Whether discussing with casual observers, enthusiasts, or even experiencing fictional works inspired by VR, there’s usually some sort of mention of the fears of becoming too attached to virtual spaces. We’re far from having devices comfortable or immersive enough to truly warrant such a thing, but a couple decided to test the limits anyway. Headsets and their various experiences are built to play under a couple hours but Dean Johnson and Sarah Jones decided to live with a virtual reality headset on for 48-hours as reported by Engadget.
Dean Johnson, head of innovation at the Brandwidth agency, is not a stranger to extensive VR exposure. He’s previously spent 24-hours straight using a collection of VR headsets but this time he recruited a guest, Coventry University’s Deputy Head of School Sarah Jones, and doubled the goal to 48 hours with 5-minute breaks each hour to record vlogs and use the restroom. So it’s not actually continuous, but pretty close.
The two engaged in their usual daily routine, including sleeping with the headsets on, but also added in a few intense physical activities. “We wanted it to be as physical as possible,” Johnson says. “How extreme do you need to get with the physical additions to VR to make it feel real?”
Using the Gear VR’s pass-through camera capability, the duo drove around in go-karts and wind-walked on the wings of a plane. They adjusted to the karts with no problem, despite the narrow field of view. For the wind-walk, though, the headset’s limitations made the experience not seem as real as it should have. “It still didn’t feel real to us with what we were seeing,” he says, “but the movement — the buffeting and forcing yourself against the wind, they were the things that physically added the extra dimension.”
Sleep also provided an interesting type of stimulation for the two. “When you wake up in VR, you just believe everything,” Johnson explained. “It’s kind of like waking up in an unfamiliar hotel room. You may not know where you are or what the timezone is, but you just believe you’re in a hotel room. Why would you not?”
Source: Engadget
While getting a tattoo, Johnson explained that the pain level seemed to drop down a third. His apple watch noted his heart-rate dropped from 103 beats-per-minute to 74, so there was a clear benefit to having VR diverting his attention. This type of revelation could be beneficial in the medical field for different types of therapy or pain management in different instances — such as child birth.
One would think that any number of VR headset manufacturers would jump at the opportunity that Johnson and Jones’ experiment would provide regarding exposure and promo, but every company Johnson approached turned him down. Ultimately, this entire ordeal is against the recommended use of virtual reality and it’s reasonable no manufacturer wanted to co-sign without knowing what could potentially happen to the two. While Johnson did have blurry vision for a short time after the VR experiment, physical ailments like bruises on Jones’ cheeks from the headset were more prevalent and bothersome.
Source: Engadget
As headsets become more comfortable and resolutions get better the record for consecutive time spent in VR will increase. With that, hopefully, some interesting data will be recorded to contribute to evolution in the industry.
From July 30th to August 3rd in Los Angeles, the 44th annual SIGGRAPH will take place and showcase the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The event will host a collection of VR and AR projects but there will also be a VR Village housing highly interactive, content-driven experiences and the event organizers have a new focus for the relatively young collection of exhibits.
VR Village has welcomed art, simulation, and real-world applications in the past but the 2017 exhibit is focusing on diversity within the content and the content creators.
“We made a conscious effort for diversity — we tried to normalize our content to be as diverse as possible,” says the 2017 VR Village Chair Denise Quesnel. “We believe that diversity in content, and diversity of contributors, helps facilitate perspectives and opportunities that are of great benefit to attendees. The experiences that will be seen at this summer are not only outstanding examples of VR and AR but can only be experienced in SIGGRAPH’s unique VR Village space.”
Initiatives such as this, so early in the lives of these immersive industries, could build the VR and AR communities with strong ideals and many diverse perspectives. Such an effort breeds positivity and welcomes more and more people into the fold as the technology and experiences evolve over time. Here are a few of the highlights for content that will be on display at VR Village:
Neurable: Brain-Computer Interfaces for Virtual and Augmented Reality
Ramses Alcaide, Adam Molnar, and Michael Thompson, Neurable
Description: The product of neuroscientific insights and advanced machine learning, Neurable interprets user intent, bringing new degrees of freedom to virtual and augmented reality. It poses the question: “What if you could use your brainwaves to control your computer and virtual environment?” This installation does just that.
