Oculus wants to expand into 3-D animation and 3-D filmmaking as it continues to push the boundaries of virtual reality.
According to Engadget.com writer Edgar Alvarez, “Oculus Story Studio, arguably the Pixar of virtual reality, this is the first step in making the medium more social. And it’s using its short film Lost, introduced earlier this year at Sundance, as a test bed. Still, whether we’re talking about a cute movie or a fun game, most VR activities so far have one thing in common: They’re solitary experiences. Oculus wants to change that.”
Blerds reported that the Oculus Rift headset will hit store shelves for virtual reality enthusiasts everywhere to enjoy in 2016.
Oculus’ goal is to make story-telling and virtual reality as interactive as possible. The Lost short film allows people to be characters in the film. Two people wearing Oculus Rifts can be the fireflies in the film that interact with the story world and the other characters.
The end game is to convince filmmakers to make works that are flexible enough to have audience members interact in the story as actual characters.
“We think the future of VR in cinema is social, that you’re with your friends. You’re not in the same room, maybe; maybe you’re all going in together at the same time, and that’s where the lines between cinema and an MMO (massive multiplayer online) start to blur,” states Story Studio producer Edward Saatchi.