Ancient Chinese capital inspires immersive VR project
The Luoyang VR project in Shanghai is the industry's first-ever all-immersive entertainment experience.
Players can engage in various scenes of the game wearing VR glasses.
A virtual reality project based on iQiyi's original cultural IP "Luoyang" opened to media on Tuesday, during the 28th Shanghai TV Festival.
Following its launch in Shanghai, the Luoyang VR project will also land in the city of Luoyang, Henan Province, and Beijing later this summer.
The avant-garde project in Shanghai is the industry's first-ever all-immersive entertainment experience. Ever since its trial operation in April, it has attracted over 5,000 players to engage in the one-hour game as different characters wearing VR glasses.
It also generated large interest and rave reviews among people for its fabulous settings and scenes, which simulate the physical experience of high winds, waterfalls, and explosions, all within a physical space of 300 square meters.
For players, the project has broken new ground in merging imagination and reality.
Different elements like theater, VR, and sensory-simulation techniques are integrated into the storyline. Cars, boats, carriages, and other props are built into the backdrop of ancient Luoyang, one of China's four great ancient capitals to completely immerse players in the plot.
"It's a cool and marvelous experience for me," said Alice Cao, a journalist who experienced the project on Tuesday. "One should face the internal fear and anxiety through varied challenges in the game."
The project marks the latest addition to iQiyi's development of the Luoyang IP, which also consists of films, documentaries, dramas and variety show, highlighting the historic charm of the Chinese city.
The original Luoyang IP of iQiyi consists of films, documentaries, dramas, variety shows and more, highlighting the historic charm of the Chinese city.
A still from the drama "Luoyang."
Zhang Hang, senior vice president of iQiyi, said that the Chinese content market provides a host of excellent IP, but the industry is still at the beginning of harnessing the full potential of these IPs.
"The Luoyang VR project shows how incorporating technological innovation and a localized approach when exploring VR commercialization, original IP-based projects boost both the content market and cultural consumption," Zhang added.
Hu Shihui, founder and CEO of the metaverse-themed park X-META, iQiyi's partner and offline operator of the project, pointed out that in addition to a highly immersive "in-theater" experience, the project also generates user interest by incorporating dining, cosplay and photoshoots.
Hu noted that as the Luoyang VR project meets a variety of consumer needs, it elevates the "cultural metaverse" entertainment experience to a whole new level.
Gen-Z and younger millennials are using virtual reality extensively, with 36 percent of Chinese consumers having used virtual reality headsets to play games or view content in the past six months, according to PwC's 2022 Global Consumer Insights Survey China Report.
Building on the momentum of the Luoyang VR Project, iQiyi is also set to launch three shorter interactive experience projects including "Mars Rescue," "Kunlun Maze," and "Apocalyptic Adventure" at the end of June.
Toy models are developed for the Luoyang IP.
Luoyang VR project
Venue: X-META theme park
Address: 3/F, 389 Nanjing Rd W.
南京西路389号3楼
