A little over a week ago, a Brazilian simulator company by the name of Motion Sphere posted a video showcasing a new product that they are launching this summer by the name of the Star Wars Sphere. I did a video about it, but here’s the full thing for those interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a85lHZVFYDA&t=0s
While the video shows the game in action for some brief snippets, it was a little light on the details, so I reached out to Motion Sphere to find out more. Thankfully, they got back to me, so let me provide a little more info on what this is all about.
If you’ve never heard of this company before, they are wholly focused on motion simulator experiences. I’ve mentioned them on the blog in the past, as what they do is like a blend of the Sega R360 (yes, I know, their system does not appear to operate in all 360 degrees, but the basic look of it is similar and it could have the capacity to if the game called for it – you just probably wouldn’t want to be thrown upside down while using their MotoGP game) and Namco’s dome screen technology.
They were around before the pandemic and have sense been using the time to develop “new simulation technologies and experiences. As the market is getting back on track, we’re ready to deliver world-class, innovative experiences for entertainment and professional applications.”
For the Star Wars Sphere, it uses their flight simulator system as a base, which normally ships with the newer Microsoft Flight Simulator. This makes it somewhat like the Premium version of Star Wars Battle Pod, which featured a motion seat (but not quite on this level). There are three game types that the Star Wars Sphere can be fitted with:
- – Star Wars: Battlefront
For this game, we’ve adapted the Beggar’s Canyon mission to be played from the Motion Sphere!
That’s what you saw in the video.
It’s definitely an amazing experience, where you can take control of an X-Wing flying through the canyon, escaping from the attacks, and shooting the opponents!
And all of that feeling all the accelerations and G-forces. - – Microsoft Flight Simulator – Star Wars Mod
With this MFS game mod, you can fly any Star Wars spaceship in several different missions worldwide!
People love to feel the motion while they are controlling a Tie-Fighter, X-Wing, Tie-Interceptor, etc. - – Microsoft Flight Simulator – Generic Spaceship Mod
Since Star Wars IP belongs to Disney, any direct references to Star Wars on FECs depend on an agreement with Disney, but a generic spaceship battle, with generic spaceships, could be used for this purpose.
Aka, there would be an additional cost for adding/using Star Wars software with the system. However, any FEC that has already grabbed a flight simulator Motion Sphere can add that. I’m not sure if the exterior portion can be retroactively added, however.
For those who might be interested, here are the dimensions
The Star Wars Sphere will begin shipping this summer. What do you think about it from the info shown above?
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