Go behind the scenes of this bizarre new holiday.
Meta held its first-ever Quest Day earlier this week. Over the course of the day, the company took to Instagram Live to hand out a variety of hilarious Quest-themed freebies. Supplies were limited, which meant most of us would end up going home empty-handed. Those who were quick on the trigger, however, walked away with everything from an official pet distraction mat and Quest cookie cutter kit to Quest grippy socks and a Lil’ Questy plush. Those who stuck around after even had the chance to score a free Quest 2 headset.
The company also showcased a handful of fictional devices “still in development at Reality Labs.” My personal favorites include the “Spine Chiller,” a wearable device that – when triggered – blows cold air on the back of your neck, enhancing your favorite VR horror experiences, as well as the Quest-Lete Smart Bottle, a custom water bottle outfitted with a wearable monitor that lets you know when you need to hydrate.
It was a strange event overall, one that left me with more questions than answers regarding the future of Quest. Thankfully, Meta Quest Creative Director Tony Kalathara and Deeplocal Creative Director Colin Miller recently sat down to explain the inspiration behind the bizarre new holiday in a Meta blog update entitled “Behind the Scenes of Quest Day.”
When asked about the origin of Quest Day, Kalathara said, “Throughout the course of the year, we’ve collected these “inventions” that modify the Quest VR experience and take them to a crazy new level. A Bluetooth-compatible dog distractor. A device that syncs up with gameplay and uses air to cause goosebumps. A whole list of crazy mods inspired from user stories,” adding, “Inventions that add a practical IRL element to the fully immersive VR experience you get with Quest. When looking at the holiday season, we thought why not take them all and create a showcase day for the fans?”
In regards to the prototype “inventions” showcased during the livestream, Miller said, “Our “inventions” are all about celebrating the Quest community and connecting with VR fans’ lifestyles in and beyond the headset. Throughout the process of coming up with these crazy, sometimes absurd ideas, it was important to us to stay true to the Quest 2 experience and keep in mind how gamers really use the product,” adding, “Early on we had some wild ideas—everything from an ugly sweater for your headset to egg nog holders. It was always about the product and the fans: How do we tap into what the Quest community loves IRL and integrate that into the VR experience?”
Miller and the team at Deeplocal are no strangers to developing abstract products. The team is responsible for the development of a wide variety of conceptual devices.
“Deeplocal has a history of creating inventions that are inspired by culture and behavior. We’ve tricked out Lyft cars to play Grammys hits with their horns and alarms to unsuspecting passersby. We’ve engineered socks that automatically pause your Netflix show when you fall asleep. We have an integrated team of creatives and engineers, so we can dream up weird stuff—and build it. I guess you could say that we’ve built a company around not doing the same thing twice.”
“We work especially well with tech companies because our engineers love to deep dive into product functionality,” added Miller. “A big part of coming up with these ideas was figuring out how to integrate with Quest—and doing it in an authentic way. These inventions are real, working prototypes. They’re over-the-top and weird, but they work.”
When asked what they hope people take away most from Quest Day, Kalathara said, “That our community is fun. That the brand loves them for their creativity, their comments, and their wild passion. So keep making those subreddits, we are right there with you. We need you to help break the myths around VR and imagine what’s next alongside us.”
For more insight into the creation of Quest Day, check out the full interview here.
Feature Image Credit: Meta
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