The snuggliest hedgehog you’ve ever seen (well, except maybe in Over the Hedge or Sonic the Hedgehog) is back with a brand new trailer from Oculus Story Studios. But, you’re going to have to download it here. Why? Because it’s an executable file to be experienced in Oculus, making it Henry‘s first VR trailer. For many, this may be the first trailer they’ve experienced where troubleshooting suggests moving your head. It makes sense for a VR short to have a VR trailer, but it doesn’t make the idea of it any less fascinating.
“Empathy in VR is the most important field that we need to explore.”
-Saschka Unself, Creative Director of Oculus Story Studios
Henry is the story of a hedgehog who just wants to hug people, but has been relatively unsuccessful. Everything changes for him after a birthday wish, which the VR experience explores.
Even if you don’t have an Oculus, you can still download and execute the file for basic video playback (expect clipping, of course). Admittedly, there isn’t much to see. It serves as a teaser, containing credits, voice over, and an excited hedgehog. It certainly is a lot better as a VR experience and not a basic video.
Henry appeared earlier this year during his Hollywood Premiere, which was uploaded to Oculus Story Studios’ YouTube and Vimeo channels. It’s scripted documentary-style with several developers chiming in on their thoughts of Henry and virtual reality innovation.
Henry, the “immersive short” will be released for free to the public as part of the Oculus Rift launch in early 2016. For more information, check out Story Studio’s Henry page.
