Unreal Explorations: Pushing Boundaries with VR and Interactive Storytelling
It's a new week, and we're diving into a thrilling realm of possibilities in the world of digital storytelling. As a studio well-versed in the potent capabilities of Unreal Engine, we've been hard at work, exploring the uncharted territories of VR and interactive narratives. Today, we're sharing our insights into this exciting venture and how it has transformed the way we approach our projects and it’s a technical one this week.
Venturing into VR interactive storytelling is a challenge that has pushed the boundaries of our creativity. Among the myriad of hurdles we've encountered, one of the most significant is the performance, particularly concerning latency. VR, as it turns out, operates on an entirely different level compared to traditional gaming. This shift has necessitated a complete reimagining of our workflows.
In the world of VR, performance reigns supreme. This means adjusting our approach in various ways. First and foremost, we've had to adapt our lighting strategies. For optimal performance, static lighting is the name of the game. Post-processing effects are often sidelined in favor of cleaner and more efficient rendering techniques. This shift, although challenging, is necessary to ensure a seamless and immersive VR experience.
In our pursuit of excellence in VR storytelling, we've delved into the dynamic world of material instancing and material blending. It's a different mindset when it comes to asset creation, but we've already started reaping the benefits of this innovative approach. Decals have become a particularly valuable tool in our arsenal, elevating our VR projects to new heights.
What makes VR truly exciting is that it's not just a novelty; it's a new way of looking at things. VR opens doors for our clients with large or complex products, enabling them to eliminate transport costs and improve product understanding by gamifying their communications. The applications are vast, from pilots learning to fly to surgeons perfecting their skills. As this technology becomes more cost-effective, our clients are increasingly using it to showcase their products in a safe, hands-on manner.
By Daniel Waterman and Richard Redcroft