Akihiko Sadaka From ASICS On Their New VR Game ‘DISC'
Akihiko Sadaka is the Chief Digital Officer at ASICS, and I caught up with him to discuss their new VR game DISC.
'During the international sports event held in Tokyo in 2021, there was worldwide attention around Esports incorporating digital technology, attracting the interest of many people, including the younger generation.
'At that time, ASICS understood that there was an opportunity for Esports to incorporate movement and physical activity using VR technology. ASICS found this new virtual sports experience could contribute to mental and physical health and act as an option for people with little exercise habits to move their bodies while having fun, which is the reason for developing VR sports such as DISC.
'We look at technology by focusing on what it will bring to the customer rather than the technology itself. The purpose of this DISC content is not to directly link with existing businesses such as shoe and apparel sales but to allow customers to move their bodies while having fun through new sports experiences with an immersive VR feel.
'Therefore, speaking of the evolution of VR technology, we hope that many customers will be able to enjoy DISC by making VR headsets lighter, cheaper, and smarter. Through this, ASICS will create a new point of contact with a customer base beyond its core business, and such customers may eventually be able to purchase shoes and apparel products.
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'This summer, we will start selling digital goods such as shoes and apparel that will be worn by avatars in the VR space of DISC content. We expect that the number of customers who enjoy virtual sports in the VR space will increase in the future.'
I managed to have a go on DISC with a Meta Quest 3S headset and controls, and it was surprisingly decent despite being an early build. The art style was clean, fun, and crisp, with the messaging being clear and accurate throughout.
ASICS hopes VR games like 'DISC' will help players be more active at home.
The game feels suitably Tron-esque, as you would imagine, but the art style lacks the neon noir visuals from the likes of Tron Legacy and was more what you'd expect from a sports game.
The only minor issue was that sometimes an opponent's disc would go in the goal despite it feeling like you saved it. This is a relatively easy fix from a collision standpoint, as in making your virtual hands bigger and/or the goal slightly smaller, but this was an early build, and there's still work to be done.
It was interesting to see a company like ASICS handle a game so solidly though, and as for why the company went with a Meta Quest VR headset, Sadaka had this to say.
'Meta Quest is the world's largest producer of VR headsets. We want more people around the world to enjoy DISC and move their bodies, which led to collaboration with Meta. In addition, we believe that Meta's policy of further expanding Meta Quest not only for gaming but also for sports and fitness is in line with ASICS' mission of further contributing to people's physical and mental health by incorporating innovative digital technologies.
'We believe that the movement to incorporate digital technology into traditional sports will continue. By utilizing innovative digital technology in various businesses, we want to enhance the brand experience of ASICS.
'Since this is the first initiative for ASICS, we believe that it is important to increase the number of DISC users first. The reason why we chose a sport like DISC is that the movements and rules are simple and easy to understand, regardless of whether you have exercise experience or not, and anyone in the world can enjoy it anywhere. If DISC becomes one of the options for many users to easily enjoy sports, we believe that we can consider various ideas, such as holding an international DISC tournament in the VR space.'
DISC is now in open access, and you can apply for that here.
Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
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