Why Early Access?

“As the whole VR in general and this project in specific - we still learn how to use (or how to shape) a new ways of mixing interactivity with storytelling. Chernobyl VR Project is highly experimental work: an ambitious attempt to blend large-scale photogrammetry 3D scanning with 360 stereoscopical movies and photos.

We spent more than one year on gathering and processing the materials from the hostile Restricted Zone, then developing the tools to work on interactive VR tour, then fighting with VR platforms technical limitations and realtime engine optimization.

Right now we got a good base to keep working on the subject, but the clock is, literally, ticking. Chernobyl zone is decaying, more and more objects are becoming unavailable. Soon (November 2016) the 4th Reactor - the one that exploded - will be covered and sealed for next 100 years with a huge construction called the New Safe Confinement and we won’t be able to grab any newer materials from the most interesting part of the Chernobyl’s history anymore.

We decided to release the app in Early Access mode because we need to get the feedback from the virtual explorers, finetune the experimental interfaces, optimize the unique way of displaying scans with spherical movies and to be able to organize next trips to the Chernobyl to gather much more content before it’s out of our reach in the future.

At top of it, the Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games that we’re using for this application is still developing it’s final functionalities for the VR content display - so we’ll be increasing the performance and resolution of the in-app visuals thanks to following engine updates in next few months.”

Approximately how long will this software be in Early Access?

“Early Access is planned until we got all interesting materials from Chernobyl scanned, filmed and processed, what should end in early spring 2017.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The full version of the app should include:

• more 3D scanned and interactive locations from Chernobyl and Pripyat for free roaming
  
• extra content showing the end phase of building the New Safe Confinement - a unique construction that is supposed to cover the Chernobyl’s reactor for next 100 years
  
• 360 movies resolution increased from 2k to 4k
  
• highly improved performance of 360 and 3D display
  
• Oculus headset support via Steam platform
  
• supersampling adjustment option (visual quality scaling)
  
• improved controls smoothness and user interface
  
• extra controllers support (Oculus Touch)
  
• different movement options (standing mode, sitting mode, gamepad, mouse + keyboard etc.)
  
• non-VR support (play on your monitor)
  
• bugfixing and optimization following the Steam users feedback

”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“In Early Access you can take a tour in VR headset only. Currently on Steam platform we support only HTC Vive, but soon there will be an Oculus support via Steam.

Currently taking your virtual tour to Chernobyl you can visit 5 interactive locations - usually small areas of free movement - and 9 non-interactive locations based on spherical movies and photos. In some of the locations you explore the environment, in others you can watch the interviews with the victims of catastrophe or the people who explain the story behind the accident.

We plan to add bugfixes, improvements, optimizations and new content parts in following patches, hopefully at least once per every month.”

Will this software be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“We don’t plan to increase the final price after we leave Early Access.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We’d like to involve the community to help us shape the interface, optimization and smoothness of experience. As we still learn how to find a best way of bringing emotions with VR, we will listen to feedback from Steam forum dedicated to Early Access for ChernobylVR. We hope to discuss controls, performance issues, VR-related parts of experience and we’ll try to be as active as the users on both discussing and implementing the feedback results into the application.”