Description: “Out of Exile” is the true story of Daniel Ashley Pierce, who was violently attacked by his family when confronted about his sexual orientation. The room-scale VR experience is a powerful parable of the hostility faced by many in the LGBTQ community.
“Emblematic Group does incredible work in the realm of VR journalism, and drawing attention to underrepresented communities and their stories. Emblematic Group participated in the first VR Village in 2015, so it is great to see their team back at SIGGRAPH 2017,” said Quesnel.
Digital Playgroundz: Demonz I.
Jakub Roček, Daniel Gregor, Ordřej Prucha, and Josef Kortan, INITI.org
Description: Digital Playgroundz is an interactive and augmented-reality system that displays large-scale applications on flat surfaces (walls) in various spatial configurations, with no limits on the number of users or size of the interactive area. Coming all the way from Prague in order to premiere a custom interactive and multi-user experience at VR Village, the folks at INITI.org make not only incredible art, but their own innovative technology to create scalable experiences.
HOLO-DOODLE
Terrence Masson, School of Visual Arts; Ken Perlin, New York University; Daffy London; and, Laura Dohrmann
Description: HOLO-DOODLE is a VR hangout that brings the VR experience of being a naughty robot killing time to life. The attraction makes its world premiere at SIGGRAPH 2017.
IRIDiuM+: Deep-Media Storytelling With Non-linear Light-Field Video
Maggie Kosek and Kenny Mitchell, Disney Research, Edinburgh Napier University, The Walt Disney Company; Babis Koniaris, David Sinclair, and Fraser Rothnie, Disney Research, The Walt Disney Company; and, Lanny Smoot, Disney Research
Description: This presentation depicts techniques and the creation process of a deep-media immersive experience with synchronized tactile, audio, and light-field visual techniques to realize a non-linear story in virtual reality.
Registration for SIGGRAPH 2017 is now open and Full Conference, Select Conference, and Exhibits Plus passes gain you access to VR Village. Be sure to take a look at our master list of VR conferences for 2017 to get your event schedule in order and catch the best the industry has to offer.
The GPU Technology Conference (GTC) Europe is a 3-day event in Munich, Germany that will be home to over 150 sessions involving deep learning, VR, AI, and more. The event’s organizers want it to be a place to connect with peers and experts, learn through hands-on labs, discover new breakthroughs in technology, and inspire innovation. GTC Europe is set for October 10th-12th but, if you’re itching to talk VR, now is your time to get involved because their content team has put out a call for speakers and submissions for the VR track.
Submissions require an enticing session title of no longer than 12 words, session format and duration (either a 20-minute talk with 5 minute Q/A or 50-minute talk with 5 minute Q/A), topics, and a few additional details listed on the GTC Europe website. You’ll have to consider the audience level when submitting as well, with three specific levels listed:
Introductory: Session helps attendees learn the fundamentals of a given subject area.
Intermediate: Some knowledge of the subject area is required. Session helps attendees enhance their knowledge of a subject area.
Advanced: Greatly developed knowledge of the subject area is required. Session helps attendees seeking to heighten their already advanced knowledge of a subject area.
If you’re interested in being one of the speakers or presenters and you’re accepted, you’ll receive an all-access pass for GTC Europe. Better yet, your team and/or project will receive promotion prior to the event and on-site as well. For three days GTC Europe will be home to some of the biggest creative minds, enthusiasts, and decision makers for various tech fields and having your business and concepts exposed to them would be an incredible opportunity. The deadline for speaker submissions for the VR track is July 14, 2017.
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This is sponsored content which has been produced by UploadVR and brought to you by NVIDIA. NVIDIA did not have any input into the creation of this content.
