FutureTechLive 2019
Every year, we love to check out FutureTechLive at Comic con!
It is one of the many interactive experiences those attending FUTURETECHLIVE at COMIC-CON got to enjoy this year at the legendary annual pop culture extravaganza in San Diego.
They celebrated their 4th year at Comic Con!!
FutureTechLive! is the hub at Comic-Con for immersive experiences and technology.
FutureTechLive has upwards of 18,000 square feet featuring attractions and personalities in virtual and augmented reality, XR, AI, Gaming, Robotics, Blockchain, and more.
This year, FutureTechLive! also added another component – Esports Lounge at Comic-Con, which brought the excitement of Esports to the mix, with participation from one of the winningest pro teams and various celebrities.
The event also included a Space Zone, in which attendees could walk on the moon with their friends on a virtual lunar mission, enter a pop-up planetarium from UCSD’s astrophysics center, and experience the International Space Station in VR.
On the first day, there was also a Blockchain gathering, where attendees learned how Bitcoin and its brethren are underpinning digital worlds.
This event introduces the latest tech experiences from film studios, television networks, gaming companies, scientists, space explorers, publishers, designers, influencers, and innovators. Attendees get hands-on experience with the attractions and learn about new technologies.
On the educational front: University of California San Diego brought a domed planetarium.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum displayed space memorabilia.
The Fleet Science Center ran its “Two Scientists Walk into a Bar” promotion, with various scientists answering questions from attendees.
Sony brought their Koov educational robots.
The event took place July 18-23 at the Omni San Diego Hotel in downtown San Diego, across from the Convention Center.
FUTURETECHLIVE was created in 2016 in conjunction with Comic-Con International to celebrate the best and boldest in the exploding areas of VR, AR, XR and more, and showcase the latest innovations and inspirations from the worlds of Hollywood, gaming and tech.
I think we loved the Bunny the most, which we followed around a bit and filmed! #whoisthebunny
“We wanted to create the ultimate tech playground for people coming to the granddaddy of consumer events,” said Scott Bobrow, FutureTechLive! Co-Founder/Producer. “In one place, we spotlight the coolest immersive experiences and earth-shattering technologies that will change the way we live and interact with others.”
“We also wanted to turn up the energy with Esports this year,” said Mark Murphy, Co-Founder/Producer of the events. “Gaming is so much a part of pop culture, and the characters and narratives from games are not unlike those from comic books, television and films. In fact, more money is spent on gaming than on movies each year, and competitive gaming fills arenas and has a massive fan base.” He added: “Our Esports Lounge allows for those fans and recreational players alike to get their game on!”
ESPORTS LOUNGE @ COMIC-CON, produced by FutureTechLive!, is the official gaming zone of Comic-Con.
Held in the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina Hotel, the event featured a charity livestream filled with celebrity appearances and daily tournaments for a variety of games. There were prizes and giveaways from HyperX, Alienware and others.
Attendees were welcome to hang out and play casually, or compete in tournaments for Apex Legends, Tekken 7, Soul Calibur VI, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, Brawlhalla, Mortal Kombat 11, Injustice 2 and more.
The game play was hosted by Team Liquid, the multi-team Esports group that is among the winningest in all of Esports. Team Liquid, which has been dominant across games such as League of Legends CS GO, recently announced a partnership with Marvel – Marvel+Liquid – who also showcased their new Marvel-infused jerseys and gear.
Attractions & Activities included:
Immersive Experiences
LEGENDS OF LIGHTFALL – Explore the world of The Legends of Lightfall, a brand new comic series filled with cutting-edge technology and vivid visuals. Join Kort, Sofia, Treads, and their hover droid, ABDA, on a treacherous quest as they grapple with Lightstalkers, marauders, and poisonous air on the perilous path to the underground city of Steamhaven.
NOITOM – Noitom focuses on mapping the human body, its movements and interaction with the environment. The company’s name, Noitom, the word ‘motion’ spelled backwards, embraces its dedication to the art of motion capture. See what their innovative mapping and haptics can do when you interact with the hero Kort from “Legends of Nightfall.”
NORTH AR – A darling of this year’s CES, North’s Focals are custom-built smart glasses with a holographic display only you can see. Focals smart glasses let you see all the things you love without looking down at your phone.
RAYMOND VR – Raymond’s Virtual Reality Simulator is used in the industrial sector, as a cutting edge tool that can simplify everything from hiring to teaching to developing employees for enhanced performance and efficiency. It makes VR not just fun, but powerful for work too.
