Broadcast by the American channel Fox since 1989, created by Matt Groening and continued by Al Jean, the series is about to unveil its 600th episode. And the latter will be quite special since it will offer an unprecedented immersive experience, integrating virtual reality.
On Sunday, October 16, the 600th episode of The Simpsons will air on Fox, a special Halloween episode called Treehouse of Horror XXVII. If the producers have offered an episode for Halloween every year since 1990, this year’s vintage should have a very special flavor.
Virtual reality will be included, but will not concern the episode as a whole, only the “couch gag”, in other words the 45-second ritual opening the start of each episode, which has always been different since the start of the saga. The couch gag of the famous 600th episode is titled Planet of the Couches and waited in the drawers of the Fox. The latter will allow a 360° immersion for a special duration of three minutes, on October 16th.
The most curious will then be able to discover Homer, Marge and their offspring in a prison cell, through six different angles of view. Fans will need to equip themselves with the Google Spotlight Stories application (iOS and Android) as well as Google Cardboard, a cardboard helmet in which it is possible to insert a smartphone. These special glasses, available for around twenty euros, allow compatibility with most smartphones.
“What’s fun for a fan is to search everywhere and find everything we’ve hidden. There is a scene in which the Simpsons are imprisoned in a cell. In virtual reality, you can look from the floor to the ceiling of the cell, and in all directions and under the floor. With six different axes. For example, let’s say you see Moe doing something. You take your eyes off him and come back to him: he’s doing something else. » explains Al Jean for the Entertainment Weekly site.
Google is obviously riding the wave and is offering a limited version of its headphones featuring the different members of The Simpsons (25,000 copies), available HERE.
Sources: RTBF – Allociné