Weta Workshop opens new mixed reality facility called Weta Gameshop
Weta Workshop has officially opened its newest facility, Weta Gameshop, thought to be the world's first specialist mixed reality development studio dedicated to creating new content for Magic Leap.
Located a stone's throw from Weta Workshop in the Wellington suburb of Miramar, Weta Workshop's new division is working on a flagship game for Magic Leap's soon to be released technology, Magic Leap One.
Currently in advanced stages of development, the next generation game titled, Dr. G: Invaders, is being co-produced by Weta Workshop and Magic Leap and is based around the science fiction world of Dr. Grordbort, the brainchild of Weta Gameshop's Director, Greg Broadmore, in development with Richard and Tania Taylor over the past eight years.
Weta Workshop and Magic Leap have been working in close partnership to build mixed reality experiences, bringing extraordinary characters and imaginary worlds to life to forge a new realm of entertainment and experiential storytelling.
Magic Leap's spatial computing platform, which aims to seamlessly blend the digital and physical worlds, will be released in 2018.
Weta Workshop's brand-new facility was officially opened today by New Zealand Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture - Heritage, Jacinda Ardern, accompanied by Weta Workshop founders Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger and Weta Gameshop's crew of 50 staff.
The Prime Minister said Weta Workshop's new studio was an example of Wellington and New Zealand's position at the cutting edge of the rapid development of mixed reality applications for gaming, entertainment and into education, healthcare and communication.
She says, "Their ground-breaking partnership with Magic Leap is another feather in the cap for Weta Workshop whose creativity crosses so many different fields.
"It's also an example of Kiwi creators and innovators being sought out for their talent and fresh approaches.
"I congratulate Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger and their talented team on their achievements and wish them all the best for the delivery of their new game, which I had the privilege to test drive in a private demonstration.
Richard Taylor said the official opening of the studio was the culmination of seven years of development work with Magic Leap.
Taylor stated, "Through a relationship we struck up with founder Rony Abovitz, Weta Workshop was one of the earliest companies to partner with Magic Leap and we have had the honour of not only helping to shape the first game to run on the Magic leap platform but to contribute to the development of the Magic Leap platform itself.
"It has been a terrific experience for us all.
The Weta Gameshop team is a collaborative mix of Weta Workshop creatives and storytellers and Magic Leap technologists, and everything in-between.
It's a multidisciplinary blended team that dreams big and is forging the future for spatial computing entertainment.
Weta Gameshop's director and creator of Dr Grordbort's, Greg Broadmore, was inspired by the creative opportunities enabled by Magic Leap's pioneering technology and set about building a team to evolve Dr Grordbort's from its origins in comics and collectables into a full living and breathing mixed reality game.
