Yesterday, Oculus announced a special concert taking place today inside TheWaveVR featuring Grammy award-winning artist, Imogen Heap. It feels like a match-made in electronic music heaven.
Less than a year ago, TheWaveVR closed a $4 million seed funding round and are gearing up to continue changing music forever with groundbreaking projects like their VR album collaboration with TOKiMONSTA. Seeing the success of Electronauts and Beat Saber clearly shows that VR and music go hand-in-hand.
“From my first talks with TheWaveVR, which as it happened were in VR, I knew I wanted to get involved in this project,” says artist Imogen Heap in the blog post. “With my three-year-old daughter’s future in mind, it excites me how, through virtual reality, we are already able to connect in a more human way, even when time and place would have it otherwise. Having my fans experience a musical performance from within the welcoming walls of my family home brings a whole new dimension to connecting and communicating for me.”
The first showing of the event happened today at 11AM PT inside TheWaveVR, but you can tune in for round two tonight at 7PM PT inside TheWaveVR.
You can download TheWaveVR for free on Oculus Home and Steam to check out the experience tonight.
An increasing number of film festivals are recognising the efforts of creators who produce works in virtual reality (VR) or 360-degree video. The LA Film Festival has announced the line-up for its first VR and Immersive Storytelling Showcase, a special event called The Portal.
The Portal is part of a two-year partnership with Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television, and will be held at the MLU’s new Playa Vista Campus.
The event will feature a range of new animated, documentary and fictional narratives drawn from VR exhibitions around the world, including Cannes, Rotterdam, Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and Venice.
VR and 360-degree film features during the event will include Age of Sail, Arden’s Wake, Crow: The Legend, Dinner Party, Terminal 3, Zikr: A Sufi Revival, and This Is Climate Change, among a host of others.
“It’s exciting, and a testament to the storytelling, that virtual reality is now attracting talent like Rosario Dawson, Brie Larson, Diego Luna, Ian McShane, Alicia Vikander and Oprah Winfrey,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Guest Director VR & Immersive Storytelling. “Immersive storytelling is venturing into exciting new territory with adventurous mixed reality, social interactivity, guided motion and haptics, all of which LA audiences will be able to experience for free at The Portal this fall as part of LA Film Festival.”
“It’s fitting that, as we open the doors to our new Playa Vista campus, we also welcome Film Independent’s first-ever VR and Immersive storytelling showcase,” said Peggy Rajski, new Dean of LMU’s School of Film and Television. “Jacqueline’s thoughtful program provides audiences with ample opportunities to immerse themselves into the experiences and stories of others, including many whose voices are typically unheard. At LMU SFTV we deeply value storytelling that shines a light into the places we rarely traverse, but which enrich us when given the opportunity to do so.”
The Portal is due to be held on 22nd-23rd September, 2018. Further information can be found on the LA Film Festival website. News on VR-related events will continue to be covered here on VRFocus.
While PSVR players are jumping into Firewall Zero Hour, it’s actually not a bad week for new releases on PC, either. We’ve got some really intriguing pieces to check out on Rift and Vive, two of which are free.
An intriguing puzzle game with first-rate production values, Torn is a great VR debut from Aspyr. You explore the deserted mansion that once belonged to an inventor, uncovering his life’s work and just maybe discovering where he disappeared to. Engaging, if simplistic puzzles set a great pace and the writing is top notch, though the story suffers in the second half.
GIPHY World VR, from Giphy
Price: Free (Rift, Vive)
GIPHY World has to be one of the strangest VR apps we’ve seen so far. It’s a creation-based experience in which you bury one of three virtual environments in GIPHY’s huge library of looping videos. If you love to mess around inside VR and do really random stuff then this one is absolutely for you, though we’d love to see multiplayer support added.
PROZE: Prologue, from SignSine
Price: Free (Rift, Vive)
A free prequel to an upcoming VR adventure, Proze grabbed our attention with its gorgeous graphics and story-driven content. This taster offers completely original content ahead of the release of a first full episode later this fall. We haven’t played it yet but we’re really looking forward to seeing what becomes of this one.
Lenovo launched its Lenovo Mirage headset late last year, bringing with it an app which brought one of the most famous and successful film franchises of all time into augmented reality (AR) with Star Wars: Jedi Challenges. The app has seen a few updates since launch, and now players will get a chance to face off against iconic Star Wars characters and take command of a ship and fight in space battles.
The Lenovo Mirage was clearly a device aimed at the hard-core Star Wars fan, bundled as it was alongside Star Wars: Jedi Challenges alongside a lightsaber peripheral. Since then new content has been introduced, including an update that brought with it a host of material from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The latest free update will allow players to test their skills against the likes Rey and Jedi Master Yoda while taking on the role of the black-cloaked antagonist, Kylo Ren. The new updates also includes a new real-time strategy-style game which allows players to take part in ship battles, taking control either a Rebel or Empire fleet to do battle against other players in the multiplayer section of the app.
