Taking place at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, Google I/O is an outdoor developer festival that lasts for three days. On May 17th – 19th, there will be hands-on learning, tech keynotes, and insight on Google’s latest developer products in the 2nd annual event.
The festival will also be home to the Google Play Awards and it has undergone a bit of change. Last time New York Times VR represented for the AR/VR industries with a win in the Most Innovative category (Within was also nominated) but, this year, there are entire categories dedicated to virtual and augmented content.
For 2017, the Google Play Awards categories have expanded from 10 to 12 to include Best AR Experience and Best VR Experience. Those nominated for the VR category exhibit “optimal use of the Daydream UI” with the AR nominees being recognized for “harnessing the creative and imaginative technology of AR”.
Having dedicated categories such as these will stand as solid exposure not only for the experiences nominated but for the availability of VR and AR content on Google platforms. The hope is that the casual consumer will be paying attention, give some of this content a try, and remain open to new experiences utilizing this tech in the future.
As 360-degree and virtual content grows, many entities are attempting to gain a foothold on either the content creation aspect or the side that provides the hardware and software for such creation. Digital Domain is a creative force in media that specializes in transportive content and they consider themselves one of the pioneers when it comes to 360-degree live streaming. Including a new spherical camera, new production tools, and a cloud-based distribution system, Digital Domain is aggressively tackling virtual broadcasting.
“VR experiences can transport audiences to new levels of engagement,” says Digital Domain’s Executive Director and North American CEO Amit Chopra in a press release for the announcement. “But the process can be a challenge for brands entering this new realm. We’ve made it much easier for our clients and partners by introducing a comprehensive suite of VR broadcast solutions that not only opens their eyes to what is possible but also dramatically reduces the production time and expense involved in bringing new VR content to consumers.”
Part of the introduced suite is a portable 360-degree camera capable of 4k, 60fps video capture. In addition to its compact size, it operates via a single cable for power and data which enhances the efficiency of any crew equipped with it. It comes with integrated 360-degree audio and is weather resistant for recording sessions featuring less than desirable shooting conditions.
“After a year in development and working with our partners and customers, the platform is now battle tested, scalable to millions of viewers and has reliably powered some of the most popular VR destinations and events on the market,” says Dhruv Gupta, Vice President of VR Platform and Apps for Digital Domain. Alongside the camera, Digital Domain is also adding to its VR production capacities with techniques that blend graphics from various sources without distortion in the 360 sphere and advanced tools like multi-camera streams. To round it out, they’re also allowing easier distribution of this new content across all popular VR headsets (including customizable apps) via a new cloud-based distribution system. With this new additions, Digital Domain looks to continue pushing the envelope and opening up the door to more creators interested in the VR platform.
World renowned publications like TIME Inc haven’t been shy about embracing VR and 360-degree video for their newest content, and rightfully so. The immersive storytelling platform opens doors for interesting and emotionally impactful content. The work of park rangers is largely thankless, but National Geographic’s Documentary Film division has announced a new project honed in on their mission in the Congo. The feature debuted at Tribeca and it will be a VR first for two big Hollywood talents.
The Tribeca film festival, which has expanded its VR presence to the full length of the festival, will be home to the VR short film The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes. “National Geographic has been protecting the planet for 129 years and inspiring others to do the same through text, photos, videos and, increasingly, VR,” says executive vice president of digital product for National Geographic Rachel Webber in the press release for the announcement. “The Protectors transports audiences to the heart of the ivory conflict, witnessing the battle between destruction and preservation firsthand.”
The feature will be helmed by Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow and two-time Emmy nominee Imraan Ismail. Ismail has contributed to visual effects for films such as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Furious 7 and is a part of the specialist creative group HERE BE DRAGONS, a team who most recently crafted a 360-degree feature that ties into the Scarlett Johansson-led film Ghost in the Shell. Bigelow is known for her incredible work as a director for Zero Dark Thirty, a film that chronicled the decade-long hunt for Osama Bin Laden, and winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards for The Hurt Locker. Both bring a great deal of expertise to The Protector and it’s encouraging to see such prestige related to VR content.
If you’re attending Tribeca, the feature can be viewed at the virtual reality arcade at Tribeca. If you miss out, on May 1st it will be released on the Within VR content platform which is available for free on Android, iOS, and Oculus Home. Be sure to take a look at coverage for other VR cinematic features like I Am Because of You from Impact Network and a VR tie-in for Wesley Snipe’s new film The Recall.
