SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Unity Technologies (https://unity3d.com/), the leading creation engine for gaming and interactive entertainment, announced a partnership with global content company Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) to deliver the first-of-its-kind virtual reality (VR) advertisement for the mass market release of Jigsaw, the newest film in Lionsgate's blockbuster Saw horror film series. Saw is one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time with $873 million at the worldwide box office.
Built on Unity, the new interactive ad format will be a “Virtual Room,” available for surfacing in any existing VR apps also made with Unity. This heart-pumping shortform VR experience will give players the ability to interact with objects as they learn more about the new film, and ultimately decide how to save themselves from impending doom. The Jigsaw VR “Virtual Room” was created within the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) emerging ad experience guidelines, and will launch this fall, prior to Lionsgate's global theatrical release of the film on October 27th.
“Diehard franchise fans and new horror buffs alike are in store for a truly visceral and entertainment experience that’s sure to thrill,” said Lionsgate's SVP of Digital Marketing, David Edwards. “As big believers in the power of immersive storytelling, we are incredibly excited to bring Jigsaw into the world of VR.”
“At Unity, we want to redefine how people consume advertising, and are thrilled to have a visionary studio like Lionsgate take this leap forward with us,” said Agatha Bochenek, Head of Mobile and VR/AR Advertising at Unity Technologies. “To grow this emerging form of advertising entertainment, we are taking the guesswork out of the biggest hurdles in a new medium -- production and distribution. Our goal is to enable advertisers to build high-quality, engaging content quickly which will create memorable experiences, and can seamlessly reach users across all VR platforms.”
Bringing compelling advertising experiences to VR is a natural next step for Unity -- the platform accounts for creating more than 2/3rds of VR content today. Within non-VR mobile apps, Unity serves as the largest independent ad platform in mobile games, reaching more than one billion users per month. This new wave of interactive advertising content will be brought to the world through the power of the Unity engine. As the VR medium continues to develop, advertising will offer a new way for Unity developers to monetize content.
The Jigsaw VR “Virtual Room” is a pilot program, intended to showcase Unity’s capabilities to bring fully engaging VR ads the world. To learn more, please visit: https://create.unity3d.com/vrads.
About Unity Technologies
Unity Technologies is the creator of a flexible and high-performance end-to-end development platform used to create rich interactive 2D, 3D, VR and AR experiences. Unity’s powerful graphics engine and full-featured editor serve as the foundation to develop beautiful games or apps and easily bring them to multiple platforms: mobile devices, home entertainment systems, personal computers, and embedded systems. Unity also offers solutions and services for creating games, boosting productivity, and connecting with audiences including Unity Ads, Unity Analytics, Unity Asset Store, Unity Cloud Build, Unity Collaborate, Unity Connect and Unity Certification. Unity Technologies serves millions of registered developers including large publishers, indie studios, students and hobbyists around the globe. For more information, visit www.unity3d.com and to see the latest games and experiences created in Unity, go to madewith.unity.com.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) is a vertically integrated next generation global content leader with a diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, premium pay television networks, home entertainment, global distribution and sales, interactive ventures and games and location-based entertainment.
With the acquisition of Starz, Lionsgate adds to its portfolio of businesses the flagship STARZ premium pay network serving 24.3 million subscribers and the STARZ ENCORE platform with 31 million subscribers. The combined company will operate five over-the-top (OTT) streaming services and the STARZ app delivering content directly to consumers.
The Company’s feature film business spans eight labels and includes the blockbuster The Hunger Games franchise, the Now You See Me series, the box office blockbuster La La Land, which won six Academy Awards®, the hit franchise sequel John Wick: Chapter Two, double Oscar winner Hacksaw Ridge, Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween, The Shack, CBS Films/Lionsgate’s Hell or High Water, Roadside Attractions' critically-acclaimed Manchester by the Sea, Codeblack Films’ breakout concert film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain and Pantelion Films’ Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.
One of the largest independent television businesses in the world, Lionsgate’s slate of premium quality series encompasses nearly 90 shows on more than 40 different networks. These include the ground-breaking Orange is the New Black, the fan favorite Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show, the hit drama The Royals, the acclaimed Casual, the breakout success Greenleaf and hit STARZ series including Outlander, Black Sails, Survivor’s Remorse and Power, the second highest-rated premium pay television series of 2016.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of more than 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment and Starz brands are synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com