For fans who are interested in going the extra mile, Lenovo are also releasing a limited edition Kylo Ren lightsaber peripheral, replicating the distinctive cross-hilted weapon wielded by Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
Lenovo say the new lightsaber will be available at some point ‘This winter’ and is said to cost $100 (USD), though no price has been confirmed for other regions. This does suggest that it might make a great Christmas gift for a loved one who already owns a Lenovo Mirage.
The Lenovo Mirage AR headset is compatible with a range of smartphone devices, including iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung Galaxy S7, Google Pixel XL, Google Pixel and Moto Z. The device can be found for around £199.99 (GBP).
For future news on new development in AR and VR, keep checking back with VRFocus.
The big week is finally here! First Contact’s Firewall Zero Hour is now available on PSVR. But, as it turns out, that’s far from all that’s releasing on the headset this week. We’ve also got a suite of other big launches, each of which looks worth your time in their own right. This has to be the best week for PSVR launches since the headset itself came out two years ago.
Firewall Zero Hour, from First Contact Entertainment
Price: $39.99
The long-anticipated multiplayer shooter from the makers of ROM: Extraction is finally here. Firewall Zero Hour is an intense 4 vs 4 shooter that makes great use of PSVR’s Aim controller as players must strategize in attack and defend-style missions. This is a fast, frantic explosion of a VR game and absolutely one to pick up (it also works with the DualShock 4).
Bow to Blood, from Tribetoy
Price: $29.99
Bow to Blood is a fascinating mix of arena-based combat, ship micromanagement and relationship simulation. You’re a part of the Bow to Blood tournament and must fight your way up through the ranks over the course of seven events, making sure to keep other players happy in order to avoid being voted off. The unique mash-up of systems absolutely makes this worth checking out.
Torn, from Aspyr
Price: £29.99 (currently discounted)
An intriguing puzzle game with first-rate production values, Torn is a great VR debut from Aspyr. You explore the deserted mansion that once belonged to an inventor, uncovering his life’s work and just maybe discovering where he disappeared to. Engaging, if simplistic puzzles set a great pace and the writing is top notch, though the story suffers in the second half.
Catch & Release, from Metricminds
Price: $19.99 ($17.99 for PS Plus members)
If action isn’t your thing then how about a spot of VR fishing? Catch & Release is a relaxing fishing game in which you head out on a boat and snooze away the hours trying to get a good haul. We haven’t played it yet but the gorgeous visuals and soothing atmosphere definitely make it seem inviting.
Viking Days, from Naked Money
Price: $4.99
If you’re looking to save a little this week then Viking Days’ $4.99 certainly hits the right note. Also good news: This isn’t just a wave shooter! Instead its an appealing collection of mini-games, all designed to live out your Norse dreams. We especially like the look of the canyon-crossing level.
Though 360-degree video is becoming increasingly popular as a way to become involved with virtual reality (VR) content creation, for many the cost of equipment and accompanying software still keeps it out of reach. Renowned Hollywood director Roland Emmerich is seeking to address this by partnering with Insta360 to create a social platform that will democratise 360-degree content creation.
Roland Emmerich is known for his work as a director of Hollywood blockbusters such as Independence Day, Stargate and Godzilla. The director is working with Insta360 to invite content creators to join a special Beta program for a newly launched 360-degree social platform.
Emmerich, along with his partner Marco Weber have announced a strategic partnership between their company, Vrenetic and its social platform for 360-degree content Vresh and 360-degree camera makers Insta360.
The two companies are attempting to expand the availability of 360-degree cameras to allow a broader range of content creators to become involve with the medium.
Insta360 cameras will be co-marketed with Vresh, which is described as a social media app for a community of 360-degree content creators, influencers, world travellers and visual storytellers. The app is currently in Beta and is accepting applications from content creators and early adopters.
Vresh can be used to broadcast 360-degree video in 4K quality to others, or save a 360-degree video for later viewing on-demand or even conduct a private 360-degree video call. All this is said to be possible without any specific technical experience.
“Video revolutionized the Internet and 360-degree content is posed to be the next big category in video,” said Milton Fang, SVP of Marketing & Strategy at Vrenetic. “The entire Vresh team is extremely excited and proud to be developing the next Instagram for sharing experiences in fully immersive 360-degree video.”
Vresh is planned to be available worldwide in Q1 of 2019. For further coverage Vresh and other upcoming VR and 360-degree project, keep checking back with VRFocus.
According to a new blog post today from First Contact Entertainment, the Firewall Zero Hour developers are “currently working on” fixes for two major issues that have been hot topics with the community all week: squads getting split up during match making and host disconnect issues.
In the blog post, the developer explains that they’re “working on various bug fixes and improvements” to the game and specifically names those two issues. As it stands right now, if you make a squad with your friends and join public matchmaking, then there is a chance that your squad can get split up and assigned to opposite teams. Obviously that’s an issue. Private matches seem to work fine if you have a big enough group, but you can’t earn XP that way. It’s good to see this issue is top of mind since it literally hinders people from playing with friends.