It’s a new week of HTC Vive releases and now one of the biggest VR games of the year is now available! Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, which received an 8.5 from us, is bringing you the best that one of Adult Swim’s most popular cartoons can bring you as you work inside Rick Sanchez’s garage. Another highlight this week is Forgotten Chambers, a visually striking journey through a magical adventure. You’ll be using magic to manipulate this intriguing world and unravel the mystery of it all.
We also have a top list of the absolute best HTC Vive games — which is updated every few months with the latest and greatest options.
New HTC Vive Releases on Steam
Colourise, from Field Tested
Price: $7.19 (Currently Discounted)
Put your mind to the test with Colourise, a spatial puzzler where you must connect the dots. The game features over 25 puzzles where new mechanics to puzzle solving are introduced over time.
Recommendation: It’s a neat puzzler to burn time with.
Drone Fighters, from Surreal Games
Price: $10.49 (Currently Discounted)
You’ve possibly already tried to pull this in real life, but it’s time to put drones through the battle arena you’ve always desired. Drone Fighters is an arcade style drone brawler with unlockable drones and cross-play between Vive and Rift.
Recommendation: It is currently in Early Access, but looks pretty solid already. Check it out.
Baskhead Training, from VRLINES
Price: $7.99
Baskhead Training is an arcade style basketball game where you mustn’t shoot your way through 20 levels but actually receive the balls with a basket attached to your face. There are also bonus balls and special effects.
Recommendation: Interesting flip on the constant basketball VR games. Give it a shot. Heh.
Recommendation: Pass on this one, not very original.
Forgotten Chambers, from Tpot Studio
Price: $16.99 (Currently Discounted)
Forgotten Chambers is another virtual puzzle entry for this week, this time taken on a more mystical theme. In this title, you’ll use magic to find hidden clues and fill the room with water and stars as you uncover the world’s history.
Recommendation: Visually striking and entertaining, this should be played.
Recommendation: This is a well-done fantasy job sim. Grab it.
Ropes and Dragons VR, from nobodyshot
Price: $0.84 (Currently Discounted)
In Ropes and Dragons, you’ll use your wand to cut the ropes and engage the puzzle mechanisms to feed your friendly dragon companion.
Recommendation: It’s a super inexpensive family-friendly and easy to play game. Grab for the kiddies at the least.
Train Harder, from 2Frogs Software
Price: $4.89 (Currently Discounted)
Train Harder is a test of your agility, endurance, and accuracy as you duck, dodge, and shoot while riding on top of a train. The game’s play on words mean the ultimate goal here is to whip you into shape and challenge friends to do the same with your high score.
Recommendation: It’s a cool addition to your workout routine if you need a few more selections.
VIVR – Mixed Reality Studio, from Dream.Digital
Price: $1.79 (Currently Discounted)
Broadcasting your VR adventures can be enhanced with mixed reality footage and VIVR is a tool that makes this a bit easier for content creators.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on it as it evolves throughout Early Access.
Solitaire VR, from Barbaroga, LLC
Price: $1.99
With the beautiful decor of an ancient mountain keep surrounding you, Solitaire VR gives you a platform to play all of your favorite forms of solitaire in virtual reality. There are multiple rooms for you to explore and play in, but maybe there’s a bit of mystery to it all as well?
Recommendation: Definitely grab this one if you like the classic card game.
VRobot, from Luden.io
Price: $12.74 (Currently Discounted)
On a planet where robots and driverless cars are everywhere, humans have built a giant robot to help them reclaim their cities. In VRobot you control the giant with the help of tools like a tornado maker and tractor beam to clear everything out.
Recommendation: Not bad so far, but keep an eye on it during Early Access before taking the leap.
Gus Track Adventures VR, from maxlvlgames
Price: $13.99 (Currently Discounted)
With lead character Gus, Gus Track Adventures has players collecting loot and shooting down powerful enemies before taking on epic boss fights in a vibrant world with cartoon style.
Recommendation: It’s a very beautiful on-rails shooter, but that’s getting old. Your call.
