Oxygen Media is stepping into the world of augmented reality (AR) via an app that enables users to step into a pseudo crime scene and attempt to solve a murder mystery.
The iOS app, Forensic Detective: Inside the Crime Scene, was built using Apple’s ARKit and will be available in June.
Building on its new focus on true crime programming, Oxygen said the AR app/game will enable users to turn any room into an immersive crime scene mystery where they can ferret out clues and evidence that can be used to piece together the solution.
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Oxygen developed the app with Neo-Pangea. It features ARKit 1.5 and takes advantage of vertical plane detection, a feature that enables the game to identify walls in the room and place clues and evidence on those surfaces to establish a “full room-scale interactive environment.”
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Oxygen has posted a preview of the game and released a short promo video about the app.
“By taking advantage of the latest AR technology, we can push boundaries and give armchair detectives a unique opportunity to get out of their chairs and put their puzzle solving skills to the test using very real crime solving methods,” Lisa Hsia, EVP, digital, for Bravo and Oxygen Media, said in a statement.
“ARKit 1.5 gave us the ability to weave in vertical plane detection as part of the game’s narrative,” Matt Marsters, Mixed Reality Strategist at Neo-Pangea, added. “It’s a real differentiator, making the user experience exceptionally rich since the app can render full-scale 3D thanks to spatial recognition. It’s a bit like having an ‘Escape the Room’ experience right in your pocket.”
