Fashion brands are bringing their A-game in a series of virtual reality games

COVID-19 and Animal Crossing go together like peanut butter and jelly. There&#39;s no arguing that the pandemic has brought gaming into the mainstream: the<a href="https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2020/200507_4e.pdf"> social simulation game Animal Crossing sold over 13 million physical and digital copies for its latest release in the first six weeks alone</a>, making for the most successful launch for a Nintendo Switch release in the console&rsquo;s history.

But even before the pandemic, the proliferation of virtual games has been an ongoing phenomenon, with the global games market expected to exceed <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/26/newzoo-forecasts-2020-global-games-industry-will-reach-159-billion/">S$255 billion, according to research firm Newzoo</a>, and a significant cohort of users from younger and Asian demographics.&nbsp;

So it&rsquo;s little wonder that global luxury fashion houses are tapping into this growing market, with an increasing number of&nbsp;mobile games getting a high fashion makeover.

B Surf – Supporting content for Social © Courtesy of Burberry (2).jpg

B Surf – Supporting content for Social © Courtesy of Burberry (3).jpg

B Surf – Supporting content for Social © Courtesy of Burberry (1).jpg

Virtual games allow luxury brands to tap into their younger audiences, who are increasingly spending more time in the digital sphere. Matter fact, Goldman Sachs estimates that virtual and augmented reality technology will be worth more than S$ 113 billion by 2025.&nbsp;

&ldquo;As younger generations spend ever more time playing games, it is becoming increasingly important for brands to establish a presence in these virtual spaces,&rdquo; says Francesca Muston, fashion director at trend forecasting company WGSN to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/59cb4152-1bf9-11ea-81f0-0c253907d3e0">Financial Times.</a>

And with physical stores still keeping to their appropriate safe distancing measures and with more people expected to stay indoors, virtual experiences gives brands a bridge to reach out to their younger audiences and allow&nbsp;for greater interactivity: users can choose to dress from a fashion collection, and also playing the games gives them a&nbsp;chance to share&nbsp;amongst friends.&nbsp;

From walking your pet to surfing, check out some of the games put out by some of our favourite fashion houses ahead:

Roger Vivier: Walk Your Tuna&nbsp;

This brand new AR filter game on Instagram by luxury shoe house Roger Vivier&nbsp;lets you walk your pet virtual Tuna along the streets of Paris. Imagined by Creative director Gherardo Felloni and created together with South Korean artist Kim Yong Oh, pick from a delightfully stylish series of characters - Versaille Cat, DJ, Grandma or movie star, and take a leisurely walk along iconic landmarks of Paris. Facial movements, such as blinking, help to move your character forward or jump.

Access the filter via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rogervivier/">Roger Vivier&rsquo;s Instagram @Rogervivier</a>

RV-GameTuna-DJ.png

RV-GameTuna-Grandma.png

RV-GameTuna-MovieStar.png

RV-GameTuna-VersaillesCat.png

Burberry: B Surf

As part of Burberry&rsquo;s TB Summer Monogram campaign, the british fashion house has launched B Surf, a single or multiplayer virtual racing game on water. Select your surfboard and chosen characters -- dressed in the stylish TB Summer Monogram collection, of course, as you race around a TB-shaped track in the backdrop of a visually stunning virtual landscape. There&rsquo;s also a remote multiplayer feature that allows you to connect and compete with people from across the world.

Bonus? At the end of the race, you get to unlock digital rewards such as AR-in game characters and face filters.

B Surf – Supporting content © Courtesy of Burberry.png

From now till July 22, you&nbsp;can stand a chance to win actual physical prizes in a daily raffle when you play the B Surf. Prizes include a limited-edition TB surfboard and a number of TB Summer Monogram bucket hats.

This makes for Burberry&rsquo;s third online game, the first of which, B Bounce, was launched earlier in October 2019, and a second, Ratberry in January 2020 as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Play Burberry&rsquo;s B Surf game&nbsp;<a href="https://sg.burberry.com/bsurf/" target="_blank">here</a>

Gucci: Tennis Clash

photo6089416851906996784.jpg

Earlier last year, Gucci created Gucci Arcade, a dedicated new section to games inspired by 1980s arcades in it&rsquo;s fashion house&rsquo;s app. And now, the fashion house is continuing its expansion into gaming with a collaboration with Tennis Clash, letting users play the mobile tennis game, created by developer Wildlife, in exclusive outfits designed by the Italian fashion house. There&rsquo;s also a Gucci Open, a special in-game tournament mode that pits players one another to score the most points, decked in Gucci branded tennis strings and court.&nbsp;

You can download Tennis Clash on your mobile app store.

lvgame.jpg

Earlier in July last year, Virgil Abloh took to Instagram to reveal a new Louis Vuitton game inspired by his Fall/Winter 2019 runway collection. Endless Runner is fashioned in retro 16-bit style and a backdrop that mimics New York City&rsquo;s metropolis. The game works simply: players jump over obstacles while collecting various Louis Vuitton-themed tokens to increase both score and health points, and as you progress, the speed and difficulty increases.&nbsp;

You can play the game on Louis Vuitton&rsquo;s site <a href="https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/stories/endless-runner-game">here.</a>

Move Aside Animal Crossing, Here Are The Virtual Fashion Games We’re Playing Instead

Related Articles

Fashion

The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Fashion

Fashion

Game Theory: Louis Vuitton Teams Up With Riots Games On A League Of Legends Capsule

Fashion

4 Game-Changing Virtual Influencers You'll Want To Know (And Follow)

Recommended posts for you

Living

Dior's Cannage Decorates Le Noël de Monsieur Dior Tableware Collection

Culture

10 Exciting Korean TV Series to Look Out For in 2025 on Disney+

Culture

Season 2 of Hit Korean Series, 'Moving' is Officially Confirmed!

Culture

'Wicked' Brings the Magic of Oz to the Big Screen

Fashion

A Fashion Breakdown of BTS Jin’s ‘Running Wild’ Music Video

Watches & Jewellery

Han So-hee, Alexa Chung and More Front Boucheron's 'Gates of Wonders' Campaign

Living

Discovering Switzerland: Enriching Experiences Beyond the Classroom

Watches & Jewellery

Van Cleef & Arpels' Latest High Jewellery Collection is a Treasure Trove