NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Blackbird Interactive Inc. Join Forces to Showcase a Future on Mars – Develop

Project Eagle - Press Release

For release 10am PST, February 21st, 2017

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Project Eagle

A collaboration between NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Blackbird Interactive Inc. (BBI), Project Eagle is an interactive model of a Mars colony in Gale Crater at the base of Mount Sharp, near the original landing site of the Mars Curiosity Rover. It is set in 2117, 44 Martian years (82.8 Earth years) after first human mission to Mars.

Using BBIs world class art team and cutting edge in-game video and lighting technology, Project Eagle creates an unparalleled vision of a future on Mars.

The interactive demonstration will be presented live on stage by JPLs Dr. Jeff Norris, at the 2017 D.I.C.E. Summit on Tuesday, February 21st, 2017. Jeff will be joined on stage by BBI CEO Rob Cunningham and CCO Aaron Kambeitz.

Following in the footsteps of legendary space artist Chesley Bonestell, Project Eagle hopes to inspire new generations to dream of human settlement beyond planet Earth and support the exploration and colonization of our solar system. Its been a profound honour and pleasure for us here at Blackbird to work with Jeff and the JPL team to dream up what a future base on Mars might really be like, and to deliver that experience as interactive art. said Blackbird Interactive CEO, Rob Cunningham.

Blackbird Interactive Inc. Company Information

Blackbird is an independent game development studio located in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Founded in 2010, we are dedicated to creating uncompromising immersive games with a strong narrative and distinctive art style. We are a team of industry veterans that launched our first game, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, to critical acclaim in 2016.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a unique national research facility that carries out robotic space and Earth science missions. JPL helped open the Space Age by developing America's first Earth-orbiting science satellite, creating the first successful interplanetary spacecraft, and sending robotic missions to study all the planets in the solar system as well as asteroids, comets and Earth's moon.

D.I.C.E. Summit

D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit is an annual videogame conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The summit is focused on trends and innovations in video game design Established in 2002 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS). The following is the brief for the Dr. Jeff Norris D.I.C.E. summit talk:

Science fiction artist Chesley Bonestell didnt simply offer an imaginative vision of humanitys future in space he helped to create that future. Chesleys collaboration with NASA rocketeer Wernher Von Braun convinced the public that expeditions to the moon and beyond were within our grasp. Dr. Jeff Norris, Mission Operations Innovation Lead, NASA JPL, challenges the D.I.C.E. community to follow in Chesleys footsteps and use their medium to inspire a new course for space exploration. Presenting a collaboration on stage with Rob Cunningham and Aaron Kambeitz from Blackbird Interactive, they will share an artistic work that depicts a vision for space exploration through the medium of games.

http://www.dicesummit.org/news/five_additional_speakers_cover_mars_exploration_and_vr.asp

Contact Information

Blackbird Interactive Inc.

pr@blackbirdinteractive.com

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Dr. Jeff Norris

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NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Blackbird Interactive Inc. Join Forces to Showcase a Future on Mars - Develop