The other most prominent networking issue facing the game this week has been frequent disconnect problems. As explained in the blog post:
“We currently use a peer-to-peer format, so please be aware that it is possible that quitting early may affect everyone else’s game. We are working on improved in-game messaging and a way to protect the loss of progression (crypto and XP) for players when this happens.”
Ideally we’d love to see the team adopt a dedicated server system instead since that will improve connection quality and prevent this issue, but at the very least establishing a host migration system so that even if the selected host leaves the matches can continue would be great.
Since the game just launched a mere few days ago, seeing the developer already directly address major concerns is a great sign. However, we don’t have any idea when these updates will be rolling out or what the specific roadmap for future plans looks like. There are still other issues with the game worth addressing as well, such as extended loading screens, the lack of a round system to cut back on downtime, and more.
On the official Sanzaru Discord channel yesterday, the Marvel Powers United VR developer detailed a forthcoming second update that will target larger gameplay enhancements and improvements, such as new objectives and enemies on missions to add variety.
Previously, the first patch mostly focused on an assortment of bug fixes and minor tweaks and was available within weeks of the game’s launch. In our review we noted an assortment of issues with the game, some of which may be fixed in the upcoming second patch.
The second update is slated for October and the full notes are as follows:
Upcoming Patch 2 – October TBD
Gameplay: Ongoing tuning.
Gameplay: New system for supporting random primary objectives.
Gameplay: New objective type – this can appear on any map.
– A new objective type appears in a random location. While it is active:
> Lockjaw can’t summon power cells.
> Heroes can’t earn or use their ultimate abilities.
> Heroes can’t be revived.
Gameplay: Up to 2 bosses during shield generator phase.
Gameplay: New enemy type that rushes players and objectives and explodes for massive damage.
Gameplay: New enemy turret type that spawns randomly and targets players/objectives.
Gameplay: New spawners & setups for new objectives & AI classes.
Gameplay: Expanding the range of boss ultimates with each occurrence.
Gameplay: Display points for secondary objective targets.
Usability: Speed up opening loot crates.
Usability: Need visible timer after players confirm match.
Improvement: On the comic cover, mirror player inputs to hero counterparts.
Improvement: On the comic cover, add single player position.
Bug: Hulk pouncing an A.I.M. Hunter & performing a grab & throw immediately drops/snaps the player to the ground with no fades.
Bug: In Prologue, player should be able to grab Captain Marvel’s hand with shield in opposite hand.
Random primary objectives, a new objective type, new enemies, and more boss variety all sound like great additions. In the Discord message Sanzaru also indicated that they are “working on additional content that we can’t announce at this time” due to a “longer-term schedule than patch 2” so hopefully we find out more about those changes soon.
Facebook’s annual Oculus VR focused press and developer conference is fast-approaching in its 5th installment as Oculus Connect 5. From September 26 – 27 thousands of panelists, executives, media, and developers will descend on the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
Now today, over a dozen new sessions have been announced across a wide variety of topics including storytelling, social presence, and diversity. Previously, talks focused on porting content from Rift to Santa Cruz were confirmed, as well as over a dozen other sessions.
Authentically Us: Providing a Platform for Unrepresented Voices in VR Paula Cuneo, Oculus Partner and Strategic Marketing Director; Shannon Scott, US Air Force Veteran; Jesse Ayala, Fovrth Studios Filmmaker; + Jeremiah Allen, Pride Foundation Project Director
Breaking the Story: Emergent Narrative from Shared Experiences Colum Slevin, Oculus Head of Experiences
Creative Ways to Get More Eyes on Your App Caitlin Bigham, Oculus Ecosystems Manager; Peter Howell, Lucifer’s Mask Developer; Tess McCrea Martov Producer; Lucas Rizzotto, Where Thoughts Go Creator
Developing Different Genres in VR: Learnings from the Edge of Reality Martin De Ronde, Force Field Creative Director
The Future of Home for Rift: Developer + Roadmap Updates Brandon Dillon, Oculus Rift Product Manager; Lizzy Donahue, Oculus Software Engineer; + Nancy Xiao, Oculus Product Manager
Medium and Quill for Prototyping Speakers TBA
The Next Generation of Storytelling with Immersive 6DOF Capture Brian Cabral, Facebook Engineering Director
Oculus Avatars: Maximizing Social Presence, Part II Mike Howard, Oculus Product Manager
Oculus Go Content Panel: Success for Mass Market VR Tina Tran, Oculus Developer Relations Specialist; Paul Raphaël, Felix & Paul Studios Co-Founder; Anthony Matchett, MelodyVR ounder; + Melissa Swanepoel, FarBridge Producer
React 360 + Oculus Browser: Uniting the Web with VR Andrew Mo, Oculus Mobile Product Manager
Unlock the Visual Potential of VR Using Unity’s Scriptable Render Pipeline Brad Weiers, Unity AR/VR Technical Product Manager
UX Research in VR Tara Franz, Oculus UX Researcher; Brian Espinosa, Oculus Hardware Researcher; James Lin, Oculus Research Scientist
VR for Everyone: Lessons for Building Compelling Social VR Experiences Mike Booth, Facebook Social VR Creative Director; Cecile Eskenazi, Facebook Product Manager; Mike LeBeau, Facebook Product Manager; Cody Sumter, Facebook Product Manager
According to our sources, we’re expecting to hear confirmation of a Q1 2019 targeted release date for the upcoming standalone VR headset from Oculus, code-named Santa Cruz. The Grand Finals of VR League Season 2 will also happen at OC5 that week as well.
