Project Overview
Spring 2023Team:
Jiaqi Wang, Eric Zhao, Ruoming Xing, Jessica Lee
My Role:
3D Artist, Animator, Interaction Designer
Duration:
15 weeks
Tools:
Unity, Blender, Figma, Oculus Quest 2
Unity, Blender, Figma, Oculus Quest 2
Snowboard Escape attempts to recreate the snowboarding motion system adapted for a VR use case. Unlike many VR games, Escape Yeti involves an activity where locomotion is a huge focus rather than standstill environments with arm-based actions.
By attaching one quest controller to a longboard, we creatively used the ordinary object as a physical interface to interact with the virtual environment!
Through this project, I learned a great deal about VR game design, developments, and immersive storytelling.
By attaching one quest controller to a longboard, we creatively used the ordinary object as a physical interface to interact with the virtual environment!
Through this project, I learned a great deal about VR game design, developments, and immersive storytelling.
Input System
Players can engage their whole body immersively in the virtual world by using a tilting longboard platform as a controller for directional movement.
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The input system is made of two parts:
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Oculus Quest 2 and Controllers Tilting Platform
In order to match up the tilting range of the physical board to that of the virtual snowboard, we included a calibration step to adjust the tilting parameter before starting the game.
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Oculus Quest 2 and Controllers Tilting Platform
In order to match up the tilting range of the physical board to that of the virtual snowboard, we included a calibration step to adjust the tilting parameter before starting the game.
Immersive Narrative
Make your way down the hill to get away from the angrey Yeti!
Control your snowboard by leaning forward and backward
Reach to the village at the bottom of the hill to win!
How to prompt players to snowboard down the hill as fast as they can? Well, there is nothing better than an angry yeti!
Upon the player finishes calibration, the cutscene of yeti ripping the cabin apart will be triggered, and chasing mode will begin!
If player is too slow, they will see the scary shadow of the yeti approaching. Run! for your lives!
Playtesting and Process
Initially, we used brown box testing to get feedback on the game concepts and usability of the interface.
We also interviewed skiers and snowboarders. The main findings were the importance of sensory details in snowsports, such as hearing and feeling the cold wind whip past you or feedback from your feet about the surface of the snow underneath.
While the snowboarding experience could be tricky to translate (such as haptic feedback and resistance and rotational feedback), we were able to design and develop a game that simulates the bodily and audio experience of snowboarding that is convincing enough to entertain the players.
We also interviewed skiers and snowboarders. The main findings were the importance of sensory details in snowsports, such as hearing and feeling the cold wind whip past you or feedback from your feet about the surface of the snow underneath.
While the snowboarding experience could be tricky to translate (such as haptic feedback and resistance and rotational feedback), we were able to design and develop a game that simulates the bodily and audio experience of snowboarding that is convincing enough to entertain the players.