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Project Holodeck is a virtual reality platform built with consumer facing technology, DIY off-the-shelf components, cutting-edge custom software, and creatively integrated peripherals. The goal of Project Holodeck is to bring 360-degree full-body virtual reality out of the research lab and into a fun, accessible consumer gaming platform.We want to make the dream of a VR play space a reality, and at a affordable cost.

The project is part of the USC Games program, a joint effort between the Interactive Media Division (IMD) at the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) and the Department of Computer Science at the Viterbi School of Engineering.

In Wild Skies, the cooperative VR game we are currently developing for the Holodeck platform, two players must work together to pilot nuclear-powered airship through an exotic world of floating islands and dangerous adversaries.

Recent News

Lead Developer Alex Silkin Gives His Thoughts on Fully Embodied VR Game Development

From the very beginning we set out to make games that allow a person to actually look with their head, walk with their feet, and interact with their hands like in real life. In modern first person games, one uses a mouse to look around and shoot, and a keyboard to move - so with Project Holodeck we had to throw conventional wisdom out the window. We had some big design challenges because we could not do what all the other games out there are doing. For instance, we could not just have a menu that you click on with your... read on

New Wild Skies Screenshots - Demo Day 2013

Demo Day at the USC School of Cinematic Arts is just around the corner, and we just whipped up our latest batch of screenshots. Wild Skies has undergone a massive visual overhaul in the past two months, thanks to the talented individuals at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Check out their incredible work in 3d modeling and concept art below! You can also see a lot of new weapons, such as sniper rifle and machine gun. These guns are held with two hands using Razer Hydra motion controls, giving an even more natural sense of control to weapon combat in... read on

Showcasing at 5D Institute's Science of Fiction event with Zombies on the Holodeck

Zombies on the Holodeck is going to be at the 5D Institute's Science of Fiction exhibition this weekend! This event will bring together leading minds from a wide spectrum of creative and scientific fields to imagine and create new worlds on the borderland between art and science. Project Holodeck is super excited to be participating! What's the game? Zombies on the Holodeck uses the modular Holodeck platform to immerse players in a survival horror environment. Players use the Oculus Rift to explore with peripheral vision and head tracking, and use Razer Hydra controllers to shoot guns, pick up items, and build defenses. If... read on

Project Holodeck News Bits and KTLA5 Interview

At the GLIMPSE Digital Technology Showcase last month at the School of Cinematic Arts, local news KTLA 5 came by to check out Project Holodeck and get some interviews. We can't embed the video on our own blog, but you can check out the news spot here. Many projects at the MxR Lab got some great coverage as well including the FOV2GO and VR2GO viewers. Zombies on the Holodeck also got some attention from Stuff.tv, and featured some incredible mood pieces courtesy of our super talented concept artist, Sung J Woo. We also got an extensive article from Jonathan Tustain of 3D Focus. Thanks... read on

Zombies on the Holodeck! New Game for Project Holodeck and Oculus Rift Plays with Film Conventions in Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality is a young medium. Zombies on the Holodeck was started to explore virtual environments outside of strict realism. Recreating a wholly photorealistic world is still a huge thing to explore in this emerging field. However, because Virtual Reality offers the opportunity to create alternate realities altogether - why be bound to the notion that the alternate reality must strive to behave like normal? In that case, how does Film relate to Virtual Reality? The Idea - Living in a Movie Zombies on the Holodeck uses the modular Holodeck platform to immerse players in a survival horror environment. Players use the... read on

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