Viking theme park takes Norse mythology into virtual reality
by Tom Anstey | 18 Sep 2015
Virtual reality conquest rooms equipped with VR headsets and omni multi-directional treadmills turn the landscape around the player into an explorable Norse world
A Viking-themed augmented reality attraction is currently under development in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the startup project taking Norse mythology onto a virtual platform.
Blending traditional rides and attractions with augmented reality, The Legendary World of Norse Mythology: Yggdrasil will make its public debut in 2019.
The attraction will offer VR dark rides, equipping the visitors with laser swords to fight giants and dragons, while virtual reality conquest rooms equipped with VR headsets and omni multi-directional treadmills turn the landscape around the player into an explorable Norse world.
There will also be augmented reality ‘quest’ rooms, which will allow groups to solve a puzzle within a themed room filled with props. In addition to the virtual reality component, an outdoor Viking fortress will also be developed, while traditional Viking longhouses will be available for rental as accommodation.
Speaking to Fortune, Peter Franklin Wurtz, co-founder of the startup, said the concept was inspired by disappointment visitors had at a Viking exhibition in London, with complaints that the exhibit didn’t offer the mythology they were hoping for. Wurtz and co-founder Patrick Mønsted Bendix both have a professional background consulting within the film, event and entertainment industries, and want to use those skills to create what wasn’t previously on offer.
“We think that the best way to capture the look and feel of the Vikings legends, myths, and sagas is to make it virtually real using CGI, 3D domes, VR, and AR,” said Wurtz. “Since mythology is a magical and very fantasy-like world to many people, we will give the audience an immersive experience of this imaginative world of gods, dwarfs, dragons, elves, and giants.
“VR and AR saves us time because none of our employees have to dress up like dwarves, elves, or Vikings and we don’t have to run a live show, which likely wouldn’t be nearly as good as what could be done through this technology,” he continued. “Over the next two to three years we see a paradigm shift with VR technology where it will reach the economies of scale.”
The attraction is hoping to attract half-a-million visitors in its first year, drawing more than a million guests after that.
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A Viking-themed augmented reality attraction is currently under development in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the startup project taking Norse mythology onto a virtual platform. Blending traditional rides and attractions with augmented reality, The Legendary World of Norse Mythology: Yggdrasil will make its public debut in 2019. The attraction will offer VR dark rides, equipping the visitors with laser swords to fight giants and dragons, while virtual reality conquest rooms equipped with
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