THE CREW MOTORFEST X OWO A TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP

In the limitless world of gaming, Ubisoft's teams tirelessly pursue new and innovative partnerships capable of challenging ourselves but also our players. Commitment to propose state-of-the-art gaming experiences. With this objective in mind, the collaboration between Ubisoft Ivory Tower and OWO takes shape, as we joined forces to seamlessly integrate OWO's haptic vest technology into TCM for the launch of Season 3 of The Crew Motorfest. This partnership, aimed at redefining interactive entertainment, brought a new level of interactivity to The Crew Motorfest.

In this article, discover more details about this partnership. Uncover the origins, the technological hurdles surmounted, and witness how this integration materialized in the game, delivers a unique and immersive gaming experience.

You can buy OWO Haptic Gaming System - The Crew Motorfest Edition on owogame.com

Q: How did this partnership come to life?

Charles-Arthur BOURGET, Senior Business Developer, Ubisoft Ivory Tower: OWO came to us and gave us a glimpse at the possibilities offered by their vest through a very solid demo using The Crew 2. We saw a unique opportunity to work with them on an innovative product that could enhance the driving experience in The Crew Motorfest, reinforcing the bond between the player and his car. At Ubisoft Ivory Tower we're used to providing that additional layer of immersion through haptic wheels and other driving peripherals, so it felt only natural to take it further with OWO's haptic vest to let players feel the race and get even closer to a Ready Player One experience.

Q: How does Ubisoft collaborate with partners such as OWO?

CAB: It's all about getting to know the technology and knowing what we can do with it to improve the game... Then comes the "how" which in this case was more challenging than expected as we had to deliver continuous haptic stimulations in a realistic manner while ensuring the driver could make sense of everything. There was a lot of back-and-forth and trial and error to get this right. Many developers and game testers gave their sweat to widen the range of sensations, make sure players find what they expect and are able to calibrate everything to their liking from the moment the vest is out-of-the-box.

Q: What were the technological challenges encountered by the teams working with OWO?

CAB: Given that it's both a brand-new product and a new technology, our team encountered numerous challenges during the development and integration of the OWO Second Skin. What creative intention did we want to convey with this integration? Was it compatible with our players' average session time? What variations of sensation were achievable, and how could we ensure their accuracy? How to propose complex localization beyond simple left/right shakes? With all these questions and challenges in mind, we iterated with OWO's support to fully harness the potential of their product. This being a new tech we want to stay humble in the sense that only time will tell but we certainly hope the players will be served.

Q: How does the game interact with the OWO haptic vest for a seamless experience?

CAB: First, OWO Second Skin requires the player to download the "My OWO App" (available on Android, iOS and PC) in order to be used. After the first setup of the vest within the application, players can connect their OWO Second Skin to The Crew Motorfest in the in-game menu "CONTROLS" and "3^RD PARTY".

In this menu, players can adjust through various sliders the intensity of each sensation family and delve into the details of the sensations and interactions with the game they want to experience. You can see the different option The Crew Motorfest offered right below:

The "My OWO App" application also allows for an additional degree of customization by enabling users to configure each patch individually, specifying the intensity and frequency of sensations delivered by OWO Second Skin.

Q: What design and artistic decisions were made for the integration of this game?

CAB: The Crew Motorfest offers a gaming experience featuring an extensive range of vehicles, terrains, and events. By simply pressing the right joystick, you can transition from the driver's seat of your preferred Hypercar to soaring through the skies of Oahu, concluding your journey in the turquoise waters of the Pacific with your boat. The OWO experience has been meticulously crafted, considering all these distinctive elements of our game, aiming to deliver an unparalleled level of immersion never witnessed in The Crew franchise.

Aurèle GANNAT, Senior Game Designer 3C, Ubisoft Ivory Twoer: Looking at it from a design standpoint, we initially embraced a direct and minimalistic approach to familiarize ourselves with this innovative device and its features. This initial minimalist strategy has been introduced as a "BETA Implementation" in The Crew Motorfest Season 2. Thanks to the feedback shared by our partner and early adopter players and content creators, we gained valuable insights that helped us in crafting a more improved and distinctive experience.

Following this, we honed the quality through numerous iterations, gradually integrating sensations to achieve the ultimate outcome. Throughout this process, our primary goal was consistently centered on conveying a wealth of information to the player without overwhelming them, maintaining a clear and sharp understanding, and feeling of sensations.