BBC Apprentice Series 12 Episode 9 – VR Games Task

The task for The Apprentice candidates in Series 12 Episode 9 is to create a Virtual Reality (VR) game. They have to create the gameplay and visual identify and present it to industry insiders.

VR is still a niche opportunity. But, companies like Google, Samsung and Microsoft, with their Cardboard, Gear, and Holo Lens products, are making large investments.  They hope it will become the next big consumer technology hit.

VR is all about allowing people to experience something that they can’t in their everyday lives.  Parachuting and/or base jumping are what springs to mind, initially.  A game that emulates the thrills of jumping out of a plane or off of a building – perhaps wearing a winged jumpsuit, where participants have to negotiate through a series of marker beacons and land on a target – where players receive more points the more of the markers they successfully navigate and the closer to the centre of the target area they land.

For a name, I like, ‘The Jump VR’ or ‘Chute VR’ – both explain the fundamental basis of the game for potential purchasers.

A rollercoaster game is another idea that could translate well to virtual reality.  There are a few rollercoaster VR apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores, so it’ll be important to create a point of differentiation.  Big Dipper VR might be a good name for something like this.

A third idea could be to create an acrobatic flying or barnstorming  game.  Points are awarded for successfully collecting packages located at points during the flight.

It’ll be interesting to see what the contestants come up with.