Making any sort of virtual reality (VR) content isn’t a simple process, from a piece of art using Tilt Brush or Quill to an actual videogame and all the complicated elements that process involves. It’s why Japanese studio Psychic VR Lab created STYLY, an online, browser-based solution for those creators looking to delve into this immersive space without having to go down the Unity/Unreal Engine route. When VRFocus attended the NEWVIEW Awards 2019 in Tokyo last year it was the perfect time to hear from two of the team looking to expand VR content creation both at home and abroad.
STYLY is a platform designed for artistic expression rather than making videogames. Freely available to use online or by downloading the app through Steam (supports Valve Index, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality), you can start by exploring the thousands of VR spaces already available – like all the recent award winners – before delving into the creative side.
This is easily achieved through a drag and drop system so there’s no need to worry about coding. For those with the skills, STYLY can also be used with 3D software such as MAYA or Blender.
It’s not just VR that Psychic VR Lab is interested in but the whole ecosystem including augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). In 2019 the studio released an AR STYLY app for mobile devices where you can view art pieces by spatial designer “Discont” who won the Parco VR content award at the 2018 NEWVIEW Awards. This is just the beginning as the app will introduce creative tools later this year.
So onto the interviews. First up is Yosh, Creative Director at Psychic VR Lab and the driving force behind many of the studio’s innovative projects including fostering VR designers at Bunka Fashion College and the NEWVIEW Awards. Yosh details how the awards came to be and the progress being made to encourage more people through various workshops and the NEWVIEW School.
For VRFocus’ second interview Psychic VR Lab’s CEO, Masahiro Yamaguchi talks in detail about the STYLY platform itself, what it can do and how he hopes it’ll encourage kids to unlock their imaginations. Yamaguchi has a very forward-thinking philosophy when it comes to immersive media, that it will eventually become ubiquitous in our everyday lives, cities will become digital canvases in ways we can’t even imagine.
As Psychic VR Lab continues to expand its digital vision VRFocus will keep you posted.