3D & ART DIRECTION

Verne: The Himalayas 

A new app that invites you to explore Google Maps’ 3D imagery of the Himalayas alongside a 500 foot Yeti named Verne. As Verne, you can run up Mt. Everest in seconds, skate across icy lakes, chase yaks, discover bits of information, ride a jetpack, play traditional Himalayan instruments, and more.

CLIENT / GOOGLE           
AGENCY / NA          
YEAR / 2015 

Action Items

The landscape is full of new ways to explore. Find all the hidden objects and see the terrain from fun new perspectives.

NPCs

There are native non-playable characters scattered throughtout the land. 

Global Elements

Venture outside the Himalayas and trot around the globe to take in even more scenery.

Musical Instruments

This yeti can jam! Discover and play with musical instruments from the region.

Photospheres

Hop inside photospheres for a 360° look inside buildings as well as the outside landscape.

Behind the Scenes

Verne was created with an array of tools and skill sets. 3D assets were modeled, rigged and animated in Cinema 4D. The elevation and terrain data was generated by the Google maps team. All of the 3D data was then brought into Unity for final development. A few shots from the production process can be found below.  

MY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Creative & Design Direction, 3D, Game Design, User Testing, Sound Design. 

TEAM CREDITS

Alex Chen - Creative Direction, Sound Design
JR Schmidt - Art Direction, 3D, Animation
Catherine Christiansen - Production Lead
Nooka Jones - Team Lead
Matt Delbridge - Logo Design
Leta Sobierajski - Yeti Illustration

PARTNER/VENDOR

James Vecore - Creative Technologist at Hook
Annie Porter - Production at Hook