5th International VR Awards Book of Achievement by VR Awards

18 NOVEMBER 2021

DIGITAL, WORLDWIDE

INTRODUCTION

New horizons, fresh perspectives and adapting to the new normal. 2021 is another year of new challenges but also the biggest breakthroughs. As the world opens up again we drive ourselves to push boundaries and adapt quickly to the modern era where virtual conferences, events and interactions thrive.

Our nominees and finalists have proven time and time again that the industry is only growing and progressing at an exponential rate and we are proud to celebrate this year’s exemplary nominees and finalists who have once again re-written the rule book on immersive technology.

2021 marks the 5th year anniversary of the VR Awards and today we look back at how far we have come as a community and as one of the world’s largest international celebration for extended reality.

We want to thank all our partners, supporters and sponsors that have joined us on this journey, including those supporting the 17th November networking days, AltspaceVR, Accenture and Sensorium.

The past 5 years to date have seen through groundbreaking industry breakthroughs, over 1500 nominations, 500 finalists and 64 award winning companies. To reflect these momentus milestones we worked with an amazing community of passionate developers to curate an artistic experience that highlights our industry journey throughout the years.

The world in which we all share is still evolving and healing from the tumultuous year of 2020, and we’re glad to say that 2021 is the turning point for the entire industry and the world. We are excited to celebrate these achievements with you.

For the first time ever, we’re also coming to you live from within our virtual ceremony world, where finalists and attendees will join us live - a technical feat in production that our team have been working on for quite some time.

DColaianni

So, let’s raise a glass to 2021 and beyond - and I’ll see you in the metaverse.

DANIEL COLAIANNI Chief Executive

The Academy of International Extended Reality

A word from the organisers 03

A very warm welcome to the 4th International VR Awards

2020 Winners in Pictures 06

A look at some of the 2020 Winners

The Finalists 08

Celebrate this year’s full list of award worthy nominations

The Judges 38

The full list of the 2021 Judges

5 Years of Global VR Breakthroughs 40

Explore the feats acomplished by the VR industry

The Making of the VR Awards 42

A behind the scenes insight on the making of the VR Awards 2021

A look back through the lens of the Academy 46

A deep dive into our mission to support the immersive industries

Our Sponsors & Partners 48

The sponsors & partners who bring the VR Awards together

Special Thanks & Credits 50

A huge thanks for everyone involved in making the night possible

VR Experience of the Year

The Under Presents by Tender Claws

VR Education and Training of the Year

MEL Chemistry VR by MEL Science

Out-of-home VR Entertainment of the Year

VR Enterprise Solution of the Year

BRP-Rotax VR Job Assessment by MEDIASQUAD GmbH

Innovative VR Company of the Year

Qualcomm

The Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award

Cher Wang, CEO & Chairwoman HTC

A look at some of the 2020 Winners

Rising VR Company of the Year

Klip VR Immersive Technologies

6 Avengers: Damage Control by ILMxLAB & The VOID

IN PICTURES

VR Social Influencer Award

ThrillSeeker

VR Social Impact Award

Alcove by AARP Innovation Labs

VR Experience of the Year

Fundamental Surgery @HomeVR modality by FundamentalVR

VR Game of the Year

Half-Life: Alyx by Valve

VR Hardware of the Year

Index by Valve

VR Film of the Year

VR Marketing of the Year

Virtual Market 4 by HIKKY Co., LTD.

Myth: A Frozen Tale by Walt Disney Animation

2 0 21 N O M I N AT I O N S

T H E F I N A L I ST S

Make Real & NHS Blood Transplant - Aseptic Technique VR MAK E REA L LTD

See again! – FundamentalVR partnership with Novartis, delivering groundbreaking Ocular Gene Therapy VR Simulation F UN DA M EN TA LV R

NHSBT staff use the aseptic technique to protect patients from infection. A contaminated culture used to treat a patient could result in death. This means that understanding and learning how to perform the aseptic technique is paramount to patient safety.

FundamentalVR worked with Novartis to create a solution for consultant-level Ophthalmic surgeons to acquire the skills necessary for the proficient administration of its groundbreaking ocular gene therapy for the treatment of patients with inherited retinal dystrophies.

B. Braun SSI Pathway VR N U M ENA G M BH

SSI VR is a virtual application that aims to educate hospital staff about measures that can prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). SSIs occur after hospitalization and can be caused by wrong or insufficient hygiene measures.

Saving Kids’ Lives: VR Training for Pediatric Emergencies

Elsevier Simulation Learning System (SLS) VR Curriculum SIMX, INC.

SimX designed and delivered 100 VR cases based on Elsevier’s Simulation Learning System (SLS) scenario contents. The SimX platform within SLS with VR is the largest and most advanced VR simulation platform for nursing education available in the market.

HEA LTH SCHOLA RS

Health Scholars’ pediatric virtual reality training applications provide a risk-free environment for first responders to practice recognition of severe illness and resuscitation management for pediatric emergencies.

The Challenge Project KHORA

The Challenge VR treatment is inspired by Avatar therapy and includes a virtual reality simulation training program and voice modulation in real time, which will enable the patient to face their malevolent voices and lessen their control over the patient’s life.

Smell Revived BROA DA R

Smell Revived is the first virtual reality smell training system targeting Post-COVID smell dysfunction. Users can visit virtual environments to recall the origin of a scent and the daily encounters with the scent.

Osso VR - Cinematic VR Surgical Training Platform OSSO VR

Osso VR is a clinically validated surgical training platform for medical professionals of all skill levels. Osso VR leverages VR to bridge the global training and assessment gaps, offering a realistic, handson training environment that leads to real-world performance gains, improved patient outcomes, increased adoption of higher-value medical technologies, and democratized access to surgical education globally.

Daily-act software: VR serious game for the evaluation and rehabilitation of the neuropsychological patients N I C O LÒ Z AG O

Daily-act is a Virtual Reality project for the real-time evaluation and rehabilitation of the cognitive functions of the neuropsychological and neurological patients.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Healthcare of the Year VR Healthcare of the Year recognises projects that are changing the landscape of healthcare industries for good, awarding both B2B and B2C solutions that can demonstrate a clear impact and understanding of the market.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Education and Training of the Year Awarded to companies or individuals who have demonstrated practical and innovative uses of VR in education and training. This applies to any industry that has used VR to aid in experiences, videos, games and more (providing it has a positive educational use).

Project Origami: “The Magic of Flight” HAG GA I G OLD FA RB C ON S U LT IN G

An educational VR/XR experience developed entirely on WebXR. Project Origami was designed to explore immersive web experiences through the lens of next-gen human web interaction in use cases across different domains and industries.

Virtual Air Condition Installation T EC HN O B R AV E AS I A LT D. & EM I N EN T A I R ( T HA I L A N D) C O. , LT D.

Eminent, a leading Thai aircon-maker, and Techno Brave Asia, an XR developer have jointly developed a series of “Virtual Installation” as a practical VR training experience that allows you to effectively learn and enjoy the installation work process of an air conditioner unit.

Make Real & Severn Trent - Coaching VR M A K E REA L LTD

Severn Trent Coaching VR represents a fundamental part of their management accreditation programme. It uses embodiment theory to build empathy in team members whilst also providing them with an opportunity to practice a conversation using the TGROW coaching model.

