Specialist VR and MxR company, SPACES, is partnering Songcheng Performance Development Co. Ltd. to bring virtual reality and mixed reality experiences to China’s most popular theme parks.
The landmark $30 million joint venture will incorporate cutting-edge VR and MxR technologies into existing rides and shows as well as creating brand new attractions.
Songcheng is one of the world’s biggest theme park operators – its parks attracted close to 23 million visitors in 2015.
SPACES, co-founded by CEO Shiraz Akmal and CTO Brad Herman, enables leading brands and companies to bring VR and MxR experiences to consumers.
“VR and MxR will be incorporated into existing shows and rides in ways that have never been possible, with thousands of people able to experience VR simultaneously, ” explained Akmal. “Showcasing the transformative nature of virtual reality on such a wide scale will also help the entire VR industry grow at an increasingly faster pace.”
The partnership will also enable Songcheng to take its hugely popular livestreaming video site, 6Rooms (6.cn) – which attracts over 33 million unique users every month – to VR and MxR platforms.
“Virtual reality and mixed reality can revolutionise almost every interaction our guests have in our theme parks and on 6Rooms, ” commented Cathy Zhang, CEO of Songcheng. “This joint venture opens the door to a new and exciting future that is limited only by the imagination.”
SPACES will provide technology, develop creative concepts, produce and publish VR and MxR experiences, and deliver tech-support services. It will also license the underlying software to Songcheng. Under the agreement, the joint venture will be based in Hangzhou, China, and co-managed by SPACES from its headquarters in Los Angeles.
