Wētā Workshop’s Magic Leap Game Finalist in International Awards
Hold onto your rayguns. Wētā Workshop’s gaming division has been announced as a finalist in both the VES and D.I.C.E. Awards. The ground-breaking sci-fi game, Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders, available exclusively on Magic Leap, was released in 2018 and has been heralded as ushering in a new era of gaming.
As the flagship game for the Magic Leap One, Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders is designed to fully showcase the capabilities of the spatial computing device. The pioneering experience brings life-sized characters and action into players’ homes, adapting to the unique geometry of their living room as robots appear from ceilings and walls. These invaders walk around the room, prompting the player to defend themselves from the robot onslaught. The incredibly engaging experience takes advantage of all that the spatial computing device has to offer. Integrating the characters into the physical environment, they understand the real-world objects and interact with them, making the fantastical feel ever-so-real.
Game Director Greg Broadmore is incredibly proud of the Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders team, stating, “It’s been thrilling to take this project out of stealth mode and share it with the world. It’s been a remarkable journey. Working in this brand-new medium has inspired the team to think about game development in new and unique ways. It’s incredibly gratifying to have their work recognised among our peers and industry leaders.”
The VES Awards has recognised Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders in the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project category alongside Google’s Age of Sail, Disney’s Cycles, Sony’s God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man; while the D.I.C.E. Awards has recognised Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders in the Immersive Reality Technical Achievement category. Other nominees for the D.I.C.E. Awards include Magic Leap’s Tonandi experience and AAA titles such as Marvel’s Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Winners for the 17th Annual VES Awards will be announced during a ceremony on February 5th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Then, the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards will announce this year’s winners on February 13th at the Aria Resort and Hotel in Las Vegas.
Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders
Set in the retro-science fiction universe of Dr. Grordbort - a world of rayguns, rocket ships and deadly robot miscreants. Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders is developed by Wētā Workshop's Interactive division, built in partnership with Magic Leap. Wētā Workshop's Interactive division is a purpose built gaming studio.
Wētā Workshop
Wētā Workshop is a five-time Academy Award®-winning design studio and physical manufacturing facility servicing the world’s entertainment and creative industries. For over 20 years, the Workshop has applied creativity and craftsmanship to blockbuster films and hit television series including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, District 9, Thunderbirds Are Go, Ghost in the Shell, and Blade Runner 2049. This diverse, innovative company is also a tourist destination, producer of consumer products, mixed reality game studio, and creator of immersive location-based experiences such as the Thea award-winning Gallipoli: The scale of our war – a record-breaking collaboration with Te Papa museum.