Virtual Reality training for container glass manufacturers

DHL Reach Truck Simulator ORKA

Reach Truck simulator to train the operators and carry out assessments related to their abilities and safety rules on site. Our simulator welcomes the driver cadets to DHL Supply Chain, increases awareness of current drivers, and refreshes information about Reach Truck methodologies periodically” by providing them realistic “Reach Truck” gameplay alongside high-quality visual design.

VR INN

We developed Virtual Reality IS machine training to train the glass forming machine operator. The training consists of all the processes required in the work with the glass forming machine.

VR Plant Journey

Forum VR-Artists of OZ

We take you on a journey through a plant! Get to know the processes in the plant cells, help the plant grow and become a plant researcher. VR Plant Journey was developed along a science and research project. Together with plant researchers we created a high quality educational experience that will teach children biology while playing.

STU D IOCOIN

“Forum VR-Artists of OZ” is a culture-themed “multiplay debating” VR content that can be used in educational experience spaces such as schools, libraries and private education areas.

B R EA K PO I N T O N E G M B H

NEWVIEW SCHOOL PSYC HLC V R L A B C O. LT D

Vale VR NORCAT

Through our collaboration with Vale’s Learning and Development department, we have created a new application program to train workers before they get underground at the mine site.

The NEWVIEW SCHOOL is a program designed to instill the ideas of “creative thinking” as opposed to traditional learning. The school is part of a global ecosystem called NEWVIEW that seeks to connect artists and creatives from the genres of art, fashion, music, and more to the virtual world through the creation of one of a kind XR works.

Virtual Shipyard - Strathclyde University Department of NAOME ORKA

Spinview S PINVIEW

Measurement and facilities management costs the Swedish government over £1bn per annum. Tasked to provide one set of data regardless of supplier or data capture to drive cost saving through collaboration and efficiency. The solution provided a survey accurate visual recreation of the depot in VR, with ability for multiple companies to upload information into the supporting database keeping it accurate and ability for all people to access this data in VR regardless of tech capability, location or device.

Arthur ARTHU R

Arthur is a large-scale virtual office space provider that enables businesses to meet, collaborate and manage their work. This pioneering virtual reality platform empowers businesses to maximize their level of remote productivity while freeing employees from geographic and physical constraints. On the platform, true-to-life avatars can meet in advanced virtual office spaces, equipped with presentations, whiteboards, file management systems, 3D objects and more to collaborate on projects and manage workflow.

Virtual Reality+Serious Game scenario for inclining tests, where students can join on-site or remotely and in an immersive learning environment to conduct inclining test on a full-scale shipyard and a large tanker ship by following the exact procedure in real life.

Skill Shield - Make Real and Keltbray M A K E R EA L LT D

SkillShield’ is a desktop tool that sits between a VR device & Windows PCs to create a composited video learner record. It captures a wireless live stream from the headset & footage from a webcam (connected to laptop). Combined with learner name & timestamped VR learning outcomes, these elements provide a video showing irrefutable proof of VR learning, for post-training review and future reference.

Stipple L I G HT& S HA DOWS

Stipple is a Unity plugin to edit and visualize point clouds. With Stipple, you can import a point cloud with a nearly unlimited number of points. Enabling you an unlimited visualization of your PointClouds, edition of your PointClouds, enjoy the full power of the Unity platform and visualize your PointClouds in VR.

Hyperbat - World’s First VR Design Review over 5G M ASTERS OF PIE

The solution consists of a technology consortium that includes Masters of Pie, BT, Ericsson, Dell, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and The Grid Factory, that together delivered the world’s first VR design review over 5G. The company deploying this initiative is Hyperbat, a joint venture between Unipart Manufacturing and Williams Advanced Engineering, the UK’s largest independent vehicle battery manufacturer.

TM One XR City: Immersive Opportunities EN T R O PI A S DN . B HD

Born from the reality of providing Solution Sales in a Covid/Post Covid19 world, XR City is a mixedmedium platform designed to immerse its audience in an experience that feels natural & engaging. M ONE is the B2B, B2G arm of Telekom Malaysia. It offers solutions to Public Sector, Enterprise and GLCs, particularly with Professional Smart Services, Cybersecurity, Cloud & Connectivity solutions.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Enterprise Solution of the Year VR Enterprise Solution of the Year specifically rewards projects that satisfy the needs of an organisation rather than individual users. Such organisations include businesses, schools, interest-based user groups, clubs, charities, and governments.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Social Impact Award Some projects may have smaller budgets, however, that doesn’t stop them from making a significant social impact on the world around them. The VR Awards Social Impact Award is given to companies or individuals that produce and execute either an experience, product and or service which has resulted in positively impacting a cause for social good.

RendeverLive™ REND EV ER

RendeverLive™ is a virtual reality program hosted on the Rendever platform that streams live, expertled programming to senior living communities worldwide. Harnessing the healing power of shared experiences, communities can tune into sessions twice a week to explore exotic locations, tour museums, and experience once-in-a-lifetime excursions.

MINDFUL VR GA IN PROD U CTION S IN C .

“MINDFUL” is an empathy-driven virtual reality experience. Episode 1 follows the story of a young girl named Ana. Her story is told through glimpses of her life, narration, and a portal device that takes you into three different memories: A sentimental return to her childhood, the horrors of war; and the unknown future of retreat.

SITEIT S EN T I R EA L LT D

A software platform providing VR construction related vocational training for Level 1 Health & Safety to prisoners. SiteIT delivers immersive learning experiences via the Oculus Quest, and captures performance data in the absence of an internet connection, making it particularly suitable for prison use. The VR training scenarios are pitched at levels to accommodate prisoners with low educational attainments, assisting them to secure employment upon release.

Shibuya Virtual Halloween G EO M ET RY O G I LV Y JA PA N

Suicide Prevention (Ready VR) MOTH+FLA M E

In an effort to combat the high rates of suicide in the military, Moth + Flame worked with the US Air Force to create the Suicide Prevention Program through their platform, Ready VR. Ready VR leverages proprietary artificial intelligence and natural language processing to make effective and efficient virtual reality training solutions. This true-to-life, highly interactive training program coaches Airmen and women on how to step in when a colleague is exhibiting warning signs.

Shibuya, Tokyo has been a known center for Halloween party goers for many years but with the rise of COVID-19, gathering in crowds was not a possibility. Instead, the City, along with au, a massive Japanese telecom, created ‘Shibuya’s Virtual Halloween’, an online space that held the kind of Halloween a physical Shibuya couldn’t. Over 400,000 avatars walked through the Shibuya replica. They interacted and enjoyed stage shows and concerts--paving the way for a new, expanded world of possibilities in virtual entertainment.

POV: Points of View G R X I M M ER S I V E L A B S

AVEnueS – Race Equity in Child Welfare ACCENTU RE

AVEnueS is a VR learning method designed to accelerate the pace with which frontline human services staff become seasoned decision makers. It uses immersive storytelling to simulate the situations that caseworkers face in the field. By using 360° video of actors filmed on green screen and stitched into location, along with AI-enabed speech recognition, AVEnueS heightens the realism of the user experience.

