The RAID elite team (the French SWAT if you prefer) are called “when no one else can do the job”. Hostage situations, dangerous criminals and armed gunmen going nuts are their targets and you can bet mistakes cost a lot more than just a few bucks or a broken window… Kind of scary right?

So obviously they want a risk-free training and that’s no surprise they turned to serious gaming to improve their preparation, the army has been doing so for years now.

So what’s the situation like? Basically, RAID people are dedicated to 200 French sites labeled “high risk”, either because they are heavily populated or because an attack can cause extreme material damage. And even if they train regularly, it is not always possible to obtain unlimited access to certain sites – a nuclear station or a train station for example.

The more we understand what’s waiting for us, the faster we can go in and do the job. It considerably reduces the risk to our team and the people we need to save.

So the point of the serious game is to digitize these 200 places and not only the building but also its content (means of access, obstacles, doors, ducts, outer surroundings). All this is under process with the 3DVIA team: with the help of 3DVIA Studio Pro, they create immersive 3D simulations of intervention scenarios.

The RAID team now has a better understanding of the area they have to work in: “team members all confirmed that when they actually entered the ship [they studied beforehand], it was as if they had already been there before.”

The nice thing is that they have different scenarios (and thus tactics), different weather and lighting conditions and so on… in other words, a lifelike experience!

Next step is to update the 3D model in real time as the situation evolves (say hostages are moved to another room) so that it enables RAID people to modify their strategy instantly and tell their troops on site… exciting huh?

Cheers,

Rémi

I’d like to introduce you to a new 3D augmented reality cereal box experience!

After our Rio 3D augmented reality game, the Experiential Marketing Strategy team, in collaboration with Nestlé and Dreamworks, developed another fun game based on the Kung Fu Panda 2 movie.

You know Po, the humble panda? He is back and this time he’s also on cereal boxes: lead him and his gang, the Furious Five, through this 3D video game… with a hand card only!?

The goal of this interactive game is to create the longest chain with Po and his friends and catch as fast as possible the traditional Chinese food bowls holding on the lanterns. But watch out the firecrackers and the cannon balls that can break the chain!

Here is a sneak video about the Kung Fu Panda 2 3D augmented reality experience:

Now let me share with you some interesting figures:

• It’s the fourth 3D augmented reality experience developed in collaboration with Nestlé thanks to 3DVIA technologies (Chocapic, Arthur Course and Rio).
• It’s the second one so global: it will be available on 33 million boxes in more than 50 countries… huge!!!

Try the game and let me know if you like this kind of marketing campaign. I DO and I’m sure it will change the way brands interact with their consumers.

(Btw, if you don’t have the cereal box, you can still download the tag and play directly on Nestlé’s dedicated website!)

Have fun!

Agnès

The term “Serious Game” was used long before the introduction of computer and mobile devices into entertainment. Military officers have actually been using war games in order to train strategic skills since the 19th century.

Web3D technologies now enlarge the field of possibilites while working on serious game projects, may they be created to teach students in a virtual environment, help healthcare professionals, showcase a new product, train company’s employees or help said company communicate with its customers.

Back from the eVirtuoses event in France where 3DVIA technologies were demonstrated, I realize how much Web3D is leading the serious game market to a new online era where users can physically connect from everywhere, at any time, and access some serious content. Check out the possibilities:

These are being more and more exploited by agencies and brands to leverage their products through advergames and showrooms. This kind of serious games delivers a fun pay off while delivering a message to the customers. Furthermore, associating a brand with the fun of gaming is lifting brand metrics such as brand awareness, message association and purchase intent.

Such 3D technologies have some very interesting uses in the life sciences industry to help people learn about health concerns or train future doctors or experts. They are also strategic in the education system where connecting students with interactive digital content has become a key differentiator and leads to a higher retention rate in knowledge and behavior.

Empowering users of all 3D experience levels to create and share in 3D, Dassault Systèmes, through its 3DVIA brand, has created a comprehensive development and deployment platform to easily create interactive experiences online: 3DVIA Studio.

Try it, it’s free!

Best,

Victorien