Spellcaster ‘Waltz of the Wizard’ Coming to PSVR 2 in October, Including Asymmetric Co-op

Waltz of the Wizard (2019), the single-player spellcasting experience for SteamVR, Quest, and the original PSVR, is bringing its magical exploration and dungeon crawling to PSVR 2 next month.

Waltz of the Wizard started out life as a casual exploration game that put you at the top of a very Hogwarts-inspired castle spire. There, you combine arcane ingredients into a boiling cauldron with the help of an ancient talking skull, unleashing spells upon a fully interactive and mysterious world using technologies like voice interaction and gestures.

Introduced later in the ‘Natural Magic’ expansion, Waltz of the Wizard essentially tacked on a pretty substantial dungeon crawling game that tasks you with mastering arcane spells so you can also take on a dungeon of baddies.

New to the list of features is the addition of PSVR 2’s eye-tracking as an input method. We haven’t seen exactly what the studio has up its sleeve there, but it seems like it will at very least allow you to visually select baddies before blasting them to bits with your magical spells. There’s also set to be asymmetric co-op on PS5, letting you team up with a non-VR player to let you take on dungeons.

The studio says its PSVR 2 version includes:

  • Cutting-edge voice, eyes- and gesture interaction abilities
  • Large campaign with storyline, combat and challenges
  • Hundreds of voice interactions (English)
  • Infinite level generation mode for endless fun
  • Eye-tracking interactions with characters and magic
  • Dozens of unique haptic effects (rumble, trigger, head)
  • Team up with a friend in asymmetric co-op!

Aldin Dynamics says Waltz of the Wizard is coming to PSVR 2 October 3rd, 2023. You can wishlist it on the PlayStation Store here.

Waltz Of The Wizard To Add Voice Recognition On Quest In Upcoming Update

An upcoming update for Aldin Dynamic’s Waltz of the Wizard will add voice recognition functionality, allowing you to talk to characters and cast magic using your voice.

Aldin says the new features will arrive in a free update for Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic, using Meta’s Voice SDK, announced at last month’s Connect conference. The SDK is powered by Wit.ai, a voice interface company that Meta (then Facebook) acquired in 2015.

Here’s a snippet of what Aldin Dynamics had to say about the voice recognition update:

As the first VR experience with in-depth voice integration, the update adds to Waltz of the Wizard’s uniqueness in offering the greatest collection of natural interfaces for a believable experience of reality, combining hand-tracking, gestures and voice. The combined effect is an ultra-interactive reality that’s only possible in VR.

A teaser trailer, embedded above, features a player using their voice to address Skully, who responds to the player’s voice when called. Talking to the game’s cast of characters is just one aspect of the new technology — players may also be able to cast spells with their voice, with the tantalizing promise of combining verbal cues with open-air hand gestures seemingly within grasp.

Meta recently confirmed a next-generation standalone headset code-named Cambria coming next year that’ll have a much slimmer profile, eye and face tracking, and better AR passthrough. Such inputs could also dramatically change VR game design and enhance the overall experience that Aldin is building toward.

“Cambria offers features we waited a long time for,” Aldin CEO Hrafn Thorisson wrote to UploadVR. “We’ve been designing experiences whose primary aim is to feel like reality since day one. Characters with reactions to your movements and gestures. We added handtracking because we want you to use hands naturally, voice is an obvious missing piece to make a reality experience, expand our character interaction systems and push the reality experience format forward.”

Once the update lands, Quest users will be able to play Waltz of the Wizard in controller-free setup that offers a high degree of immersion, taking advantage of both hand tracking and voice recognition technology at the same time. After the Natural Magic expansion earlier this year, however, only certain areas in Waltz of the Wizard supports hand tracking. That said, the developers are actively work on supporting hand tracking again throughout the entire experience.

Meanwhile, Meta seems to be building up a collection of experiences that work well in scenarios with only hand tracking, such as with the recent release of Vertigo Games’ hand tracking air guitar game Unplugged.

Waltz of the Wizard’s voice recognition update is coming soon to Oculus Quest.

