SVVR #103: LEGO VR + GIANT ARCADE AFTERPARTY
Join us Thursday, October 29, 7pm at Circuit Launch in Mountain View (599 Fairchild Dr).
We'll start at 7:00 with a brief SVVR intro, then a talk by Julian Gómez, who is finally getting the stage he deserves. After that we roll into demos, food, drink and fun.
TALK: EARLY VR AT LEGO
In the mid-1990s LEGO started a digital strategy with a big R&D push on collaborative play. Inside the SPU-Darwin division, a research group called "The Wizards" (named after a LEGO mini-figure) used high-end 3D graphics, haptics, and immersive displays to build virtual LEGO worlds. People could build scenes there and then play inside what they'd built.
In 1996 the Wizards built a virtual LEGO New Orleans, shown at SIGGRAPH's Digital Bayou. Visitors could explore the city, watch events unfold, and get chased by a hungry LEGO alligator. Next came Project Stonehammer: four kids teaming up to complete a mission in a Bat Lord castle. It mixed physical and VR play and was broadcast live on TV.
Julian will walk through LEGO's early VR experiments, including New Orleans, Project Stonehammer, and Dynasty, with video of each.
Julian E. Gómez, PhD, was Director of the Advanced Technology Group and Chief Scientist at LEGO. He's now with Nuon Play.
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GIANT ARACDE AFTERPARTY!
When Circuit Launch wraps up, we're heading over to "The Lab" in Mountain View for the Giant Arcade Machine Experience from with Sam and Jason "Jinxbot" Reynolds of Giant Equipment (https://giant.equipment). It's a 16-foot-tall arcade machine, and yes, you can play it. 10pm @The Lab [TOP SECRET LOCATION TO BE REVEALED AT SVVR].
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SVVR #103 is sponsored by:
🕹️ GIANT EQUIPMENT [https://giant.equipment] — The makers of the Giant Arcade Machine, plus PinMaster pinball-sim arcade controllers for game rooms, arcades, and event spaces. Play the Giant Machine at the afterparty, and try out the PinMaster lineup!
🚧 BECOME A SPONSOR of the biggest VR community in the world. You can demo your product and have your logo on the Luma and at the event! [email us to sponsor] 🚧
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What to expect:
🧱 A rare look at LEGO's 1990s VR experiments, with video
🚧 Demos welcome — bring your projects, prototypes, and wild ideas [email us about your demo]
🤝 The VR/AR/XR community — developers, founders, investors, creators, and enthusiasts
🍻 Pizza, drinks, and snacks!
🕹️ A giant arcade machine afterparty
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Who should come:
Whether you've been to all 100+ meetups or this is your first — if you're building, investing in, creating for, or just passionate about virtual reality, augmented reality, spatial computing, or immersive tech — this one's for you.
From our first meetup in 2013 to the legendary GDC VR Mixers, the Demo Dungeons, and everything in between — SVVR has always been about community first. We are a welcoming group of XR enthusiasts, from professionals to the merely curious; from The O.G.'s to those who just put on their first headset.
The mission of SVVR is to promote a healthy and diverse ecosystem of XR entrepreneurs, developers, investors, users, and creators across all platforms.
Come for the talks and demos, then stay for the giant arcade machine. 🥽