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 Back in the real world in 2018, VR enthusiasts hope the
fast-paced action movie heading to worldwide theaters this week
will spark new interest in the technology and help boost what is
now a niche market.
"Ready Player One," based on a novel by Ernest Cline, features a
group of teenagers who spend their days in VR goggles, suits and
gloves to maneuver their avatars through a computerized
wonderland called the Oasis. It is filled with infinite
possibilities for working, learning and socializing.
"You have a choice to spend all your time there, or make
connections in the real world with real people, real eye
contact," Spielberg said told Reuters in an interview. "In a
way, our story is a cautionary tale as well as a great
adventure."
The movie's hero, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), visits the Oasis to
escape his miserable life in an Ohio trailer park. As his refuge
comes under threat, Watts joins other avatars in a contest that
could give them the power to protect the virtual world.
Existing VR capabilities are far more limited than what is
portrayed in the film. For entertainment, VR's most prevalent
use is in gaming, where players can battle in 360-degree
settings seen through headsets from Facebook's Oculus unit, HTC
Corp and others.
Spielberg was among VR's early adopters. He had been toying with
a headset at home before he made "Ready Player One," and he
incorporated the technology behind the scenes. To appear in the
Oasis, the actors had to perform in a nearly empty white room
wearing motion-capture outfits so their movements could be
transferred to digitally created sets. Spielberg had the Oasis
sets re-built in VR.
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"Everybody had a chance to put on the headsets, and suddenly, wow,
there you are in the set itself," he said. "It gave a kind of
orientation so they weren't just acting in the abstract."
The film, which is being distributed by Time Warner Inc's Warner
Bros, is shown on a traditional movie screen, no headset required.
VR supporters hope "Ready Player One," filled with special effects
and backed by an upbeat 1980s rock soundtrack, thrills audiences and
piques their curiosity.
Several related VR experiences, such as a trip inside the movie's
dance club, will be offered on the HTC Vive headset through an
official partnership with the film. People who do not own the
equipment can head to VR arcades to try out the technology.
"We are really are excited to show people VR is not something
futuristic," said JB McRee, HTC Vive's senior manager of product
marketing. "It really is something that exists now."
Actress Lena Waithe, who plays an auto mechanic in the Oasis, said
she enjoys VR but encouraged limits to time spent in a virtual
world.
"It's fascinating, but it can be a little dangerous if you play in
it too much," she said. "There needs to be a bit of balance. I think
that's the message we are trying to get through with the film."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Tom Brown)
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