Halo 5: Guardians E3 Hololens Experience

Centerpiece of the experience, the holotank.

The Halo 5: Guardians E3 HoloLens Experience was an experience at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 showcasing the new Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer mode, Warzone, with Microsoft HoloLens technology.

Plot summary

Set on the UNSC Infinity, Spartan-IVs Gabriel Thorne, Anthony Madsen, Tedra Grant, Naiya Ray, Joel Thomas, and Jared Miller are guided through a hallway where they could look into hangar bay 4A and 5B, until they arrive in the Simulation Briefing Room containing an HBT-215 Holographic Imaging Table.

On the holotank, Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer summarizes the Warzone simulation, explaining its use in training and that the simulation they are about to experience is set on Alluvion using historical records of the planet. Once Palmer had finishes explaining, she tells the Spartans to collect the comm chips that she loaded with additional information and to head into the Warzone simulation room.

Experience description

The experience served twelve attendees split into two groups of six. The attendees are guided through a set designed to appear as if it were aboard the UNSC Infinity, using HoloLens technology to help enhance the experience. The attendees were guided though a hallway and encouraged to look toward one of the walls, where the HoloLens would simulate a window to a hangar. From here, the attendees were led to the centerpiece of the experience: a room with a central holotank. Via the holotank, Sarah Palmer talks about Warzone and the simulation "Escape from ARC" that the attendees will participate in at the end of the experience. She describes the enemies they will face, how to play, and to pick up a USB drive containing content related to the experience and Halo 5: Guardians. After Sarah Palmer had finished talking, attendees were guided to a room with twelve Xbox One consoles where they would play a match of Warzone.

Transcript and full walkthrough

The E3 HoloLens Experience on Vimeo.

Twelve attendees enter through a door and enter "FR-2" (Fitting Room 2). Attendees put on HoloLens headsets with the assistance of site staff before being guided through a hallway with "Objective" markers.

Attendees are then split into two groups; one group goes to "SBR-A" (Simulation Briefing Room A), and the other goes to "SBR-B" (Simulation Briefing Room B) with identical experiences aside from decals on walls noting the room designations.

As the attendees near the holotable at the center of the room, they can look out a window into the UNSC Infinity's hangar four.

Hangar 4: (Unintelligible)

When all attendees reach the holotable, a hologram of a UNSC logo appears and begins to spin. The holotable then displays that a transmission is incoming before a holographic avatar Sarah Palmer appears on the table.

Palmer: "Welcome aboard the UNSC Infinity, I am Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer. Warzone is a hardlight training simulation that recreates battlegrounds from historical engagements. Today's simulation takes place on the planet before you."

The planet Alluvion appears, with the phrases "Warzone" and "Historical Hardlight Simulation Active" behind it.

Palmer: "Your battleground is located here in the northern hemisphere. Take a few moments to look at each of the structures, lean in and view each of the buildings, study their spatial relationship to one another."

A location on the planet is highlighted before becoming centered on the holotable, as structures from Escape from ARC are shown

Palmer: "You'll need to have intimate knowledge of this area if you wanna be successful from the very start of the simulation. Now that you're familiar with the battle area, let's discuss how to play."

Pelicans appear over the holographic representation of Escape from ARC, as the hologram shows visuals pertaining to Palmer's dialogue.

Palmer: "In Warzone, two teams of twelve Spartans compete to be the first to earn 1,000 points. You will be deployed by Pelican into the designated area on the map. AI-controlled High Value Targets lurk around the battlefield, just waiting to ruin your day."

An animation of an Elder Hunter appears and its weak spot on its back is identified.

Palmer: "This is an Elder Hunter; he's extremely strong against a frontal assault. He'll charge at close range and use his plasma cannon at a distance. Hunters are tough and usually come in pairs, but they are nothing compared to Forerunner Phaetons."

The Elder Hunter vanishes and is replaced by the Phaeton.

Palmer: "We haven't seen many of these aircraft in the wild yet, but we've encountered enough to know Phaetons are quick and deadly. I put one in the simulation today, because I want you to be familiar with it if the day comes that you meet the real deal. Eliminating targets like these grant values that immediately impact your team's score, but all High Value Targets in Warzone are very tough, so make sure to bring your friends if you wanna take them down."

Palmer appears again.

Palmer: "Alright Spartans let's get you into the Warzone so you can try it out for yourselves. I've dropped some additional info on the comm chips in front of you. Grab those chips in your way out the door for later review."

Attendees are then directed to take the com chip.

PA (repeating): "All Spartans report to the Warzone simulation room."

Attendees are then lead into a room where they would play a match of Warzone on twelve Xbox One consoles set up for them.

USB memory stick contents

• Season 1 of Hunt the Truth
• The All Hail trailer
• The Cost trailer
• The Bullet trailer
• HoloLens videos of the Warzone and Base intros
• HoloLens images of Sarah Palmer and the UNSC Infinity as they appear in the experience

Production notes

• Several pieces of concept art were created by Scribble Pad Studios artist James Paick for the experience. The senior artist on the project, Charlie Baker, worked on several core elements of the experience, including the globe of Alluvion where considerable time was spent tuning and animating its hex fade. According to Baker, the art team would wear the HoloLens headset while tuning the globe. Timothy D. Kviz worked on several animations for the holotable, with En Kelly working with the MR HoloLens team shooting motion capture for Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer.
• The company Envy Create built the set for the experience.

Gallery

Concept art

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  Concept art of a room in the experience, presumably the HoloLens fitting room.

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  Concept art of the hallway leading to the simulation briefing room. Note the window looking to the hangar bay.

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  More concept art of the hallway leading to the simulation briefing room.

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  Concept art of the holotank.

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  More concept art of the holotank.

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  More concept art of the holotank.

Renders

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  An early render of the planet Alluvion.

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  The finalized render of the planet Alluvion.

Set work

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  The simulation briefing room under construction.

Set

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  The door leading to the experience.

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  The fitting room where attendees received the HoloLens headset.

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  Another look at the fitting room where attendees received the HoloLens headset.

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  Another look at the fitting room where attendees received the HoloLens headset.

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  The hallway to the simulation briefing room.

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  The wall where a window looking into the hangar bay was projected.

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  The holotank at the center of the simulation briefing room.

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  A view of the top of the holotank.

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  Another view of the top of the holotank.

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  The room where attendees would play Warzone.

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  Another look at the room where attendees would play Warzone.

HoloLens holograms

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  The objective marker showing attendees where to go.

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  The projection of the window looking into the hangar bay.

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  The incoming transmission with UNSC logo.

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  The planet of Alluvion.

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  An overall representation of the map Escape from ARC.

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  Pelicans flying over the map.

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  A hologram of the UNSC Infinity.

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  A hologram representing Red Team.

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  A hologram of Alluvion.

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  A hologram of an Elder Hunter.

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  A hologram of a Phaeton.

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  A hologram of Palmer with the comm chip data near the end of the experience.

Miscellaneous

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  A staff member dressed as a UNSC scientist as they explain how to use the HoloLens.

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  The lanyard pass needed to gain access to the experience.

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  The memory stick received by attendees at the end of the experience.