Fox makes a splash with its FoxNext division and Alien:Descent VR experience
Foxnet, Twentieth Century Fox’s video game, virtual reality and theme park division has made its mark with the debut of Alien: Descent, a brand-new location-based VR experience based on the renowned Alien franchise.
When talking about the Alien themed experience, FoxNext president Salili Metha said that it was, “fricken’ cool, from the moment you walk in the door, it takes you into the world of Alien”.
Fox first launched their FoxNext division a little over a year ago, the division acts as an umbrella embracing all things VR, location-based gaming and other emerging technologies.
Alien: Descent has players strap up with a special motion-sensing outfit, wireless VR headset coupled with a futuristic looking gun controller that provides haptic feedback when fired.
The game or experience lasts about 15 minutes and puts players into a freely explorable VR environment based on the legendary Alien franchise. To complete the feeling of immersion, players can actually feel sensations such as heat from the in-game reactors and other environments thanks to the specially crafted room designed specifically for Alien: Descent.
“We never really believed the hype,” said Mehta. Fox began experimenting with VR early on, initially with mixed success. Case in point: “The Martian VR Experience,” which fused assets from the movie with simple mini-games, went on sale for $20 in 2016. Today, it’s discounted to $4.99 and rated only two out of five stars in multiple VR stores.
Metha went on to say that the Martian was a learning experience for them, with other big projects such as the Isle of Dogs VR experience continues are helping contribute to VRs continued success and evolution as a technology.
“The goal is to grow profitability,” said Mehta, FoxNext is trying to become a viable asset for Fox, in which they can contribute extended experiences through VR and other emerging technologies, based on the many popular franchises and properties under Fox’s extensive repertoire.
According to Futuresource Consulting, they have estimated that experiences such as Alien: Descent have the potential to bring in upwards of $809 million by 2022.
