VIVE Mars and AOTO Elevated BlizzCon 2023 with Cutting-Edge XR Solution

HTC VIVE Mars and AOTO unveiled an XR solution at Blizzard Entertainment’s BlizzCon 2023, which enhanced the attendee experience by immersing them into the world of Overwatch 2. The XR solution seamlessly integrated AOTO's RM series LED wall and AE series LED floor with HTC VIVE Mars CamTrack, allowing attendees to engage with their favorite Overwatch 2 characters in an entirely new way.

The activation proved successful, with over 800 participant videos recorded over the two-day event. KPOP group LE SSERAFIM, who collaborated with Overwatch 2 on their "Perfect Night" music video, also visited the VIVE Mars booth and performed a short dance to the song on the XR stage in the Overwatch world.

The VIVE Mars CamTrack tracks the positional data of a camera for the real-time rendering software, displaying the correct perspective of the Overwatch environment on the AOTO LED space. This allowed participants to immerse themselves in the Overwatch world and stand side by side their favorite characters.

This Hollywood filmmaking technique, which traditionally involves a team of specialists and multiple days to set up, can now be done in hours – an ideal application for expos and live-events.

Benefits of Camera Tracking in Event Activations

• More Immersive with LED Wall: Unlike traditional green screens, participants instantly feel like they are in the space, which creates a captivating experience.
• Sense of Scale: Participants can engage and interact with virtual characters at the correct scale.
• Seamless Blend of Virtual and Real Elements: Virtual set extensions eliminate limitations on LED size, enabling a blend of virtual and real elements.
• Real-Time Compositing: No post-production time is needed, allowing participants to experience and share their videos with no wait time.

With a 30-year legacy in LED volume technology, AOTO has remained on the cutting edge, catering to diverse industries such as films, television, broadcasting, and digital signage. The XR solution displayed AOTO's RM2.3 and AE2.3 LED panel, and was meticulously designed for optimal performance in any indoor environment. Boasting industry-leading scan rates, refresh rates, high contrast ratios, wide viewing angles, and unparalleled brightness levels, this technology offers an immersive and lifelike viewing experience.

While the application of VIVE Mars has been synonymous with filmmaking and live-broadcasting, BlizzCon 2023 proved that VIVE Mars camera tracking technology can also enhance attendee experience at conventions and expos. Since BlizzCon, VIVE Mars has also deployed at other Esport and live broadcasting streams, including Acer's Predator League Finals.

The VIVE Mars team continues to identify innovative applications of camera tracking technology beyond gaming events. The immersive nature of the technology opens new avenues for diverse industries, including film, broadcast, and event activations.  The success of the collaboration between AOTO and HTC VIVE Mars at BlizzCon 2023 underscores HTC VIVE’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of immersive entertainment, creating an experience where realities blur and new dimensions unfold for attendees.

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Equipment:

AOTO RM2.3 and AE2.3 LED panels

VIVE Mars CamTrack

Red Komodo with Genlock I/O

DZOFilm Pictor 20 to 55mm T2.8 Super35

Aximmetry Virtual Studio DE

AJA Gen10

Brompton S40

PC with MSI SUPREME 4090 and Blackmagic Decklink 8K

MSI Titan GT77

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