Several months back, we introduced you to three young artists with a passion for maximizing what can be achieved through virtual reality artistry. That group is known as the Soap Collective — an enclave of forward thinking creatives working in this brand new medium known as VR.
Today, the Soap Collective is working to release Atlas — it’s first full-length VR project. Atlas is a science fiction experience that toys with concepts like linear narratives, puzzle solving, and exploration using the unique viewpoints and input methods provided by VR. It will release as a series of VR episodes. The first of which is simply titled Prologue.
According to Soap:
Pitched as an early tease of a much larger universe, the first Atlas experience immerses users in an abandoned world, on a quest to discover the mysteries of a lost civilization.
Debuting on Oculus Rift + Touch, Atlas will be an episodic release set in an ever-expanding seamless world. Merging the seasonal structure of premium TV with the open-world design of today’s most popular video games, Atlas is set to break new ground in how VR content is designed and released. As The Soap Collective continues to build this ambitious universe, Atlas: Prologue is intended to be a free taste of what’s to come.
I had the chance to try Atlas for myself on Rift and Touch. The bulk of the demo I tried took place on this little beauty:
You have the chance to cruise around a mysterious alien world searching for…something. You’re not entirely sure. Along the way you’ll uncover these monolithic puzzles that look like something straight out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. With the prologue “coming soon” in 2017, we’re excited to try the full thing and tackle future episodes as they role out.
Atlas will be the first project from the organization’s new VR story studio, which will focus on “creating unique, narrative IP for mass-audiences.”
The SOAP Team describes itself as “a virtual reality agency and storytelling studio focused on creating premium interactive experiences.”
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Disclaimer: The SOAP Collective rents a dedicated office space at Upload, Inc.’s San Francisco co-working space. This in no way influenced the decision to publish this article, or the content for this piece.
