TheBlu

TheBlu was originally conceived in 2010 by Neville Spiteri and Scott Yara, co-founders of Wemo Media (now known as Wevr).{{cite news |last=Verrier |first=Richard |title=Exploring the ocean in a new interactive medium |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-nov-12-la-fi-ct-blu-20111112-story.html |date=November 12, 2011 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=February 8, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Feltham |first=Jamie |title=WEVR Bringing TheBluVR: Encounter To HTC Vive |url=https://www.vrfocus.com/2015/03/wevr-bringing-thebluvr-encounter-htc-vive/ |date=March 2, 2015 |work=VRFocus |access-date=February 8, 2021}} It was launched as a web application and interactive screensaver in 2011.{{cite news |last=Schaefer |first=Samantha |title=Diving into a digital ocean — literally |url=https://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2011/11/24/3879/diving-digital-ocean-literally/ |date=November 24, 2011 |publisher=Southern California Public Radio |work= |access-date=February 8, 2021}} The application allowed users to explore a virtual ocean that contained thousands of species of fish and other aquatic animals. In May 2012, a version of TheBlu was featured on the large Nasdaq and Reuters screens in Times Square in New York City.{{cite news |last=Volpe |first=J. |title=Wevr: The virtual reality studio you need to know |url=https://www.engadget.com/2016-02-19-wevr-the-virtual-reality-studio-you-need-to-know.html |date=February 19, 2016 |work=Engadget |access-date=February 8, 2021}} With TheBlu{{'}}s companion mobile app, visitors could see fish swim from the screens to their phones.{{cite magazine |last=Watercutter |first=Angela |title=Virtual Ocean theBlu Takes Social Interaction to New Depths |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/05/theblu-times-square-launch/ |date=May 4, 2012 |magazine=Wired |access-date=February 8, 2021}} The creators of TheBlu won the 2012 SXSW Accelerator Award for best entertainment startup.{{Cite web|date=2012-05-03|title=Write a Love Letter to the Ocean, Get Your Tweet Shown in Times Square|url=https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/05/03/write-a-love-letter-to-the-ocean-get-your-tweet-shown-in-times-square/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522065239/https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/05/03/write-a-love-letter-to-the-ocean-get-your-tweet-shown-in-times-square/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 22, 2021|access-date=2021-04-05|website=National Geographic Society Newsroom|language=en-US}} In 2014, Wevr developed a virtual reality version of TheBlu app known as TheBluVR. It was among the first apps made available at the product launch of the Samsung Gear VR headset.{{cite news |last=Stark |first=Leigh D. |title=A future on your face: Samsung's Gear VR reviewed |url=https://www.gadgetguy.com.au/samsung-gear-vr-sm-r320/3/ |date=February 18, 2015 |work=Gadget Guy |access-date=February 8, 2021}} TheBluVR won the Proto Award for Best Educational VR Experience in 2015.{{cite news |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |title=Virtual Reality Spy Game 'I Expect You To Die' Tops Second Annual Proto Awards |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/virtual-reality-proto-awards-i-826115 |date=September 22, 2015 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 8, 2021}}

In March 2015, a new virtual reality experience known as TheBlu: Encounter, which was co-created and directed by Jake Rowell, was unveiled at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Exclusive to the HTC Vive headset at the time, TheBlu: Encounter allowed users to explore a shipwreck and eventually encounter a blue whale.{{cite news |last=Brewster |first=Signe |title=Hands on with the HTC Valve Vive virtual reality headset |url=https://gigaom.com/2015/03/07/hands-on-with-the-htc-valve-vive-virtual-reality-headset/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309232221/https://gigaom.com/2015/03/07/hands-on-with-the-htc-valve-vive-virtual-reality-headset/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 9, 2015 |date=March 7, 2015 |work=GigaOM |access-date=February 8, 2021}} TheBlu: Encounter experience was a 2016 Sundance New Frontier selection.{{Cite web|date=December 3, 2015|title=Sundance Institute Celebrates New Frontier 10th Anniversary at 2016 Festival|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/new-frontier-projects-and-films-announced-for-2016-festival|access-date=2021-04-06|website=www.sundance.org|language=English}} It was later renamed TheBlu: Whale Encounter and packaged as part of a three-episode collection known as TheBlu: Season 1 in 2016.{{cite news |last=Volpe |first=J. |title=Got an HTC Vive? Now's your chance to swim with a blue whale. |url=https://www.engadget.com/2016-04-05-got-an-htc-vive-nows-your-chance-to-swim-with-a-blue-whale.html |date=April 5, 2016 |work=Engadget |access-date=February 8, 2021}} Season 1 was awarded the Proto Award for Most Transportive Experience.{{cite news |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |title=Proto Virtual Reality Awards Winners Revealed |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/proto-virtual-reality-awards-winners-936513 |date=October 8, 2016 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 8, 2021}}

