JumpDay: Sandbox VR for Russy Mann’s Zombie birthday
For our most recent team-bonding day (which we call JumpDay) we wanted to do something extra special.
Jump’s Co-Founding Director and Technical Director, Mr Russell Mann is celebrating a landmark birthday very soon. We wanted to plan an event that we knew would be right up his street and use it as an excuse to wish him a very (slightly early) happy birthday.
Russ is a big fan of computer games so we arranged an afternoon session at London’s state of the art, virtual reality game-centre, Sandbox VR. There are a range of experiences on offer to play but of course we chose to shoot hyper-realistic Zombies in their newest and scariest addition, Deadwood Phobia.
What more could you ask for?
Russell Mann:
“I play a lot of VR games at home so I’m quite used to it. But this is a different level of experience. The freedom of movement and being in a group who you can actually hear and make contact with (or fall over! Ha ha). Zombies are not so bad if you are armed to the teeth. Of course I felt like the hero of our team, that was until I saw the scores!”
Dave Skinner:
“I apologise for my potty mouth during the game. Sorry everyone!”
Matt Marcroft:
“There was a genuine sense of everyone being a bit nervous before we stepped into those suits. I was feeling apprehensive but confident. No bragging, but my second place in a stag-do clay pigeon shoot was bound to stand me in good stead, right!? As it turns out, should we need to deal with a zombie apocalypse in the near future – Team Jump are well prepped and ready to mash the undead at will. I am voting for Charlene to go at the front next time though! What a fun experience. Very immersive, more than a little unnerving and I would be there again in a flash (of gunfire).”
Callum O’Reilly:
“I was hugely impressed by how immersive the whole experience was. Once you got over the fact the zombies weren’t actually right up in your face, it was hugely enjoyable. I ended up testing the body-tracking of my avatar and seeing how many different ways I could shoot the dual-pistols. I thought shooting through my own legs was the most impressive – and without a doubt made me look really flippin’ cool. The view from spectators suggests otherwise.”
But it wasn’t all about slaughtering zombies. A small group of the Jump team decided to play something a little more serene and opted for the … erm … Squid Game experience instead.
(Has anyone considered making a VR experience based on a nice, lazy sunday stroll in the park?)
Lee Jacobs:
“After playing Squid Game in VR, I can confidently say I’d be the first corpse in the arena. My strategy? Tripping over my own feet during ‘Red Light, Green Light’ and politely apologising to the opposition.”
Kate Norley:
“There was a moment when I couldn’t bring myself to move. My feet felt so firmly glued to the floor all I could do was close my eyes, resulting in me falling through a (virtual) trapdoor into the abyss over and over and over. Despite that, it was great fun! I played Squid Games, which had a fantastic variety of challenges. Not every game involved a terrifying drop; there were also puzzles, speed tests, and memory challenges. Plus, the storytelling between each game offered a welcome breather from the intensity. Now that I know what I’m letting myself in for, I’d definitely do it again. I might even venture over to the zombie room.”
A nice part of the Sandbox VR experience is that after you’ve played the game – everyone can convene in the bar and watch video highlights of how they performed (as you can see in the compilation video above). We can only apologise for the language – but those zombies are rather scary when they’re running at you.
We continued our afternoon with a quick trip to Byron Burger followed by hanging out at The Plough pub for a few more celebratory drinks.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUSSY!