Virtual reality is an intriguing auxiliary tool for creatives, able to be used to supplement traditional media formats. Interactive VR experiences for film, virtual panels with actors and actresses, and even immersive streams for live events are growing in number. Not everyone is jumping at the opportunity to utilize the virtual platform but, as reported by Variety, the creator of the Breaking Bad television series is experimenting with VR for a non-game experience based on the show.
Breaking Bad, currently sitting at a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 95%, is and will continue to be in the discussion for one of the greatest television shows of all-time. Despite the slow burn of the first season, Breaking Bad’s five season run stands as some of the best storytelling ever as viewers witnessed the rise and fall of Walter White and all of the colorful characters around him. In Variety’s report Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, was the main person to jump at an opportunity presented to him during an event held by Sony’s PlayStation division.
“We set up a day at our campus where we brought seven of the best show runners [Sony Pictures Television] work with, like David Shore of ‘The Blacklist’ and Ron Moore, who did ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ Vince and some other folks,” said Andrew House, global chief executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “And they just played around with VR. Several of them were intrigued, but Vince was the one who said, ‘I really want to do something with this. I want to experiment with this.’”
There are no further details beyond the fact that there’s a project in the works, but there’s plenty to be excited about to have one of television’s best shows potentially contributing to the VR ecosystem.
The NBA, NFL, and NCAA have all been tapped for virtual content on a regular basis and will likely continue to forge relationships with immersive content producers as the quality of the hardware and streams continue to increase. Now the MLB is making a big immersive splash with a 3-year partnership with Intel that will be delivered to baseball fans for free.
By way of Intel’s True VR app, live and on-demand VR Baseball content will be available for free starting on June 6th. Users will be able to customize their streams with multiple camera angles (all using 4k cameras), statistics, or even a produced broadcast experience for the Intel True VR Game of the Week. Intel also released the schedule for June in their press release for the announcement:
Cleveland Indians vs. Colorado Rockies on June 6 at 8:40 p.m. ET / 5:40 p.m. PT
Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants on June 13 at 10:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. PT
Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners on June 20 at 10:10 p.m. ET / 7:10 p.m. PT
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks on June 27 at 9:40 p.m. ET / 6:40 p.m. PT
“As a VR partner of MLB, Intel is delivering a truly immersive virtual reality live stream where fans can experience the excitement of being at the ballpark every week,” says the general manager of Intel Sports Group James Carwana, in a prepared statement. “The addition of live stats to the Intel True VR weekly games is another example of how we’re giving fans more control to personalize their baseball experience.”
Baseball in VR is a big enough deal in itself, but a three-year deal is monumental for immersive platforms. It signals a belief in the long-term presence of VR and a Game of the Week format is a solid way to test interest from the fans. If things pan out, expect more involved deals and some competition from other producers in the future.
Sorry for the absence, our release lists are back now! This week’s collection of new releases for the HTC Vive is quite dense and includes a solid handful of titles for you to consider adding to your library. Tales of Glory is the first highlight from the bunch, throwing players into huge battlefields with over 100 NPCs at a time. Throttle Powah is a trick racing experience with unique locomotion where each controller serves as a motorized wheel. Lastly, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is arguably one of the most notable VR releases since the debut of immersive headsets with an incredibly fun multiplayer experience that demands teamwork and coordination.
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
Far Space, from Alexey Glinskiy
Price: $1.19 (Currently Discounted)
Far Space is an immersive trek with a gripping story and shooter elements. Your team is exposed to something unexpected while repairing an orbital station and now you must figure out how to survive. Choices you make throughout will determine your life and the lives of your companions.
Recommendation: It’s an interesting concept that’s poorly executed. Pass on it at the moment.
StratoBash, from Phr00T’s Software
Price: $3.59 (Currently Discounted)
In StratoBash you’ll race up floating islands along the stratosphere while solving puzzles and throwing bashers at your enemies. Each island presents a unique set of obstacles including natural disasters, traps, and more. There’s also a mode to construct your own levels.
