Samsung’s involvement with the Olympic Games has been a long and in-depth love affair, and this year’s summer games in Rio are no different. After partnering up to provide phones to the athletes from every nation and even plunking down Samsung Studios where people could get cozy with their tech between events, the Korean Giant is now shacking up with the USA Basketball team. Using Samsung VR equipment such as the Gear 360 full-angle camera, Samsung will be providing a fresh look at Basketball as a sport through the eyes of the USA Basketball Team, and taking VR and sports fans alike along for the ride.
The partnership is the latest in a series called “Beyond the Frame”, made to analyze sports as closely as possible with modern technology. With today’s VR equipment, the closest and most effective perspective from which to check out a sport would obviously be from the eyes of the players, and that’s exactly how this new experience, called “Chasing The Dream”. The new series will look at every aspect of the game, from the plays, to the huddles, and even the back areas where the planning and preparation that goes into the game all take place. The action will center on men’s team players like Klay Thompson and Paul George, and is the second entry thus far in the “Beyond the Frame” family of VR media.
As with any other Samsung VR product, Gear VR users will have the best experience, but Samsung will also be hosting the content on their site and through a mobile app, ensuring that anybody with the right equipment can enjoy a deep look at basketball through the players’ perspectives. Samsung’s chief marketing officer for the United States, Marc Mathieu, said that the company was “thrilled” to be working hand in hand with both the NBA and USA Basketball to pull this off, and that Samsung aims to “be at the center of culture”. Along those lines, this is far from Samsung’s first foray into the limelight with their VR tech. Not long ago, they helped a few fans in Portugal experience a game of Football in VR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGGgyrKyOiw
