When it comes to experiencing a story in virtual reality, brands are learning that story and interactivity are key. It’s not enough to let someone turn their heads and look around with a headset over their face—and today we’re highlighting some exceptional examples of what branded VR content can be.
The Martian VR Experience
Following the plot of Ridley Scott’s Oscar-nominated film, users can interact with the surface of Mars, steer at zero gravity through space, drive a rover across the red planet and play basketball with potatoes in a variety of mini-games as a virtual Mark Watney. The experience uses footage from the film starring Matt Damon to connect these interactive elements.
The 360-degree teaser below became one of the most watched VR experiences for the Samsung Gear VR. “For future products, we’d like to have a mobile experience that could be played untethered,” Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Fox Innovation Lab president, Mike Dunn, told [a]listdaily. “We’re very bullish on the expansion of mobile VR.”
Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One X-Wing VR Mission
In anticipation of Star Wars: Rogue One, EA will soon release a special VR mission inside Battlefront. Just as the name implies, this immersive experience, made for PlayStation VR, will place users right in the cockpit of a rebel X-Wing in the Star Wars universe. Coming this holiday season, the VR mission will be free to anyone who owns Star Wars Battlefront for PlayStation 4.
In addition to carrying out “an important mission for the Rebellion,” Star Wars fans can take in a bit of virtual reality with two new Rogue One-themed Google Cardboard viewers from WOW! Stuff, available in designs for either K-2SO or an Imperial Death Trooper. The viewers can be used with the Star Wars mobile app for a special VR experience and to watch the recently released a 360-degree experience called Rogue One: Recon on the official Star Wars YouTube channel.
Ghostbusters VR – Now Hiring
If you’ve ever wanted to explore the infamous firehouse headquarters of the Ghostbusters reboot, Sony continues its big VR promotion push with a free interactive mobile app that’s designed to help promote the digital and Blu-ray editions of the movie. The game allows players to re-assemble proton packs, hunt ghosts and trap them in containment units and even touch ecotoplasm.
John Wick Chronicles: An Eye For An Eye
This HTC Vive game lets players explore the world of renowned assassin, John Wick in anticipation of the upcoming sequel, John Wick: Chapter Two. In addition to exploring iconic locations from the franchise like the Continental Hotel, players are given challenges like defending a rooftop from waves of attackers. The episodic game series will debut in February to match with the film’s premiere, but fans got to try out the first chapter at New York Comic-Con in October.
Emotional Impact
A recent study conducted by YuMe, Inc. and Nielsen proved that immersive, story-driven VR experiences work better because SCIENCE. Through eye tracking and biometric measurements, researchers found that consumers elicited 27 percent higher emotional engagement in the branded content when viewed in VR compared to 2D, and 17 percent higher emotional engagement than a 360-degree video on a flat screen. VR viewers are emotionally engaged 34 percent longer than when they view the same content in 2D and 16 percent longer than when they view the same content in 360-degree video on a flat screen.