In 2017, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA) opened its first virtual reality program featuring TheBlu: An Underwater VR Experience.{{Cite web|date=2017-03-03|title=L.A.'s Natural History Museum Takes Virtual Reality Plunge Into 'theBlu'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/la-natural-history-museum-takes-virtual-reality-plunge-theblu-983113|access-date=2021-04-05|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}} In 2018, Wevr partnered with Dreamscape Immersive on its first story and location-based virtual reality experience known as TheBlu: Deep Rescue. First made available at the Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles in December 2018, Deep Rescue allows up to six participants to engage in a 10-minute rescue mission to retrieve a baby whale.{{cite news |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |title=AMC-Backed VR Startup Dreamscape Immersive Opens Los Angeles Location |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/dreamscape-immersive-westfield-century-city-1203038492/ |date=November 28, 2018 |work=Variety |access-date=February 8, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |title=How Wevr & Dreamscape Immersive Reinvented 'The Blu' for Location-Based VR |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/wevr-dreamscape-immersive-the-blu-deep-rescue-1203089708/ |date=December 14, 2018 |work=Variety |access-date=February 8, 2021}}

TheBlu has been recognized as a platform for ocean education and conservation and earned collaborations with organizations including [https://mission-blue.org/2011/12/sylvia-earle-delighted-to-join-board-of-advisors-of-ocean-themed-web-media-property-theblu-com/ Mission Blue]. Dr. Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer and Time Magazine’s Hero of the Planet, joined TheBlu advisory board in 2011.{{Cite web|date=2011-12-08|title=Sylvia Earle 'Delighted' To Join Board Of Advisors Of Ocean-Themed Web Media Property Theblu.com|url=https://mission-blue.org/2011/12/sylvia-earle-delighted-to-join-board-of-advisors-of-ocean-themed-web-media-property-theblu-com/|access-date=2021-12-10|website=Mission Blue|language=en-US}} At the [https://wildaid.org/ Wild Aid] 2012 annual gala a single virtual 3D blue whale from TheBlu was auctioned for $10,000 with proceeds going towards raising awareness for ocean conservation.{{Cite web|title=What's Big, Blue, Hopes To Save Our Planet And Is Not Facebook?|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/05/20/whats-big-blue-hopes-to-save-our-planet-and-is-not-facebook/|access-date=2021-12-10|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}} Dr. Luana Colloca of the University of Maryland conducts research on pain perception in the brain using virtual reality and TheBlu as a platform.{{Cite journal|last1=Colloca|first1=Luana|last2=Raghuraman|first2=Nandini|last3=Wang|first3=Yang|last4=Akintola|first4=Titilola|last5=Brawn-Cinani|first5=Barbara|last6=Colloca|first6=GianCarlo|last7=Kier|first7=Craig|last8=Varshney|first8=Amitabh|last9=Murthi|first9=Sarah|date=2020-09-01|title=Virtual reality: physiological and behavioral mechanisms to increase individual pain tolerance limits|journal=Pain|volume=161|issue=9|pages=2010–2021|doi=10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001900|issn=1872-6623|pmc=7584744|pmid=32345915}}{{Cite web|date=2019-12-17|title=Scientists are unraveling the mysteries of pain|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/scientists-are-unraveling-the-mysteries-of-pain-feature|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219004212/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/scientists-are-unraveling-the-mysteries-of-pain-feature|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 19, 2021|access-date=2021-12-10|website=Magazine|language=en}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• [https://wevr.com/theblu Official website]
• [https://wevr.com/ Wevr official website]

Category:Virtual reality companies

Category:2010 establishments in the United States