Are you going to Oculus Connect this year? We’ll be on the ground covering all the latest from the show! Let us know down in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This story originally published on August 16th, but has been republished today to coincide with the event.
Original: If you’re attending PAX West later this month or happen to live in and around Seattle, WA then consider yourself one of the lucky few that will have the first-ever hands-on opportunity with Insomniac’s upcoming fourth Oculus Rift exclusive, Stormland. Oculus will be hosting demos only on August 31st as a one-time pop-up event with limited swag available.
For those interested, check out the event page on Facebook — it’s being held at 1927 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 on August 31st from 11AM PT – 9PM PT. That’s a huge block of time, so hopefully you’ll be able to get in if you want. The demos are totally open to the public meaning you do not need a PAX West badge in order to play the game.
This will be the first time anyone outside of either company is getting the chance to go hands-on with the game. In Stormland you play as a robot in an ever-changing world that’s engulfed in a constantly swirling and always changing massive storm. Every so often the storm shuffles the world, changes the environment, and resets everything — which lends itself very well to a dynamic, evolving game space.
Stormland is also a cooperative action game with full locomotion, climbing, flying, and a tremendously ambitious sense of freedom in movement. You can read more details about Insomniac’s vision for the game in our detailed feature from earlier this year. Watch more gameplay here.
Let us know what you think of the game and if you plan on attending down in the comments below!
It’s the last day of August and what better way to round the month out than with VRFocus’ forth competition in as many weeks. We’ve given away codes for Carly and the Reaperman, Curiscope AR T-shirts, GNOG, and now it’s another Steam code bonanza. VRFocus has ten Steam keys to giveaway for newly released Cave Digger: Riches, which supports HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Cave Digger is a comedic mining videogame that launched for free back in May. So why are we giving away codes? Well developer VRKiwi has just launched the first DLC for the title, Cave Digger: Riches, adding a bunch of new items, levels, upgrades and more to the experience. Currently retailing for £15.49 GBP on Steam, save yourself some cash and enter our competition below.
Riches are your goal in Cave Digger and to help you uncover them you’ll have to be inventive. Put those muscles to use with a pick-axe, or find enough gems and gold to upgrade and automate it. Or for those times when a manual tool just won’t cut it, a little bit of dynamite can go a long way.
Standard prize draw entry rules apply: Follow us (or already be following us) on Twitter and YouTube for an entry. Additionally, or alternatively, visiting our Facebook, Google+ or Instagram accounts to get an entry for each. The competition will be open a week. Beginning today and ending at midnight UK time on 7th September, 2018. The draw will be made shortly thereafter.
Oculus has already had its major sale of the summer but that isn’t stopping it adding another short offering before the end of August. Starting today, is the Oculus Store’s Labor Day Weekend Sale. Labor Day may only be recognised in the US but thankfully Oculus has opened the deals to all, with some cool savings to be had.
The sale covers all three of the company’s headsets, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR, meaning there’s something for everyone.
There’s way too many to list so hear are some highlights. For Oculus Rift there’s the rather good ARKTIKA.1 from the creators of the Metro series, reduced from £22.99 GBP down to £18.39. Or how about tabletop strategy title Brass Tacticswhich features both single-player and multiplayer modes for £14.99 instead of £22.99. Or for an epic VR puzzle adventure there’s always Red Matter. Set in a dystopian sci-fi universe the title now retails for £19.99 rather than £24.99.
Or do you happen to own standalone headset Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR then you can pickup titles like stealth adventure République VR for £4.99 instead of £7.99. On the multiplayer side there’s always magical combat videogame Wands for £5.99 rather than £7.99. Or how about recently release, family friendly Along Togetherwhich costs £6.99 instead of £7.99.
All these deals and more have gone live now, available through Monday, 3rd September at 11:59 pm PT. Don’t forget that Oculus’ Daily Deals will also be running at the same time.
Returning in the next few weeks will be Oculus Connect 5, with plenty of big announcements expected during the two day event. Several new sessions have been revealed and VRFocus will be there to bring you the latest updates.
Editor’s Note: This interview was originally published prior to launch and is being republished for the launch weekend.
