Warner Bros. Pictures chose HTC Vive as the exclusive VR partner for all licensed VR experiences related to Stephen Spielberg’s upcoming sci-fi film "Ready Player One."
If you’ve been following VR for a while now, there’s a good chance you’ve come across or at least heard of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. The sci-fi action thriller, which takes place in a dystopian future, uses VR as a central theme. The novel was well-received and has been translated into over 20 languages since its publication in 2011. Next year, Ready Player One will be exposed to a much larger audience when it makes its debut on the big screen on March 30, 2018. And HTC is creating VR experiences to go along with the movie.
“Ready Player One is one of the most anticipated movies in the world and has tremendous potential to engage and entertain the worldwide market, showcasing the transformative nature of VR, and what it can and will be,” said Rikard Steiber, President, Viveport. “Vive is delivering on the promise of VR and continues to be the most advanced and immersive VR experience available to consumers, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Warner Bros. to bring these experiences to consumers, on all platforms, around the globe.”
HTC said it plans to “produce multiple pieces of VR content tied to the world of 'Ready Player One.'”
The company plans to distribute home-based "Ready Player One" content globally through the Viveport distribution platform, and to make location-based entertainment for VR arcades, which would be available through the Viveport Arcade platform.
“The virtual reality world within'Ready Player One'is extremely advanced, sophisticated and engaging, and with Vive, we chose the best system to represent the future of VR. Vive is the perfect partner to bring that to life and also has the broadest reach to global markets for the use of VR in home, mobile and offline channels,” said Blair Rich, President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We’re delighted that HTC Vive will be partnering with'Ready Player One'and very excited to work with them leading up the movie’s release in Spring 2018.”
Neither Warner Bros. Pictures nor HTC Vive revealed any details about the upcoming experiences.
