He spent years touring the world placing himself in critical survival conditions so he may present us easy methods to get out of them. Now, 6 years after his survival present, Les Stroud is at it once more — this time with a virtual-reality survival simulator.
Les Stroud has all the time admired artists who by no means cease creating. Those who die nonetheless making their artwork, who develop and evolve and alter with their craft, with out stopping or giving it up. These are his true function fashions.
“I like them. And I look as much as these artists,” Stroud advised GearJunkie. Including, of his personal artwork, “I actually don’t need to cease.“
And he doesn’t plan to. Along with his soon-to-release virtual-reality (VR) survival simulator, the previous “Survivorman” tv star plans to proceed instructing survival — although he’s been retired from his hit present for six years.
Stroud’s ardour for what he calls “edutainment” (training + leisure) hasn’t waned in any respect.
Meet ‘Survivorman VR: Into the Descent’
“Consider it like a simulator for helicopter flying,” Stroud mentioned of the “Survivorman VR” online game.
Appropriately, it begins with a helicopter crash on the facet of a mountain. You survive, however to remain alive, you’ll must make use of classes from Stroud.
He might be proper there with you (digitally) within the VR house. He’ll information you thru the steps, name you out while you do one thing mistaken, and rejoice with you while you get issues proper.
For gamers, will probably be like they had been pulled straight into an episode of “Survivorman.”
And “Into the Descent” is simply the primary situation — the pilot, if you’ll. Stroud hopes that if that is profitable, he and his companions at Cream Digital will have the ability to take this survival simulator to as many locations as his present, “Survivorman,” took him.
“Now that we’re actually into it, I spotted, ‘Dangle on, we’ve obtained jungles, we’ve obtained deserts, we’ve obtained oceans, we’ve obtained forests.’ And it goes on and on,” Stroud mentioned. “The quantity of eventualities are limitless.”
That is Stroud’s means of continuous his artwork, of rising and evolving with it. He might not be doing the TV present anymore, however he’s making a VR device for individuals who need extra of it.
It’s his newest manifestation of edutainment, and he’s clearly excited concerning the prospects. Followers of Stroud — or comfort-of-your-home survival challenges — can search for an early 2023 launch date.
Meet Les Stroud: Survivorman
Stroud grew to become well-known within the early 2000s for his hit Discovery TV present, “Survivorman.” All through eight seasons, he put himself into survival conditions most individuals solely expertise in nightmares. And that was solely half of the problem — as a result of Stroud was additionally his personal digital camera crew and director.
“There was all the time two roads to stroll. One was, I’ve obtained to outlive,” Stroud mentioned. He needed to fear about toxic animals, bugs, and vegetation; he needed to feed himself; keep hydrated and heat; and, ultimately, escape the wilderness a method or one other.
“Then the second street was, ‘Oh, wait, proper. I’m a filmmaker and I’ve to movie this complete bloody story,’” he mentioned. “So I needed to actually use each side of my mind that means.“
Earlier than capturing in a given space, he’d prepare with a neighborhood survival professional to essentially study that particular area. Stroud would additionally watch YouTube movies, gathering any intelligent tips he may to convey out into the sphere. The tips didn’t all the time work, he mentioned. However that also performed in his favor.
“[I’d] attempt to get a fireplace going with chocolate, a pop can, and sand within the Kalahari Desert,” Stroud mentioned, as a result of he’d seen another person do it on YouTube. “However for the very first time, does it truly work? Can you actually do it proper? It’s freaking exhausting … I cherished that as a result of [viewers] noticed me fail, and it was actual.“
That added a stage of authenticity to “Survivorman” that different survival exhibits merely couldn’t replicate.
Life After ‘Survivorman’
“Survivorman” took Stroud to a number of the most unique and unforgiving components of the planet over its eight seasons. He survived at sea, within the deep outback of Australia, in Papua New Guinea, within the Grenada jungle, within the Himalayan foothills of India, and past.
However after 51 episodes, Stroud needed to cease. He’d taken the present far, he’d used his platform to teach and entertain lots of of 1000’s — doubtlessly tens of millions — inspiring younger folks around the globe to get out into the wilderness.
He additionally impressed an entire new wave of spinoff survival exhibits and YouTube channels (Bear Grylls, “Twin Survival,” and so on.).
However his ardour for instructing survival expertise hasn’t light with retirement. He says he’s frequently drawn again to it. That’s precisely how and why he began working with Cream Digital on this newest mission, “Survivorman VR: Into the Descent.”
The sport launches in early 2023 on Meta Quest 2 and PC VR headsets. Go to the “Survivorman VR” web site for more information.