Original: Earlier this week we had the chance to go hands-on with the final, release build of PSVR-exclusive shooter, Firewall: Zero Hour from First Contact Entertainment. In our final pre-launch impressions article we spent a lot of time analyzing the game’s balance, the various maps, and detailing how customization options work. You can read all of that here and find our full rundown of everything you need to know about the title here.
During that event we also got the chance to speak with Hess Barber, President & CEO at First Contact Entertainment and Game Director Damoun Shabestari. We talked about the game’s upcoming launch, reception to the title thus far, as well as post-launch support in the form of potential other game modes and other types of prospective DLC.
Right now Firewall only has one single game mode for the main 4v4 PvP multiplayer offering: Contracts. Equal teams of 4 are separated into Attacking and Defending where the attackers must hack a firewall access point and then gather intel from a laptop, whereas the defenders must prevent the intel from being captured by lasting until the timer runs out (5 minutes) or killing all attackers.
That’s the only game mode other than Solo and Co-Op training, so obviously one of the main burning questions is what about other modes? Team Deathmatch? Capture the Flag? More co-op offerings?
“We’ve definitely talked about all that, but the obvious reason not to do that right now is the player base,” said Barber. “Even if it’s as big as it could be, it’s still gonna be smaller than a normal PS4 game so we don’t want to have multiple game modes spread out and chopping up the player base. Once we see what happens with the players and if there is a good, consistent player base, and it keeps rising, plus DLC, and people keep coming to it, then we’ll release those game modes so we don’t chop up players as much.”
The reasoning makes sense, but it’s still a big want from the community and the game’s not even out yet. Alternative options such as offering a single playlist that cycles game modes (similar to Overwatch) or having timed event for special game modes, like a weekend special for double XP in Team Deathmatch, then it’s gone, or something do exist. But time will tell if that sort of thing is implemented.
“We’ve discussed all kinds of game modes and we’ve tried [team deathmatch] internally since a lot of people naturally play all shooters like a team deathmatch and then adapt to a more tactical style,” said Barber. “So a mode like that is very, very different and it does work and it’s fun, but we just don’t want to split people up. There’s also the immersion factor when you don’t respawn and bullets are hitting all around you and you can feel the pressure and the need to pull back and duck and survive.
“One of the modes we’ve thought of is a hardcore mode where there is no wrist map tablet, one shot you’re down, no names over heads, friendly fire, and all that stuff we want to get to down the track. Definitely something that we’re planning and discussing because there will be that group that wants more intense stuff.”
DLC can take the form of many things, though. Other than game modes or maps, there is potential for new contractors, new guns, new attachments, and more. Some titles even let you purchase in-game currency using real money to sidestep the amount of time it takes to unlock everything — so we asked about that too.
“No, you can’t buy in-game currency,” said Barber. “We didn’t want to have multiple currencies or anything like that. You’re able to purchase items with crypto in-game, but we never have plans to sell currency for money.”
So I understand the need to limit scope and manage resources, but the greedy consumer version of my brain still really wishes there was more Solo or Co-Op content even if not a proper campaign.
“We wanted to do both single player and multiplayer from the start, but when it really came down to it and we budgeted it, the time needed to do a really good single player would probably have been two or three years to really do that well,” said Barber. “So we wanted to be able to have a way for people to play solo, but we didn’t want to call it Single Player because people would expect a campaign so we came up with Training. You can level up and progress in there, but it’s much less than in Contracts.”
The most important thing for Firewall’s success, other than it being a good game once we get the chance to really dig in at launch, is that the community continues playing it. There needs to be enough to do to keep people busy and post-launch support via things like DLC could be a big part of that if done well.
“To be clear, this is not a release and forget game for us,” said Shabestari. I’m eager to see how much longevity a game this ambitious has in the end. With over 3 million PSVR headsets out there, the market is larger now and certainly growing all the time.
For users of Oculus products like the Oculus Rift, Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR, the annual Oculus Connect conference is worth keeping an eye on, as much can be learned about what the expect over the following year. Oculus have now unveiled more of what attendees can expect from the event.
Oculus Connect 5 is now less than a month away, and so more details about what sort of talks, roundtables and workshops can be expected are now coming to light, with 13 new sessions now announced.
Covering a range of themes and topics, attendees will be able to look forward to the following sessions:
Authentically Us: Providing A Platform for Unrepresented Voices in VR – The team behind Authentically Us explores how VR can promote change and social good.
Breaking The Story: Emergent Narrative from Shared Experiences – An exploration on how to balance storytelling with the VR experience.
Creative Way to Get More Eyes on Your App – A series of talks looks at the tools and strategies that can drive downloads and build communities.
Developing Different Genres in VR: Learnings from the Edge of Reality – Some VR projects are easier than others, Martin de Ronde of Force Field will look at different styles, genres and mechanics which can be used in VR.
The Future of Home for Rift: Developer + Roadmap Updates – A look at the new features which are coming to Oculus Home
Medium and Quill for Prototyping – A guide on how to approach prototyping VR environments in in Quill and Medium.
The Next Generation of Storytelling with Immersive 6DOF Capture – Discussing how new technologies allows a new level of immersive storytelling.