Recommendation: Not much to it, pass on this one.
UNTITLED, from Bean Boy Games
Price: $2.54 (Currently Discounted)
UNTITLED is a collection of puzzle courses to test your ingenuity and spatial awareness. There are over 100 trials and a wealth of tools to help you progress.
Recommendation: Decent addition to your puzzle genre library if that’s your thing.
BARBAR BAR, from Bartoš Studio, TEDI Games
Price: Free
BARBAR BAR is an…um…bar simulator if you couldn’t figure that out from the name. In this sci-fi dig you’ll be memorizing orders from customers and mix them as they’re requested. There are 4 levels for you to conquer and you’ll have to mix faster and faster.
Recommendation: It’s a free memorization game, more or less.
Operation Warcade VR, from Ivanovich Games
Price: $13.99 (Currently Discounted)
Warcade channels classic arcade on-rails shooting for an exciting VR experience. There’s a classic mode with 6 levels and final boss, but there’s also an immersive mode with 108 mission across 36 levels.
Recommendation: Recommended for fans of rail shooters. It’s like stepping inside of an arcade cabinet.
4D Toys, from mtb design works, inc.
Price: $14.99
4D Toys takes hold of your inner youth by giving you a virtual box of toys to play with. There’s an extra, unique dimension to tool around with and it affects the natural way the toys operate. There are over 100 interactive scenes with more to be added.
Recommendation: A bit pricey for what you get.
Microcosm, from paulstraw
Price: $14.99
In Microcosm you have the tools to build voxel worlds. Use solid, transparent, and glowing voxels to create scenes and sculptures with intuitive controls. There’s also a custom soundtrack by composer Kevin Jachetta to serve as background music while you create.
Recommendation: May not inspire a purchase if you already have one of the other creative apps but, if you don’t, this could be a cool addition to your library.
Streetball VR, from Indiecode Games
Price: $4.99
In Streetball VR, classic arcade streetball returns but with a VR twist. Across 3 maps you can take on opponents in 1 on 1 b-ball with a Hip Hop soundtrack to raise the energy. There’s a practice mode and a time mode for you to experience.
Recommendation: There are better basketball experiences to be found elsewhere, but the visuals are really nice.
VRun, from Phoenix3, Mr. L, Mr. T
Price: $4.99
VRun is an addictive VR endless runner inspired by Temple Run and similar titles. The running and obstacle traversal is enhanced with some gun play and the developers will be adding more content over time.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on it to see how it grows.
Recommendation: A free and visually impressive journey. Give it a shot.
Escape The Gray, from QRA-CS
Price: $1.99
Escape The Gray is an escape experience where the rooms and their unique puzzles are randomized with each playthrough. The devs will be adding new rooms in the future as well.
Recommendation: The randomized nature could offer a fresh escape experience. Give it a go if you’re not tired of these games already.
Riley Short: Analog Boy – Episode 1, from boxmyth
Price: $3.99
In Analog Boy, you play as Riley Short who shorts out any electronics he touches. Sadly, he exists in a futuristic world where just about everything is electronically operated including hovering cars and sentient refrigerators.
Recommendation: It’s a bit silly and has low production values, but worth a look if you’re into the wacky.
FORM, from Charm Games
Price: $14.99 (Currently Discounted)
FORM welcomes players into a world with puzzles built by surreal dreams and memories. There’s an ancient artifact at play and your goal is to solve the mystery of it while the world transforms around you.
Recommendation: Surreal and stimulating environments make this puzzler stand out. It’s a bit short, but it’s well-made.
Stunt Kite Masters VR, from HandyGames
Price: $3.99 (Currently Discounted)
Stunt Kite Masters VR brings a one-of-a-kind kite simulation experience that lets you take your custom kite models out into a collection of locations.
