The Blackbox: a VR game engine
Our aim is to develop a tool, for designers, artists, pedagogues and researchers, that will allow them to easily set up scenes for their multiplayer experiences, on their own or with their collaborators, and then run them.
This tool would use the fantastic power of native VR design. If many successful softwares have been exploring it, for animation (Quill), 3D modelling (Medium, Masterpiece), there is yet to be a solution for experience designers.
We want to prioritise functionalities that allow for collaborative creation (being together in a VR space and co-designing from there) and multiplayer experiences.
We also want to meet the needs from the creative industry for tools that allow to export VR content to other supports: through a desktop mode, and through an in-VR camera that will allow the creators to shoot films from the blackbox.
The Blackbox: a VR game engine
VR Blackbox Characteristics | Social VR apps (VRChat, NeosVR..) | Native VR Design App (Gravity Sketch, Quill, Masterpiece..) | Game Engine (Unity, Unreal…) |
Collaborative creation space | Through a third party | Masterpiece only | Through a third party |
Design from within VR (VR Native) | No | Yes | No |
Handles multiplayer experiences and avatar systems | Yes | No | Yes |
Queues events and interactions | No | No | Yes / with third party |
Camera tool to record from within VR | Only pictures | Yes | No |
Allows exports | No | Yes | Yes |
We also intend to create pre-sets for virtual classrooms, basic roleplaying simulations and theatrical settings.