MajorMega founders Sean Hennessey, left, and Mike Bridgman discuss their venture into a virtual reality system. RICHARD HERTZLER | Staff Photographer
Sean Hennessey and Mike Bridgman have been working hard to turn their dreams into a successful virtual reality company.
Founders of MajorMega, the Lancaster residents are building a prototype that combines virtual reality gaming with wind, vibration and other real world effects to better simulate an immersive gaming experience. “This is not a nicer TV. This is a whole new medium, and this is just scratching the surface of what it’s going to be like in the future,”Bridgman said.
The current prototype for their gaming system called Hyperdeck is set up in space below their offices at 44 N. Christian St. The spot, once storage area for a Burger King, sits beyond the back wall of Jimmy John’s.
Hyperdeck uses fans, floor movement and vibrations to heighten the experience for two players using virtual reality goggles to play a game that has them riding on the back of a box truck battling killer cars.
Eventually Hennessey and Bridgman want to have a system that can accommodate four players and allow spectators to join in by controlling some of the enemy vehicles. They hope to sell it to resort or amusement park operators who could add it to their attractions.
“Virtually reality is a hot topic right now but nobody knows how to get there and we’re providing a really modular, easy-to-swallow solution,” said Bridgman.
Bridgman, 33, is a graduate of Elizabethtown Area High School while the 31-year-old Hennessey graduated from Manheim Township. They met when Hennessey was the interviewer for a job Bridgman was seeking at a digital agency in Elizabethtown.
They launched MajorMega in 2012 to do digital media work for clients. While they still do some work for others, for the past two years they have focused on building their own products.
When did this all start?
Bridgman: A few years ago, when we tried VR (virtual reality) for the first time. And when I say VR I mean not a 360 video, not the cell phone but a premium VR headset hooked up to a very powerful computer.
That experience changed me and I think I can speak for Sean, changed him. A lot of times, when people experience virtual reality for the first time, it’s a very defining moment.
What was so great about virtual reality?
Bridgman: Imagine a world where radio is the best form of entertainment you have and you see a TV for the first time. It would be pretty amazing to see a full motion video of someone talking to you that you normally only hear. And VR is another evolution beyond that.
What business opportunity did you see with VR?
Bridgman: Originally we had a pretty big dream of opening our own Hyperland, a VR arcade. But working with some mentors and with some hard lessons learned, we realized it was too big of a scope and we needed to start by just laser focusing on this one product.
Up until now, to do these incredibly immersive experiences, you had to go to places like Disney World, right. And even then it’s not quite as immersive as I would say Hyperdeck is. What we see is the ability to create a Disney World level experience in every city that has a movie theater.
What did it take to actually develop the system?
Bridgman: The biggest problem with virtual reality is because you’re so immersed, if you do things to people like put them in a car or put them on a boat for instance and don’t supply the actual motions, you’ll get carsick.
Hennessey: There are tricks you can do like vibrating the platform in a certain way that is enough for your brain to be like, “Oh, I’m moving vertically at whatever speed.” Or with the wind effects, if you’re flying down the highway and you rise out of the truck, your brain is like “Yes, this is cool. I’m totally OK with this.”
How have you been testing and refining your system?
Bridgman: This is the third prototype. The first one was just testing wind and vibration. Then we added a second version utilizing some of this tech with a moving floor. This third generation has two people, full wind surrounding you with full motion and vibration and everything.
How do you fund the operation?
Bridgman: We haven’t totally shut off (work for clients.) We have enough there to survive but we’re raising money to help with manufacturing costs.
Is it hard to make this work in Lancaster?
Bridgman: It’s tough because to really understand what we’re doing you have to come try this. Everything we did in the past was digital, that we could email to someone. Now this is a physical thing that you have to truly experience it and that’s probably the biggest hurdle.
What’s next for you?
Bridgman: (This) year we want to hire three to five people, that includes 3D artists and some very specialty hardware type people that have more experience in manufacturing than us.
In five to 10 years, we hope to have a staff of 50 to 100 people and be a shining beacon in the home entertainment industry.
Source: Lancaster Online