Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘OS Virtual Reality- Ben Nevis’

November 30, 2015 Patrick Hickey Jr. Video Games 0

Review Fix chats with David Haynes, one of the creators of “OS Virtual Reality- Ben Nevis,” for an inside look at how the app was created and how it bridges the gap between reality and VR.

About “OS Virtual Reality- Ben Nevis”:

The spectacular setting of Ben Nevis provides the backdrop for an Oculus Rift game created by Ordnance Survey developers, in which players race against the clock to find a hidden trig pillar. The recreation of Britain’s highest mountain has been constructed by OS in 1:4 scale using OS data and covers an area of 10km x 10km. Britain’s mapping agency, with a 224 year history of collecting and using data in imaginative and useful ways, has today also released today a virtual reality tour of the same rugged Ben Nevis mountainscape featured in OS’s Oculus Rift game. The virtual tour is available for both iOS and Android devices to be used with Google cardboard.

Review Fix: What was the development process for this game like?

David Haynes: We began by establishing a process for translating OS elevation data into a format suitable for import into Unity. To do this, we used a combination of custom scripts and open source GIS tools.

Review Fix: What other games inspired it?

Haynes: We were inspired by the OS Minecraft project and several VR demos that have been created in the past 18 months. Lunar Flight comes to mind as another VR game made with Unity 3d that makes heavy use of terrain.

Review Fix: What makes Ben Nevis special?

Haynes: Ben Nevis and the surrounding area was chosen for several reasons. Firstly, it is the highest peak in Great Britain; secondly this area contains the widest possible range of elevation from sea level to the top of the mountain. Finally, the geological features of mountain make for some spectacular terrain.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?

Haynes: The game appeals to anyone with an interest in VR, and especially people who take an interest in walking or the Ordnance Survey in general. Recently we had a ‘bring your kids to work’ open day at OS, and the children had a great time climbing the mountain. Because of the nature of the experience, it has fairly wide appeal. Who doesn’t like climbing mountains?

Review Fix: Why should someone check this game out?

Haynes: Because it uses real world data that is incredibly accurate. If you’re wondering what it’s like to climb the highest mountain in the UK, you can experience that with this.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Haynes: We don’t have any immediate plans to take this project forward, but it may well form the basis of future software OS produces, both for the public and for businesses that may have a use for 3d visualisation.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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