East of the Rockies is an experimental augmented-reality story written by 83-year-old Joy Kogawa, one of Canada’s most acclaimed and celebrated literary figures. The story is told from the perspective of Yuki, a 17-year-old girl forced from her home and made to live in the Slocan internment camp during the Second World War. As Yuki and her family adjust to their new reality inside the camp, they struggle to make life as normal as possible.
Users follow the story by tapping, swiping, inspecting and zooming in on key elements within each scene. Every interaction activates a piece of scripted narrative voiced by Joy’s own granddaughter. Spoken in the first person, each line illuminates a different aspect of life in the camp, as documented in Yuki’s journal.
East of the Rockies can be played in non-AR mode and in cutting-edge AR technology to bring impactful storytelling into the palm of users’ hands. Users become directors as they physically move through the 3D environment at their own speed with proximity-based interactions, tapping, and swiping mechanics.
Story-driven interactions emphasize narrative elements by showing everyday life in the Slocan, BC internment camp. Paint alongside Yuki’s younger brother, Tomio or find solace in the camp’s bathhouse. Whether or not users enable AR, East of the Rockies tells an important story with innovative and artful technology.
Features:
- Experience Augmented Reality Storytelling
- Play with our without Augmented Reality controls.
- Discover historical photos and documents from Vancouver’s former Japantown
- Proximity based interactions
- 3D audio design
- Beautiful, original soundtrack
- Teacher’s guide available at https://eastoftherockies.com/press-kit
Go more in-depth with the East of the Rockies High School Learning Kit available at https://eastoftherockies.com/press-kit. NFB Education uses an inquiry-based learning approach which poses questions and scenarios to help students understand and go deeper into the experience of life in the Slocan Japanese internment camp during the Second World War.
Download East of the Rockies today and discover this important Canadian story incorporating an innovative and artful new technology.
East of the Rockies is a co-production with Jam3 and the National Film Board of Canada.
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East of the Rockies FAQ
Is East of the Rockies free?
East of the Rockies is not free (it costs 199.00), however it doesn't contain in-app purchases or subscriptions.
Is East of the Rockies legit?
🤔 The East of the Rockies app's quality is mixed. Some users are satisfied, while others report issues. Consider reading individual reviews for more context.
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How much does East of the Rockies cost?
The price of East of the Rockies is 199.00.
What is East of the Rockies revenue?
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User Rating
3.67 out of 5
3 ratings in Philippines
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Ratings History
East of the Rockies Reviews
Terrible navigation
I was excited about this but find it terrible to get through. Very slow. I wasn’t able to finish it and thought I could return to the same place, but no, I’d have had to start at the beginning again. It should have the ability to speed it up and it should have the intelligence to remember where we were.
Great update
The latest update is fantastic. Thanks for restoring the game!
Not worth your time or money
Very disappointing. I’m a big fan of Joy Kogawa and wanted to use this game in my grade 10 Canadian history class. There is no sound and the graphics are very poor. Not at all as advertised on the website. The plot is slow moving, with the only game mechanic the ability to click on certain objects. Check out the ‘Writing Wrongs’ exhibit from the Nikkei museum for a much more fulfilling experience.
Nice but short
Nice game, Nice story but really too short!
Augmented Reality?
This is a great project and wonderfully exemplifies the innovative, culturally-significant work that can be produced in Canada. Art and music are especially good, and the narrative is breathtaking. But, for the life of me, I can’t deduce where it employs AR. App seems to be entirely screen-based discovery game; when I activate AR mode I’m left with a blank screen.
5/5
a great and enjoyable story teaching history that isn’t normally taught in school, I learnt many new and important things
Uninstalled this game just because it keeps rotating ipad orientation.
If this is supposed to be a relaxing game, this orientation rotation gives me anxiety. No other apps does this. It’s infuriating. Not worth a single second.
Great Canadian lesson
This needs to be introduced in all schools.
Excellent use of AR
Once you get used to moving your device around, AR is a stunning medium and really brings the scenes to life. Couple things though: It’s pretty buggy (2018 iPad running latest iOS). Like another review mentioned, I needed to restart at the wood chopping scene. The objects should flash more obviously, as some are hard to see. It would also have been interesting to have a brief pre-internment scene. Maybe some Oregon Trail-type games would make it a bit more engaging for kids? Overall, still an amazing use of AR that does an excellent job of telling this shameful, yet important, part of Canadian history.
Great and personal to me
My still living grandmother was born in Slocan, BC in 1920. She and her family had to endure the humiliation of having all of their assets seized despite being born in Canada! But they looked different so it's okay I guess.
Don't lump the Canadians that were interred during WW2 with the Japanese Empire. My grandmother had never even been to Japan but was declared an enemy of the state. Reparations were given in the 80s to those still alive. $20k! Gee thanks but was had several fishing boats and a hotel. Why wasn't the property returned at the end of the war? Why to pay for their incarceration of course.
Great app, a terrible time in history.