Boxplosion, from DNV
Price: $7.19 (Currently Discounted)
Boxplosion is a particle colliding experience where you control time and up to 20k particles to create your own intense collisions. There’s a scene creator with 50 3D models to choose from and you can also include your own music that the scenes will sync to. Once you have a visual you love, you can export gif animations and screenshots.
Recommendation: Not a lot of meat to this visual feast. Pass on it for now.
Mighty Monster Mayhem, from Rank17
Price: $8.99 (Currently Discounted)
Take on the role of a terrifying creator in Mighty Monster Mayhem and terrorize the city and population. Choose from characters influenced by monstrous greats like Cthulu Carl or Toni the Oni so you can climb buildings, throw objects and people, and punch things. You can also tag team the destruction with a friend.
Recommendation: Grab this is and embrace your more monstrous side.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, from Owlchemy Labs
Price: $29.99
Virtual Rick-ality puts Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty on a collision course with the hilarity and immersion of Job Simulator. You play as a clone of Morty that has to knock out a collection of tasks to assist Rick and Morty on another one of their incredible journeys. You have Rick’s garage and a plethora of interesting tools to play around with while also traveling through portals into new spaces.
Recommendation: Check out our schwifty review. This is a must have for HTC Vive owners.
Fantasynth, from HelloEnjoy
Price: Free
Fantasynth is a trippy audio-reactive experience where players glide through a procedurally generated environment that music brings to life. The song used is “Chez Nous” by N’to and lasts for roughly 7 minutes.
Recommendation: A free and visually impressive mind trip. Give it a go and show your friends.
Space Needle VR, from Expedia Labs, Expedia , Space Needle + Chihuly Garden and Glass, WSP – Parsons Brinckerhoff of Seattle, Jaclyn Lake
Price: Free To Play
This Expedia and Space Needle Group produced experience lets you explore Seattle, Washington’s Space Needle from top to bottom, even in areas not open to the general public.
Recommendation: It’s free! Grab it and take the tour.
Oblivion Tesseract VR, from Epotech
Price: $7.99
Oblivion Tesseract VR is a tower defense shooter with ethereal elements abound. There’s a potential curse of blood, a mysteries cube, and a family’s haunting history at play and you must protect the tesseract by slaying the incoming monsters.
Recommendation: It’s an interesting concept with unique design, but it needs a bit of work. Keep an eye on it.
TennisVR, from AbstractGameStudio
Price: $6.99
Tennis VR is a simulation of the sport where you can face AI that increases in difficulty. There’s a freeplay option in addition playing best of 3 or 5.
Recommendation: Not a lot of depth in play just yet. Keep an eye on it.
The Crane Trials: Red Edition, from Liam Swetnam
Price: $4.99
In The Crane Trials, you’re locked in your own home post bad breakup. Investigate the area and find a way to get out.
Recommendation: Skip this one.
AI Rebellion, from Immergity
Price: $17.99 (Currently Discounted)
AI Rebellion is an open space simulator where you can pilot 4 types of ships and control them via virtual levels in your cabin. It takes place in the year 2753 where decades have been spent crafting an artificial intelligence called P.A.I. that was supposed to control a central military station. After 3 years of flawless operation, the AI is suffering interruptions and is eventually lost. Now you must go find out what’s wrong.
Recommendation: This game has some potential but don’t pull the trigger just yet. Keep an eye on it as it is developed throughout Early Access.
Great Pyramid VR, from Michal Barta
Price: $7.99 (Currently Discounted)
In Great Pyramid VR you have an opportunity to explore one of the great wonders of the world. Features include a head light, mini 3D map, voiceovers telling the pyramid’s history, and more. Within the pyramid, you can explore the many passages and chambers including the King’s Chamber.
Recommendation: There’s not much beyond exploring. If you have an interest in this legendary monument, you’ll find it enjoyable though.
Immerse Creator, from JonBrouchoud
Price: $19.99
Immerse Creator is a collaborative sandbox where you can create 3D objects and architectural spaces to house them in. It features an intuitive and easy to use 3D sketching system to bring your ideas to life and will introduce the multiplayer mode along with a non-VR viewer mode.
Recommendation: Overall this is a beautiful and ambitious concept, but wait for it all to come together before grabbing it.
Mega Overload, from Subdream Studios
Price: $12.74 (Currently Discounted)
Mega Overload brings retro arcade gameplay with a collection of different play styles. Throughout this nostalgic feast, you’ll shoot down waves of robots, collect power-ups, upgrade weapons, and climb the leaderboards in a game that replicates the nostalgic levels of difficulty. There’s also an online co-op mode.