Recommendation: This is a virtual escape of a different, and fun, kind. Grab it.
Woeful Woebots, from Hello Bard AS
Price: $11.99 (Currently Discounted)
In Woeful Woebots your metal creations have turned against you. Grab your weapons and defend yourself before they toss you into the trash heap.
Recommendation: This is a stylish shooter with personality at a relatively low price. Add it to your library if you’re not tired of shooters yet.
Slice&Dice, from VRotein
Price: $7.99 (Currently Discounted)
In Slice&Dice your objective is to manipulate a collection of puzzles so that you can get the die into the goal. The cubes move at your desire as you push through this complex physics puzzler.
Recommendation: Need some new blood for your puzzle library? Take a look at this one.
The Murder Room VR, from Bellcat
Price: $10.99
The Murder Room is an escape experience with high stakes. Solve your puzzles as quickly as you can as what you perceive begins to unravel around you.
Recommendation: If you have a ton of escape games, not sure if this is a required buy for you.
Armor Clash II – VR, from Windforce
Price: Free
This DLC requires the base game Armor Clash II and adds VR functionality to the game. Armor Clash is an intense military RTS and VR is a natural transition for managing huge battlefields.
Recommendation: RTS fans should definitely give this a go.
BeanVR, from Shenzhen BeanVR Technology Co. Ltd
Price: Free
BeanVR is a social application with highly customizable profiles, multiple spaces, and interactive elements to engage in. The platform welcomes talk-show and cam-girl experiences as well.
Recommendation: It’s free, so definitely take a look and see if it stands out to you.
Relax Walk VR, from Indiecode Games
Price: $1.99
Relax Walk is a virtual escape that takes you to 6 photo-realistic environments: Mars, Forest, Ocean, China Temple, Oasis, and Apocalypse.
Recommendation: There’s not a ton to do, but the price coupled with the impressive visuals make it worthwhile for fans of eye candy.
Crystal Vibes feat. Ott., from Benjamin Outram
Price: Free
Crystal Vibes is a candy-colored psychedelic experience. Spatial 3D audio provides music synesthesia with production from Ott.
Recommendation: Check it out.
Ripple Effect, from Well Played Studio, Inc.
Price: Free To Play
Ripple Effect is another virtual escape for this week and includes 4 environments along with 5 games to play. The developers are promising a new game each week and you’ll also be able to play with friends. The games included are Spear Toss, Night Flight, Hammer and Shield, Sky Roots, and Mountain King.
Recommendation: Considering it’s free, give it a go. If the developers execute on their promises, this could be a premier VR experience. More info here.
Vanguard V, from ZeroTransform
Price: $14.99
Vanguard V is a VR flight adventure title where you’re the sole defender against the Parasites. The game channels the energy and excitement of classic space shooters and has developers with great pedigrees behind it.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on this during early access. Could be an impressive project.
Castle Wars VR, from Arrible
Price: $13.49 (Currently Discounted)
Castle Wars gives you control of the full battlefield with 3 different factions to use and fight in this real-time strategy romp. Combine different combat groups with faction units so you can conquer the enemy in online multiplayer or across 9 single-player missions.
Recommendation: It’s Early Access currently but looks quite promising. Lots of content already.
Tales of Glory, from BlackTale Games
Price: $29.99
Write your own destiny and lead your troops in Tales of Glory, a medieval combat experience. The battlefield will hold over 100 NPCs at a time with over 2,000 total soldiers continuously spawning. As it evolves, there will be more than 20 weapons, horse riding, and a growing number of battlefields.
Recommendation: This is a game you most certainly should keep an eye on. There’s massive potential here for a game that is already a lot of fun in its current form.
Country of One, from Roman Revzin
Price: $6.02 (Currently Discounted)
Country of One drops you into a virtual sandbox modeled after island fantasies. You can hunt and/or tame animals, build dwellings using a precise construction tool, and even create electro-mechanical devices using the environment around you. In the future, the developers will be adding a survival mode, air/land/water vehicles, co-op, and more.
