Shanghai was the venue for the launch of Chinese streaming firm iQiyi’s latest venture into Virtual Reality.
Its ‘Luoyang VR Project’ is an immersive experience that is one of the 12 zones within iQiyi’s ‘Chinese Historic City Universe’ and is set in a representation of the ancient city of Luoyang in Henan province. Requiring headsets and using a physical space of some 300 square metres, the set-up stimulates the physical experience of high winds, waterfalls and explosions.
IQiyi described the project as “the first attempt in the VR industry to integrate different elements from immersive theatre, VR, and original IP,” and said that it leverages “inside-out tracking” technology and other industry-leading, sensory-simulation techniques to build in cars, boats, carriages, and other props. “The upshot is a highly realistic environment that fully immerses the audience in the story,” the company said.
The project has attracted more than 5,000 users to date and will later relocate to Luoyang itself and then Beijing.
IQiyi made its first move into VR in 2018 when it established its Dreamverse studio and began developing its first offline project. In 2020, Dreamverse began curating VR projects and fully-immersive experiences.
“The Chinese content market provides a host of excellent IPs, but the industry is still at the beginning of harnessing the full potential of these Ips,” said Zhang Hang, senior VP of iQiyi. “The ‘Luoyang VR Project’ shows how incorporating technological innovations and a localized approach to exploring VR commercialization, original IP-based projects boost both the content market and cultural consumption at large.”
Hu Shihui, founder and CEO of metaverse-themed park X-META, iQiyi’s partner and offline operator of the project, pointed out in addition to a highly immersive “in-theatre” experience, the project also generates user interest by incorporating dining and opportunities for dressing up in costumes and photoshoots.
Building on the momentum of the Luoyang VR Project, iQiyi expects to launch three shorter interactive experience projects including “Mars Rescue,” “Kunlun Maze” and “Apocalyptic Adventure” at the end of June. These projects target particular audience segments—such as couples.
