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 hololens technology.

Plot summary

Set on the UNSC Infinity, Spartan-IV's 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 which contained a HBT-215 Holographic Imaging Table holotank.

On the holotank, Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer goes though Warzone, explaining its use in training explaining, and discusses that the simulation they are about to go on is set on Alluvion based on historical records. Once Palmer had finished explaining, she tells the Spartans to collect the comm chips she loaded with information filled with additional information and to head into the Warzone simulation room.

Experience description

The experience had twelve attendees, split into two groups of six, at a time go into set designed to look like it was on the UNSC Infinity, using hololens technology to help enhance the experience. Attendees were guided though a hallway, encouraged to look out a wall, which with the Hololens on simulated looking out a window into a hanger, and eventually to the centrepiece of the experience a holotank. At the holotank, Sarah Palmer talks about Warzone and the simulation "Escape from ARC" the attendees will do at the end, mentioning 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 where twelve Xbox were set up where they would play one match of Warzone.

Transcript and full walkthrough

The E3 Hololens Experience on Vimeo.

12 attendees enter through a door and are in "FR-2" (Fitting Room 2). Attendees put on the Hololens headset with the assistance of site staff, they are then 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 near identical experiences outside different decals on walls noting the difference.

When they get near the Holotable, people could look out a window where they could look through into the UNSC Infinity hanger four.

Hanger 4: (Unintelligible)

When all attendees made it to the holotable, a UNSC logo appears and starts spinning on the Hologram panel, then a incoming transmission happens, and then Sarah Palmer appears

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."

Alluvion appears, with the word "Warzone" behind it, and the term "Historical Harlight 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, and is cantered 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, lets discuss how to play."

Pelicans appear over the holographic reorientation of Escape from ARC, as it shows visuals tying to what Palmer says.

Palmer: "In Warzone, two teams of 12 Spartans compete to be the first to earn 1000 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."

Elder Hunter Appears and does some animations, and shows their weak spot in their back.

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 could play Warzone on 12 Xbox set up for them.

USB memory stick contents

All of Season 1 of Hunt the Truth, the All Hail trailer, The Cost trailer, the Bullet trailer, Warzone Intro and Baseintro using the Hololens videos, a Warzone Infinity pic of Hololens and a Warzone Palmer pic of Hololens.

Production notes

Several concept pieces were made by Scribble Pad Studios artist James Paick.^[1] Senior artist on the project Charlie Baker worked on several core elements of the experience, making the globe where they spent a lot of time tuning and animating the hex fade on it. According to Baker they would wear the headset while tuning the globe.^[2] 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.^[3]

The company Envy Create did the set up for the event.^[4]