Have you watched the popular British drama Peaky Blinders?
Well, even if you haven’t, it could be a pretty big deal for VR because a project to bring the drama to virtual reality by 2020 was recently greenlit and has people speculating about what it could possibly be.
Are we going to get a video game, or some kind of interactive, immersive entertainment thing?
Gamasutra reports that it will be a video game and the calling card the press release announcing it is putting forward centers on “realistic” interaction with AI-powered non-player characters.
That makes sense given the show’s heady, procedural feel, but what does it mean in terms of gameplay?
The press release for the game reads in part: “infiltrate the underground criminal world of the urban street gang. They will undertake a covert and unorthodox mission and defeat a rival gang. If successful with the mission, they will earn their cap and be a fully-fledged member of the Peaky Blinders, every fan’s dream! Players will come face-to-face with new and well-known characters, explore iconic locations in Small Heath, such as the Shelby’s illegal betting shop, and be able to raise a virtual glass of Irish whiskey in The Garrison Pub. They will be immersed in Peaky Blinders’ world and the dramatic action that unfolds as the story progresses.”
The game should be available for all major platforms starting in Spring 2020.
UK Government Business Secretary Greg Clark said of the BBC drama turned into a video game, “Success stories like Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit and BAFTA-winning Peaky Blinders are part of the reason why our creative industries are truly world-leading – attracting audiences both here in the UK and internationally and helping create a sector already worth some £100 billion to our economy. It’s why through our modern Industrial Strategy we’re investing to build on this huge global demand for UK creative content and ensure we lead the world in the next generation of entertainment. This backing will also give our home-grown talent the opportunity to lead the way in creating and using virtual and augmented reality technologies, remain at the cutting edge and create thousands of highly-skilled jobs.”
Executive Producer at Maze Theory Russell Harding said of the game, “This is Maze Theory’s first AI enhanced immersive drama and we are incredibly excited about the unrivalled and entirely new experience this gives players. They will literally be part of Peaky Blinders’ world and be able to interact with characters in ways no one can predict. Fans of the cult show have been calling out for this type of experience and we’re honoured to be giving it to them. This is future of entertainment!”
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