MAMMOTH XR

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the program manager of the petrol division of Energy Safety Canada. Our division focuses on providing labor market information and occupational tools and resources for careers in Canada’s oil and gas industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MAMMOTH XR?

We worked with their team specifically to help us create engaging tools that would help youth and indigenous populations understand careers in the oil and gas sector.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project focused on 10 careers in the oil and gas services subsector, which is pretty entry-level in terms of where people can start in the industry. MAMMOTH XR developed extended reality games that users can go through and receive career recommendations based on the aptitudes demonstrated in the game.

Nine of the games are available in virtual reality on the Oculus Go, and five are available in augmented reality through the Apple and Android store. We came to them with the ideas for the games in general and then they helped us select technologies, scope about 15 potential games, and then building out a final set of 10. We provided the background information on the careers, and they did all of the visuals and functionality development on their own.

We also spent about a month and a half testing the games in beta versions to make sure that people were comfortable using them. They helped us collect feedback from all of our target audiences, and then they adjusted the games as needed before the official launch.

What is the team composition?

Matt (Founder) and Shaun (Creative Captain) worked with us directly, but they would occasionally pull in additional team members to work on specific games or graphics when needed.

How did you come to work with MAMMOTH XR?

We put out an RFP with the description of what we wanted, and they responded with some really good ideas about how we could potentially approach the project, so we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of the contract was about $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work with us lasted from May 2019–February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They were incredibly thorough throughout the development and testing of the applications. We got almost 100 people through the games in one form or another from each demographic, and they analyzed all that data and provided us with incredibly helpful ideas as a result of that feedback, where other contractors might have relied on us to provide that part of the work.

It’s clear that they really care about the final product, and they’ve gone above and beyond to make sure that we’re happy with the final product. Not only are we pleased with its functionality, but nearly all of our audience did as well, with about 90% reporting that they would visit the website because of how engaging the tool had been.

How did MAMMOTH XR perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a pretty stringent process in place when it comes to sticking to all of their deadlines, so we’ve never had to follow up or check on anything that they were doing. Their team presented us with a work plan at the beginning and have really stuck to it, checking in whenever they have questions and staying on top of the work very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of planning and preparation at the beginning of the project saved us a lot of time in the long run. They developed mood boards that outlined all of the colors and graphics that they were going to be able to use throughout all of the games, which saved us from having to nitpick in each individual one. That ability to focus on the bigger picture was extraordinarily helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m really not sure there’s anything I would have had them do differently. They are really good at what they do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of a company that provides corporate communications for a number of oil and gas companies throughout Canada. I also handle employee communications and many video scripts. That was my background when I started working with their team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MAMMOTH XR?

One of the challenges in the oil industry is that the oil sands are very remote. It’s hard to get people to see and appreciate the environmental challenges and innovation that occurs there. It’s impossible to get ordinary citizens up there as well. So, we started working on VR efforts to extend the experience to people, media, and government sectors. For us, this was an outreach and education tool and effort.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to put people into an experience that they’d never be able to have under ordinary circumstances. That way, they could understand the challenges and environmental stewardship that’s occurring there. However, it is an operating mine, so it’s hard to get camera crews into the action.

Participating companies were generous in allowing us access, but a lot of the action also happens underground. They had to combine a lot of animation with the VR experience to explain the process. The product is downloadable from our website and is best viewed on an Oculus headset, but there are other options as well.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Matt (Cheif Experience Officer, MAMMOTH XR), Shaun (Creative Captain, MAMMOTH XR), and 3–4 programmers and animaters. 

How did you come to work with MAMMOTH XR?

I didn’t handle the search for a partner, but my previous manager had already worked with them to produce a number of videos. Their VR capabilities were impressive, so she got the project going.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project lasted from March–September 2017. The second took from March–October 2018. At this point, we’re on our third project, which started in August 2019 and will likely wrap in March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We don’t have any hard metrics, but those within the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers absolutely love the product. That’s important because they do a ton of work within the public outreach and education sector. They give people a sense of what it really like to be at the oil sands or drilling rig. The companies that allowed us access to their properties are also blown away they the quality of the products. They use it all the time in their outreach.  

How did MAMMOTH XR perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very collaborative. They don’t simply take requirements and deliver solutions. The team is willing to work closely with clients to create products that everyone enjoys. Their management style is ultimately collaborative.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re curious, doing a lot of research to fully understand the process that they’re illustrating. The team is creative in their knowledge of the VR tool and how to get the most value out of it. The visuals are stunning, and their animation is second to none. They can make an education tool incredibly engaging and immersive. They have a small team, so I’m always blown away by the product quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve been wonderful. At this point, VR is still pretty expensive to manage and control. That’s no their fault, though. They’re actually really good at cost control. There aren’t many ways in which they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be bold about using VR as a tool. It’s not the right platform for everything, but it can educate people about a process that ordinary people may never have access to. It takes a bit of thinking outside the box for potential clients, but the return is amazing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Executive Director at USAY (Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth). We're an Indigenous charity that creates and develops content to show positive perspectives of being Indigenous. We do traditional storytelling through technology and cultural activity. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MAMMOTH XR?

We strive to preserve Indigenous languages, so we were looking for a vendor to develop a Blackfoot language learning tool.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MAMMOTH developed a tool that serves as preservation and multi-generational transmission of an endangered language. We came to them with an original Indigenous story and asked them to adapt this story into a virtual reality game. MAMMOTH created a VR tool for us that we named Thunder VR. The adaptation includes the puzzles that were created with the support of an Indigenous elder. MAMMOTH handled everything from mood boards and color combinations to creating 3D sculptures and developing the VR content. 

What is the team composition? 

We had one main point of contact and there was a team of about nine people working on our project. 

How did you come to work with MAMMOTH XR?

We did some searches online. Also, our Creative Director was familiar with some of the work MAMMOTH had done, so she recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $150,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We worked with MAMMOTH between July 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We were able to receive an additional $175,000 in grant funding to create more VR content and about $75,000–to develop AR content. We've created new partnerships in the community and we're being invited to film festivals and speaking events. We've also had oil and gas companies purchase Oculus Go headsets for us, so we could distribute them to schools and First Nations communities and schools. More than a thousand people have already experienced Thunder VR and are using it for teaching and learning. About 85% of Indigenous kids who experienced Thunder VR say it had a positive impact on how they identify with traditional stories. We even had a blessing ceremony with the Elder, in which they blessed the project in a traditional way, which is a very unique thing for a non-Indigenous company to do.

How did MAMMOTH XR perform from a project management standpoint? 

They work in a very collaborative way and utilize the strengths of their team very well, so we had all kinds of resources at our disposal. We used email, text, phone, and video conference calls to communicate. They were willing to use any form of communication that worked best for us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of interest and positivity towards the project was matched by our own. MAMMOTH embraced the fact that we were an Indigenous organization, and they were passionate about developing a great product for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The parking near their building was a bit of a challenge, but other than that, everything was perfect.