XPERIA Ocean Journey: XMACHINA’s Take on an Immersive Ocean Adventure

Now that XPERIA Ocean Journey has been open for a while, it feels like a good moment to reflect on the journey behind its creation: a journey shaped by collaboration, experimentation, and a shared ambition to build something truly memorable. Created in close partnership with SP Immersive Entertainment, this one-of-a-kind animated ocean adventure is located at Tanger Outlets at Five Oaks in Sevierville, Tennessee, one of the Smoky Mountains’ most visited tourist destinations.

From early concept to opening day, it was our privilege at XMACHINA to help bring this experience to life, working alongside SP Immersive Entertainment to design and oversee the creation of a fully immersive world that sparks imagination and curiosity for guests of all ages.

A Deep Dive into XPERIA’s Immersive Spaces

XPERIA's immersive feeling is all about wrapping guests around ocean's marvels

From the very first step inside, XPERIA Ocean Journey transports guests beneath the surface of the ocean, without ever getting wet. Designed to be both awe-inspiring and approachable, the experience invites visitors into a sequence of interconnected spaces, blending interactive media, larger-than-life digital landscapes, and playful moments of discovery.

Together with SP Immersive Entertainment, we developed a wide variety of immersive scenes that combine high-resolution LED screens, projections, motion tracking, and responsive technologies. These scenes offer something for everyone: from younger visitors eager to explore, to older audiences seeking a slower, more contemplative encounter with the ocean’s wonders.

One standout moment is The Descender, a simulated deep-sea elevator that sets the tone at the beginning of the experience. Through a mix of synchronized visuals, layered sound, and subtle haptic feedback, guests feel as if they’re descending into the ocean itself. It’s a simple idea, executed with care, and one that helps anchor the narrative from the start.

Designing XPERIA Ocean Journey: Bringing the Ocean to Life

Concept art of Sea Lion interactive in which guests are given the opportunity to befriend Sea Lions using motion tracking technology.

Designing XPERIA Ocean Journey was a multi-year effort and one of our most collaborative projects to date. Working closely with SP Immersive Entertainment and a larger team of architects, engineers, and artists, we set out to create an experience that feels imaginative yet grounded: spectacular, but always visitor-centered.

From the earliest phases, we used Unreal Engine, Blender, and Vectorworks to design and test every creative decision inside a continuously evolving 3D model. This model was more than a design tool — it became the central reference throughout the project. It was used on-site to validate choices, guide construction, support shop drawings, and even generate marketing materials. This approach allowed us to visualize transitions, refine flow, and maintain complete creative control from concept to execution.

Every moment in the guest journey — from major transitions to tiny details — was carefully considered and shaped through a shared creative dialogue. This was also one of the most comprehensive art direction and media production processes we’ve ever been part of, requiring constant communication and alignment between everyone involved. That back-and-forth was essential in helping us deliver an experience that feels both cohesive and alive.

Overseeing and Integrating: Turning Vision into Reality

A 3-step comparison between different phases of design, including 3d modeling (left), real-time visualizations and design experimentations (center), and real life (right)

Our role extended beyond design into the coordination and integration of media, content, and interactivity on-site. It was an effort that required incredible attention to detail and a deep partnership with SP Immersive Entertainment. Bringing together massive LED surfaces, custom content, motion-sensing technologies, and spatial design into one coherent experience was a challenge we were excited to take on.

We were fortunate to collaborate with an outstanding team of partners throughout the process. Kraftwerk Living Technologies, Visual Terrain, Inc., Bandit Lites, Inc., Fractal, Yas Takata, and Brainchild Creative all played vital roles in shaping XPERIA Ocean Journey into what it is today. Their technical, creative, and strategic expertise made a complex vision both possible and beautifully realized.

The Start of Something Bigger

A good attraction design sparks connection between guests and the experience itself.

More than just an attraction, XPERIA Ocean Journey is a living experience — one that continues to evolve as we refine its storytelling, interactivity, and technical layers over time. We see it as the beginning of something bigger, and we’re excited to continue exploring what this kind of immersive space can become.

Stay tuned for future posts where we’ll go deeper into the creative and technical approaches that brought XPERIA Ocean Journey to life. Huge thanks to our partners at SP Immersive Entertainment, and to all of the creatives and technologists who helped make this possible.