Sony reveals Ghostbusters virtual reality experience ahead of film's release
With the return of the beloved Ghostbusters franchise just around the corner Sony Pictures is stepping up its marketing activities for the film by giving fans the opportunity to strap on a proton pack and hunt ghosts in a virtual reality experience.
Ghostbusters VR
The Ghostbusters: Dimension VR experience is a multiplayer game which transports users into the world of the film where they have to use proton packs and ghost traps to capture a "paranormal villain" hiding in a New York apartment complex.
The 15 minute long VR opportunity has been created by VR company The Void and is part of a wider Ghostbusters attraction opening on 1 July in Time Square at Madame Tussauds, New York.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? @nycwax Ghostbusters Experience invades #TimesSquare this summer https://t.co/Iwq741exxF pic.twitter.com/WdG5rVjVja
— Madame Tussauds NY (@nycwax) May 9, 2016
The Ghostbusters Experience will take up a floor and a half, 85,000 square foot, of Madame Tussauds and will include four themed rooms and six wax figures based on characters from the new film.
Sony’s senior vice president of digital marketing, Jake Zim, said the VR stunt was created to fit into the narrative of the franchise while also existing independently.
Zim said: "All of the new equipment – the proton packs, the proton blasters, the outfits the Ghostbusters wear in the new movie – are incorporated into the Void's creative to ensure the highest quality images and environments would appear in this virtual reality experience."
Founder and chief executive of the Void, Ken Bretschneider, describes the VR experience as "hyper-reality" and says it is a “a combination of a physical set, 5D effects and virtual reality."
The Void’s chief creative officer, Curtis Hickman, added: "This is an authentic Ghostbusters world that will appeal to old and new fans alike.
"The experience ties nicely into the upcoming film, and there might just be a few familiar faces as well."
The new Ghostbusters film is due for release two weeks after the opening of the attraction on 15 July.