The Future Group, a Norwegian new media company, has announced the participation of Ross Video in the company’s Series B funding round that will be used to bring the future of truly interactive TV into reality.
The seven-figure investment from Ross Video is part of a strategic partnership between the companies. It follows Ross’ technical collaboration with TFG to provide its proprietary VR technology for TFG’s 3D, VR, and AR content to launch an interactive VR game show in 2016.
TFG is creating a revolutionary social entertainment platform that brings TV, gaming, brand awareness and e-commerce into a flexible programming experience. This will bring traditional scheduled TV viewers in the sitting room, and mobile device-obsessed gamers and OTT customers into the same TV adventure.
Combining cutting-edge movie special effects pioneered in The Matrix with virtual reality plus storytelling and product positioning for brands, what TFG has dubbed ‘The Future Universe’ is available to viewers through every screen: PC, mobile and primetime TV. Also, no headsets or other gear are required to access or participate in this new experiential platform.
“This is a green screen, video game world for TV, live in real time,” said David Ross, CEO at Ross Video. Explaining the 2016 game show, Ross said that contestants will be put into a video game world and will interact with it through tasks they are set. The second part of the plan through a partnership TFG has made with a video gaming company is that the contestants and live TV programme will be integrated with the gamer’s simultaneous experience, where some gamers may also be integrated back into the live TV show.
Ross said: “This is not about just one gameshow; it’s a whole new class of programming. If the launch of this is a success, it will roll out in many countries and into many languages. All the non-gaming engine technology involved in this is from Ross, so as it gets franchised this is a tens of millions of dollars opportunity for us, and we are part owners of the company.”
www.rossvideo.com, 9.C10