DEPLOY VR – Based right in San Diego, Deploy both builds VR & AR systems and activates multiplayer, untethered arena VR experiences. Here, attendees can have a blast attacking the castle and fighting dragons in Dragon Tower VR.
VR ART BATTLE! – Deploy VR is also overseeing a competition in which attendees can draw and sculpt in VR… competing against other attendees. On your mark, get set, paint!
VR LEO – Redefining arcade fun, VR Leo introduces a new way for people to experience VR as arcade games. Their unique platforms allow for a multi-sensory experience.
TEAM BUNNY – What do you do when you come face to mask with a part robot/ part human assassin dressed in a high-tech all black bunny suit. From the mind of visionary creator Patrick Ecclesine, and showcasing incredible cutting edge production technology, venture into Bunny’s world, if you dare; come away with one helluva selfie.
EDGE XR – Fusing the worlds of hip-hop, rap, marital arts and comic books, the Edge XR augmented reality app places you in worlds you may never want to leave. A creative partnership of acclaimed film director Matty Rich and emerging rapper Lazarus.
PLAYTHECROWD XR – PTC is pioneering XR and digital mobile activations to incentivize guests and fans, who earn points in campaigns. Through their dashboard, clients have the option to be broadcasted to their network of mixed reality apps to boost impressions and increase awareness among mobile-first, urban millennial fans and digital consumers.
COLLEGIATE VR – VR has made its way to college campuses, with VR esports clubs setting up and competing in VR games. Here, they literally get attendees in gear, to play VR games such as: Beat Saber, Echo Arena, Space Pirate, and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.
SPRITE LIGHTS – Whose says tech can’t be fashionable and fun? These quirky LED fueled designs will make you smile and make you want to play with them all day long.
Robotics
SONY KOOV – Discover the coding and robotics kit for the innovators of tomorrow. Perfect in the classroom or at home, KOOV is a comprehensive solution for STEAM education with everything needed to start building robots.
Space Zone
ALICE SPACE LUNAR WALK VR EXPERIENCE – Developed in collaboration with NASA by Noitom, Alice Space takes participants to a mixed reality environment where they land on the moon, interact with controls and with other players inside of the spacecraft, and eventually walk onto the surface of the moon to explore the terrain, engage with props and look up to planet Earth. Up to six guests at one time will be able to don virtual reality goggles and VR backpacks to freely roam the inside of a NASA workstation and then explore the surface of the moon in mixed reality. The experience is so realistic, it has brought some NASA officials to tears. Only seen by the public in Tokyo, this debuts in North America here at Comic-Con.
MISSION: ISS – Explore the International Space Station 250 miles above Earth with this VR experience from MAGNOPUS. Learn to move around modules in zero gravity, examine experiments and missions being performed on the Station. Dock a resupply capsule, and go on an EVA to check out the exterior of the Station.
UCSD – CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS & SPACE SCIENCE (CASS) Pop-up Planetarium – Walk into this portable planetarium that inflates like a bounce house, and experience the wonders of the cosmos, with members of the UCSD Division of Physical Sciences as your guides.
SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM – The museum in Balboa Park in San Diego brings some actual Space craft to exhibit… for ultimate selfies.
Science Non-Fiction
FLEET SCIENCE CENTER – The acclaimed San Diego institution is bringing fun its celebrated “Two Scientists Walk into a Bar” experience — which means several of the best and brightest of the area scientists will be on hand to answers attendee’s questions!
Blockchain
BLOCKCHAINBTM – They are rolling out Bitcoin ATM (i.e., “BTM”) machines across the country, with more than 20 already deployed. Withdraw some bitcoin yourself.
Outside the Omni
WARNER BROS. IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES – Set behind the Omni Hotel, fans enjoyed a personal experience with two of the top films of 2019 – Shazam! and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Fans had the opportunity to experience the magic of Ryme City in the immersive walkthrough pop-up based on the hit film Pokémon Detective Pikachu. This is complete with Instagrammable moments from the neon cityscape, Ryme City marketplace, film prop displays, an infinity room and multiple characters from the film, including Detective Pikachu himself.
The Shazam! activation gave fans the chance to visit the Chilladelphia Winter Carnival (featured in the film) in sunny San Diego to play games, win exclusive prizes, and pose for some fun photo opps.
Esports Lounge (at Marriott Marquis)
Game play hosted by TEAM LIQUID
Competitive tournaments for:
Apex Legends
Tekken 7
Soul Caliber VI
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite
Brawlhalla
Mortal Kombat 11
Injustice 2
Live Streaming on
Twitch
Mixer
Sponsors
Hyper X, Alienware, Microsoft, Shacknews, Honda
