The Alamo’s iconic battleground and stories are being brought to life through an upcoming augmented and virtual reality experience
It’s a groundbreaking union of technology and historical accuracy launching at one of the nation’s most significant landmarks
SAN ANTONIO, TX(25 Jan 2018)
One of the world’s most famous battle sites, the Alamo, is being recreated through an unparalleled union of historical scholarship and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Alamo Reality’s Experience Real History: Alamo Edition, is set to debut March 1, 2018 during San Antonio’s 300th birthday celebration and the 182nd anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo. Currently, the Alamo is the most-visited site in Texas. This interactive photoreal journey back in time will greatly enhance the overall visitor experience, and is expected to increase the time and quality of visitation.
The Alamo Reality app will be free and available to download on both iOS and Android devices. Premium level content including more augmented reality scenes, videos, and stories, may be accessed for only $2.99. The app enables users to explore over a dozen geo-targeted locations on the Alamo grounds where AR technologies will overlay the historic footprint of the Alamo onto the present-day site and incorporate the powerful stories of the diverse people who made it famous. The historic battlefield, now located in the center of downtown San Antonio, will be transformed into what it looked like before, during and after the famous 1836 battle.
Users will be able to physically walk through time portal openings and experience the Alamo in a totally new way. For instance, users can use their mobile devices to enter the room where Bowie was killed and witness his last moments on the exact place where it happened. Other experiences include walking around the Alamo courtyard as it existed in 1836 and using an augmented reality elevator to rise above it and view the battle sequences.
“It’s like time travel,” said Michael McGar, Alamo Reality CEO. “People will be able to hold up a phone or tablet and experience the Alamo from 1836 on the very spot where these pivotal events happened.”
Alamo Reality is partnering with Imagine Virtua, a Texas-based AR/VR design experience studio. To tell a story as important as the Alamo’s, they combined a team of over 25 industry-leading augmented and virtual reality visionaries, historical scholars, developers, and designers. The end result will allow participants to explore the legendary siege of the Alamo, inspect the mission grounds as they were in 1836 (walls, gates, barracks), and learn about the people who lived and died there in a personal and evocative way.
“No one else is combining augmented and virtual reality with historical accuracy to tell our nation’s stories in such a captivating way,” said Chipp Walters, Imagine Virtua CEO and expert in the augmented and virtual reality field. “This combination holds astonishing promise for education and entertainment as it brings history to life. This is particularly important for connecting with younger generations who desire a highly visual and engaging form of storytelling.”
“We have incorporated stories of Texan, Mexican and Native Indian perspectives with modern-day and newly discovered information and artifacts. These diverse viewpoints lend an important voice to the story of the Alamo and are now being featured with new prominence through the Experience Real History: Alamo Edition experience,” said McGar.
A number of innovative complementary products are also in development such as an interactive reality board and trading cards that will also use AR/VR technologies. These products will make the Alamo Reality experience available across the globe.
Additional information about Alamo Reality is available at AlamoReality.com. Follow Alamo Reality on social media through the launch @AlamoReality for the latest news.
About the Battle of the Alamo:
As one of the most notable sites in the world and the most-visited site in Texas, the World-Heritage-designated Alamo has stood as a symbol of fighting unbeatable odds in pursuit of freedom. Originally built as a Spanish colonial mission in 1744, the Alamo later became a military outpost. In 1836, it was the site of a pivotal battle during the Texas Revolution when Texan forces fought to free Texas from Mexican rule. Some 200 Texans held the old mission against thousands of Mexican soldiers for 13 days. In the end, the Alamo fell to Mexican forces, though the battle cry “Remember the Alamo” rang 46 days later as Texans overcame Mexican soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto where they won independence for Texas.
About Alamo Reality LLC
Alamo Reality LLC, which brings to life historic destinations through experiences such as the Experience Real History: Alamo Edition app, combine the latest mobile technologies and craftsmanship with historical scholarship. In the tech start up’s first major project of its kind, Alamo visitors are transported to the 1800s through a stunning overlay of the historic mission’s footprint onto the present-day structure for an immersive storytelling experience that incorporates diverse perspectives, little-known facts and modern-day discoveries. Alamo Reality’s offerings include augmented and virtual reality experiences and associated product offerings. For more information, visit www.alamoreality.com.
About Imagine Virtua
Imagine Virtua develops stunning masterworks of art, technology and immersive historical storytelling. This world-class team is comprised of leaders in augmented and virtual reality, producers, writers, designers, historians, and public relations strategists who bring history to life through technology, craftsmanship and historical scholarship. For more information, visit www.imaginevirtua.com.