Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom received a new trailer, and we spoke with Atlas V to learn more.
Previously announced last November, Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom is a VR interactive anime film with an original story. Set three years after Char's Counterattack in the Universal Century 0096, it promises battles in outer space with familiar mobile suits. Bandai Namco Filmworks and Atlas V released a new trailer, giving us our first look at the new pilot characters.
During GDC 2024, UploadVR spoke with Michael Masukawa, VP of Business Development, Strategy, and Partnerships at Atlas V, in a short face-to-face interview. When asked how this project began, Masukawa informed me that Meta helped Atlas V identify IPs they believed would resonate with the VR audience.
"We made it a mission to tackle some Japanese anime IP and Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, anime of all time. If you're a fan of that series, that universe, those characters, you might see some people you recognize," Masukawa tells me.
When asked how this differs from previous Gundam VR experiences like Char's Sortie and Daiba Assault, Masukawa emphasizes this is a "highly cinematic, highly narrative" experience with moments of interactivity. Drawing parallels with Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway, I'm told it's "more narrative than it is interactive" compared to Aardman's recent adaptation.
After I questioned what's the distinction between an interactive movie and a more cinematic VR game, Masukawa pointed to the sense of immersion and scale "that's only possible in VR."
With Silver Phantom's interactivity, Masukawa says there will be first-person gameplay in which you play an original character.
"He might be on a space station, on a ship, or doing other things. You get to go around, do different activities to advance the story, and really feel that you are a part of this. Whatever stakes there are, that rests on your shoulders."
Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom will reach the Meta Quest platform in 2024.
