Can’t wait to say goodbye to 2020? You can start celebrating the end of this year on December 19th with the Virtual New Year’s Eve (VNYE) interactive gaming experience. Since crowds will not be allowed to gather in Times Square for the annual ball drop this year, the festivities are coming to you. Accessible on phones, tablets, and PCs, this app allows users to place themselves (in the form of an avatar) right in the heart of Times Square to take part in games, view digital art, hear musical performances, play with augmented reality filters and watch a live broadcast of the ball drop.
Image Courtesy of Fly Studio
After you customize your avatar and walk through the 2020 Remembrance Hall, you enter a virtual Times Square Plaza in true New York fashion by emerging from the subway. As you explore the plaza, there are selfie spots, dance floors, and fun interactive features to discover. Ride the elevator up to the top of One Times Square, and you will find a game room with three unique ways to play. The best view of the ball and the city below can be found at the One Times Square Observation Deck. Back down at the street level, your avatar can rock out to performances from avatar versions of up-and-coming musical artists Alex Boyé, Armani White, and Chloe Gilligan. Each concert features three songs.
Image Courtesy of Jamestown
The billboards in this virtual Times Square are filled with art instead of ads. So many artists wanted to be a part of this project that an entire gallery was created within the app to display all of the digital pieces. Inside the Time Gallery, you can view a curated multimedia art exhibition of 60 different works from more than 45 artists from all over the world. Artists such as Shyama Golden, Molly Soda, Jeanette Getrost, and Ines Alpha all have work in the gallery.
Image Courtesy of Fly Studio
The VNYE app also features digital content you can bring into the real world. Augmented reality filters allow you to transform your home into Times Square Plaza with fireworks bursting and allow you to add fun 2021 accessories to your selfies.
All of these Virtual New Year’s Eve experiences lead up to the Livestreamed Ball Drop event and countdown to 2021, broadcast live from Times Square on December 31st. You can even direct your own New Year’s Eve show by switching between multiple cameras within the app. You can choose from various camera angles of Times Square and shots from around the world. You can even watch from the International Space Station via the EarthCam Rolling Live feed!
Next, check out The Top 10 Secrets of the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in Times Square, NYC and The First New Years Eve Celebration in Times Square in 1904
