Earlier today, the US publishing company Time Inc. announced Life VR, another one of its virtual reality programs which will expand upon the company’s existing portfolio of VR products and activities. Just like its name suggests, Life VR is a project dedicated to turning the famous Life magazine into a virtual reality experience. While the actual magazine has been discontinued way back in 1972, it still exists as a smaller section of the Time website and it’s mostly focused on photojournalism. Mia Tramz, the current senior multimedia editor at Time explained that Life VR makes all the sense in the world in the context of the original vision the co-founder of Time Inc. Henry Luce had in 1936. Back then, Luce wrote that he wanted for Time to become “the biggest picture show on Earth”. As far as Tramz is concerned, VR is the path towards realizing that vision. Her higher-ups seem to agree with her perspective as they’ve not only greenlit the Life VR project but also appointed Tramz as its managing editor.
The current plan is to build Life VR as a platform that will serve as a sort of hub for all of Time’s VR content. The platform will host content created by and for all of Time’s major outlets including the likes of Sports Illustrated, Xumo, and People. In addition to them, Time is currently also working together with VR firms like Framestore, Wevr, and VR Playhouse and has even opened a smaller VR studio in its HQ in New York. The Time Warner-owned publishing company has already been producing 360-degree video content for quite a while not but its representatives have pointed out that Life VR will also feature other, more interactive products.
Time is currently developing an Android Life VR app that’s also getting ported to Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. Life VR will offer three virtual reality experiences at launch while the official announcement from the New York-based company promises new content on a monthly basis. Videos available at launch will include a WWII documentary “Defying the Nazis”, a meditation course “Lumen”, and a driving experience “Fast Ride”.