| Why not take some classic Disney films and use VR to put you in the
picture. Imagine flying with Aladdin on that carpet, or fighting
Gaston during a thunderstorm, or "almost" kissing a mermaid, or being
handcuffed to a rabbit 'toon.
That would be neat.
Mike_the_dreamer
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| I got this from REC.ARTS.DISNEY:
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Disney has gone into virtual realms! With the help of a corporation
called
StrayLight, Disney recently installed their first VR systems. An
excerpt
from Virtual Reality World follows:
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CyberTron: First Permanent Immersive VR Systems Installed at
Disney World
Tony Asch
Virtual Reality is up and running at the Walt Disney World Resort
in Orlando, Florida. StrayLight Corporation, of Warren, New
Jersey, recently completed a permanent installation of two
CyberTron systems at Pleasure Island, a major attraction on the
Disney property. This installation represents the first use of
immersive virtual reality by Disney. The Pleasure Island venue
includes eight discos and numerous other adult- oriented
attractions, including the CyberTron virtual reality systems. It
is the number one destination for after-hours entertainment at
Disney. The CyberTron systems have a broad appeal to the
thousands of guests at Pleasure Island every night.
Many industry experts feel that the long-term future of theme
parks in general will be increasingly virtual. VR attractions
have several advantages, for they consume less space and offer
interchangeable experiences with little new hardware investment.
Perhaps a more compelling force is the lure of interactivity.
While most theme park attractions offer their patrons a fixed
experience, VR offers unique experiences with each ride. This
uniqueness translates into higher repeat business, a fact that is
seldom ignored by theme park operators.
The first Disney CyberTron system was installed in November and
immediately exceeded revenue projections for the site. Because
traffic was so high on the CyberTron, a second system was
purchased and installed during early December. Unlike many other
Disney attractions, most of the entertainment on Pleasure Island
is on a pay-per-play basis. With rides on the CyberTron going
for $10 per three-minute virtual voyage, the two systems run
non-stop from midafternoon until 2 a.m. or later. Although most
projections for CyberTron operations target a $5 price per
experience, venues such as the Disney resort are often able to
achieve significantly higher per-ride revenues.
The CyberTron attraction is based on a gyroscopic motion platform
combined with a high- resolution head-mounted display and
computer system. The Pleasure Island system offers two game
experiences developed by StrayLight. The first, Cozmik Debris,
is a high-speed thrill ride, offering adventure and rapid-fire
arcade-style action. While StrayLight has several new games in
production, the current release, Cozmik Debris is unusual because
of the wide variety of scenery and action involved. Players
rarely stay in the same scene for more than a few seconds and are
presented with a variety of unusual events, sounds, and sights
along their journey. Although the adventure starts with a
pleasant cruise watching dolphins splashing all around, the game
quickly turns ominous as one discovers dead bodies floating in
the water. Throughout Cozmik Debris the musical scoring is
dynamic, reflecting the mood of the moment.
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