This past weekend’s NFL Draft marked the start of hundreds of careers. For those with NFL aspirations, the goal is to get drafted, earn a starting job and win a Super Bowl. However, what about those of us born without athletic gifts who still want to experience NFL stardom? For that, the National Football League has partnered with Cirque du Soleil to create NFL Experience Times Square (NETS).
Scheduled to open in November, the attraction includes both virtual and augmented reality as well as other state-of-the-art immersive opportunities.
“It’s a unique chance to step into the shoes of an NFL player by taking an interactive journey with a mix of 4D cinematic experiences,” said Danny Boockvar, the President of NFL Experience Times Square.
“The narrative of the experience takes you from being a fan, to being a player, to being a champion. You leave the cinematic experience with the opportunity to test your skills and be drafted.”
One of the first parts of the journey will be the “suit up” station where you will see yourself in uniform. This system is housed in a set wall replicating a series of player lockers. Your live image will be captured and broadcasted onto a hanging vertical screen — from a tablet you can make a selection with your favorite team.
“That team’s uniform will digitally build on your machine,” Boockvar said. “Once that uniform is complete, you the player will move around and pose — certain poses will trigger bonus effects. If both hands reach in the air, a football will sail into the image and land in your hands.”
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There is also a game planning station where you will learn X’s & O’s from a holographic NFL coach. The hologram is tied to a digital screen in order to fully immerse you into what it’s like to stand in a locker room.
After you’ve studied up you’re ready for the field. You’ll be thrown into a real-life huddle powered by NFL Films. You’ll hear the coach screaming at you and your teammates staring you down as they wait for the play call.
“There’s no timeouts, the 35-second play clock is running and you’ve got to make a call — it’s going to have that high-intensity experience of a true quarterback in a huddle,” explained Boockvar. “That’s the most immersive VR experience that we’re offering.”
NFL Experience Times Square will also offer fans a chance to test their abilities through combine-like activities (vertical leap, tackling dummies, etc.) and a quarterback challenge. The QB challenge will feature footballs with speed and location-monitoring devices to compare you against your favorite pros.
Just like any NFL player, you’ll get a shot to end your journey as a Super Bowl champion. “It’s going to transport you onto the field and through the use of video monitors it will capture you and composite images of live NFL films Super Bowl celebrations so that you will see yourself on the field amidst the victors,” said Boockvar. “What’s so exciting is that it’s real 360 NFL-powered film shot now and last season integrated into this immersive technologies.”
Afterwards, fans will be surrounded by on-field displays showing what it’s like to see the hoisting of the Vince Lombardi trophy through the eyes of the games’ best players. Eventually each fan will have the opportunity to get their picture taken next to the actual trophy.
According to Boockvar, the Super Bowl celebration offers the widest range of augmented reality experiences.
“Ninety-five percent of football fans have never been to a game, never heard the roar of the stadium, never felt what it’s like to be in the huddle or seen the confetti fall at the end of the game,” Boockvar said. “We’re providing these interactive and immersive experiences for the first time so we’re very excited to bring that to our fans.”