Mixed Reality (XR) is a wonderful tool for full-bodied immersion in new worlds. With use in video games, it can enthral players in magical lands, and tell creative stories that engage the sense. But mixed reality isn’t only for the fantastical – it also allows for rich and immersive education, teaching history and empathy through direct player interfacing. PHORIA, an emerging Melbourne-based studio, is using XR technology for just that purpose: sharing stories in a way that engages sense and emotion, for deeper connection.
Their first original production, Julaymba, is an XR game that transports viewers to the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia, with exploration guided by Eastern Kuku Yalanji Elder, Richard Burchill.
Entering Julaymba, players will be able to explore a virtual space reflecting the real-life Daintree, complete with luminous fungi, roaming animals, and all sorts of natural sights. The further you walk, the more you’ll learn more about the local Indigenous culture and language, and the importance of connection to land.
According to Joseph Purdam, Co-Founder of PHORIA, the journey to creating Julaymba, having the chance to tell Burchill’s story, and share his perspective and culture with a wide audience, was serendipitous.
PHORIA actually began as a 3D scanning company, with business in the property sector. Purdam and the company’s other co-founders soon found themselves exploring VR and 3D mediums as useful tools for a range of applications, with self-taught skills, past experiences, and curiosity guiding new projects in the property and healthcare spaces, and beyond.
“It’s been a real journey, but it’s been a good one,” Purdam told GamesHub.
PHORIA’s focus is on impactful storytelling
With facets of the business eventually being split out, PHORIA’s focus centred on producing original content with impact. That includes the newly-released Julaymba, as well as projects like the WWF-supported Ecosphere VR documentary, which explores natural regions like the savannahs of Kenya, the rainforests of Borneo, and the coral reefs of Indonesia.
To date, PHORIA has taken on a range of work with partners including Google, Netflix, Nike, and Meta. But it was a “strange, fortuitous meeting” with one of the owners and caretakers of property in the Daintree that led them to their most exciting project to date.
“We’ve always had a fascination with the Daintree, it’s such an incredible space,” Purdam said. “It’s a UNSECO World Heritage Area, there’s a rich First Nations culture there … and there’s also been a handing back of quite a lot of land to First Nations people.”
“We had an introduction through a property owner … and the invitation was to go up and stay, and explore, and run some technical tests. We took that opportunity, and I simultaneously reached out, and we were seeking to get in touch with some of the traditional owners, to let them know what our ambition was, to create some content on Eastern Kuku Yalanji country.”
The object, through this process, was to capture the beauty of the region, and to create an immersive experience designed to highlight its rich history and culture. Through heritage body Jabalbina, the PHORIA team was able to get in touch with Richard Burchill and his daughter, Kirsty, both of whom worked directly with the PHORIA team to develop Julaymba.
Read: First Nations representation in games must be paired with agency
“I think the most meaningful thing was we met with Richard and Kirsty early on, and so the project was able to be grounded in First Nations storytelling, and created with their blessing,” Purdam said.
Richard Burchill came on board as a narrator, sharing stories in his own language and words, so that when players explore the virtual Daintree in Julaymba, they are grounded by authentic storytelling and passion. Kirsty also worked on the game as a writer and producer, providing essential context and input for direction.
Per Purdam, the research process for the game was fairly “back and forth” and they were able to work out which elements to focus on, in conversation with Richard. Real-life exploration also informed the game’s development, with technical testing and discussions about stories evolving in tandem.
“We were having conversations with Richard and going back and forth to continue more filming. Really, the research side was led by the stories that Richard wanted to tell. So, the tech testing informed some of what was possible, to share those stories, and then the interviews and conversations with Richard are what drove the actual core story … we would be led by Richard in a direction, and then we would go off and do some research, and find ways to build those stories out, and flesh them out.”
The value of XR technology
Throughout the process, the team were increasingly driven to tell a more authentic First Nations story, and to use XR in a way that genuinely connected with audiences, particularly as First Nation storytelling is traditionally grounded in place and connection to country. XR opens a door to experiencing a virtual facsimile of these spaces, encouraging that connection, even at a distance.
“These XR experiences give people a real felt sense of that [real life] experience,” Purdam said. “Of what it’s like to be on country, of what it’s like to have an Elder share stories with you. As powerful as film is, and I still love traditional film, mixed reality and virtual reality experiences do have a unique offering, in the way they help people really feel … they command your whole attention.”
“There’s [also] something unique … in the way that it keeps the story really grounded in the context of the place, of the country that the story is from.”
In developing Julaymba over time, the PHORIA team shaped a game that revels in natural beauty, and in reshaping perceptions and assumptions about Indigenous culture. One of the biggest hopes for the project, now that it’s in Early Access, is that it will, “give people an honest and authentic insight into what First Nations culture in Australia is really about, what First Nations people are really about.”
Purdam described a feeling of pride when the PHORIA team demonstrated Julaymba at SXSW Sydney recently, having thousands of people experiencing the project throughout the event.
“I interviewed [Kirsty at SXSW Sydney] and she was brought to tears by the feeling that … people were experiencing First Nations culture in a really genuine, authentic way, and that it was changing the way they thought and felt about First Nations people in this country.”
“I think what we’re hoping people will learn is just that – it’s the value of the incredible, rich, diverse cultures that were on this land long before colonisation, and are still strong, and are still practiced, and how much we have to learn from these cultures.”
“And how incredible it is, how beautiful it is, that they’re still willing to share, even after everything that’s happened.”
The PHORIA team is hoping the message of Julaymba will continue to make an impact in future, as more people are able to access and discover the meaning at its heart. Currently, the team is lobbying for the experience to be integrated into educational spaces, so that folks of all ages have the chance to learn more about First Nations experiences within its immersion world.
Those wishing to experience Julaymba for themselves can now check out the experience on the Meta Store. As an added note, the PHORIA team has encouraged content creators to reach out via its website to help spread word of the game, and its potent impact.