Waltz of the Wizard Teases the Power of Magical Vocals

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic

Ever since Aldin released Waltz of the Wizard six years ago the studio has continually used the title to push the latest virtual reality (VR) technology, with its latest update to Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic its biggest to date. Continuing that trend, today Aldin has begun teasing what’s next for the magical experience, in-depth voice integration.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic

The Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic update that arrived back in the summer added a basic spell that you could cast with your voice by holding your hands up to your mouth. By the sound of it, that’s going to get a major upgrade so that: “people will soon be able to talk to characters and cast magic using their voice,” the studio explains. That should in turn make the gameplay experience even more immersive, imagine attacking enemies with a simple shout.

Aldin is adding this new feature thanks to Meta’s latest voice command improvements in the v34 software update. Meta’s new Voice Commands allow users to pause and play media in Oculus TV, show or hide Move stats or open the settings tabs. “With in-depth voice integration, the update adds to Waltz of the Wizard’s uniqueness in offering the greatest collection of natural interfaces for a believable experience of reality, combining hand-tracking, gestures and voice,” the studio adds.

However, Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic is a multiplatform title so just like the hand tracking functionality, using your voice will likely be exclusive to Oculus Quest. Additionally, while it’ll be a free update it won’t be accessible by all. Meta’s Voice Commands are only available in the United States with English set as the default language.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic

There’s still much Aldin hasn’t released regarding this new voice integration, what type of spells will it offer, will there be various ways to cast using your voice; talking normally or shouting producing different effects for example. And most importantly how platform dependant it’ll be.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic is currently available for Oculus Quest and PC VR headsets. The update wasn’t rolled out to the PlayStation VR version which is still listed as Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition, this is because Aldin halted development in 2020 due to that lack of VR product updates from Sony.

For continued updates on Waltz of the Wizard, keep reading VRFocus.

‘Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic’ Gets Massive ‘Powers’ Update, Bringing New Magic, Weapons & More

Waltz of the Wizard is a spell-casting VR experience that got much deeper with the entrance of the ‘Natural Magic’ expansion on Quest and SteamVR headsets in July, which fundamentally changed the game by bringing a new magic-based combat system and a massive dungeon to fight through. Now Iceland-based studio Aldin Dynamics has pushed out the game’s first big update, called ‘Powers’, which includes a lot more than just a set of new magical powers.

The free update focuses on increasing diversity of the Natural Magic campaign by tossing out seven new powers to control, which come in addition to the game’s initial sonic scream, flexible casting, and telekinesis system.

Here’s a rundown of the game’s seven new powers, making a total of 10:

  • Lightning Bolt — Rubbing your hands together charges particles with electricity for a lightning cast.
  • Tornado — Swirls your hand in circles to form a tornado of particles.
  • Neutron Orb — This powerful attack condenses magic into a devastating neutron orb.
  • Neutron Explosion — If you’ve formed a neutron orb, you can make it explode to push enemies away.
  • Spectral Blade — A quick motion of closed fists spawns a blade. You can have one in each, and it leaves a satisfying streaks and realistic ectoplasm liquid dripping.
  • Spectral Orb —Bowling with magic is now possible. Simply do an underhanded bowling cast and see particles form into a ‘solid’ shape.
  • Spectral Shield — Quick crossing of your arms creates an instant block for incoming projectiles.

Natural Magic also now has two new enemies which are said to pay “active attention to moving things in the environments, react to your hands during melee, avoid dangers like explosives and additionally perform dodging maneuvers instead of driving straight for you all the time.”

New enemies are called ‘Demolisher’, which detonates as close to you as possible, and ‘Larvops Droppers’, a larger flying baddie that rains down explosives.

You’ll have a few explosive weapons on your side to fight them though:

  • Regular Grenade (pink) — Simple enough, pull the pin and it beeps until it explodes.
  • Proximity Mine (yellow/gray) — Once activated, tentacles slither out of holes and can attach it to any surface. Once attached, it becomes a proximity mine that triggers when you or characters stand too close.
  • Sproingbomb (orb) — Like the timer version, but bounces like a rubber ball. Sprooooiiiinng.
  • Holy Hand Grenade (gold) — Bathe thine enemies in the holiest of forces.

Playing through the campaign, you’ll also notice new cave environments, which feature destructible stalagmites and stalactites. It all sounds like ample opportunity to use the environment to your advantage in a fight.