Oculus Avatars: Maximizing Social Presence, Part II – Covering the latest updates of Oculus Avatars and exploring the technology behind the new advancements
Oculus Go Content Panel: Success for Mass Market VR – Learn how to design, build and promote consumer experienced for Oculus Go
React 360 + Oculus Browser: Uniting the Web with VR – Learn how to create immersive experience for web, mobile and VR.
Unlock the Visual Potential of VR Using Unity’s Scriptable Render Pipeline – Discover Unity’s SRP can help developers.
UX Research in VR – Oculus researchers share how to gather information that can help the development process.
VR for Everyone: Lessons for Building Compelling Social VR Experiences – A talk on different ways to create social experiences in VR.
Further information on Oculus Connect 5 is available on the official website. As usual, VRFocus will keep you updated with the latest news.
Being one of (if not) the biggest technology companies in the world, Apple has a fair amount of cash when it comes to spending on research and development. However, that doesn’t mean that occasionally it won’t purchase the odd smaller company or two which are specialised in areas the iPhone maker has interests in. Most recently Apple acquired Akonia Holographics, an augmented reality (AR) startup based in Colorado.
Confirmed by Reuters, Apple still kept to its usual secretive self, merely saying: “Apple buys smaller companies from time to time, and we generally don’t discuss our purpose or plans,” in a statement.
It’s no surprise that Apple has purchased a company like Akonia Holographics as the company has long professed an interest in AR over rival virtual reality (VR) technology. Having launched ARKit last year for iPhones and iPads with the introduction of iOS 11, Apple has continued to support the software by unveiling ARKit 2 at WWDC 18 in June.
CEO Tim Cook is also well known for having remarked: “There’s virtual reality and there’s augmented reality – both of these are incredibly interesting. But my own view is that augmented reality is the larger of the two, probably by far.”
Founded in 2012, Akonia Holographics claims to have 200 patents pertaining to holographic systems and materials which can be leveraged to improve the size, cost & performance of future head-worn AR hardware. Having raised $11.6 million USD in seed funding that same year the company was known to be looking for additional investment prior to Apples acquisition.
Apple have long been rumoured to be working on an AR headset of some kind and Akonia Holographics tech could possibly make that happen. Akonia has claimed that its HoloMirror technology “will enable headsets that are thin, transparent & light-weight, while achieving high FOV with low manufacturing cost.” FOV is one of the main gripes with headsets like HoloLens and Magic Leap One, with them having 30-degree and 40-degree horizontal FOV respectively.
It may be years before Apple decide to showcase anything concrete, in the meantime keep reading VRFocus.
If VRFocus created a list of videogames that promised so much but didn’t quite hit the mark then Multiverse Entertainment’s Seeking Dawn would definitely make the top five. It looked to be the summer blockbuster with beautiful visuals and an expansive game world, yet lacked the polish in key places. Since the July launch the studio has release a number of patches looking to improve things, the latest being one of the biggest.
The team have now released a long list of bug fixes, improvements and changes for Seeking Dawn, with some that probably should’ve been there from the start.
Features like a left-handed control scheme should really be basic additions nowadays, that has now been included. A nice touch is the addition of respawning next to collectible resources, mean less trudging around looking for a crucial part of the experience.
In VRFocus’review Seeking Dawn achieved three-stars, because: “Seeking Dawn is the kind of title you have a love/hate relationship with. On the one hand when it works smoothly it’s a really fun and beautiful VR experience to play, with masses of content and hours and hours of gameplay. Unfortunately it’s not perfect, with plenty of repetition and glitches that need finessing. It might not be VR’s summer blockbuster but Seeking Dawn isn’t quite the dud either.”
Check out the full list to see if Multiverse Entertainment has fixed any issues you may have had with Seeking Dawn. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
Full Seeking Dawn changelog:
Bug fixes：
Fixed an asset loading issue where non-romanized characters in a file path caused the game to get stuck on the main menu
Fixed a bug where you could activate the shield while climbing
Fixed a bug where you could damage yourself in multiplayer while shooting close to your hands
Fixed a bug where Oculus users would not hear anything in the Oculus headset
Fixed a bug where the player orientation after teleporting in blink mode would be different from the hologram model’s orientation
Fixed a bug where firing the shotgun while having the hand close to the head would open the quick mission interface because of recoil
Fixed a bug where a drop pod door would not close in multiplayer if someone left the game before entering it
Fixed a bug where Locilus corpses would still move after dying
Fixed several network issues
Fixed several other errors
Improvements and changes:
Added a backpack function to only drop a portion of an item stack
Added a left-hand control scheme
Added achievements on Oculus Store version
Added the room code inside of the settings menu
Added more information in the save slot interface
Added camera rotation controls to the joystick of the Windows MR controller
Added the option for Vive controllers to move while either touching or pressing the trackpad
Added respawning to collectible resources
Changed remote players’ damage checks to be local for more realistic combat
Changed the firing mechanism of the Spitting Cobra
Changed forest lighting to make it brighter
Optimized several sudden framerate drop issues
Optimized networking
Optimized rendering and particle effects
Optimized logic calculations
Optimized environments
Balanced enemy and weapons stats
Updated the localization
2K Games has released NBA 2K19: The Prelude, a free prologue for the game that includes access to the beginning of the story-focused MyCareer mode. The full game is out on September 11.
