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Darren Aronofsky-backed VR series 'Spheres' lands a 7-figure deal
If you want evidence that VR is maturing as an entertainment medium, you just got it. CityLights just bought the rights to Spheres, the three-part VR black hole series written by Eliza McNitt and produced by Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures, for a "seven-figure" amount at the Sundance Film Festival. That might not sound like much by Hollywood standards, but it's the first-ever seven-figure VR purchase at the event. It was slated to reach the Oculus Rift in 2018 (Oculus and Intel backed the project) and should get wider distribution as a result.
Oculus shows how much VR has evolved at Sundance
Two years into the rise of modern virtual reality, following the launch of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, the medium might seem as if it's losing a bit of its luster. Headsets are cheaper and easier to use, especially with new Windows Mixed Reality devices, yet VR experiences are still a mixed bag. That's understandable, since we're stepping into an entirely new art form, but consumer adoption depends on VR creators figuring out their storytelling language soon. Luckily, that seems to be a trend at the Sundance New Frontier Exhibition this year. We're moving beyond the initial "wow factor" and toward more mature experiences that take advantage of VR's unique ability to immerse you.
'Fistful of Stars' lets you experience a stellar birth in VR
There may be no better way to show off the possibilities of virtual reality than by exploring the cosmos. We've already seen some early space experiences, like Adr1ft, but you can expect artists to keep experimenting as the VR ecosystem matures. Fistful of Stars, which debuts this week at SXSW, is an ambitious attempt at pushing VR space experiences forward. It launches you into the heart of the Orion Nebula, where you see a star being born up close. It's the sort of thing space nerds have always dreamed of, but it's also intriguing enough for anyone to enjoy (and hopefully learn a thing or two).
