In the hopes of enacting meaningful environmental change rather than simply raising awareness for causes, the Nature Conservancy has launched a new experience for Oculus Rift and Gear VR.
The real-time interactive experience dubbed “This Is Our Future” debuted October 6th at a Conservancy hosted event in San Francisco. The art gallery-inspired VR series starts off with a campaign that immerses you in the problems facing the world’s largest tuna fishery and how technology can catalyze change.
The Nature Conservancy has been working with agency Enso and teamed up with VFX leaders MPC to create the VR experience. “This Is Our Future” is not a live action VR film, but instead was built in Unreal, letting you trigger action within the experience, playing with your perception of space, scale and volume.
The real-time engine-based nature of the piece ensures that you experience something different each time. MPC also took advantage of embedding moments of interactivity such as gaze control, enabling you to look at certain objects and get a reaction. For example, when you look at the iceberg hulls, they break apart and you can see inside them.
You can view a 360° version of the experience below:
“This collaboration gave us the opportunity to create the type of real-time interactive experience we’re interested in seeing,” said Tim Dillon, Executive Producer, MPC-VR. “We are using virtual reality and experience design to highlight issues that sometimes don’t get the focus they deserve. In this new medium, we’ve got people’s undivided attention.”
“This Is Our Future” was conceived to capture the imagination of a new audience for the Conservancy, future supporters such as those in the tech community, who care not just about funding conservation programs, but in finding solutions to these hard-fought world problems using their knowledge, influence and networks.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conversation organization working around the world to solve the most pressing environmental issues.
You can see MPC’s VR experience for The Nature Conservatory on Samsung Gear VR, YouTube and Facebook 360. The optimum viewing version on Oculus Rift will be released soon.