Recommendation: Solid attempt at VR sandbox and survival play. Give it a go at this price.
Crowe: The Drowned Armory, from The Rogue Initiative
Price: $14.99 (Currently Discounted)
Crowe: The Drowned Armory is an inventive shooter with room-scale puzzles, tactical bow and shield combat, and cinematic visuals to boot. The game’s setting blends science-fiction and fantasy on the planet of Jayde, a place that has remained hidden for 1,000 years. In the first chapter, you’ll team with an Artificial Maintenance Intelligence (A.M.I., a techno-fairy) to restore power to an underwater reactor core.
Recommendation: Definitely consider this. Could be a great introduction to a vibrant world that will get more episodes down the line.
Galaxis Wars, from Clear Ink Studios
Price: $10.79 (Currently Discounted)
Taking place in the year 2120, Galaxis Wars tells the story of humans facing an extinction-level threat in the war with the Galaxis. The players progress through different scenarios in their simulation chamber, each inspired by arcade shooters.
Recommendation: There are many similar experiences with a bit more to offer, but give it a look if you really need something new.
Giant Cop: Justice Above All, from Other Ocean Interactive
Price: $24.99
As the Giant Cop, use your size to explore, find hidden objects, and uncover the criminal plot taking place in Micro City. There’s a story with plenty humor, reactive NPCs, and plenty missions with a 70s aesthetic.
Recommendation: We likened it to more of a tech demo in our review and it’s a hard sell at this price point.
Throttle Powah VR, from Diego F Beltran, Mauricio Tunes, Luiz Zaiats
Price: $8.49 (Currently Discounted)
Using each controller as a motorized rocket wheel, Throttle Powah thrusts you into a unique style of racing in VR. Utilize the original locomotion style to freestyle tricks, race, and jump all over the imaginative environments.
Recommendation: This unique title deserves your attention. Grab it and hit some sick tricks if you don’t get motion sick.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew, from Ubisoft
Price: $49.99
Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts four players in the role of Captain, Helm, Tactical, or Engineer as you control the U.S.S. Aegis or U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701. You’ll need to coordinate well as a crew while making strategic decisions to complete your missions, which are procedurally generated in the “Ongoing Missions” mode in addition to a structured storyline.
Recommendation: Bridge Crew got an 8 out of 10 from our team and is a must-have for your VR library especially if you have friends to play it with. Here is the review.
Poker Show VR, from Kogei
Price: $8.99 (Currently Discounted)
Poker Show VR blends realistic poker with real-life fashion models who remove clothing as they lose. You’ll have 3 models as opponents for the classic five-card draw style of poker. The models may even text or send selfies after your match.
Recommendation: Judge for yourself. It’s pre-recorded 360 videos with light interactivity over the top.
BREACH IT, from Domas Sabockis
Price: $8.99 (Currently Discounted)
BREACH IT is a team-based tactical attack/defend shooter with realistic shooting and environment destructibility that can be harnessed as you tackle the objectives. Defenders can reinforce walls or board doors while attacks can take a hammer or explosives to obstacles.
Recommendation: Seems like it could become the Rainbow Six Siege of VR, so check it out.
Dustoff Heli Rescue 2, from Invictus Games Ltd.
Price: $14.99
Dustoff Heli Rescue 2 is a classic-style sidescroller with voxel visuals and lots of explosions. You’re tasked with taking out enemies in different areas en route to rescuing hostages at prisoner of war camps. The game includes 35 unique missions, 9 different helicopters, 3 bonus vehicles, 11 weapons, and more.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for intense, side-scrolling action, this is your game.
IKEA VR Pancake Kitchen, from IKEA Communications AB
Price: Free To Play
This culinary experience lets you make some virtual pancakes with the help of IKEA’s kitchen specialist. You’ll learn the key aspects of a kitchen and make the perfect pancakes.
