Cleveland is known for its food and beer scene, sports and culture, but it’s also becoming a budding hub for virtual and augmented reality. People in this field say virtual and augmented reality will change our daily lives similar to when the first iPhone was released. Right now, we’re on the eve of really implementing this technology into our everyday culture, but it will happen, and when it does Northeast Ohio could be on the forefront.
From a warehouse on the eastside, a group of Clevelanders were transported to a dank and dark haunted asylum. Creeping through hallways, opening doors, it felt like they were really there thanks to virtual reality.
“To us it’s almost like an interactive movie for gamers,” said Don Hileman, CEO and Founder of Enyx Studios.
A Haunting: Witching Hour is the brainchild of Hileman and his team. Enyx Studios is based – not in California, but Austintown, Ohio.
“Everything’s done here. We didn’t want to go out to the west coast,” said Hileman.
Each step, from programming, audio and motion capture animation to composing the game’s music was crafted in Northeast Ohio.
The game is set for release later this summer, but Enyx gave a special preview to CLEVR, a bi-monthly meet-up group for people interested in virtual and augmented reality.
“The dream would be to see northeast Ohio as a portal for game development,” said Hileman.
Reynaldo Zabala and Tom Madrilejos have that dream, too. They founded CLEVR less than two years ago.
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Source: WKYC