SXSW Diary: Oculus Rift – Cam Blackley

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tumblr_n28sfu5dAU1s7wjcuo1_1280.jpgBy Cam Blackley, executive creative director, BMF

I’ve seen, or should I say experienced the first game changer. At the Game Of Thrones exhibition you could try out Oculus Rift.

What a cool name right? This is a completely immersive sensory experience. You wear a head set that gives you 360 degree vision of whatever environment is programmed, and sound, plus they create environment conditions like wind. In this case, it was taking the elevator to the top of the wall. Oh my God. I had to grab onto something, other people were screaming. At the top of the wall you looked over the 500ft cliff and I almost threw up.

So, why is this important apart from being rad? Well, when these are common place in cinemas and later on in the home, we will be able to create brand experiences for consumers. They literally could become part of the programming for Ten, or they could walk a beach in Fiji. They could be in a car crash for an insurance company.

At the end of my experience I fell from the wall which was terrifying. And post removal of goggles my friend and I had a little trouble with spacial awareness. It’s a brave new (fake) world.