Sansar®, the premier destination for social VR, today announced their latest collaboration with Roddenberry Entertainment: the Roddenberry Nexus in Sansar - a new virtual experience for fans that showcases the best of Roddenberry’s science fiction properties, including never-before-seen art and artifacts from Star Trek®’s fifty-two-year history and new stories such as the short film Instant. The hangout space will serve as a venue for future Roddenberry events and fan meet-ups, and can be demoed live at the 2018 Star Trek Convention (August 1-5), in the Tropical Room at Las Vegas’s Rio Hotel & Casino.
In offering fans virtual access to its archives, from anywhere in the world, Roddenberry Entertainment continues to pioneer a richer, more interactive fan experience - one where fans not only have more places to hang and connect, but also new ways of experiencing the storied Roddenberry legacy. It’s an innovative streak that reaches back months: this past May, the company collaborated with Sansar to host a live episode of its Mission Log Podcast, aboard a virtual recreation of the bridge from the original Enterprise; a virtual Star Trek trivia night followed in early July.
“Roddenberry Entertainment always strives to be on the forefront of innovation, going where no one has gone before,” said Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment. “Sansar Studios is a leader in VR development and we are proud to partner with them on this new initiative, combining the history and legacy of Roddenberry with their groundbreaking technology.”
With the Nexus, Roddenberry Entertainment has found a way to further evolve VR’s role in fan engagement, making Roddenberry history feel instantly more immediate, more accessible, and more tangible than ever before. Inspired by the futuristic environments Star Trek once made famous, the space lets visitors view and virtually interact with never-before-seen artifacts from the show’s development - everything from props to costumes and artwork - across three distinct levels, with original voice-over content to offer guidance. Anyone with a link to the Sansar experience can step directly into TV and movie history; whether just to take a private tour, or to attend one of the many fan events planned in the space in coming months.
“We really do see VR as a new frontier for fan engagement,” says Jason Gholston, Head of Sansar Studios. “We’re not just tapping into fans’ collective nostalgia; we’re actively empowering them to reach out and touch television history, in a way that might not be possible in the real world. We’re thrilled to be able to preserve these pieces for future generations, and to find such amazing collaborators in Roddenberry Entertainment.”
Experience the Roddenberry Nexus in Sansar today. And make sure to check out the upcoming special events, including a guided tour led by hosts from Roddenberry Entertainment (August 16 at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET) and a screening of Roddenberry’s Instant (August 30 at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET).
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About Linden Lab
Linden Lab develops platforms that empower people to create, share, and benefit from virtual experiences. Founded in 1999, the company first launched Second Life, the groundbreaking virtual world enjoyed by millions around the globe, in 2003, which has since gone on to boast nearly two billion user creations and a vibrant $500 million (USD) economy. The company further expanded its portfolio in 2013 with Blocksworld, a lighthearted build-and-play system, and in 2017 with the public beta of Sansar, a free platform making social VR more accessible and immersive, available on Windows PCs and compatible with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. For more about Linden Lab, its products, and career opportunities, visit its website.
About Roddenberry Entertainment
Roddenberry Entertainment is a science-fiction leader with a tradition of groundbreaking entertainment. Originally founded in 1967 by Gene Roddenberry, the company has since led a steady stable of science-fiction successes including Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and, most notably, Star Trek. Roddenberry Entertainment continues to produce entertainment for all audiences, employing a viewer-centric creative process and resulting in insightful explorations of humanity. The company’s mission is to make good on its namesake’s promise of superior genre entertainment while utilizing new and varied vehicles of delivery. Building on its TV roots, this entertainment pioneer has successfully ventured into graphic novels, documentaries, podcasts, comic strips and 360° films. Roddenberry Entertainment has set itself apart by creating content that surpasses mere entertainment; it challenges audiences to think, question and explore the world, as well as potential worlds beyond.
For more information on Roddenberry Entertainment, please visit www.Roddenberry.com. Follow on Facebook (facebook.com/roddenberry) and Twitter (twitter.com/roddenberry).