I think it's time to face facts, folks. Virtual Reality is the new 3D. I remember a time when you had to pre-order your 3D screenings, weeks in advance, especially for something the likes of a Marvel film or the latest Hollywood blockbuster from director So-and-So. In my estimation, 3D film presentations are steadily becoming something dying breed, with filmmakers and theater owners opting to present their movies via IMAX or AVX instead. Is this the result of 3D movie tickets prices being too expensive? Or has the technology simply lost its "wow factor" after so many years of oversaturation? Regardless of the reason, AMC is hoping to win you all back by partnering with Dreamscape Immersive to add VR centers to their cinemas.
As per the new partnership, AMC will act as the lead investor in a $20 million series B financing round. Hold on, the what now? In short, AMC will finance up to six Dreamscape Immersive VR centers within AMC Cinemas and standalone locations in North America and the U.K. over the next 18 months. In addition to these locations, Dreamscape Immersive will open their own primary locale inside the Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles in early 2018.
For the moment, Dreamscape is reporting that they've already begun work on their first piece of original content and are currently in licensing negotiations with a plethora of notable studios and IP-holders. Spearheaded by co-chairmen Walter Parkes and Kevin Wall, as well as CEO and former Disney Imagineering chief Bruce Vaughn and COO Aaron Grosky, Dreamscape uses body-mapping technologies to allow consumers to appear as rendered avatars inside virtual worlds. The technology is designed for interaction with up to six people simultaneously. Oh … oh my. So, this is some READY PLAYER ONE jazz then? A sort of Second Life version 2.0, yeah?
So far, Dreamscape has earned the interest of Warner Bros., 21st Century Fox, MGM, Imax and Steven Spielberg as initial investors. Furthermore, the company's adivsers include director Gore Verbinski; composer Hans Zimmer; production designer Rick Carter; Dan Fellman, past president of domestic distribution at Warners; and Tom Staggs, former COO of the Walt Disney Co. That sounds like quite the powerhouse, if you ask me.
Wow! If Dreamscape's VR is as advanced and immersive as they claim, we could very well be looking at the dawning of a new age, technologically speaking. Have you ever seen the anime film SUMMER WARS, or the SWORD ART ONLINE television series? Well, if any of this news interests you, I highly recommend that you seek them both out. It's true that virtual reality has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years, but is the public ready for an advanced Second Life-like experience? How long are the lines going to be for these VR center locations? What's to keep Dreamscape from introducing the program to the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Playstation VR, later down the line? This is it, man! The beginning of the end! Don't say I didn't warn you!
Dreamscape Immersive VR centers will open in select AMC cinemas beginning in early 2018.