Story Building Blocks: Game On!: Research Virtual Reality Tours

We don't have the starship holodeck yet, but we are growing closer every day. In the meantime, we have 360-degree tours and some cutting edge virtual reality tour options.

There are hundreds of thousands of 360-degree travel videos on YouTube. A simple search will bring up options for viewing contemporary cities across the globe.

Londontopia recreates a trip through pre-Fire 17th-century London, all that's missing is the smell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPY-hr-8-M0

Time Looper offers re-enactment videos of New York, Washington DC, London, Budapest, Berlin, and Izmir. You must download their app and subscribe. https://www.timelooper.com/

The Discovery Channel has developed a series of Virtual Reality experiences. You have to download the app. https://www.discoveryvr.com/

Gala360 utilizes Oculus and Google play to allow you to tour collections derived from thousands of photographs of museums, landmarks, and various cities. Some experiences have commentary acting as a tour guide. Some of their material is free, some requires a subscription.
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1039691276148629/

Google Earth’s VR app for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive allows you to virtually trek across the globe and out into space.

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1513995308673845/

Jerusalem 360 allows you to zoom around the ancient city. https://www.jerusalem360tours.com/

Virtual Free Sites lists free videos that allow you to explore everything from the Amish in Pennsylvania to the Arctic Circle, including virtual and walking tours through cities and museums. http://www.virtualfreesites.com/museums.interest.html

Visit Scotland has an app that allows you to explore major tourist sites. https://www.visitscotland.com/app/

Ascape offers a virtual reality travel agency that scans thousands of virtual videos to curate your armchair tour. https://ascape.com/

You don't need VR gear to view many of the videos, but if you want a more immersive experience, there are services that take you to the next level of virtual experience:

Samsung Gear https://www.gearbrain.com/

Oculus Go https://www.oculus.com

Oculus Rift https://www.oculus.com/rift/#o

Google Cardboard is for the ultra-thrifty. https://vr.google.com/cardboard/

Next week, we look at maps.

For advanced worldbuilding check out SBB Build A World Workbook in print and ebook.