Recommendation: Grab this one!
VR Coaster Extreme, from George Cook
Price: $4.99
VR Coaster Extreme provides players with a coaster experience that takes you through mines, classic coasters, and even miniature tracks through a bedroom.
Recommendation: This game contains some immersive coasters, but also real life vomit. Probably just pass on this one, coaster sims are played out.
Schlocks, from Fancy Bear Games
Price: $14.99
Schlocks is a collection of over 50 micro-games that serve as a competitive VR party game altogether. The games last for 10 seconds each so you’ll have to be quick on your toes. You’ll also be able to explore 10 departments within the Schlocks store.
Recommendation: The game will have over 100 mini-games by the time it releases fully, so it could shape up to be a great VR party game. Keep an eye on it.
Cyberlink PowerDVD 17 Ultra, from Cyberlink
Price: $89.99 (Currently Discounted)
PowerDVD 17 Ultra brings a fully featured media companion for PCs and home entertainment. With it you’ll get a robust media player, photo album viewer, and get TrueTheater HDR, Color, and Sound for videos.
Recommendation: For PowerDVD users, this is an incredible opportunity to utilize all features and access your media in VR.
Deadly Hunter VR, from Leiting Interactive
Price: $17.99 (Currently Discounted)
In Deadly Hunter you play a renowned hunter that must learn the weakness of the incoming assailants and take them down as quickly as possible. With your bow at hand, you’ll be fighting through a robust collection of over 20 scenes and challenges. As you face 10 types of monsters.
Recommendation: Even in Early Access this is worth the purchase if you aren’t tired of shooters.
Bullet Sorrow VR, from VikingVRStudio
Price: $24.99
Bullet Sorrow is an FPS that features a full single player campaign and multiplayer content for both PVE and PVP. The gunplay is entertaining, featuring a bullet-time force field and bunker-cover system.
Recommendation: This is a must-have shooter for VR platforms. Definitely grab this.
New HTC Vive Releases on Viveport
No new releases on Viveport this week as of the time of writing.
Spoilers for Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and Season 2, Episode 2, of the cartoon are found below. Continue at your own risk!
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, which received an 8.5/10 from us when it released yesterday, is filled to the brim with references from and gameplay elements related to some of the most coveted moments in the Adult Swim cartoon that it’s based on. There’s a unique game version of Mr. Meeseeks (known as Youseeks) that copies your every moment to help you complete tasks, the homicidal alien Rick is holding captive can be heard but not seen as you exchange items with him via a hatch in the garage, and there are many more. Everyone has a particular element of the show they’d like to see brought to life in virtual reality and the outer space arcade Blips and Chitz is the perfect candidate for gaming spaces. While Virtual Rick-ality doesn’t give us a fully realized Blips and Chitz, it does deliver a playable version of their hit game Roy: A Life Well Lived…well…a knockoff version of it at least. You can see the full scene from the cartoon below:
In Episode 2 of Rick and Morty’s 2nd season, Mortynight Run, Rick sells a weapon to an assassin so he can spend the day at the arcade Blips and Chitz. Morty battles with the morality of Rick’s decision and argues such but, before he can make any sort of point, Rick ushers him into a VR game called Roy: A Life Well Lived. Morty lives out the lead character’s life, making crucial decisions on his relationships and career all the way to his death. The length of his life is what determines the high score. It’s a hilarious riff on VR’s immersion being used for a regular life simulator and Owlchemy Labs’ Virtual Rick-ality tops it with a purposefully low-budget knockoff of the game with this iteration called Troy: A Life Lived.
In Virtual Rick-ality you’ll begin playing Troy as a baby and as you progress through various stages of life. You’ll have to make key decisions that shape your progression along a brief branching narrative. Play with the Rubik’s Cube as a baby and you’ll get labeled as a nerd in high school. Drink beer in college and you’ll get a reputation as a party animal.
We played through it twice, making difference choices each time, to show just how varied the experience can be. You can watch our playthrough of both sessions below (each one is only about 5 minutes in length total.)
Have you tried Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality yet, and if so, what did you do as Troy? Did you go back to the carpet store? Let us know in the comments below!
Parts of this article were contributed by Games Editor David Jagneaux.
