Man, we have got to move to Japan. They get some pretty cool stuff, like this Sony-led AR experience the company is putting together. Briefly put, Sony is giving folks in Japan a crack at being a Ghostbuster, thanks to the magic of AR (augmented reality) technology. The bad news? Besides being limited to Japan, only a limited number of folk’ll get to experience it. The good news? Besides letting you be a Ghostbuster, assuming you’re selected (see below), it’s free.
Go get her, Ray
The event is to mark the 35th anniversary of the Ghostbusters franchise and takes place at the Ginza Sony Park in Tokyo from 12 October this year. The event will see trainers leading participants sporting “…Ghostbuster uniforms, proton packs, and other props used in the filming of the Ghostbusters movie released in 2016″ (because the props from 1989 probably haven’t aged well). They’ll be roaming the park using a prototype AR headset. And, presumably, busting ghosts. The company points out that the experience is subject to issues, since it’s using prototype hardware to facilitate it. On the upside, Sony says those who “…participate in this demo will also receive a nice present.”
Unfortunately, you can’t just rock up and expect to play. You can’t even make a booking and expect to play. You’re going to have to put your name down on a list and maybe… maaaaybe… Sony’ll call you up and let you know it’s time to bust some ghosts. The event runs from 12 October this year through to 8 December and there will be between two and four events per day. Around 600 people will apparently get to participate in total over the period and those participants will be announced a couple of days before each section of the event kicks off.
Hopefully you understand Japanese though. There are no translation options available for the event and it’ll all be presented in the native tongue. If that’s okay with you and you’re in the area over the relevant period, you can sign up for your shot here.