Los Angeles 2025. You have been requested to review Case File 456.23 at the Federal Drone Headquarters. The case centers around 21-year-old Cassius Moore, who qualifies for early release after serving two years in prison for biometric hacking. In this program, the government assigns F.E.N.I.X. AI--a drone that is equipped with artificial intelligence & weapons to record Cassius’ every move. Your task is to evaluate how machine driven data & human driven biases impact the algorithms and law enforcement.

triple A code triple A code is a small start-up in the heart of Berlin. We create innovative and user-friendly tools to thrive in a connected world.

EVOKE Studios

Emperia Emperia helps businesses in art and luxury retail boost their sales and customer engagement through virtual reality.

EVOKE Studios is a European based Specialist Workflows, Engineering & Content solutions provider. They develop & deliver turnkey, real-time, render engine agnostic workflows and pipelines for Virtual Production, covering AR, XR, ICVFX & hybrid solutions. They also work in broadcast, feature film, virtual events, activations & permanent installs... and when there is no pandemic around, our people run the world’s largest, most complex live events, up to and beyond record breaking scale.

Lost Horizon Lost Horizon is a Createch startup based in Bristol UK, founded by the creators of Shangri-La at Glastonbury in 2020. They consult, build, create and produce immersive live events in digital spaces for ourselves and external clients. The team comprises of a collective of highly experienced live event producers, curators, technicians, programmers and artists. Lost Horizon now exists as both a VR/ digital festival/event space and a real life Arts Centre, which will soon be hosting live shows simultaneously across the two, primarily focusing on technology-led creative practices and projects.

Unlocked Reality They are a virtual reality hardware accessories startup solving problems VR headsets don’t solve, currently working on solving VR locomotion. They are making a virtual reality platform (“treadmill”) that allows VR users to move naturally and untethered in any direction, without displacing themselves. Unlocked Reality do this by implementing patent pending method of implementing machine learning powered magnetic levitation at specific times while someone is walking so they stay in one place.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

Rising VR Company of the Year Without new startups creating innovative solutions and driving forward ambition within the industry, virtual reality would not be where it is today. Commending small businesses with proven business models is Rising VR Company of the Year.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

Innovative VR Company of the Year Virtual Reality is a constantly evolving landscape that requires innovative thought leaders to pave the way by leading by example through first-to-market developments. Additional points are given to companies that place focus on their company culture and policies along with how sustainable their practices are.

InnerspaceVR

eyeora VR

InnerspaceVR is a cutting-edge VR creation studio, dedicated to leveraging the power of VR to build games and entertainment with a strong creative identity. We imagine gaming mechanics, worlds and stories for casual VR users to enjoy on all major devices, and craft experiences using our own development frameworks.

eyeora is the first technology company to deliver a turnkey Virtual Reality studio for non-technical creators allowing them to create, share and monetise their content through one connected community. By removing barriers to entry such as headset compatibility, technical know-how, lengthy production times and high-entry costs, eyeora empowers all of us to become Virtual Reality ‘Creators’ and ‘Explorers.’

Resolution Games Resolution Games is a games studio led by some of the top minds in the industry, forging a worldclass catalog of titles that brings players into the richest VR and AR worlds possible. As one of the first studios dedicated solely to creating experiences for these platforms, Resolution Games’ titles rank among the top rated and most downloaded games in the space.

Virtualware Virtualware is a unique organization pushing the boundaries of Virtual Reality. Their purpose is to promote the vast potential of virtual reality and accelerate its adoption to help companies and institutions create a sustainable future that moves society forward. The project, the company, Virtualware was born more than 17 years ago thanks to the determination of 3 computer engineers who found passion in Virtual Reality technology and believed there was an opportunity to bring it to multiple industries and applications.

Cleanbox Technology Cleanbox Technology Inc. is a premium, eco-friendly, smart tech hygiene company, specializing in UVC surface decontamination. Cleanbox’s patented products use proprietary engineering of UVC light in an LED, providing safe hygiene without the use of chemicals, heat, or liquids. Cleanbox products are designed for frequently used or shared devices, including head-mounted displays (HMDs), surgical and protective masks, eyewear, personal electronics and accessories, and other business and household items.

Yarn Corporation Yarn Corporation makes a VR media platform called Driftspace that enables video content creators to make and publish immersive stories. Like Snapchat “stories” - our “drifts” combine video and interactive 3D content. Video creators use our in-headset creation tool to build and publish these stories into shared or private channels of content.

SENSORIUM Sensorium Galaxy — a next-generation social VR platform that connects people through world-class VR entertainment and an alternate universe that is being built in partnership with world-known artists, producers, and entertainment companies. Among them are the creator of the world-leading nightlife hubs Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza Yann Pissenem, and music and entertainment streaming service TIDAL owned by globally-acclaimed artists (JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Daft Punk and others).

DARK BAY GmbH DARK BAY, the innovative high-end virtual production studio was built in a record construction time of just three months. It leaves nothing to be desired in terms of virtual film production: on the 181-feet-long, 23-feet-high & 270° curved LED wall consisting of a total of 1470 state-of-the-art ROE LED panels, 2D and 3D worlds of any kind can be displayed.

Icecube Protocol

Meet the Dinosaurs DI V R L A B S

BACKLIG HT STU D IO

“The coolest VR mission in the galaxy” Icecube Protocol is an entertainment adventure halfway between an interactive film and a video game, played in teams and in a colorful and fun virtual reality universe.

Meet the Dinosaurs is a 25-minute hyper-reality experience that teleports you back in time to explore the land of the dinosaurs. You’ll travel 80 million years into the past to find traces of an unknown dinosaur species. Explore the jungle, collect data for scientific research and meet iconic dinosaurs in person.

Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time

Paranormal Pest Patrol

U BISOFT D Ü SSELD ORF

S EC R ET LO CAT I O N

Prince of Persia®: The Dagger of Time is the third location-based virtual reality escape room developed by Ubisoft Düsseldorf. Two, three or four players team up and work together to solve puzzles and find a way out of a reimagined Fortress of Time.

Paranormal Pest Patrol is a hilarious family-friendly puzzle game built exclusively for free-roam VR venues, where you and your team play as a motley crew of Paranormal Exterminators. Led by the brash Bill Bashley, your squad takes on an infestation of mischievous demons that have possessed a little old granny’s home. Flying books , a talking fridge; players must use observation and wits to foil the paranormal pests hijinks and send them packing in this unique and hilarious escape room style game.

Current, Rising FIG M ENT PROD UC T ION S LT D.

“Current, Rising” is the world’s first hyper-reality opera. It opened to the public in May 2021 at the famous Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Visitors walk down the steps of the Opera House’s stunning Ledbury Theatre to an unsettling soundtrack to see the beautifully designed set which houses the VR stage, kit room and The Insomnia Room (on-boarding room), where they don their VR headsets and enter the virtual world as a group of four.

meetspaceVR: We blow minds! M EETS PAC EV R

Out of Home Entertainment in the VR arena is moving fast and slowly but surely becoming a category of trusted competitive socialising. meetspaceVR set out from the very beginning to bring the best of breed social VR gaming all under one roof.

