Virtual reality has allowed people to have experiences never thought possible. It can help athletes and officials train. It can entertain and engage sports fans. It allows one person to experience the perspective of another.
With that last point in mind, the IMG Studio recently launched a fully-immersive, virtual reality wheelchair basketball game. Created for South Regional Adaptive & Paralympic Sports (STRAPS) and Morgan’s Wonderland, the game immerses users into the world of wheelchair basketball to help players practice, but also increase awareness of Paralympic sports.
“We at STRAPS are so excited that this emerging technology is putting players in the game in a virtual way and increasing awareness of Paralympic sports,” STRAPS director Brooke Matula said in a statement.
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What you need to know:
-The game itself features a stadium, scoreboard and puts you directly into the seat of a wheelchair basketball player. All you have to wear are a pair of goggles to fully immerse yourself into the game. Both South Texas Regional Adaptive & Paralympic Sports (STRAPS) and Morgan’s Wonderland also hope to use the game to recruit players, disabled or not.
-Designers of the game tried to make it as accurate as possible by using different coding techniques and studying the physics of the game. IMG Studio’s Interactive Media Manager, Andrew Jacobson, spent time playing the game in preparation for the design process.
-Those who attend the San Antonio Spurs game on March 23 will have the opportunity to try out the VR game. As a team, the Spurs have been heavily involved with the Paralympic community, including participating in a wheelchair basketball game last year.
SportTechie Takeaway:
It’s compelling to see VR being used to raise awareness for something like wheelchair basketball. As the AR/VR sector has grown, we’ve become accustomed to seeing activations used primarily as entertainment tools. This creation gives users an entertainment opportunity coupled with the chance to learn more about a sport and community deserving of attention.