McCann creates the first travel guide to virtual worlds in new book, The Rough Guide to Xbox

Ever wanted to visit somewhere stunning but too skint or time-poor to leave the couch? A new travel guide from McCann and Xbox might be a way to plan your next trip. The Rough Guide to Xbox is a new publication masterminded by ad agency McCann and gaming platform Xbox, in collaboration with the esteemed travel publisher. Instead of pithy reviews of city hotspots or secluded beaches, this Rough Guide is the first guidebook where the destinations are all virtual, found inside gaming worlds like Halo 5: Guardians, Metro Exodus and Forza Horizon 4.

The guide itself functions exactly the same as a Rough Guide, highlighting places where tourists can “experience beautiful architecture, meet locals and make memories”, a statement from McCann says about the project. Sanjiv Mistry, executive creative director of McCann London, adds, “Some of the ancient ruins, national monuments and natural wonders in Xbox games are every bit as goosebump-y, bucket list-y, and worth seeking out as those in the real world.”

All of the images have been shot by professional in-game photographers, and aim to encourage gamers to go off-piste and explore destinations inside Xbox outside of the normal game play. The design of the book and editorial tone is exactly the same as the publisher’s guides to other countries and cities. As well as an being an eyeball-grabbing marketing campaign, the guide also shows the depth of world building involved in gaming and documents the artistry of designers working in sector today.

The book is published on 5 February and will raise money for SpecialEffect, a charity that works to make video games more accessible for people with disabilities.