Image courtesy Aldin Dynamics

The second new area occurs in level three of the campaign. Called the ‘Observer Fortress’, it promises plenty of flying baddies and the new Larvops Dropper enemy type.

The ‘Powers’ update is live on all supported platforms, which includes Oculus Quest and SteamVR headsets.

The post ‘Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic’ Gets Massive ‘Powers’ Update, Bringing New Magic, Weapons & More appeared first on Road to VR.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic Available Now For Oculus Quest, SteamVR

The Natural Magic expansion is available now for Waltz of the Wizard on Oculus Quest and SteamVR.

The update is free for existing owners of Waltz of the Wizard at launch. After launch, developers Aldin Dynamics confirmed that Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition will be renamed to Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic and see a price increase from $9.99 to $19.99.

waltz of the wizard natural magic

According to Aldin Dynamics, the Natural Magic expansion uses a new “magic physics engine” that leverages “natural movements, gestures and mic input” to simulate magic actions that manipulate the environment and cast spells:

The foundation of Natural Magic is built upon a unique magic physics engine that’s entirely new to VR, where magic is conjured and controlled through natural movement as if it were real. Venture into a 40-level fortress to recover lost artifacts from beings that harness magic to control time and space – or discover strange oddities and secrets in a friendly wizard tower and mysterious courtyard.

Natural Magic is not the end of the road for Waltz of the Wizard content either — Aldin Dynamics says it is still working on “new technologies, content and features” for the game that will be released as an update in a similar fashion to Natural Magic.

waltz of the wizard natural magic

Last year, Waltz of the Wizard added support for hand tracking on Oculus Quest, including a movement system that let you travel across large distances by pointing where you want to go. The game has seen excellent results on the Quest platform overall, with a one-day sale with a 20 percent discounted resulting in record sales for the studio.

The Natural Magic update is available now for Waltz of the Wizard on Quest and SteamVR.

There’s a Kinda Natural Magic Today in Waltz of the Wizard

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic

Waltz of the Wizard has been around since 2016 and there aren’t many virtual reality (VR) videogames that can claim to have the same longevity. Aldin Dynamics has continually sought to enhance the experience, releasing Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition in 2019 and now its biggest update to date, Natural Magic. With this new feature rollout, the title will be permanently renamed Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic, allowing players to explore and do even more within this magical realm.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic

Apart from a couple of select areas you could unlock and teleport to, Waltz of the Wizard was primarily focused on creating a highly interactive experience with your wizard tower, filled with objects to shoot, discover and even conjure by mixing ingredients up. Hence why it was always a great videogame to introduce VR newcomers to, especially on Oculus Quest with all the finger tracking functionality.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic feels a lot more geared towards fans of the videogame, giving them even more control and things to do. For the first time, there’s now a permanent second area called the Courtyard. Quiet and peaceful, this is designed as a sort of sandbox area where you can practice those new magical abilities, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities. Currently, as this new update is for SteamVR and Oculus platforms (PlayStation VR misses out), the hand tracking functionality on Quest only works in the Tower, not the Courtyard, so it’s controllers all the way.

Using your new magical powers you can quickly fire off projectiles with both hands to attack an enemy, or grab the projectile mid-flight to alter its trajectory. Aim it towards an inanimate object like a barrel and you’ll be able to pick it up and fling it around. You can also bring your voice into play. Bring those hands near your mouth to eat some of those magical particles and then shout (quite literally) to send out a sonic sound wave!

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic

All of this is going to be very useful when you decide to enter the Fortress, a 40-level maze housing hidden artefacts, monsters and traps. Each of these artefacts begins to make up a picture in the Courtyard so it’s well worth trying to piece this expansive puzzle together. Down in the depths, there’s plenty of time to master those spells, flinging explosive barrels from afar or taking control of opponents bodies to smash them against the walls. All in all, there’s plenty of fun to be had in Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic.

All this new content does come at a cost though. If you already own Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition then it’s a free update to Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic, so happy speel casting. For those that haven’t, the videogame is doubling in price to $19.99 USD to “match the quality and volume of content” the developer says. There’s certainly plenty more there and considering Aldin’s penchant for developing new content, Waltz of the Wizard will only get bigger. When it does, VRFocus will keep you updated.