Incarna Adventure

Blasters of the Universe: Infinity Forever

I N CARNA STU D IOS

S EC R ET LO CAT I O N

“INCARNA ADVENTURES” is a multiplayer/ collaborative episodic adventure/escape game in Virtual Reality, which takes place in a dreamlike universe. Chapter after chapter, players pick up their adventure where they left off. Designed for VR centers (room-scale VR or standing area), it offers an original adventure. “INCARNA ADVENTURES” is directed in real-time, by a game master.

Blasters of the Universe: Infinity Forever is a cooperative multiplayer shooter in free-roam VR based on the home VR bullet hell game: Blasters of The Universe. What was once a virtual reality utopia has been taken over by an evil super-lord named Alwyn. This time, it’s up to General Respawn and his team of Blasters to infiltrate Alwyn’s lair and end his reign of dork-ness!

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

Out-of-Home VR Entertainment of the Year Out-of-home VR entertainment brings a new level of immersion to theme parks, cinemas, attractions, museums and more. Nominees for this award have researched, implemented and carried out a truly outstanding, quality experience which has resulted in a high level of user satisfaction.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Marketing of the Year Virtual Reality gives marketers a new weapon to reach further demographics in increasingly creative ways. Judges look towards marketing campaigns that integrate Virtual Reality within the majority of the project. Particular focus is placed on the originality and creativity behind each marketing campaign.

Shibuya Virtual Halloween G EOM ETRY OG ILVY JAPAN

Virtual Market 5 HI K KY C O. , LT D.

The Emirates VR Experience

For a period of 23 days from December 2020 to January 2021, Japanese startup HIKKY Co., Ltd. hosted the largest virtual event in the world: Virtual Market 5. Over a million people attended this event from all reaches of the globe. It also marked a milestone in providing English language support in addition to the event’s original Japanese. By doing so, the event attracted visitors from not just Japan, but also the U.S., Korea, several European countries, and other locations around the world.

VR Boatshow: TOYOTA Marine WORLD HI K KY C O. , LT D.

E M IRATES & REN AC E N S S IST E MAS S L

Emirates, an airline in constant evolution, introduced paid seat selection as a way of to its ancillary products in 2018. For this reason, the Marketing team has decided to use 3DSeatMap technology to show its superior onboard products through 3D in the booking process. Now, with the launch of its new A380 and Premium Economy class, Emirates has taken the next step, achieving a 360º strategy to bring its products to the end customer wherever they are.

This project got its start when a popular boat show had to close around concerns related to the novel coronavirus. Together with Toyota Connected, they created Toyota Marine World, a special virtual exhibit not possible in the real world. The exhibit showcased virtual exhibition booths that aligned with the branding of both companies that exhibited in this virtual event: Lexus, which marketed their LY650 yacht, and Toyota Marine, which showed their PONAM-28V and PONAM-31 cruiser boats. All recreated in 3D 1:1 scale.

D-Wave Advantage Showcase Vraum - Car configuration app I M M ERSIV ECAST

Visualize and customize any cars with Car 3D Configurator VR application. Modern technology and high-quality 3D graphics allow you to view products directly from your VR device in Virtual Reality. With this app, you can change the colours of the car body, interior view, and change rims and accessories. This application is a demonstration of an ultimate sales tool for the automotive industry.

AC C EN T UR E

The D-Wave Advantage Showcase is a virtual reality and immersive web experience that highlights the business benefits of quantum computing by exploring stories from Volkswagen, BBVA, Menton Ai and Denso and lets users explore the mathematic formulas that power quantum computing. The experience takes the users on an immersive journey through the components of the Advantage computer including an up-close interaction with the core of the computer the cryostat.

Paper Birds 3DAR

Paper Birds is the story of a short sighted child with an exceptional talent for music. He must find his way through the world of darkness to bring back his sister, taken away by the shadows. He’ll use the depth of music to open portals to the invisible world. He’ll confront the shadows, and they’ll reveal their purpose. This journey uses the senses to evoque our inner darkness, and the mystery that lies within it. The unknown that we’re often afraid to see. A story about inspiration, intuition, emotion and how these qualities are invoked by the music.

Strands of mind F I L M A K A DEM I E B A DEN -WÜRT T EM B ER G

Explore a world beyond the bounds of our human perception. A world full of mystery, of beauty and darkness. Let yourself be taken on a trip into the woven nature of existence.

Micro Monsters with David Attenborough A LC HEM Y I M M ER S I V E

Agence T RANSITIONAL FORMS AN D N AT ION AL FILM BOARD OF CA NADA

Agence is a “dynamic film” that merges cinematic storytelling, artificial intelligence, and user interactivity, and is never the same twice. The fate of artificially intelligent creatures is in your hands. Will you help to maintain their peaceful existence, or throw them into a state of chaos? In Agence, the narrative is authored by three parties: the filmmakers, who establish the narrative structure and environment; intelligent Agents, using reinforcement learning or scripted AI; and you, the viewer, who can interact with the system to affect the film.

Discover a secret world hidden beneath your feet: the incredible world of bugs. Join David Attenborough in this pioneering five-part series to experience the conflicts, courtships, and communities of the micro world. Coproduced by Alchemy Immersive and Oculus, Micro Monsters shrinks you down to discover arthropods from a completely different perspective. Combining spectacular 8K 60fps macro footage with computer graphics, Micro Monsters immerses you in the thrilling but dangerous world of bugs in a way never experienced before in VR.

To Miss The Ending I DO N T LOV EYO UA N Y M O R E

Symphony “ LA CAIX A” FOU N DAT ION

Symphony is an immersive VR experience that takes spectators on a journey through emotions and music, led by Gustavo Dudamel, by placing them inside both the orchestra and the instruments themselves, right at the heart of music.

Imagine a world where there is no air left to breathe, no rivers to race a paper boat, no parks to roam in. Environmental damage, job-automation, the breakdown of personal connections have led to a future where the best choice of survival is to upload your memories to a server and reconnect with loved ones in the vastness of the net. To Miss The Ending takes you inside that server. Set in a breathtaking visual landscape, it’s an exploration of a possible future that leaves us challenged to rethink our present lives.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Film of the Year Working to create immersive, spatial and original VR media is very new territory for most designers and cinematographers. All nominations must substantially feature virtual reality within their media and work to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for the viewer. Additional attention is given to the use of positioning and movement within the media. This category can include short films, interactive pieces and design work within VR.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Experience of the Year Experiences are what makes Virtual Reality come to life. VR Experience of the Year is awarded to companies that produce and execute a truly outstanding, quality experience which has resulted in positive user feedback.

Madrid Noir

Getting Lost With Luke In Nature

ATLAS V & NO G H OST

LO ST EAG L E ST UDI O S

After her estranged uncle is declared dead, a disenchanted young woman arrives in Madrid to empty the apartment that he left behind. Lola is soon compelled to dig into her memories, where she’ll pick up her uncle’s shadowy trail and attempt to piece together the puzzles of the past.

The experience transports you to some of New England’s and New York State’s most beautiful canyons, beaches, rivers, and waterfalls. Using the latest photogrammetric and volumetric capture techniques, together with the highest quality photography and video, to create the closest sensation to feeling you could actually be there.

