AFTER re-commencing its operations in October 2021 after a year-long closure following the COVID-19 regulation on theme park industry, i-City has never lost sight on how to spruce up its theme park attraction.
It today announced a RM10 mil digital transformation plan to enhance its theme park with Metaverse experience.
The theme park enhancement project will be carried out in conjunction with China Mobile International (CMIM) to integrate the City of Digital Lights at i-City with an immersive 3D Metaverse experience.
“We are currently building the technology platform for the infusion of Metaverse in i-City theme park and the new experience will be unveiled beginning with the 2023 new year countdown and we’re also expecting to draw 10 million visits to the theme park in 2023,” said i-City’s head of leisure Tang Soke Cheng.
According to Tang, adopting new technologies such as the Metaverse technology has always been part of i-City’s strongest DNA. While in 2009 when LED technology was in its infancy, they introduced LED technology into the theme park’s digital landscape.
As a result, CNN Travel named them the world’s 21st brightest and most colourful spot, two notches above New York Times Square in the US.
Tang emphasised that edutainment via immersive experiences has always been a cornerstone of i-City. “With the Metaverse being the latest buzzword in the edutainment and gaming world, we would like to be the first to adopt such new technology in Malaysia.
“As such we are aiming for the enhancement works to be completed in time for the 2023 new year countdown so that visitors can enjoy digital lightscapes with interactive virtual reality as they count down to the new year.”
Previously in 1995, Tang shared that the developer invested about RM10 mil to establish an Aerospace Adventure to encourage interest in space science and to inspire Malaysians to study and experience aerospace adventure and technology.
“We brought in actual life-size space exhibits that have been launched to the moon which attracted 10 million visitors to the showcase.
“Then it was the adoption of digital lightscapes. In keeping up with our reputation as Malaysia’s number one Technology City, we will be extending the Metaverse experience to SnoWalk, which is currently a snowfall and snow play attraction in Malaysia.
“We are also exploring the possibilities of extending a new interactive digital attraction showcasing the ‘Aurora’ in SnoWalk,” she added.
Tang went on to say that i-City intends to spend RM10 mil on this development and hopes to attract 10 million visitors with the deployment of Metaverse.
Meanwhile, CMIM director of enterprise Jackie Chen Jiang Long indicated that the project will benefit from the launch of 5G this year.
“Metaverse requires 3D modalities to be transmitted digitally. This can be in the form of avatars and structures among others.
“The more life-like the 3D model is, the more detail it will require and the more data it will consume.
“As such, the implementation of 5G together with hyperscale cloud computing infrastructure, which i-City is currently building, will be instrumental to the success of this project,” said Chen.
Chen further remarked that with CMIM’s focus on cloud-to-digital conversion in developing high-quality cloud virtual reality and augmented reality content, visitors to the park would have an immersive Metaverse experience unlike any other. – Feb 10, 2022
