Aaron Gordon’s in my Living Room!
Intel Studios looks to provide an interactive experience allowing users to experience historical athletic feats through the utilization of augmented reality.
Widely considered to be the best dunk contest ever, the 2016 matchup between NBA stars Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine was certainly one for the ages. Two of the greatest dunkers went face to face performing professional-level dunks in a contest that required extra rounds and ended because there was no ball left to use. Closing out the all-star weekend, Gordon and LaVine traded perfect scores back and forth until LaVine was crowned the winner after leaping from the free-throw line, putting the ball between his legs and slamming it through the hoop.
With COVID-19 suspending most professional sports and fans left anxiously watching a limited number of re-runs of historical games, companies are left trying to come up with creative ways to fill this void. Michael Jordan’s documentary “The Last Dance” certainly provided a temporary source of entertainment as a solution but only lasted so long as eager enthusiasts binged every Sunday.
However, Intel Studios may have just created the next big option for quarantine sports fanatics. A potential glimpse at the future of immersive sports casting, the firm is looking to offer an updated augmented version of “Soul and Science” in which a combination of storytelling and sports science will be brought to life. The firm hopes to provide events like the 2016 NBA Dunk Contest in a form that allows the fan to have an immersive, re-creation situation in which they can choose their desired ending. For example, viewers would be able to launch the AR view and insert avatars of players like Gordon into the air from the kitchen table and recreate the moment.
As a sports fan myself, I think this technology offered through a free, mobile app can provide an extensive number of users with additional access to connect with their favorite players and teams throughout history. Being able to watch highlights and feel involved in events like the Super Bowl or the World Series would be a creative way to break the norm of traditional sports. The volumetric capture provides flexibility in how the scenarios can be produced through different storytelling mediums. I am excited to have the opportunity to use mediums like AR, virtual reality and holographic content to experience elements of unique sports like MMA, BMX or gymnastics.
In addition to adding a new medium of storytelling, I believe this would open the road to new devices that can potentially produce these holograms directly without the use of an app. These devices could ultimately be the future of sports and may provide an interactive option without having to spend the money on expensive tickets.
