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Boosters Launches into Spatial Computing

The spatial computing device, Magic Leap 1, allows players to interact with digital content as it moves around the room. This is Wētā Workshop’s second foray into spatial computing, following the-award nominated Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders.

 In Dr. Grordbort’s Boosters, it is the player’s task to pilot a rocketship carefully (or with wild abandon) around their environment, collecting asteroid gubbins along the way and racking up a high score.

 The experience was developed by a small core team of five people over seven short weeks - an intentional change of pace after spending several years developing their previous title, Dr. Grordbort's Invaders.

“Our Magic Leap 1 launch title took years to create, by necessity. We were helping shape the platform as it was being developed - it felt like an epic marathon with an uphill sprint at the end. So, with the system now developed, and the tools matured, we wanted to limber up and deliver some quick, fun ideas."

Greg Broadmore Game Director, Wētā Workshop
Boosters Screenshot 02

To maximise the capabilities of the Magic Leap 1, Dr. Grordbort’s Boosters needed to appear as realistic as a toy-like rocket can be. Lead Game Designer & Producer, James Everett says, "Boosters demonstrates the detail required to make virtual content gel successfully with the real world. We focused our efforts on dynamic lighting, creating scorch marks on surfaces, spatial audio and more. Our aim was to present the player with the most immersive experience possible.”e Magic Leap 1 knows its environment by scanning the intended play area and creating a virtual mesh throughout the room. Previously, the Magic Leap 1 would scan an area before the player launched Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders. But with Dr. Grordbort’s Boosters, the device continuously scans its environment while the game is actively played. No longer bound by a preselected area, this dynamic scanning enables players to walk down the street, flying a rocketship through their neighborhood (best done at dawn for optimal lighting).

Boosters Screenshot 02

We’ve hidden some treats and experimental features in there too, so it may be a little rocket, but it packs a punch.

Greg Broadmore Game Director, Wētā Workshop

 

Wētā Workshop's Interactive Division is a purpose-built games studio developing a huge range of games, interactive experiences, and technical solutions for New Zealand and abroad.

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