LAUNCH FIRST PERFORMING AI DJ SENSORIU M

AI-driven DJ JAI:N was created in the virtual reality concert space. The virtual DJs will autonomously create a constant flow of ever-changing music that adapts to all kinds of moods and environments. Virtual DJs will host shows in Sensorium Galaxy, along with famous artists like David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.

The Passengers C O UZ I N F I L M S & L ES PR O DUI TS F R A I S

The Passengers is an interactive single or multi-user VR fiction experience consisting of 4x10 minute films about four strangers on a train. By hearing each character’s inner voice, seeing their memories and living their emotions, the user can influence the story with their gaze, gestures and voice in order to help their Passenger go through a pivotal moment of their lives.

The Book of Distance N ATIONA L FILM BOARD OF CAN ADA

In 1935, Yonezo Okita left his home in Hiroshima, Japan, and began a new life in Canada. Then war and state-sanctioned racism changed everything— he became the enemy. Three generations later, his grandson, artist Randall Okita, leads us on an interactive virtual pilgrimage through an emotional geography of immigration and family to recover what was lost.

Kusunda VR N OWHER EM EDI A

KUSUNDA explores what it means to lose a language and what it takes to preserve one. Narrated by two of its co-creators -- 86-year-old Kusunda shaman Lil Bahadur and his 15-year-old granddaughter Hema -- the experience contrasts two generations set apart by their lifestyles and brought together by the struggle for their indigenous identity.

Future Static DR STU D IOS & C OLORAY

The pandemic had a big impact on the music industry and live performances. Like other artists Coloray faced these problems. This made him realize that the industry was in a desperately need of new ways of performing and connecting with fans. During the pandemic as well as afterwards. The idea for Future Static arose: a virtual world in which music, performance and state-of-the-art technology form a perfect symbiosis.

BRCvr B I G R O C K C R EAT I V E

BRCvr, an official virtual Burning Man experience, evolved out of the cancelled week-long onplaya event that would have welcomed 80,000 participants in real life. As a result, BRCvr launched a groundbreaking virtual reality environments comprising 200+ unique worlds visited with over 90,000 user joins in eight days.

XTAL Mixed Reality Module V RG INEERS

Vrgineers specializes in developing, manufacturing, and integrating next-generation simulation technologies with the main focus on pilot training and simulation. They are a virtual and mixed reality experts who decided to develop the most immersive visualization tool providing a cost-effective, innovative, and safe solution for professionals. XTAL mixed reality module delivers unmatched quality for mixed reality experiences.

Pico Neo 3 Pro PI C O I N T ER AC T I V E EUR O PE S L

Powered by Qualcomm XR2 and built for enterprise, the Neo 3 Pro introduces two optical 6DoF plus four wide-angle cameras for complex positioning and stable tracking in low-texture settings. Wireless or wired streaming options are supported along with all major development engines including OpenXR allowing developers to create powerful business applications in VR.

VIVE Focus 3 HTC

VIVE Focus 3 pushes the boundaries of standalone VR, built around the specific needs of enterprise/ business. With 5K resolution, 90 Hz refresh rate, 120 degree FOV, and real RGB sub-pixels to virtually eliminate the screen door effect. Stream from a PC either tethered or wirelessly. Accessible for all with fine-adjustable IPD of 57mm - 72mm, eyerelief, perfect weight balance, and a replaceable battery, with magnetic detachable and easy-to-clean face gaskets. Even the internal 128GB memory is expandable to 2TB via microSD card. Precision tracking, and a whole ecosystem of software to support

HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition HP

This year, HP Introduced the HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition, and started a New Era of Virtual Reality for Developers and Enterprises. HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition is the world’s most intelligent VR headset, equipping developers with the ability to create adaptive, user-centric experiences with a state-of-the-art sensor system that measures muscle movement, gaze, pupil size, and pulse.

XR-3

Oculus Quest 2

VA RJO

FAC EB O O K

Varjo™, the leader in industrial-grade VR/XR hardware and software have launched their next generation professional-grade mixed reality headsets – the VR-3 and XR-3. Suitable for any professional immersive workflow, both headsets boast universal PC compatibility and the cuttingedge technology needed to develop VR/AR/XR experiences where virtual, augmented and physical realities become one.

Oculus Quest changed the game for wireless VR. It delivered fresh experiences for enthusiasts and new opportunities for developers, all while introducing immersive gaming to newcomers across the globe. Oculus Quest 2 represents the next generation of all-in-one VR. Quest 2 pushes the state of VR forward with a redesigned all-in-one form factor, new Touch controllers, and our highest-resolution display ever.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Hardware of the Year VR Hardware of the Year is awarded to companies producing outstanding and impactful manufactured technology year on year.

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Game of the Year Focusing on the use of virtual reality within games is the VR Game of the Year award. This combines the ingenuity and creativity that it takes to make a successful game along with the innovative use of movement that makes an experience worthwhile.

Horror Bar VR VR FACTORY GA ME S S P. Z O.O.

Horror Bar VR is an incredibly engaging zombie bar simulator, where the player is put in the role of a bartender, serving horrifyingly delicious brain burgers and bloody drinks, using all kinds of different bartending techniques.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos M Y DEA R EST

ALTDEUS is the VR interactive story action game where your choices impact the future. Protect the future of humanity and stop the invasion of the Meteora, an unknown species of deadly behemoths destroying the world.

Ragnaröck Smash Drums POTAM WORKS SAS

Smash Drums is an arcade VR drumming game taking place in surreal environments that explode and react to the music and the player’s performance.

STRIDE J OY WAY

Fight for your life as you hurtle through the rooftops of a futuristic metropolis. Step into the shoes of a master freerunner as you vault, swing, roll, and shoot your way through this intense, action-packed adventure.

Maskmaker M WM INTERACTIVE

WA N A DEV

Lead your viking ship to victory in this VR rhythm game! Pound your drums to the sound of epic music, from celtic rock to viking power metal, and set sail against your rivals in multiplayer mode.

Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever X R GA M ES

Survive ferocious zombies and enjoy the dystopian humour of Zombieland as Tallahassee, Wichita, Columbus and Little Rock train you to run the fastest, most dangerous zombie-killing race course ever devised - the Zombieland Invitational!

Star Wars/ Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge ILMXLAB

Maskmaker is a magical VR-exclusive adventure game featuring spell-binding puzzles and beautiful, scenic environments.

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is an actionadventure VR experience that lets you live your own unforgettable story, discovering that anyone in the galaxy can become a hero.

Gnomes & Goblins

DOOM 3: VR Edition

W EVR

A R C HI AC T

Gnomes & Goblins is an original indie production from Wevr with MWM and Golem Creations that offers a unique opportunity to explore an enchanted virtual world.

A demonic invasion has overwhelmed the Union Aerospace Corporation’s Martian research facility fight your way through the darkened, claustrophobic corridors of the research facility and into Hell itself to stop the invasion from reaching Earth.

Demeo R ESOLU TION GAME S

In Demeo, up to four players band together to assume the role of one of four heroes. Once heroes are selected, they’ll interact with their minifigure within a virtual tabletop.

Star Wars: Squadrons EL EC T R O N I C A RTS I N C .