Waltz of the Wizard’s Natural Magic Update Confirmed for July

Waltz of the Wizard

Virtual reality (VR) developer Aldin has been teasing its next big update for Waltz of the Wizard since 2020. Called “Natural Magic” its set to feature new locations as well a reworked spell casting system to make it feel, well…more natural. Today, as part of a slew of VR announcements to kick off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2021 this week the studio has confirmed the update will arrive next month.

Waltz of the Wizard

Previous updates like the “Telepath” movement system added incremental improvements, whereas Natural Magic will be Aldin’s largest expansion to date. Starting off in a peaceful courtyard sandbox where players can practice and play with the new magic system, they’ll find intuitive controls to pick up distant objects or unleash devastating attacks. This is useful as the other area is the Fortress, a sprawling location home to the Observers, interdimensional beings that harness magic to control time and space.

These “Observers” are the bad guys, of course, and to get to them players will encounter a variety of enemies to wield their magic against. The Fortress also houses hidden artefacts which might be useful. It’s also the first location the developer has built that is procedurally generated, so each run-through will be slightly different.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic will have plenty of other interesting features for hours of entertainment, including mic input which turns a players voice into magical soundwaves to attack foes, enemies with detachable bodyparts and believable defensive reactions, and user health shown by their fingers turning skeletal.

Waltz of the Wizard

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic is set to launch on 6th July 2021 as a free update for existing owners of the videogame. There is a slight caveat in the fact that the update will be for SteamVR and Oculus headsets but not for PlayStation VR. Aldin’s CEO Hrafn Thorisson previously said in November 2020 that future updates for the headset were on hold due to the lack of info regarding a PlayStation VR 2 (at the time).

For further updates on Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic, keep reading VRFocus.

Waltz Of The Wizard Dev Pauses PSVR Updates ‘Until Sony Talks What’s Next’

Hrafn Thorisson, the CEO of Aldin Dynamics, has said that the team is holding off on updates for the PSVR version of Waltz of the Wizards until Sony talks more about the future of VR on the PlayStation platform.

Aldin Dynamics is best known for Waltz of the Wizard, which is available across most VR platforms, including PC VR, Quest and PSVR. However, while the game has seen regular updates on all platforms, Thorisson and co won’t keep investing in the PSVR version until they has an idea about what’s coming down the line for PlayStation and VR.

You can see the tweet here, or read a full transcription below:

Sony apparently isn’t hellbent on keeping 1st gen PSVR away from PS5, but question remains what they’ll do next. I think they should do PSPVR (PS5 connection option).

We’re holding off on further VR product updates on PS (including Natural Magic) until Sony talks what’s next.

Thorisson refers to the upcoming Natural Magic expansion as a specific example. Set to launch in 2021, Natural Magic is the first full expansion for Waltz of the Wizard and will give users new forms of magic to try out and new areas to explore. While the update was set to release on all platforms, Thorisson’s latest tweet indicates that the team will not work on the update for PSVR until Sony talks more about future plans for VR on the PlayStation platform.

PSVR hardware is supported on PS5 through PS4 backwards compatibility, however new PS5 games cannot use the PSVR hardware — only PS4 titles can support PSVR on PS5 through backwards compatibility.

There have been many questions as to what a new PSVR headset might look like, and when it will release. We know it won’t arrive in 2021 and that Sony are still ‘intrigued‘ by VR, but we haven’t had any solid confirmation that a hardware refresh is on the way. Despite this, we’ve caught a few peeks at what might be redesigned Move controllers for a future PSVR headset.

If you still want to know more, be sure to check out everything we know about PSVR 2 so far.

Vetan VR Studio of ‘Waltz of the Wizard’ Pausing PSVR Development Until Sony Addresses PS5 Roadmap

Veteran VR developer Aldin Dynamics, the studio behind Waltz of the Wizard, says it is pausing development on PSVR titles until Sony clarifies plans for the future of VR on PS5.

