Concert experiences are about to change drastically, as AmazeVR prepares to introduce its first VR concert tour with Megan Thee Stallion, which is coming to AMC Theatres across the US this Spring. A VR concert platform company that brings fans closer to artists than ever before, AmazeVR recently closed a $15MM round of funding to support its industry-leading vision for VR concerts. Funding was provided by Partners Investment, Smilegate Investment, Quantum Ventures Korea, ABC Partners, Everrich Group, and GS Futures, the corporate venture capital arm of GS Group, one of the largest Korean conglomerates.
Now the company will preview the Enter Thee Hottieverse tour from Megan Thee Stallion at SXSW 2022 as an official selection. This first-ever VR concert tour springs from years of R&D that resulted in proprietary 9K cameras and in software that can automate complex Unreal Engine-based visual effects and run more than 100 headsets at a time. Using this technology, the company plans to scale its content creation, releasing new VR concert experiences weekly by 2024 to both in-theater and at-home viewers.
Fans who purchase tickets at AmazeVR.com will be able to go to their local movie theater, put on the provided ‘Hottie Mounted Displays’ – VR headsets renamed here for marketing purposes – and hang out in the VR Hottieverse lobby before watching Megan. The VR concert performance will feature a multi-song set that moves through a series of environments as well custom wardrobes designed just for the show.
“Virtual reality has always been an interest of mine and I’m glad that we’ll be able to make history with this experience,” says the artist. “My hotties (fans) will get to watch me perform in a completely different and unique way and I appreciate the AmazeVR team for helping me to bring this VR vision to life. I can’t wait to see the Hotties show up to the tour.”
“We are thrilled to work with Megan to launch AmazeVR’s very first VR concert tour,” adds Ernest Lee, AmazeVR co-CEO. “She’s an artist who has incredible stage presence and can create iconic moments that will make the most of the VR technology we’re developing. If anyone could push the notion of how captivating a VR concert can be, it’s Megan.”
AmazeVR has spent years reimagining music experiences for the VR environment. Their approach incorporates high-definition, hyper-real 3D live-action capture of artists like Megan, with sophisticated computer-generated worlds that come to life in VR. Through VR concerts, AmazeVR brings fans closer to artists like never before, allowing them to come face-to-face with their favorite artists with crystal clarity and unprecedented proximity through live-action 3D footage. Amaze VR claims that through the system viewers can “feel their gaze, follow their moves”, and “experience VR concerts in fantastical new worlds for the very first time.”
VR concerts in movie theaters
“Not everyone owns a headset, and not everyone can make it to their favorite artist’s live show,” says Lee. “A VR concert by AmazeVR opens up the possibilities for fans to encounter artists in a completely new way, while knocking down all the barriers to entry that have made it hard to access the amazing experiences VR can provide.”
Using a proprietary Unreal Engine-based VFX pipeline, the VR concert platform company Amaze VR combines live-action 3D footage with environments to create VR concerts in fantastical new worlds that are widely accessible to fans, distributing through movie theaters and eventually at-home VR. For now, AmazeVR is partnering with movie theaters around the world to transform traditional auditoriums into VR concert venues. Theaters will be outfitted with state-of-the-art VR headsets for total immersion while leveraging surround sound audio for breathtaking realism. Guests will have a seamless transition from the physical to virtual worlds as they interact with each other as virtual avatars for a truly shared VR concert experience.