Learn how LAI Games and D-BOX created a truly immersive experience with Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride
Since its launch, The Big Ride has captured the hearts of players with Ubisoft’s hilarious Rabbids, and garnered the attention of operators with its ground-breaking ROI. When the concept was first introduced, and even up to the point of its release into the market, critics were skeptical that an unattended virtual reality platform could be created, let alone successful. The cumbersome format of current VR products made this seem unrealistic, but The Big Ride did indeed prove that it’s not only possible, but that it could be a rewarding, fully immersive experience. What does that mean exactly?
The Importance of Motion Control
No matter how many times you experience The Big Ride, it’s easy to forget you’re not actually moving through time and space. The sights, sounds, and movement all work together to trick your brain, and create a suspension of disbelief. How is this achieved?
The motion control system plays a critical factor in this equation, and for that LAI Games worked with D-BOX, an industry leading company that creates the motion base for a wide range of entertainment experiences. If the motion is not synced correctly with the audio-visual cues, our senses can’t be properly tricked, or worse, it can actually make the player feel nauseous.
The experience that D-BOX brought to the table made them an obvious choice for LAI Games when it came time to look for a partner to provide the motion base for The Big Ride, with the layers of detail they create through:
- MOVEMENT: Related to what you see and how the characters are moving in the space (Examples: Flying through the air, suspension feedback of any type of vehicle, action tracking elements, simulated g-force , sense of speed, first-person perspective movements, camera pans and weightlessness effects)
- VIBRATION: Related to what you hear (Examples: Any types of motors or engines, ground handling, rotor blades, tension & emotion amplification and perfect bass sound effect synchronization)
- TEXTURE: Composite motion elements used to generate specific feedback in any simulation or environment (Examples: user-related sensations and perspective-based elements)
At the very core, motion design is an artistic process. All of D-BOX’s motion designers have a thorough musical background. Motion designers use the same musical theory and technical tools as the music industry.
The teams from D-BOX and LAI Games worked closely together to make this happen, with Shannon Perell, LAI Games’ Vice President of R&D making the long journey from Singapore to Quebec multiple times during the production of all 6 Rabbids experiences. Shannon contributed first-hand to the artistic process behind D-BOX motion design, ensuring that every little detail of the media content would be perfectly replicated in the immersive seats.
“The best D-BOX experiences really do come from such a co-creation process with our partners, in which they tap into our many years of motion design experience to fully convey intentions, feelings and action all while creating something truly unique and immersive for users.”
-Yannick Gemme, Sales Vice President for D-BOX
“Space Skirmish” is the first Rabbids experience to feature “hybrid D-BOX motion” in the sense that we have a linear motion track supporting the on-rail ride aspect, while integrated motion supports the shooting action through perfectly synchronized vibrations, giving users a complete set of sensory feedback.
Quality motion control design has a list of end-user benefits:
- Using motion to move people beyond sight and sound, connecting content and body to let people fully live the emotions and the excitement imagined by content creators.
- Thanks to precise motion cues, guests feel like they are truly a part of the Raving Rabbids’ universe
- A truly immersive environment is created by supporting the content creator’s intentions instead of distracting from them.
- It adds a unique narrative layer to storytelling, in perfect synchronization with visuals and sounds.
Technical information about D-BOX Motion Design
- Movements, vibrations and textures are the three key components that create the unique signature D-BOX motion experience. Their technology can generate over 65,000 different motion cues and can be used to enhance and support any type of realistic or fictional content.
- The hyper-realism effect emanates from the speed at which the motion actuators can create multiple overlapping motion cues. This allows us to generate perfect synchronization between what you see and what you feel.
- The addition of D-BOX motion to a VR ride is scientifically proven to actively reduce motion sickness through an increase sense of immersion.
About D-BOX
D-BOX redefines and creates hyper-realistic, immersive entertainment experiences by moving the body and sparking the imagination through motion. This expertise is one of the reasons why D-BOX has collaborated with some of the best companies in the world to deliver new ways to enhance great stories. Whether it’s movies, video games, virtual reality applications, themed entertainment or professional simulation, D-BOX will make sure, you feel it all.
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