While people are feeling hopeful the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be a memory thanks to the rollout of a vaccine against the virus, many activities are still being impacted. With a number of industries crippled by the pandemic, the ways in which society has adapted has been interesting. HBO Max securing the Warner Bros. movie lineup is a big blow to movie theaters but might be the only way to watch movies for the next little while. Now, Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata is teaming up with a Japanese airline to produce a virtual travel experience.
Tabata suddenly left Square Enix back in 2018, which cut short plans for more Final Fantasy 15 DLC, as the project was scrapped completely instead of continuing on without its director. He would go on to form a new company, JP Games, which is working on a title in collaboration with the International Paralympic Committee called "The Pegasus Dream Tour." This game is slated to arrive sometime in 2021, likely coordinated with the Tokyo Olympics.
With travel made difficult these days due to mandatory testing and quarantines, many folks are staying at home. That's why All Nippon Airways is collaborating with Tabata and his company, to create an experience that allows customers to travel the world from the comfort of their smartphone. The service will transport customers to various destinations within Japan and abroad through 3D CG. The service is promising the ability to log-in with friends and experience the world together. With Oculus Quest 2 units completely sold out until later in the year, a service like the one ANA is proposing could offer an alternative to the VR experience.
The idea to travel virtually has been on the minds of a number of folks it would seem, as the GeoGuessr game, which uses Google Maps for its virtual tourism, has found itself in the spotlight once again. While this product has been around 2013, people are revisiting it when they can't actually get out and travel due to global circumstances.
Little else is known about the collaboration between ANA and JP Games, but Tabata is quoted as saying that his experience in making RPGs will help with the project. Given that Final Fantasy 15 was a virtual road trip, if Tabata were to bring that same kind of feeling to this program, it could be a real hit. Cup of Noodles not included, unfortunately.
Source: Kotaku