Recommendation: You can’t eat these pancakes, but hopefully the skills will translate. Check it out.
RoadkillerZ, from Black Room Games
Price: $3.39 (Currently Discounted)
RoadkillerZ is a vehicular combat game where you battle beneath the world’s cities in a secret world of violence. Your goal is to win the Scumball Derby and you have a couple vehicles (a couple more will be added) to complete your task. Also, run over zombies to get yourself a few power-ups.
Recommendation: Jump into this one early and hold on for dear life.
VeeR Pong, from Ian Slattery
Price: $7.49 (Currently Discounted)
Need a place to practice your beer pong skills? VeeR Pong is the experience for you. The game has realistic physics top to bottom so you can show off your shot and even team up with a friend. Or play against them if you’re feeling especially competitive.
Recommendation: Pass on this one.
The Glade, from Kelly Studios
Price: $2.99 (Currently Discounted)
The Glade is survival wave shooter where you face off against giant spiders while earning points to upgrade your weapons.
Recommendation: Decent inexpensive wave shooter. Check it if you wish.
Primal Reign, from Immersive VR Limited
Price: Free
It’s Egypt 1943 and Primal Reign has you exploring ancient tombs where Nazi’s tampering with time has ended with devastating, prehistoric results. You’ll face 10 increasingly difficult waves of enemies with your WWII sub-machine gun, automatic rifle, and grenades.
Recommendation: It’s free so test it out. If it does well, the devs want to add a lot more content.
True Blades, from Gemerizon Studio Inc.
Price: $29.99 (Currently Discounted)
True Blades delivers cutting edge (heh) medieval sword fighting on an island of over 240 acres. Knights, men-at-arms, goblins, orcs, warlocks, and more are your assailants with a realistic combat system for you to take them down with.
Recommendation: Hold off to see what this game becomes in Early Access before investing. There’s certainly potential.
Prevent The Fall, from D.W.S.
Price: $12.74 (Currently Discounted)
Prevent The Fall is a hardcore RPG/dungeon crawler with semi-procedurally generated dungeons and tons of items to acquire. Characters max at level 20 and you can tackle the game with a friend in online co-op where the number of monsters scale.
Recommendation: It’s a little rough around the edges currently, but keep an eye on this as it progresses through Early Access.
New HTC Vive Releases on Viveport
Virtual Sports, from Vive Studios
Price: $19.99
Virtual Sports gives you space for some realistic and immersive ping pong or tennis. You can play with friends or take on a career mode against opponents in various venues. There’s also a Fun Mode for you to practice and learn in.
Recommendation: A decent addition to your library through your Viveport subscription if you like ping pong enough.
In the early stages of any industry, building a company and carving out a space as it grows is crucial. Virtually Live has done just that, positioning itself as a premier home for live event virtual reality. They’re turning live sporting events into interactive VR experiences and now Virtually Live has named Markus Tellenbach as their CEO.
Tellenbach brings 20 years of media experience with him and has been instrumental in launching television stations across Europe including Eurosport, VOX, Veronica, and more. He’s managed radio and internet services and, as CEO for Poland’s leading broadcaster TVN, lead them to a 50% TV ad market share.
“We’re excited to have Markus Tellenbach joining the Tectus Group and becoming CEO of Virtually Live Group, having known and worked with him over the past 10 years, I have full confidence that his deep media know-how will benefit Virtually Live’s rapid expansion in the VR universe,” says Virtually Live Executive Chairman Bruno Valsangiacomo. “His global expertise as a media operator will accelerate Virtually Live’s growth into the leading live-VR provider of fully immersive live experiences in unparalleled quality.”
Though VR’s relation to broadcasting is untraveled waters, ushering in someone with such experience as Tellenbach puts Virtually Live in a great position to continue their growth and better tap their beneficial position in this early stage of the VR industry.
