Are you ready player one?
Last week I had the opportunity to see the OASIS experience in Atlanta. The experience, partnered with Hot Topic, is a limited-time only traveling experience that will appear in 7 key markets leading up to the release of Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One on March 29.
Based on the book by Ernest Cline, the ambitious film will no doubt have a lot of key scenes inside the OASIS, where individuals of the future go online to escape bitter reality. But the OASIS experience I visited is less virtual reality and more pop-up Hot Topic shop. Not that I’m complaining. I blew my budget and bought a women’s fitted shirt in my size that I’d already seen online. It’s made of the softest material, and I can’t wait to wear it when I see the film. It also saved me a trip to the mall or having to buy online. They also had a set of 3 keys, which the characters use to progress through the challenges in the OASIS. Some limited edition items like enamel pins were also available.
I was also able to see the trailer on a large screen (taller than me, though honestly that’s not saying much). Still, it was immersive and I felt excited all over again at the prospect of a new Spielberg movie. The walls were covered in the new marketing posters that blend characters of Ready Player One with pop-culture iconic posters of the past: Labyrinth, The Lost Boys, Goonies, and more. I also received a digital version of The Goonies when I made my purchase.
And early reviews are starting to come in for the film and appear to be overall positive, so I’m even more thrilled. It’s been a while since Spielberg has done a sci-fi film, and this one seems to be right up his alley. I’m sure he spared no expense bringing Cline’s story to the big screen.
If you have a chance and the OASIS experience comes your way, be sure to check it out. Everyone involved is so enthusiastic, and there are a lot of fun t-shirt designs and Funko Pops to choose from if you want your Ready Player One merchandise ahead of seeing the film.
And go see the film!! It’s nostalgia. It’s Spielberg. Enough said.
