The nominations for the 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced this morning, with HBO’s Westworld receiving the most nods. However, what’s perhaps most interesting of all is there were three original virtual reality experiences that were also recognized in the “Outstanding Original Interactive Program” category, including one made by a Canadian studio.
The three projects that received nominations were The People’s House – Inside The White House With Barack And Michelle Obama (Montreal’s Felix & Paul Studios), Dear Angelica (Oculus Story Studio) and Mission:ISS (Magnopus).
Available on Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, The People’s House offers a 360 degree tour of the White House, with commentary by U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. Users can see everything from the Oval Office and the Situation Room to areas otherwise not open to the public.
The company previously won an Emmy in 2016 for their work on a Cirque du Soleil VR experience. Later last year, the studio also announced that it will be working with 20th Century Fox to develop additional VR experiences.
Dear Angelica, meanwhile, is available exclusively on the Rift and tells a tale of grief and loss through the lens of a mother (Angelica) and her daughter. Facebook, which owns Oculus, shuttered the Story Studio back in May, saying it instead wanted to focus on helping other companies with VR content development.
Finally, Mission: ISS (also only on the Rift) offers users the chance to launch into orbit and experience life aboard the International Space Station. In the simulation, participants will learn how to move and complete operations in zero-gravity using the Rift’s Touch controllers.
It’s interesting to see the evolution of the burgeoning VR technology and how it allows storytellers to experiment using a different form of media.
A full list of nominations can be found here.
This year’s Emmy Awards ceremony will be hosted by Stephen Colbert and air on Sunday, September 17th.
Via: VR Scout
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