Minecraft, one of the most famous and best-selling video games in history, will be at the center of a brand new multimedia experience opening in Dallas. And the creators are from Quebec.
The Supply Demand studio, whose head office is in Bromont, won Microsoft’s international call for tenders to develop an immersive experience inspired by the famous video game with its very particular aesthetic. Its title: Minecraft Experience.
Olivier Goulet, founder and CEO of the studio, explains: “We approached Microsoft to obtain the rights to the game. They liked the idea and they decided to make an international call for tenders. This is the appeal that we won. »
Why are you interested in the Minecraft game? “It’s a game that fits well with our philosophy of creating narrative and educational experiences. It’s a game that children can play without any problem. There’s a beautiful ethic behind this game where everyone wins… It’s a game that interests young people and adults alike. I was recently told that Robert Lepage modeled his shows on Minecraft!”
More than 70 people will work to develop this highly interactive immersive experience where participants will have to carry out a mission: save a village plagued by a zombie attack. To do this, they will have to collect ingredients that will be used to create an antidote to cure the undead.
Equipped with an illuminated cube that vibrates when certain gestures are performed, participants will walk through seven separate rooms to try to save as many villagers as possible. In total, the activity will last one hour.
“It’s truly a participatory experience. Our exhibitions are not just black boxes with projections where the public remains passive,” says Olivier Goulet.
He adds: “We’re not going to recreate the game like at home. Instead, we intend to offer another point of view on this game, but while respecting 100% the codes, the mechanics and the aesthetics.”
To carry out this project, the Supply Demand team will use technology that it developed itself and which has been used in various projects, notably at the Telus Spark Science Center in Calgary, where several immersive exhibitions were presented.
“It’s a 100% Quebec exhibition technology that is completely modular. For example, it allows museums to present different exhibitions during the same day,” says Olivier Goulet.
The latter, who headed the multimedia department of Cirque du Soleil for 5 years in addition to having founded the company Geodezik, has more than 25 years of experience in the multimedia arts sector. He has notably collaborated on shows by artists such as Taylor Swift, the Foo Fighters and Michael Bublé.
However, he admits it bluntly: the opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft on Minecraft Experience could serve as a springboard for the young multimedia company founded three and a half years ago.
In short, the Quebec studio seems to have the wind in its sails. One thing is certain, the Minecraft project is already turning heads. “A North American tour is being organized. The project will go through Europe. And also by Canada,” assures Olivier Goulet, who adds that immersive experiences signed by Supply Demand will soon be presented in Quebec. “It’s coming,” he says.
The vast majority of employees who will work on the development of Minecraft Experience will work from the studios of the Troupe des 7 Doigts, located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Indeed, the circus company is a minority shareholder in Supply Demand and partly finances Minecraft Experience.
For Nassib El-Husseini, president and CEO of 7 Fingers, the involvement of the circus troupe in the young multimedia company is a way of encouraging “a new local flagship”.
“We have been working with Olivier for several years. He notably helped us on the Pub Royal show. For Les 7 doigts, investing in this studio and in the Minecraft project represents a way to increase our independent income. Because times are tough right now for the performing arts community in Quebec…”
