Virtual reality was arguably the breakout technology of 2016. The medium has been around for decades, of course, but thanks to the launch of the HTC Vive, the Facebook-backed Oculus Rift and Sony’s PlayStation VR, virtual reality is very much in vogue, but its potential stretches far beyond the video game industry.
Take the movie business as an example. In 2017, studios including 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate will invite fans closer to the experience with VR demos for Alien: Covenant and Power Rangers, respectively, and we now have a little more information on the latter.
After catching our first fleeting glimpse of Bryan Cranston in the role of Zordon – a powerful sage and mentor to the Rangers who finds himself locked away in a far-flung time warp at the hands of Rita Repulsa – Power Rangers Now has unearthed a trio of new pics showcasing the Rangers’ command center and those towering Zords. Entitled Zords Rising, the VR experience is designed from the ground up to allow users to pilot those signature dinos – namely the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratrops, Mastodon, Sabertooth Tiger and Kimberly’s Pteroadactyl – with Bill Hader’s Alpha 5 on hand to offer instructions.
A press release from Lionsgate reveals that the VR experience was built in tandem with Qualcomm Technologies, and will “bring fans closer to the action of Saban’s Power Rangers as they prepare for the film to arrive on the big screen. Qualcomm Technologies’ cutting-edge VR technology provides a platform for a compelling Power Rangers experience and represents a major evolution in the fidelity and immersion made possible through mobile VR.”
Hoping to ignite a newfound film franchise at Lionsgate, Power Rangers is due to arrive on March 24, 2017.
Published: Jan 6, 2017 09:58 am