We took VR beyond gaming, by creating a game

Discovering the next level of immersive training by creating a zombie-shooter

We (WeMakeVR) have always looked for ways to take VR beyond gaming, because it can do so much more. Education and training are key examples.

To unlock VR’s full potential for applications such as training, we need to find a way for people to be in VR together. Instead of isolating users, enable them to see each other in VR. To walk up to each other, talk, face challenges together, find solutions.

We’ve been trying to solve the “multiple users in the same room” problem since the early days of the industry. As a user I love games. As a company, we create usecases that go beyond gaming. But we found the solution to the isolated-in-VR problem by actually creating a game.

If you keep things simple enough, it doesn’t matter if the user is a gamer or not. As an experiment we created a virtual abandoned shack in the woods, where two people needed to work together to survive hordes of zombies trying to come in. The fact that the users were physically in the same room completely changed the dynamic from a “traditional” online game to something that was a lot more personally engaging. The feeling of shared responsibility, taken on a challenge together, was completely different when the users were physically in the same room.

Creating this gamedemo led to us creating a completely portable system that can be used for training simulations, educational programs, emergency procedure simulations in almost any place. An office meeting room, cafeteria, a gym, or even a big tent in a parking lot. Without cables, heavy backpack computers or permanent installations. People can freely move, interact and collaborate.

It’s a solution to a problem the VR-industry has been trying to solve for a long time. The current generation of VR started out trying to usher in a new era of gaming. Even though we strive to go beyond gaming, going back to the gaming-roots of our industry was key; with our HoloJump-system we open up the future of training, education, and much more. And in the meantime, let’s have some fun shooting zombies together. 

See the game in action on GunsAndZombies.com

WeMakeVR.com