s the experience’s use of ‘forward rendering’ technology that steals the show. This technique increases performance and framerate, which is why the number of interactive elements presented in the experience is so staggering.
Silicon Valley: Inside the Hacker Hostel will be free to download Sunday, March 25th on Viveport. Silicon Valley season 5 will premiere later that evening at 10:00pm on HBO. For more information visit SiliconValleyVR.com.
Image Credit: HBO / RWD
