For generations, NYC’s Times Square has been the heart of New Year’s Eve celebrations around the globe, with millions watching and counting down the seconds until the clock strikes midnight. However, this year’s celebrations, like many things, will look a little different. Events will be virtual and socially-distanced from home, putting Samsung’s LED displays at One Times Square on center stage as the world welcomes 2021.
To help everyone safely celebrate the new year, Jamestown—a global real estate firm and owner of One Times Square, home of the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration—is partnering with several high-profile brands, including Samsung, to create a memorable and immersive virtual experience.
“As a company, Samsung is proud that our company and display products are being used for such a creative and exciting experience,” said Mark Quiroz, vice president, marketing, Display Division, Samsung Electronics America. “To see Samsung’s signage front and center in bringing friends, family, and strangers together for a new virtual New Year’s Eve is something we are excited about.”
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To bring the historic celebration into homes around the globe, Times Square will host the first ever multi-media, experiential technology platform that incorporates and controls live broadcast, augmented reality, virtual reality, entertainment, and gaming experiences through a dedicated App, website, and streaming services.
“Samsung is an integral partner for One Times Square’s New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration, providing the technology for the building’s iconic LED displays,” said Michael Phillips, president at Jamestown. “This year, our partnership extends to our new VNYE experience. Samsung Odyssey continues to help us share engaging content with our viewers not only in the physical world, but now in the virtual world of Times Square as well.”
The NYE App will allow holiday revelers to create a personalized avatar to enter and explore the virtual world of NYC’s Times Square in a year when guests cannot be there live. Guests can walk around the plaza before heading over to One Times Square to access game rooms, and to the observation deck where they can take in the sights of the city along with Times Square’s iconic billboards powered by Samsung LED technology.
Samsung will have a special featured game in the app. The virtual One Times Square building will invite Avatars in to take the elevator to the Samsung Zero G game where they can get lost in a virtual world and win points along the way. Avatars can also use the Samsung Odyssey Speed Gate to jump through and travel at light speed to reach other locations and hidden spots.
Join in the virtual celebration at VNYE.com or download the app NYE available in all app stores.