Star Wars™: Squadrons. The game features thrilling 5v5 multiplayer starfighter combat along with an original Star Wars story set after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™.

Nathie Are you a VR enthusiast or just interested? I’m all about Virtual Reality from gaming to arcades and to haptic suits and gloves. I do it all. My goal is to show everyone how awesome Virtual Reality. Together we explore the magic of VR with headsets such as the Oculus Meta Quest and the PSVR. We travel around the world to discover new hardware and software. Next to that we play the latest games and use immersive tech like hand tracking, treadmills and simulators to dive deeper down the rabbit hole.

Cas and Chary VR We are a couple passionate about Virtual Reality. This is why we are dedicating as much time as possible to creating informative videos that hopefully create a smile on your face too. We make it all, reviews and previews on VR hardware, VR games, apps, experiences, how-to videos, news, and deep dives into the technology. We keep you informed or will drag you into the metaverse with us!

April Speight I’m a Sr. Cloud Advocate on the Spatial Computing technology team at Microsoft. I used to work in the fabulous world of luxury fashion as a menswear stylist and visual merchandiser. Then I came into tech and found a new home first in Project Management and now in Mixed Reality. I wrote the book “Bite-Size Python: An Introduction to Python Programming” for adolescents but it’s great for all Python beginners. I love working with beginners and people transitioning into the tech industry.

Tyriel Wood I’m Tyriel, I have a passion and love for technology, particularly Virtual Reality. On my channel you will find me sharing my thoughts and opinions on virtual reality headsets, accessories, software and of course always bringing you the latest updates and guides in order to help you stay up to date with this virtual empire that is being built. My motto is always to share my most honest thoughts with you, my viewers and virtual friends, as Virtual Reality becomes the new technology of today.

Thrill Seeker My channel is dedicated to spreading the word about the world of Virtual and Augmented Reality. You can expect anything from news, reviews, comedy and in-depth analysis on all things VR & AR.

Between Realities VR Podcast A Virtual Reality Podcast from the philosophical gamer’s perspective with @Alex_VR and @skeeva.

PHIA Virtual Host of the Virtual Reality Show: I’m PHIA! VR is the next big part of the future, and there’s nothing I love more than spreading excitement for it!. I cover topics ranging from reality perception and philosophy to the upcoming tech that’s leading our future- and everything in-between! I have so many big plans for this channel so I hope you’ll stick around as we grow together. See you in the virtual world!

2 0 21 F I N A L I ST S

VR Social Influencer Award VR Social Influencer Award is awarded to individuals producing quality virtual reality content – no matter the medium, size, or purpose. Finalists for this category can only be nominated directly by the Academy.

Tom Furness Tom A. Furness III, an American inventor, professor and virtual reality pioneer whose career spans across 55 years of technological breakthroughs and academic accomplishments that placed his name in the history books as the: Grandfather of Virtual Reality. His work on advanced cockpits for fight crafts in the U.S. Air Force ushered the modern era of VR into existence and brought in the new dawn of personal eyewear displays. His ingenuity and creative vision propelled the development of immersive technology to flourish into the thriving ecosystem it is today. Tom has been recognised with the Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional contribution in developing human interface technology even before the conception of the notion of ‘Virtual Reality’. His inventions: the first personal eye-wear display, the HALO display and 19 patents in advanced sensory display and interface technologies all paved the way for the advanced immersive hardware that we’re utilising in the modern era. Tom also founded the ‘Virtual World Society’ with the goal of enabling families to have access to VR learning facilities, he foresees a future where everyone of all ages is given the same learning opportunities and therefore limitless potential to build, create and connect. Tom Furness on accepting the Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award - “I am deeply honored to receive the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from AIXR and to join a circle of outstanding pioneers who have already been recognized by this award. For me this is icing on the cake of my dreams about the emergence of virtual experiences that introduce us to worlds of wonder! Even though

I have been working on this stuff for 55 years I am more excited now about the future and how this unprecedented technology will connect our minds and hearts to lift humanity. And this is just the beginning…and I am a kid again!”

“Even though I have been working on this stuff for 55 years I am more excited now about the future and how this unprecedented technology will connect our minds and hearts to lift humanity.” Tom joined the ‘Accenture Field of View’ podcast two months ago where they explored the makings of such a kind-hearted pioneer with the vision for an inclusive and diverse world where learning and creativity is accessible to all who want to learn. He talked about his ambitions as a young boy to enter space as an astronaut and it is only in his later years would that dream be fulfilled when his students surprised him with a virtual experience of the final frontier itself. Tom’s heart-felt realisation moved the Academy and the world - his genuine passion laid the foundation for generations after him and the millions of pioneers after that.

ANNOUNCING

The Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award “We’re very proud to recognise Tom with the ‘Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement’ award. To present this award to one of the biggest pioneers of VR is truly an honour. Tom is a teacher, mentor and role model to the current XR leaders of the modern world. We hope his recognition can inspire the next generation of inventors, thinkers and doers to break boundaries and push for more.” Daniel Colaianni AIXR, Chief Executive

S U P P O RT E D BY

OUR JUDGES

The VR Awards 2021 Judges A massive thank you to all of our 2021 judges.

Aaron Pulkka, Aaron Pulkka

Lesley Klassen, Flipside XR

Adam Randall, Neutral Digital

Levent Sen, Orka Informatics

Adrian Godfrey, The Grid Factory

Lou Pushelberg, Circuit Stream

Alex Coulombe, Agile Lens

Maddalena Crosti, XR Programmes Consultant

Amy Hedrick, Cleanbox Technology

Mark Baxter, Digitalnauts

Amy Peck, EndeavorVR

Marryam Chaudhry, XR 2 LEAD

Antony Vitillo New, Technology Walkers

Martyn Makinson, FourPointZero

Arne Snackaert, VR Base

Mary Matheson, Macondo Films

Athanasios Raikos, 3D Organon

Mats Eliasson, One Reality

Bobby Carlton, VRScout

Matt Bramlet, Enduvo

Brooke Morrill, Schell Games

Michaela Holland, Michaela Holland

Christoph Sitar, MEDIASQUAD

Mila Askarova, Owner

Cole Sandau, Health Scholars

Nathan Revill, Dorset Creative

Cyril Voiron, Ubisoft

Nicola Rosa, Accenture

Danielle Burnstein, Sixense

Panos Voulgaris, MALVI

David Trainor, Sentireal

Ramakrishnan C.N., Entropia

Ed Wardle, OTHERWORLD

Rishi Ahuja, Klip VR

Ed Greig, Deloitte Digital

Robert Dyce, Elara Systems

Eric Shamlin, Media Monks

Ross Holmes, ICEF

Giorgi Gulabyan, VR Inn

Russell Harding, Maze Theory

Greg Agriopoulos, Magos

Sam Watts, Make Real Ltd

Guido Kalwill, Lazy Elk Films

Sam Mateosian, The Yarn Corporation

Holger Hager, Cyberith VR

Sandis Kondrats, Exonicus Trauma Simulator

Jasmine Bulin, Evernever Games

Simon Lajboschitz, Khora VR

Jason McEwan, Kagenova

Sophie Thompson, Virtual Speech

Jason Lovell, PwC

Stefano Petrullo, Renaissance PR

Jill Sciuli, Schell Games

Steve Dann, Amplified Robot

Joanna Popper, HP

Steve Bambury, Digital Inception Consulting

Joanne Lan, Co-founder and Director

Tom Houston, Sentireal

Joel Breton, Sixense Studios

Vangelis Lympouridis, Enosis VR

Jonathan Foo, Vue Nets

Victor Pardinho, Sense of Space

Kevin Williams, KWP

Jamie Feltham, Upload VR

Leila Amirsadeghi, Leila Amirsadeghi

Need some space?