While Sony has brought PSVR to PS5 thanks to backwards compatibility with PS4 titles, the company has been tight-lipped on whether it plans to launch new VR hardware to bring its VR ambitions into the next generation.

For developers like Aldin Dynamics, that’s created an uncertain future which makes it difficult to commit limited time and development resources to the platform.

The studio has been working in VR since the earliest days of the industry. After its release all the way back in 2016, the studio has used its title Waltz of the Wizard as a perpetually updated test-bed for new ideas, like an innovative method for VR locomotion.

Aldin’s ‘Waltz of the Wizard’ | Image courtesy Aldin Dynamics

Though the game is available on all major VR platforms, Aldin’s CEO, Hrafn Thorisson, today announced the studio is pausing development on the PSVR version of the game until Sony addresses its future plans for VR on PS5.

“Sony apparently isn’t hellbent on keeping 1st gen PSVR away from PS5, but question remains what they’ll do next. I think they should do PSPVR (PS5 connection option), he said. “We’re holding off on further VR product updates on PS (including Natural Magic [a major upcoming expansion to Waltz of the Wizard]) until Sony talks what’s next.”

Thorisson’s mention of “PSPVR”—a reference to Sony’s prior PSP gaming handheld—is a suggestion that the company’s next VR headset should be standalone like Oculus Quest, with the option to plug into PS5 for rendering greater performance.

Speaking to Road to VR Thorisson elaborated on the studio’s decision decision, saying that PSVR’s aging hardware has fallen out of step with where other major VR platforms are heading.

“I think Sony did an admirable job with ’90s tracking technologies and controllers, after they dropped their gamepad requirement. In many ways Sony did a good job—but the platform became instantly outdated after release.” he said. “Oculus and SteamVR platforms let us accomplish our vision for what a VR experience should be, and the latest iterations of hardware—especially Oculus Quest—are further showcases of how VR friction is decreasing, usability improving, and retention of users is increasing with every step taken in VR.”

Image courtesy Aldin Dynamics

Limitations in tracking, especially, have made it difficult to design next-gen VR content, Thorisson said. And with little guidance on Sony’s future plans for VR on PS5, the extra work needed to keep content and features in sync with more advanced VR platforms is a risky investment. As of now, the upcoming expansion to Waltz of the Wizard, dubbed Natural Magic, won’t be heading to the PSVR version of the game—at least until Sony clarifies its VR roadmap.

“Sony needs to upgrade their platform significantly, and I personally hope the reason for their silence is that they’re hard at work on a PSPVR or otherwise a massive improvement of PSVR 2.0,” said Thorisson.

The post Vetan VR Studio of ‘Waltz of the Wizard’ Pausing PSVR Development Until Sony Addresses PS5 Roadmap appeared first on Road to VR.

The VR Job Hub: Velan Studios, Aldin Dynamics & Wookey

VR Job Hub

Every weekend VRFocus gathers together vacancies from across the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) industry, in locations around the globe to help make finding that ideal job easier. Below is a selection of roles that are currently accepting applications across a number of disciplines, all within departments and companies that focus on immersive entertainment.

LocationCompanyRoleLink
Troy, NYVelan StudiosSenior Graphics ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosSenior Gameplay ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosSenior UI programmerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosHardware Connectivity ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosComputer Vision & Slam ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosGraphics ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosDeeply Curious ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosOnline ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosTools ProgrammerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosProgramming InternClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosTechnical Art LeadClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosTechnical Art LeadClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosSenior UX DesignerClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan Studios2D/UI ArtistClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosCharacter ArtistClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosArt InternClick Here to Apply
Troy, NYVelan StudiosDesign InternClick Here to Apply
Reykjavik, IcelandAldin DynamicsDeveloper & QA SpecialistClick Here to Apply
Reykjavik, IcelandAldin DynamicsCommunity Manager & Administrative SupportClick Here to Apply
San Francisco, CAWookey TechnologiesSenior Web Frontend Engineer Click Here to Apply
San Francisco, CAWookey TechnologiesSenior React Native EngineerClick Here to Apply
San Francisco, CAWookey TechnologiesOps EngineerClick Here to Apply

Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there’s always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hub to check as well.

If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (pgraham@vrfocus.com).

We’ll see you next week on VRFocus at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.