J-pop hologram sensation Hatsune Miku is getting her own VR theme park called MIKU LAND GATE β thanks to a joint endeavor between Virtual Cast, Inc and Gugenka®.
This August, fans of the virtual performer can jump into a virtual theme park where they can attend an opening/closing ceremony, interact and chat with other visitors, and purchase exclusive Hatsune Miku merchandise, including a life-sized Hatsune Miku digital figure as well as virtual clothing for their in-game avatars.
Admission to MIKU LAND GATE β is free and open to fans and non-fans around the world. This could be the perfect opportunity for you to convince your friends to see what your Moe anthropomorphism fandom is all about, and even check out VR.
With Hatsune Miku concert tickets averaging around $100 and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forcing the cancelation of large public gatherings, creating a VR theme park is the best way to give fans a chance to meet up with others and watch their favorite star perform safely from the comfort of their homes.
Takura Shoji Architects, a first-class architectural design office based out of Japan, are the architects behind MIKU LAND GATE β, utilizing BIM (Building information modeling) data to create a world where VR and real-world structures intertwine.
For those unfamiliar with Hatsune Miku, the teenage digital diva was originally developed as a Vocaloid software voicebank which allowed users to generate synthetic vocals through typed lyrics. Since then the fictional singer has evolved into a cultural icon, selling out stadiums across the globe thanks to a massive international fanbase.
Back in 2014, Miku made her U.S. network television debut on the David Letterman and opened up for pop icon Lady Gaga during a 2014 tour, with Gaga herself tweeting, “My favorite digital pop star Hatsune Miku is opening The ARTPOP Ball from May 6-June 3! Look at how cute she is!”
Hatsune Miku is signed to the record label Karent and has over 4,000 tracks available for commercial use.
Fans of Hatsune Miku can jump into MIKU LAND GATE β through Virtual Cast (available on Steam) or through the smartphone app Holomodels (available on iOS/Android).
MIKU LAND GATE β kicks-off August 8th – 10th and is open to the public 100% free-of-charge.
Image Credit: Crypton Future Media, Gugenka