Our newly refurbished theatre can be your home too. We have a range of spaces available to hire, whether it’s a fitness class, a conference, or even just a desk, we’ve got room for you! Get in touch to find your perfect fit... mercurytheatre.co.uk hires@mercurytheatre.co.uk

TIMELINE

5 Years of Global VR Breakthroughs and VR Awards Making History February

2017

Google Ships 10 Million Cardboard VR Headsets Google announces that in the three years since launch, it has shipped more than 10 million of its low-end Cardboard VR headsets and that there have been over 160 million downloads of Cardboard apps on Google Play.

2017

October

May

2018

Beat Saber Launches Without doubt, one of the most popular VR games of all-time and likely responsible for directly getting more people into a headset than any other app, Beatsaber is first released in early access.

May

2019

Oculus Quest Released Oculus Quest, Facebook’s standalone headset is released, selling out in many locations across the world and generating $5 million worth of content sales in just two weeks.

2018

2019

June

2017

2019

The 1ST International VR Awards

VR Headsets on Steam Pass 1 Million

The first-of-its-kind awards, bringing together top executives and pioneers from across the world to celebrate the very best in VR and to provide a platform to push the industry forward.

Road to VR announces that the monthly-connected VR headsets on Steam had surpassed 1 million for the first time with an almost exponential adoption trend.

October

2018

The 2ND International VR Awards The 2018 awards saw 12 new winners take to the stage to accept their awards with two new categories including VR Social Impact of the Year. Cloudhead Games took home the coveted Game of the Year Award while HTC won VR Hardware of the Year with the HTC Vive Pro.

May

2019

The 3RD International VR Awards The biggest VR Awards yet, with John Carmack winning the inaugural Accenture Lifetime Achievement Award and the Oculus Quest being proclaimed as the best hardware of the year.

October

2021

Accenture Acquires 60,000 Headsets

March

November

2020

Half-Life: Alyx

2020

The 4TH International VR Awards

A VR return to Half-Life, set between Half-Life and HalfLife 2, Half-Life: Alyx receives almost universal acclaim, heralded as the best VR, and Valve have to offer.

The VR Awards returns, this time amidst a global pandemic and as a fully immersive digital event in partnership with VRChat with one clear goal: to lead the way for future virtual events.

2020

August

2020

Accenture announces a recordbreaking order of 60,000 Quest 2 headsets, securing VR training opportunities and an engaging on-boarding process for the company’s remote workforce.

October

2021

Introducing Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduces Meta, which brings together Facebook’s apps and technologies under one new company brand. Meta’s focus will be on bringing the metaverse to life.

2021

October

2020

Varjo Raises $54 Million

Oculus Quest 2 Released

Varjo demonstrates the potential for industrial-grade VR, confirming the closure of a Series C funding round of $54 million, bringing the total investment to over $100 million, expanding Varjo’s global presence.

Oculus launches the next generation of all-in-one headsets with the Oculus Quest 2, the industry’s most affordable entry into highquality VR.

October

2021

The 5TH International VR Awards The VR Awards celebrates its 5th anniversary of gathering the globe’s immersive innovators and, like it’s predecessor, the ceremony will be experienced virtually, extending the award’s reach to millions for the first time.

IT BEGINS WITH ONE SIMPLE IDEA. 2021 is a year to remember for many years to come. The 5th International VR Awards has been one to break many barriers and expectations set from the previous years. With the bar raised from our first virtual award ceremony: The 4th International VR Awards, we wanted to take a new approach to our programming that would bring back the various social and live elements that our attendees love so much, while maintaining the artistic expression that VR allows you to achieve. Led by this new path we set ourselves on, the 5th Anniversary edition of the VR Awards had one goal - ‘To break expectations’ through a collective conceptualisation of what the VR Awards mean to the team and to the world.

FIVE IS A MAGIC NUMBER? Starting with a clear foundation of those familiar with the XR space and the VR Awards, Creative Director, Kelly Wright who cofounded the VR Awards in early 2017, joined forces with AIXR Creative Lead, Emily Turner who utilised her experience in producing real-life art installations and complex design structures to set the wheels of creativity into motion. At its core we knew we needed an active representation of a journey through 5 years built around a central character that’s representative of our attendees regardless of ethnicity, gender, or age. Stepping inside a cube like portal, led by illuminated pathways, 5 cubes intersect with various patterns/textures that those with keen eyes will recognize take on the symbolised artwork from the past four years of the Book of Achievement artwork. Tying these symbolic cubes together is the idea of blending the physical and digital worlds, much like what the Metaverse means to most of our industry. An idea that should present the VR Awards as the epicentre of the blurring of reality and virtual reality, while keeping to the original core concepts. The preliminary groundwork for the 5th international VR Awards Book of Achievement was laid, but our creative team were eager for more…

IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE? Inspired by the VR Award nominees and the plethora of innovative projects and creations that pass through the Academy’s door on a daily basis, our team explored the viability of how they could go about bringing a 2D book to life through various means, whether that be video, augmented reality or what we see today, a virtual reality experience. Hours of planning, conceptualization, storyboarding followed as the team set to work defining a clear story and signature palette to align with the familiar brand and quality that most have come to know for the VR Awards.

Adding to our already impressive female led creative team, AIXR’s Sandra Kawar joined as the technical art director on the project to assist in orchestrating a production plan, with a community of XR developers to see these ideas brought to life. Partnering with Microsoft, and the AltspaceVR technical team, Sandra and the AIXR team started to build a development network of like minded, passionate and talented community world builders who were keen to be part of our 5th year journey.

“I don’t want people to think that they can’t do what I did and I try to encourage a lot of people and let them know that there are boundless opportunities within the Metaverse, such as people who are like me who work from home and have children. I even let the children help me out from time to time if they wanted to. They have fantastic ideas that encourage them to also learn about programming. The VR Award’s ambitions and goals were a good fit for me as I too want to explore the opportunities with technology and help people see that you can create wonderful worlds no matter your background.” Jennifer Brooks (Nera) Lead XR Developer

BRINGING THE STORY TO LIFE With its fair share of new learnings, challenges and platform discoveries, the core dev team made up of Jennifer Brooks (Nera), Mark Gill (Karnivore), Darren Abbott (Dargon) and Tracie O’Neil (Moody) rallied together to pull together design concepts, artworks, 3D models and animations in what could only be considered record time, all in time for the celebrations on the 18th November 2021. Jennifer (or as often referred to as Nera, her AltspaceVR username), Lead XR Developer on the project and single mother of five, was first to the project, setting to work on the Lobby space, World 1, World 3 & World 5 environments. With no formal training as a Unity developer, Jenifer first became passionate about developing virtual worlds when the VR headset she first picked up for her daughter started to gather dust, leading to an opportunity to try it for herself. Since then she hasn’t looked back.

