What if you were transported to the universe of Rayman or some Rabbids ? It will soon be possible in Béziers. Ubisoft has chosen the Hérault sub-prefecture to set up its very first “immersive center” in the world. This thematic park will emerge from the ground in the heart of the future Studios Occitanie Méditerranée, in the domain of Bayssan. This vast complex, scheduled to open in 2025, will bring together production studios for film and television, but also an amusement park, where visitors can discover the behind the scenes of the blockbusters.
For now, little is known about what Ubisoft is up to. We simply know, in the wake of Super Nintendo World in Osaka, Japan, that the studio wants to “give life” to its flagship licenses, says Mathilde Bresson, head of entertainment at Ubisoft. “We couldn’t imagine a better place than the Montpellier region where the Ubisoft studio is located, behind some of our most iconic characters such as Rayman where the Rabbids She continues.
“You are going to enter the video game”
This innovative place will offer “an immersive three-dimensional storytelling”, explains Ben Thompson, international development manager at Storyland Studios, specialist in immersive parks, Ubisoft partner in this “immersive center” project. This new park, which the studio wishes to see developed elsewhere in the world, will be equipped with a technology called Wander, developed by Alterface. This company, based in Belgium, Singapore and Florida, explores various techniques to transform visitors into true characters of entertainment.
Will the participants be equipped with smartphones or tablets, with mobile applications, virtual reality headsets, or will they simply walk around in the middle of screens? For now, top secret, we slip, at Ubisoft. “You are going to get into video games, you are going to be a real player in the game,” confides Bruno Granja, who has been leading the much-awaited Studios Occitanie Méditerranée project for several years. And it will absolutely not be necessary to be a gamer, it will be open to people from 7 to 77 years old! “One way, continues the entrepreneur,” to “celebrate the culture of play”.
But this first Ubisoft “immersive center” is only the first big stone of the future 88-hectare complex at the Bayssan estate. “We have signed other contracts, which we are going to announce in the coming months,” continues Bruno Granja, who will soon be promising particularly prestigious partnerships.