Ubisoft will release Assassin's Creed Odyssey in October for consoles and PC. Here is everything you need to know about the next chapter of Assassin's Creed, including the story and setting.
A few months ago Finnish indie studio VRKiwi launched its first virtual reality (VR) title on Steam, a comedic take on the harsh world of mining with Cave Digger. Having released several patches the team has now brought out the first DLC for the title, Cave Digger: Riches.
While the core Cave Digger videogame is free on Steam the DLC will cost you some cash. There are two versions on the retail platform, the standard Cave Digger: Riches DLC for £15.49 GBP and Cave Digger: Riches Support’s Edition for £32.99.
The DLC adds seven different endings for players to uncover with VRKiwi hinting: “Get creative with the nuke, collect all the fancy tools and write down your best jokes. What? Yes, you’ll need jokes. If you are able to unveil all of the endings.” New tools have been added like the mining gauntlet which can be made more powerful by adding a few gems.
Or how about upgrading the tools you already have, make and automatic pickaxe or an energy efficient saw for example. With these you’ll be able to discover new secrets and treasures on new floors, even coming across a lava level.
“We really liked to play Minecraft and part of the idea was to recapture similar core mining experience into VR and then develop the rest further with other ideas. We also wanted it to be old western themed with fantasy elements or alternative western, says Jani Kaipainen, the CEO of Cave Digger developer VRKiwi in a statement. ”We have got lot of promising feedback and help from the community in Discord and other channels to develop Cave Digger further. Gamescom helped us a lot too as you get to talk to your potential players and influencers from around the world.”
As for the Support’s Edition, those extra pennies will get you a gold-plated pick-axe, Cave Digger OST and concept graphic collection, and your name will be shown randomly on “Wanted posters” to all players.
Cave Diggers and its accompanying DLC can be found on Steam, supporting HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Oculus Rift owners can also find Cave Digger: Riches on the Oculus Store for £14.99 GBP. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
Several virtual reality (VR) videogames have utilised ancient Greek mythology for their inspiration, as it can be a treasure trove of iconic beasts, vengeful gods, and stunning architecture. The latest comes from Flemish studio Mantis Games, with a bold narrative-driven experience called Journey for Elysium.
Making use of the HTC Vive Pro’s improved visual output, the first striking design feature is that the entire videogame is in black and white. Whilst this is nothing new – many other titles have used a reduced colour palette to great effect – the look still adds a certain feel and atmosphere that’s difficult to reproduce any other way. It’s certainly not creepy, with the demo areas begin mostly outside, more a stark, almost ethereal look to the experience, as if you were playing through an ancient dream.
As mentioned Journey for Elysium has been inspired by Greek and Roman mythology while creating its own fictional story. You play an unnamed warrior who has died on the battlefield, now finding themselves on a boat in Penumbra, hovering between life and death. To obtain redemption and reach Elysium there are a myriad of challenges and puzzles to complete as you head down the river.
The short demo displayed at Gamescom 2018 began right at the start of this journey, allowing attendees to get used to the smooth locomotion system which was set as default. It worked perfectly well coupled with snap rotation. Those who prefer teleportation weren’t catered for in the demo but the final experience will have the feature the team noted.
Starting in a cave, the short walk down to the river and the boat – which is a central part of the experience – was dotted with golden coins (the only colour in the videogame) which would come into play later on but not in the demo unfortunately. There will be a loot system in place for Journey for Elysium, just not at this time.
Jumping onto the boat it’s very much an upper body workout with a double paddle with which to row the boat over to the next location. Journey for Elysium continues this physical, room-scale gameplay throughout the demo, as there are ladders to climb giant towers with switches on, or rocky walls to traverse. Thankfully, even at this early stage those mechanics work well, being able to grab ledges as if you’re some free climbing master, with a nice solid grip each time.
As for the puzzles they were primarily environmental in this gameplay session, flicking switches or firing flaming arrows at targets. Nothing particularly taxing yet grand in their design, utilising the locations as extensively as possible to make Journey for Elysium much more of a spectacle.
As Mantis Games’ first VR title Journey for Elysium already looks very promising. The 15-20 minute gameplay session didn’t reveal any further story details, and there were still further mechanics to unearth. The visuals already look very eye catching, and the central boat mechanics hold up enough that they don’t feel too finicky. Let’s just hope the content is there to flesh out the experience.
Last week’s PlayStation Blog suggested that the PSVR port of 3rd Eye Studios’ Downward Spiral: Horus Station would be releasing this week. Well, you actually have to wait just a little while longer.