NOW ITS YOUR TURN… Within the 5th Anniversary World Hop experience, our central character now becomes you, where you’re given the opportunity to take an artistic journey through the 5 worlds culminating at at climax of the night, the red carpet ceremony. The worlds each pay homage to each book cover and theme and in turn each world holds key elements that can be interacted with in order to proceed onto the next world. Our goal is to create an immersive experience that can be shared with people no matter their digital divides and celebrate with others from the same community all over the world. For more information on those involved in pulling together the moving pieces of such a complex event, please check the credits at the end of the book.

A look back through the lens of the Academy After a challenging year in 2020, this year has seen the

Although we continue to grow as an Academy we continue

world starting to move forward again and the immersive

to stay true to our foundation and principles of education,

industry has been right there at the forefront of it all. With a

recognition and support. AIXR will always aim to push the

lot of big moves in the space such as Facebook rebranding

very best of virtual and augmented reality with the input

to Meta and Accenture’s monumental roll-out of thousands

from our innovative members and guided by our esteemed

of VR hardware - our industry

steering board. Since 2019 we

has seen positive growth! This

have reached beyond the XR

movement has definitely been

bubble to educate those outside

felt here at the Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR) and we too have grown.

The

Academy

now

boasts

over 100 XR members from start-ups to SMEs to large corporations, the membership team

has

expanded

three

full

time

Relationship

with

dedicated

Managers

and

we’ve established an in-house Projects

team

who

have

worked closely with members and delivered social impact projects with the government entities. Additionally, we have several new

exciting

“They manage to defy the odds, creating a supportive community of XR professionals, authentic networking opportunities and an unprecedented knowledge”

our sphere and we connect AIXR

AIXR Member Lina Srebrova, Digitalnauts

interested in what we’re doing

members with the many new opportunities this brings. “... they manage to defy the odds, creating a supportive community of XR professionals, authentic networking

opportunities

and

an unprecedented knowledge base curated by experts.” AIXR Member, Lina Srebrova, Digitalnauts There could not be a better time to get involved with our growing global network and we are always happy to connect with those and those that believe they could add value to the community.

ventures

pushing the boundaries of

Whether

the immersive industry that

in understanding the industry

will be announced in the coming year - including our

you

are

interested

better, building a powerful expansive network, building

launch of brand new live courses & training, industry wide

your credibility or profile, or have other ideas in mind, get in

implementation of hygiene standards, and a new look at

contact with us to set up an Academy interview and have

how we aim to tackle certain challenges in our industry.

a chat about tailoring membership to your goals and we’ll push forward together.

“AIXR is doing what the Academy Awards did for the Hollywood film Industry: Setting the bar high on excellence for XR.” - AIXR Member, Haggai Goldfarb

O U R S P O N S O R S & PA RT N E R S

Thank you The success of the VR Awards is tightly linked to the generosity and support of its sponsors and partners.

T H E AC A D E M Y O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L E X T E N D E D R E A L I T Y Event Organisers A LT S PAC E V R Platform Partner AC C E N T U R E Academy & Lifetime VR Achievement Award Sponsor SENSORIUM Academy & XR Talent Sponsor

F R AG G E R S Hardware Sponsor M E R C U RY T H E AT E R Production Sponsor LO N D O N D E S I G N D I ST R I C T Production Sponsor BUREAU Production Sponsor

M E D I A PA RT N E R S VR Focus, Immersive Wire, The Ghost Howls, The Virtual Report.biz

Special Thanks VR Awards Steering Board VR Awards 2021 Developers VR Awards 2021 Judges Follow @VRAwards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with #VRAwards

6 TH I N T E R N ATI ONA L V R AWA R DS

Register your interest for 2022 Be the first to find out about nomination opening and closing dates, ensuring you won’t miss any deadlines.

vrawards.aixr.org/register-interest

Credits Organized and produced by The Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR).

Executive Producer Daniel Colaianni

Content Writer Oscar Williams

A Special Thanks to Accenture

Creative Director Kelly Wright

MRE Manager Michael Dynan

Art Director Sandra Kawar

Stage Manager Daniel Randall

Ceremony World Developers (Accenture) Jeremy Roland Joshua Opel Wally Young Katy Geragthy

Creative Lead Emily Turner

International Liaison Nancy Baughen

VR Awards Marketing Manager Lisa Mach

Volunteer Manager Amy Wilson

Membership Relationships Manager Chris Gunby

Support Staff Manager Helena Young

Event Producer Jane Galpin

Support Staff Carter Gibson Rachael Knight

Assistant Event Manager Anthony Goodey

Event Photographer 1 Brandon Beedon

Editors Ashley DuPree Dean Tolhurst

Event Photographer 2 Daniel Vardas

MC Mike Butcher Live Stream MC Kyle Render VIP Delegate Liaison Madison Lanham Pro Delegate Liaison Louis George

Microsoft (AltspaceVR) Team Leila Amirsadeghi (Head of Live Entertainment and Mixed Reality) Yunji Johanning (Technical Producer) Laura Mingail (Head of Marketing) Jimmy Zhang (Principal Software Engineer) Scott Keneally (Content Manager)

AltspaceVR Sensorium Gerben van Amstel The Assembly Events Our Media Partners VR Focus Ghost Howls Immersive Wire VirtualReporter.biz Educators in VR

VR Awards Production Team Technical Producer AltspaceVR/ Yunji Johanning Lead Developer Jennifer Brooks (Nera)

Credits Developers Mark Gill (Karnivore) Tracie O’Neil (Moody) Darren Abbott (Dargon)

Moderation Team (AltspaceVR Usernames) jfoculus FoulMouthElmo drownthewitch KayRock73 Key989 Babbelmar chic_chick diamond01 FelipeZarateMontero futurej833 GabrielaE JoshLevine Karen Karen666 lancehusky MitchB native2014 relle Silverwolf Snowduke SoundPower Spydrgirl WurdGurl wookiecat777 SpookyAC47

Voiceover & Narration Opening Speech Daniel Colaianni Accenture Speech Nicola Rosa Introduction Voiceover Aika Zabala

Location Bureau Club Design District London

Music Support Epidemic Sound

And welcome to the world Violet Gunby. VR Awards Ceremony Voiceover Ryan I.

Creative Studio Minty Studios

VR Awards Trophies Gaudio Awards

Pre-Show Panelist Tom Ffiske (Immersive Wire) Fadi Chehimi (Accenture) Muki Kulhan Elizabeth Valleau (Facebook)

Audio Visual Support Select Brief

VR Awards 2021 Book of Achievement © 2021 The Academy of International Extended Reality. awards@aixr.org | +44 (0) 20 8064 1146 VR Awards, 65B North Hill, Colchester, CO1 1PX Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the Publishers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

Identify, celebrate & exemplify. By connecting people, projects, and knowledge together, we enable growth, nurture talent, and develop standards, bringing wider public awareness and understanding to our VR & AR industry.

aixr.org/become-a-member

AIXR proudly congratulates all 2021 finalists.

aixr.org