Could we have just witnessed the birth of virtual reality tourism?
Could we have just witnessed the birth of virtual reality tourism?
Television channel 13th Street Universal, which specialises in thriller and crime content, has produced an augmented reality film called The Witness. The film is one part film, one part public event, one part interactive video game and one part city tour - in this instance, Berlin. Touted as “the first movie of the outernet”, the film, which can only be viewed on an iPhone, has a storyline that with themes including organised crime, kidnapping and sex trafficking. According to blogger Benjamin Starr, viewer-participants become witnesses to a kidnapping: “It’s then their job to track down the victim, finding clues, communicating with other participants and viewing other scenes on location”.
At this stage, the ‘film’ can only be experienced as a German language only organised event. Applications for the next ‘screening’ open April 9 - all part of an innovative campaign to promote the relaunch of the German 13th Street television channel. The mind boggles at the possibilities: filmmakers and game developers making augmented reality interactive films for cities across the world - and tourists travelling to a city specifically to experience the best and most popular games.