VR expert in pioneering link with Legoland Manchester
Manchester-based virtual reality expert Immotion Group announced a partnership today with Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester owner Merlin Entertainments.
The firm, which was formed from the merger of Studio Liddell, a Manchester-based CGI studio, and Los Angeles-based filmmakers C2K, has provided the content for The Great Lego Race.
It also recently set up its own multi-sensory virtual reality (VR) pod in Manchester’s Arndale Centre.
The Legoland attraction is only the second of its kind in the world, with Media City-based Immotion first installing the experience at Legoland Discovery Centre Boston, in the USA.
The exclusive 360-degree attraction, designed for guests six-years-old and above, engages all the senses, combining sight, sound and motion for the ultimate escape.
Racers will enter the virtual world for two and half minutes, venturing across rocky mountains, rolling rivers and hot lava, with each experience leading to exciting new discoveries.
Martin Higginson, executive chairman of Immotion, said: “Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester is part of a massively popular worldwide brand, and we are excited about delivering this specially created VR experience in the UK, after successfully launching it with them in the US.
“It demonstrates the kind of high-quality bespoke VR experiences we can develop on behalf of our partners.
“We are proud of the immersive technology behind the pod and we believe it will boost the great family fun already on offer.
“This is one of Immotion’s highest-profile VR experiences so far and shows that out-of-home VR is increasingly becoming a major part of the worldwide attractions and experiences industry.”
Jenn McDonough, general manager, Manchester Cluster, Merlin Entertainments, said: “We’re thrilled to be the first location in the UK to offer this amazing experience.
“We were the first Legoland Discovery Centre in the UK, and remain the largest, so it is fitting that we are spearheading this entirely new concept.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be a part of, and I’m certain our Lego fans are going to love it.”
Earlier this month Immotion was floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in a move which raised £5.75m in funding, and valued the business at around £20m.