Downward Spiral is now arriving on September 18th with full (and optional) support for PSVR. The console version of the game will support the DualShock 4 and PlayStation Move controllers and will be released for $19.99 / €14.99 / £14.99.
The game is a sci-fi adventure in which you find yourself on an abandoned space station orbiting an alien planet. You make your way through the facility in zero gravity, trying to find out what happened to the crew and fighting off mechanical enemies. The game’s got full co-op support (though works great in single-player) and also comes with competitive multiplayer to boot.
We really, really like Downward Spiral, so we’re actually glad it’s not releasing in the same week as Firewall Zero Hour and other big PSVR titles. The game’s got a great control scheme (which will be implemented for the first time on PSVR unlike on Rift where there’s also Lone Echo) and an unbeatable atmosphere. If you need a break from all the military action in three weeks time you should absolutely pick it up.
Google’s Spotlight Story series of gorgeously animated 360-degree videos has produced some of the best-looking experiences you can have inside a VR headset. Its latest entry, Age of Sail, is no exception.
The trailer for this latest story, which is on display at the Venice Film Festival this week, just dropped. Directed by John Kahrs, who’s best known for his Oscar-winning 2012 animated short, Paperman, the piece tells the story of an old sailor that saves a girl in the middle of the North Atlantic. The two quickly fall out of sorts, with the sailor seeking isolation. It stars Ian McShane and Cathy Ang.
Visually the piece looks absolutely jaw-dropping, with a beautiful hand-drawn art style that boasts a unique sketchiness to it. We don’t know when it’ll launch on headsets, but it will make its US debut at LA Film Festival’s VR & Immersive Storytelling Showcase on 22nd – 23rd September.
When it comes to videogame creativity indie developers tend to push the envelop more than the bigger studios, namely because they have more freedom to do so. In the world of virtual reality (VR) this has meant some surprising experiments have arrived for headsets. FAKT Software has seen the potential in the technology, deciding to enter the industry for the first time with a physics-based puzzle experience called Crazy Machines VR.
While new to VR, the actual Crazy Machines franchise is several years old, having began as a top-down puzzle videogame, seeing several versions launch across multiple platforms. Of course, Crazy Machines VR takes this idea and creates an entirely new challenge for players, thrusting them into a virtual world full of pulleys, gears and rubber bands to create solutions to various challenges.
During Gamescom 2018 VRFocus caught up with FAKT Software’s Managing Director Falk Mockel about the studios plans for Crazy Machines VR. Having experimented with VR the team realised what a natural fit Crazy Machines VR would be because of the interactive, hands-on nature of the gameplay.
VRFocus previewed Crazy Machines VR at Gamescom 2018, saying: “Crazy Machines VR certainly has the potential to be a refreshing puzzle experience in VR and, given the high level of challenge offered by previous titles, will likely be a brain taxer that goes far beyond most of what the medium has yet dared to offer.”
Check out the full interview below to find out further details on the studios plans. Crazy Machines VR is expected to arrive for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality in Autumn of 2018. A PlayStation VR version is also in the works, with a launch window of early 2019.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Crazy Machines VR and FAKT Software, reporting back with any further updates prior to launch.
Virtual reality (VR) training exists for a number of sports, with MiHiepa focusing on pro football. The company recently announced a brand new platform aimed at identifying and improving talent across the academy system: REZZIL Academy, as well as expanding into the US with a New York office.
The core MiHiepa platform is already installed at leading football clubs across the Premier League and top European leagues, able to collate millions of natural movement data points, to build a picture of player capabilities across several key areas.
REZZIL Academy uses HTC Vive Pro headsets and comprises four key drills alongside analytics tools to give coaches insights into a player’s ability to cope with pressure, make great in-game decisions and react to challenge whilst enabling easy objective comparison and player performance tracking against themselves and their peers.
While MiHiepa has seen significant growth in Europe the company is now targeting the US. Thanks to an investment deal with US venture firm Channel Mark, MiHiepa’s newly established New York office will be used as the base to launch Rezzil Academy across North America.
“We have been impressed since the very first time we saw MiHiepa 10 months ago, and after meeting the team behind the product we felt compelled to make a more solid partnership and investment. We believe this space is poised for very significant growth,” said Brendan O’Shea COO of Channel mark in a statement. “With four million registered youth soccer players in the US this is a big opportunity; literally and figuratively. The new Rezzil product is the tip of the iceberg for where the team intend to take innovation in elite sport across all ages and genders”.
“We’re excited about the opportunities working with an investment partner such as Channel Mark brings. Not only will MiHiepa now have an established base and employees in the USA, we will also benefit from the knowledge and contacts their high tech team bring with them,” comments Adam Dickinson, Development Director, MiHiepa. “This now enables us to have a foothold, and most importantly constant presence in the rapidly developing and innovation receptive U.S. Soccer Market.”
VRFocus will continue its coverage of MiHiepa reporting back with the latest updates.
