Opposable Games, the organisers of the UK’s largest virtual reality conference, has launched Opposable VR to focus their innovation and creativity on making the most of the fast growing virtual reality (VR) industry.
Based in the Bristol Games Hub, Opposable Games has been developing VR experiences for the last few years in their own games, and in the award-winning projects they put together for businesses using their game design skills and technology.
Virtual reality gaming: Opposable Games have already racked up some
impressive clients across many platforms
Opposable VR is being run by Ben Trewhella – experienced technology entrepreneur and SPARKies award winner – alongside proven growth and operations experts Chris Price and Nan Xu who have both overseen the creation of successful technology companies before.
“Bristol is leading the way in this new and exciting field”
Ben tells us: “TV, animation, web, mobile – Bristol has always played host to innovative studios and agencies that put together technology and creativity to create exciting projects. The latest technology that is setting the creative and investment world alight is VR, and as usual, Bristol is leading the way in this new and exciting field.”
“Those who have tried one of the new VR headsets will tell you that it seems magical, something they’ve imagined would one day happen but not in their lifetime. The new experiences possible with VR are fast gaining attention as a transformative tool for marketing brands, for creating new entertainment experiences and for visualising business products and services.”
Expanding virtual worlds
Starting with both feet firmly on the ground, Opposable VR already has several projects in the pipeline spanning from engineering and finance to gaming and comic books – mirroring what’s been seen in recent years with the development of VR playing an important role across a range of industries.
“We are building the best VR delivery team in the UK for entertainment and business virtual worlds”
With so much experience in the games business, Ben explains how Opposable VR is taking a unique approach to the industry.
“We are building the best VR delivery team in the UK for entertainment and business virtual worlds. We are investing in the development of technology products that cover VR connectivity, metrics, advertising, experience delivery and user management, products which we know will come into their own as VR develops into the primary interface for connecting to people over the next few years.”
And as well as their rapidly expanding portfolio, Opposable VR already has big plans for the second SouthWest VR conference, scheduled for April 2016.
Tactile sensations in a virtual world: Ultrahaptics were one of many exciting
VR companies to speak at Opposable Games’ VR Conference last year
Ben tells us: “Last year’s SouthWest VR attracted an international audience of 250 VR specialists and press to engage in talks, demos and meetings. A number of high-profile industry-leading delegates and speakers at the event included guests from Sony, Microsoft, Oculus, Samsung and NBCUniversal.”
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Designing a virtual world
VR is becoming a booming industry and it’s something it seems that Bristol and the South West are right on top of. With industry analyst Digi-capital reporting that AR and VR are set to disrupt the mobile market and hit a combined value of $150 billion by 2020, it’s clear that this could mean big things for the development of the South West as a hub for the best technology companies in the world.
“Being able to create a world and then walk around in it is pretty much the best thing a creative or technologist can ever do”
However, as Ben explains, working in games and VR is not only about being the biggest and the best. When it comes to VR, Ben says: “It’s awesome! It’s very difficult to explain unless you’ve tried it, but put simply being able to create a world and then walk around in it is pretty much the best thing a creative or technologist can ever do.”
“The opportunities are really limitless, and if you’re working with the Opposable Team we can create almost anything that you can imagine, and we can train you to be able to do that too.”
For the latest updates, why not follow Opposable VR on Twitter at: @OpposableVR. In the run-up to the conference, Opposable are also able to provide industry analysis, news and insights on virtual reality via their fortnightly newsletter available at opposablevr.com.
Or, for a more detailed look at the technology, it is possible to sign up for one of their regular VR roundtables by contacting Chris Price at chris@opposablegroup.com.
Want to work with Opposable VR? The team is keen to hear from digital creatives, mobile technologists, games developers and 3D designers who would like to be re-trained as VR specialists. Interested? Get in touch via the contact details above.
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Image credit: Tom Sparey Photography
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