HTC VIVE AND READY PLAYER ONE DEBUT VR EXPERIENCES AT SXSW

VR Experiences inspired by “Ready Player One” to also be Released to VR Arcades,
VIVEPORT and Steam to Coincide with Theatrical Release of the Film

Austin, TX – March 8, 2018 – HTC VIVE™ and “Ready Player One” today announced eight pieces of virtual reality content inspired by Steven Spielberg’s new action adventure, “Ready Player One.” All eight pieces of content can be enjoyed on VIVE, at home or at location-based VR arcades across the country and will be free to download on VIVEPORT and Steam before the film’s March 29, 2018, release, with multiple experiences debuting at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festival for press and attendees.

“’Ready Player One’ has inspired both the current and future state of the VR industry and VIVE is in a unique position to deliver on the promise of VR today,” said Joel Breton, GM of VIVE Studios. “We’ve brought together a group of our favorite developers to bring content inspired by ‘Ready Player One’ to life in a way that resonates with audiences long after they have left the theater.”

HTC VIVE has partnered with many of the top developers in VR to build experiences that capture the essence of the “Ready Player One” universe. Multiple VR titles will release this month ahead of the film’s release. In addition, a portion of these titles will be made available to VR arcade operators leading up to the film’s release.

• Battle for the OASIS

Help to save the OASIS by defeating waves of IOI Sixers. Advance through the trenches of Planet Doom towards the snowy planes that surround Anorak’s Castle. With an arsenal only possible in the OASIS, you must stop IOI from gaining control.
Developer: Steel Wool Studios

• Rise of The Gunters

Fight against a nearly invincible army of highly trained IOI Sixers. Proceed with caution as you defeat Sixers, collect their coins, find power ups and survive a merciless onslaught of hyper-explosive kinetic action for as long as it takes. The OASIS is yours. Take it back. Battle the IOI by yourself or with up to two fellow Gunters!
Developer: Drifter Entertainment, Inc.

• Gauntlet

Navigate through a seemingly endless dungeon while the undead seek to destroy you. Collecting Gold will improve your score and eating food will restore your health, but only your bow skills will ensure that you make it out alive.
Developer: Directive Games

• Smash

Enhance your hand and eye coordination in this nod to OASIS creator James Halliday’s favorite `80s arcade games.
Developer: 2 Bears Studio

• Fracture

Heighten your spatial awareness and reflexes in this throwback to` 80s brick smasher games reimagined in VR.
Developer: 2 Bears Studio

• Aech’s Garage

Walk into the extraordinary world of Aech's Garage in VR as interpreted from the original ILM design for Steven Spielberg's “Ready Player One.” Inspired by the virtual universe of the OASIS in 2045, Aech’s Garage represents the culmination of VR as it exists in the year 2018.
Developer: Sansar

• The Distracted Globe Music Experience in TheWaveVR

Step inside the fantastical space inspired by The Distracted Globe zero-gravity dance club scene from “Ready Player One.” TheWaveVR experience will let anyone immerse themselves in the dance club scene with specially designed avatars,`80s visuals and music, plus the ability to fly to the music in zero gravity. Available at SXSW and in participating VR arcades across the country on March 9. Launching on TheWaveVR’s free app on Steam in the U.S. beginning Thursday, March 17 at 9:00 p.m. CT.
Developer: TheWaveVR

• Ready Player One: Avatar Creator

People come to the OASIS for all the things they can do, but they stay for all the things they can be. With millions of permutations, the Avatar Creator lets you create your own highly detailed OASIS persona. Share your custom Avatar with friends and fellow Gunters.
Developer: Morph3D.

To submit for the arcade program, please visit: //bit.ly/VRARCADE

For images and assets on these titles, please visit the VIVE Blog.

VIVE is a first-of-its-kind virtual reality platform, built and optimized for room-scale VR and true-to-life interactions. Delivering on the promise of VR with game-changing technology and best-in-class content, VIVE has created the strongest ecosystem for VR hardware and software, bringing VR to consumers, developers and enterprises alike. The VIVE ecosystem is built around the best VR hardware in market, supported by VIVE X, a $100 million accelerator for VR and related technology start-ups, VIVEPORT, a global platform and app store with the world’s first VR subscription model that operates in more than 60 countries, and VIVE Studios, its VR content development and publishing initiative. For more information on VIVE, please visit www.vive.com.

From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name. Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. Donald De Line, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Spielberg and Dan Farah produced the film, with Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris deFaria and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki, Hannah John-Kamen, with Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, an Amblin Production, a De Line Pictures Production, a Steven Spielberg Film, “Ready Player One.” Opening on Thursday, March 29, 2018 in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX®, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. This film has been rated PG-13.