Matterport has positioned itself as one of the most prominent VR companies, growing the company on a foundation of a large library of real places scanned into 3D that are being made available for VR as well. They’re able to do this with their proprietary camera and, now, they’re introducing a new model that not only brings improved 3D and VR scans but also 2D prints for a robust all-in-one solution.
Matterport’s new Pro2 is priced $3,995, which is over $500 cheaper than their original camera but it comes packed with more functionality. This 134-megapixel 3D camera comes with complete solutions for those wanting to use it for Real Estate: GPS-tagging of scan locations, automatic generation of interactive floor plans, and more. The kicker is, this same device can harness those same 134-megapixels to provides 4k 2D images in addition to 3D scans.
“As real estate professionals, we must embrace technology to stay competitive,” said John De Souza, President at Cressy & Everett Real Estate, in a prepared statement about the new camera. “Matterport has helped my team win listings and reach more buyers.”
The Pro2 versatility is a benefit for creators, small teams and large. Large teams can send out staff equipped with a multi-tool that improves fficiency and small teams can spend limited funds on hardware that serves multiple purposes.
To learn more about how Matterport is impacting the Real Estate market via VR, check out this feature from one of your writers.
Mobile VR’s high accessibility and convenience is looking more and more like the path of least resistance when it comes to virtual reality having a common presence in households. Price and form factor play a big part in this, but with those benefits comes a hindered experience when it comes to degrees of movement and interaction with virtual experiences on these mobile platforms. Creators are regularly attacking the limitations of mobile VR so we’re likely to have more robust entry level VR in coming years. ManoMotion is one such company and they’ve released a new SDK that specifically tackles opportunities around input and interaction for mobile VR platforms.
ManoMotion’s new SDK, which is available on their website today, provides developers with the tools to create experiences centered on hand gestures for VR, AR, and MR applications. ManoMotion’s tech used the cell phone’s camera to pick up hand gestures so users can grab, hit, move, and tap digital objects.
“The launch of our SDK is a significant milestone in our company’s history,” said co-founder and CEO of ManoMotion Daniel Carlman in a prepared statement. “It marks the start of a new community and knowledge base around gesture technology, to which ManoMotion will show undying commitment and contribution. We can’t wait to see what developers create!”
Google Daydream took an important step forward with its controller for VR input, but is still very limited when compared to tethered headsets. If ManoMotion manages to provide truly robust interaction while not hogging up smart devices’ already limited power, it could be an incredible leap for the platform. Also, while this is immediately more impactful for mobile platforms that have limited interaction, technology such as this could impact the more advanced VR headsets in the future as well.
Mobile VR’s high accessibility and convenience is looking more and more like the path of least resistance when it comes to virtual reality having a common presence in households. Price and form factor play a big part in this, but with those benefits comes a hindered experience when it comes to degrees of movement and interaction with virtual experiences on these mobile platforms. Creators are regularly attacking the limitations of mobile VR so we’re likely to have more robust entry level VR in coming years. ManoMotion is one such company and they’ve released a new SDK that specifically tackles opportunities around input and interaction for mobile VR platforms.
ManoMotion’s new SDK, which is available on their website today, provides developers with the tools to create experiences centered on hand gestures for VR, AR, and MR applications. ManoMotion’s tech used the cell phone’s camera to pick up hand gestures so users can grab, hit, move, and tap digital objects.
“The launch of our SDK is a significant milestone in our company’s history,” said co-founder and CEO of ManoMotion Daniel Carlman in a prepared statement. “It marks the start of a new community and knowledge base around gesture technology, to which ManoMotion will show undying commitment and contribution. We can’t wait to see what developers create!”
Google Daydream took an important step forward with its controller for VR input, but is still very limited when compared to tethered headsets. If ManoMotion manages to provide truly robust interaction while not hogging up smart devices’ already limited power, it could be an incredible leap for the platform. Also, while this is immediately more impactful for mobile platforms that have limited interaction, technology such as this could impact the more advanced VR headsets in the future as well.
