Welcome to Lowpass! This week: A first-hand look at Sandbox VR’s new Netflix cooperation, and an interesting anecdote about the new Sonos CEO.

The story behind Sandbox VR’s Netflix cooperation

In the end, I was drenched in sweat. My heart was pumping, my arms were sore, and my knees a little wobbly. Still, I had made it. I was part of the rebellion. I had fought off swarms of enemy soldiers, blown up gas tanks and fighter jets. I had completed the mission, led my team in kills, and even freed a trapped cobalt miner along the way.

Or as the folks at Sandbox VR like to call it: Just another Monday.

The location-based VR startup debuted Rebel Moon: The Descent in partnership with Netflix last week, and I had a chance to play through the experience a few days after its launch. I also chatted with Sandbox VR’s content SVP and creative director Michael Hampden about the Netflix partnership, the role licensed IP is playing for location-based VR, and the startup's plans for the future.

It’s a future that looked very uncertain not too long ago. Sandbox VR had been hit hard by the pandemic, and was forced to file for bankruptcy in the summer of 2020. Since then, Sandbox has rebuilt, embraced a franchising strategy that has allowed it to expand to 55 locations worldwide, and brought in $75 million in ticket sales last year alone.

Read on for some firsthand impressions of Sandbox’s new Rebel Moon experience, its plans for licensed and original IP, and the secret sauce that helped it to survive a tough time for location-based entertainment.

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