Slides from Bianca Wright, Coventry University, at the newsrewired digital journalism conference at Reuters in London on 7 March.

1. Playing the News:
Coventry Blitz VR
A virtual reality news game commemorating the events of
14 November 1940
Funded by:

2. About Playing the News: Coventry Blitz VR
• A project designed to use the immersive technologies of Virtual
Reality and gamification to learn more about a news story.
• The project offers both a story mode and a game mode to
provide an interactive educational experience to bring users
closer to the events
• Proof of concept with the aim to extend this project into other
VR news games on different topics
Funded by:

3. Why Coventry
Blitz?Annual news coverage
for the Coventry
Telegraph
Precedent of
innovation in that
coverage e.g. live
tweeting; immersive
blog
Access to archive
footage
VR model of cathedral
Funded by:

4. Funded by:

5. The Project
• MIT’s project looked at using games in news
• VR as the “ultimate empathy machine” – Chris Melk, 2015
• Changing engagement with news e.g. online news video study
• Dual focus – adults and children
• Use Coventry Telegraph’s archive to recreate the realities of the
story
Funded by:

6. Challenges
• Balancing information with game play
• Pared down functionality due to
financial and time constraints
• Integrating Coventry Telegraph brand
into the game in a way that made sense

7. Lessons learned
• Works well for evergreen/ ongoing stories
• Plot out game play fully before starting
development
• Sound is as important in VR as imagery is
• Ensure that users have a sense of agency
within the game
• Seamless integration of information, branding
and game play is needed to make it work

8. Relationship to brand
Funded by:
I read the Coventry Telegraph (print or online) at least twice a week
Schools Public event

9. Relationship to brand
Funded by:
I felt closer to the Coventry Telegraph as a brand as a result of playing this game/
experiencing this simulation
Schools
Public event

10. Driving engagement
Funded by:
• 46.2% of school children and 36.8% of the public who tried the game
felt closer to the Coventry Telegraph as a brand
• 58.15% of the school children said they would seek out other news
games in future; 47% of the public surveyed said they would seek out
news games in future
• 69.2% of the public agreed or strongly agreed that “I would seek out
other VR simulations that explain a news event or issue in the future”;
64.89% of the schoolchildren said the same

11. Driving engagement
Funded by:
• From the public event:
• “It is an excellent initiative and I am sure the younger generation will
benefit from this reality. A brilliant way forward to learning. And
experiencing. The feel great idea. Thank you for the opportunity”
• “Soundscapes worked well and I liked the game element, possibly more of
it all would be ace!”T
• “I thought it was really good, I never thought I would have the opportunity
to play on VR especially about Coventry and for no charge. This was a
brilliant experience and I would like to do it again.”
• “Highly enjoyed it. Nearly got all the quiz right. Keep up the good work.”
• “It was a great experience. VR experience was superb.”

12. Driving engagement
Funded by:
• From the school visits:
• “That it was very good it felt like a real experience and made me learn abut more
about the blitz. i liked doing this cause it gave me information that I dint already
know. it was a good experience to do exoecially at our age but overall it was really
good and I would defiantly would like to do this again.”
• “It is a really good invention but it is good but scary to know how it was really like
in the BlitzI would want you to visit our school and do this more often because it
is fun and a good way to learn.”
• “It was amazing I really liked the game I would love to play more of these type of
VR games because I found it epic!!!!!!!”
• “If you can, try to make an adventure game where you can explore different
countries and explore them in different times. Also, the experience was the best
thing that I have ever done in my entire time at school!”

13. Driving engagement
Funded by:

14. Contact us
• We are looking for collaborators, partners and funders to extend
this work
• Email: ab6597@coventry.ac.uk
• Twitter: @CoventryBlitzVR or @bmtwright
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coventryblitzVR/
Funded by:

15. Funded by: