The first publishing platform for virtual and augmented reality books,
an entirely new generation of interactive digital media.
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The first publishing platform for virtual and augmented reality books, an entirely new generation of interactive digital media.
About this project
Disclaimer: LoreBooks is not affiliated with Bethesda Softworks or Zenimax Media, who retain all rights to their copyrighted content.
LoreBooks is a platform that allows writers to publish their work as mixed and virtual reality books. We use technology to make reading literature a more engaging and compelling experience that inspires a new generation of avid readers and adventurers.
Our mission is to provide writers the tools they need to design quality, immersive experiences so that readers connect with content on a deeper emotional level. Technology should be used to create a more rich and enjoyable experience in reading, and we strive to
Most ebook readers that allow you to turn the pages aren’t actually turning the pages of a book; they’re just simulating a page turn using a fancy algorithm. Our subconscious can pick up on the subtle differences in page shape and missing shadows and allow us to realize that it's "not quite right," but not understand why.
LoreBooks uses a true 3D page turn, in which the book is actually moving in a three-dimensional space. It transcends more traditional e-readers because it’s not an e-reader, it’s a v-reader. An e-book is text processed as a two-dimensional document, it can be a long document or broken into several pages, but it’s not designed to be consumed with virtual or augmented reality devices. A v-book is a three-dimensional document that exists as an object in virtual space, which gives you more control over the experience you have through your story.
One great thing about LoreBooks is that you don’t need virtual reality hardware to enjoy the stories. It’s similar to how 360 videos work, where they’re optimized and designed for VR but you can still view them on any device. A web application allows writers to upload their work using a normal computer and keyboard and make edits as necessary.
We plan to allow artists to choose their own environments, which can be done by using pre-made environments, constructing one using the Unity/Unreal development engines, or even creating your own using Tilt Brush or any other environment creator that comes out in the future.
You’ll use a normal computer or tablet to design what goes inside your book, and use virtual reality to design the experience that goes around it.
Although Skyrim inspired our design for the books, the actual idea came from something called the Stories of Tamriel. These were 3 articles written near the end of 2012 that featured 3 books from The Elder Scrolls Online, released by the developers during early testing of the game. Many people thought they were really cool even though they didn’t have a page turn and the formatting was pretty terrible, but they fell into obscurity after a few months.
There was something about them that I never really forgot, and it took almost 2 years before I decided that I had to act on it. I registered lorebooks.net in January of 2015, which eventually snowballed into something much larger than I expected. It was in that first month that we made the decision to use Real 3D rather than any of the older alternatives, and that decision has resulted in the technology you see today.
Rather than using virtual reality for only playing video games, LoreBooks uses beautiful environments and effects to create an immersive reading experience that helps set the mood and focus on what matters; the story.
Our goal is to leverage pre-existing virtual environments and 360 videos to provide more meaningful experiences that last for longer. We do this by placing the community in control of making content, creating a platform that allows almost anybody the ability to develop a VR experience without requiring vast knowledge in game development or coding.
However, those who do possess experience with developing virtual experiences will have the opportunity to design templates they can share with the community. These can include fully immersive 3D environments, ambient noise and audio narration, and interactive elements that bring the environment to life to progress with the story.
We’re going to start small by importing the entire Gutenberg Project to host in virtual reality. This is over 50,000 public domain stories, stories that have no copyright or their copyright has expired, such as Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, the Odyssey, the Bible.
Project Gutenberg was invented by Michael Hart in 1971 when he was inspired to begin turning public domain stories into electronic documents, which created the first e-book library on the internet. He spent the next 40 years of his life dedicated to preserving literature electronically and spreading the joy of reading to those who had limited access to print books.
LoreBooks will continue the legacy that Michael Hart started by moving beyond simply storing the raw text of a story by restoring the connection that readers have with their story and offering a rich reading experience worthy of so many timeless classics.
We designed our reward structure a little differently from most Kickstarters so you won’t see things like T-Shirts, goodie bags or things that nobody actually wants, because we want to use the funding we receive as efficiently as possible.
Not having to focus our energy into merchandise design, shipping orders, and unexpected hassles or delays means that the project is more likely to stay on budget, it’s more likely to complete on schedule, and it helps us to focus on the things that you really want, which is an immersive reading experience.
Risks and challenges
Over the past year and a half, we’ve invested over $25,000 of our own money and thousands of hours of development time to create a stable version of v-book technology. Our challenge now is to create the user interface that allows writers to publish their work, as well as the catalog that allows readers to access that work and experience it on nearly any device.
Statistically, around 80% of Kickstarter projects deliver late due to underestimating the amount of time or resources required to accomplish their mission. We’ve done our homework to reduce the number of unexpected events that may occur during development over the next year. Unexpected events frequently occur during the creation of a new startup company, and can have unexpected consequences on scope and delivery of a project.
Bad unexpected events can include software compatibility issues, an employee having to move, or being hit by a bus.
Good unexpected events include strategic partnerships, discovering and leveraging open-source technology, and receiving a cash settlement after being hit by a bus.
Either way, we’ll make sure to clearly communicate the status of development, both here and on the community forums. Thanks for your help in making this project a reality, we couldn't have done it without you!
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Nope! LoreBooks can function in any modern web browser and doesn't require VR or AR hardware to read the books. Our formatting tools will work on almost any device with an internet connection, and you can switch to normal 2D formatting at any time.