Hello everyone,
I have joined this site because I am working on an application that depicts Black Thursday in virtual reality. I have worked on this project for nearly 2 years in my spare time and alone. You could call me an "Indy developer" in that respect, albeit an unusually old one as I am 57 years old. The target platform for the app is Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR. As I am getting closer (still quite a few month away) to release the app on the Oculus store, I have just released a first in app video,
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMrP3tbQiv07HuFnp0knjNA
I have had a keen interest in everything history all my life. When the current wave of VR/AR technology really took off in 2016, I realised that it can be a great new medium to tell a story. And if it is a story from the past, it is bringing history back to life. Those of you who have experienced VR recently on any of these new platform (like Oculus Rift, HTV Vive etc) will understand what I mean. With VR it is possible to create a fully immersive environment that makes the viewer a part of it, in a way that is simply not possible with watching a movie or documentary on a normal screen.
What I am trying with this app, is to bring Black Thursday back to life and therefore preserving it forever.
The app depicts the mission of the 14th of October 1943 from the perspective of the flight engineer from his position in the top turret. I picked this position because it is best suited for VR, it gives the player/viewer the best view and the best experience of what it was like to be an USAAF airmen on such a mission. And it is interactive, as the engineer can via controller turn his turret and fire his weapons at incoming fighters. But it is not a mindless shooter game, it is more like an interactive movie...the player is part of the movie.
Anyway, I would appreciate comments from people reading this and watching the video, as I am trying to reach out to this and other communities that try to preserve the memory of what was. Feel free to tell others that have an interest to preserve the history of US airmen in general.
Thank you
Stefan Waibel
Replies