Category: ar games

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Here’s VR Puzzler Gravity Lab Working In Quest 2’s AR Passthrough

Gravity Lab developer Mark Schramm has got his VR puzzler working with Quest 2’s passthrough API.

Earlier this month Facebook started to allow developers to experiment with the passthrough options on the standalone headset. Up until now, passthrough has only been used for Quest’s Guardian system, and developers haven’t had access to it. While teams still can’t release apps utilizing the API on the Quest store, we are starting to see the first experiments.

Take a look at a short gameplay clip below, first posted on Reddit.

In terms of Gravity Lab, that means bringing the game’s physics-based puzzles, in which players use different tools to transport objects to a goal zone, into AR. It works just like the core game – you play pipes, ramps and gravity manipulators in physical space. The only difference is this time the game’s happening in the real world, not a virtual environment. It’s essentially an AR version of Gravity Lab.

It’s a promising early look at what new kinds of experiences the Quest 2’s passthrough API could enable, although still clearly restricted by the black and white capture. Schramm didn’t give any indication that this experiment could one day actually be implemented into the game itself.

Gravity Lab itself is approaching its 5th birthday but is due to get a major update later this week that adds a time travel mechanic.

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Space Invaders AR Mobile Game Announced From Square Enix Montreal

Today during the Square Enix Presents digital event a new Space Invaders AR mobile game was revealed in development by Square Enix Montreal in collaboration with TAITO.

Did you read that sentence up above? Well, that’s just about everything we know about the game so far. The teaser trailer is really just an extended recap of the history of Space Invaders and its globally recognized popularity. It features glimpses of arcade cabinets, people playing on a Game Boy, clothing with the little alien guy emblazoned on the side, and so on.

There is no gameplay footage or even a hint of what the gameplay will be like at all other than it’s an AR game and the aliens will “take over” reality.

A quick search on Google Play yields an existing knock-off Space Invaders-style AR game already, but the real deal might not be anything like this at all. However, something that uses your camera to introduce the aliens into the air around you by way of mobile AR seems to be the most likely result.

According to a press release it will blend “proprietary AR technology and modern art style” together by letting players “defend the world against an invasion wielding the magic of AR and the power of mobile devices.”

Space Invaders is one of the most iconic video games of all-time. It was so popular during its heyday that there is a widespread misconception that it led to a national 100 Yen coin shortage in Japan due to how many people were sinking their money into the arcade cabinets. That’s been proven false, but is still funny to think about.

There’s no date yet but it will be coming to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You can sign up to be notified with more details at the official Space Invaders AR website.

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Watch: Pokemon Go HoloLens Demo Uses Microsoft Mesh For Multiplayer Battles

Microsoft and Niantic demonstrated a Pokemon Go HoloLens demo at Microsoft Ignite today.

Alex Kipman, Technical Fellow for HoloLens, was joined virtually on-stage by Niantic CEO John Hanke who hinted at a multiplayer battle alongside product marketing manager Veronica Saron. The video featured a number of different Pokemon hanging out in the real world in a way that went far beyond what’s currently possible with the smartphone-based game. This demo was purely proof of concept; Microsoft made it clear this doesn’t represent a consumer product at this stage. Check out the video below.

The demo was designed to showcase Microsoft Mesh, the company’s new platform for building multi-user online experiences that work across HoloLens and a variety of other devices. We got to try out the platform last week and came away impressed with the possibilities. In the case of Pokemon Go — which doesn’t yet have a native app on HoloLens — it allows players to battle online across the world as if they’re in the same space.

Pokemon Go HoloLens

It’s an exciting development, though AR headsets like HoloLens are still too expensive and too limited for full consumer adoption. A Mesh-powered Pokemon Go on a future consumer-oriented version of HoloLens would be an incredible draw and it is hard not to see the demos as a hint that Microsoft knows that’s the direction it should be headed.

Hanke also appeared alongside James Cameron to talk about a new collaboration with OceanX to produce a ‘holographic laboratory’ for the OceanXplorer research and exploration vessel that users from around the world could visit remotely.

Mesh will be rolling out in a preview phase first as Microsoft continues to add more features to the platform.

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Wallace & Gromit AR Story Now Available On Android & iPhone

An original Wallace & Gromit story built for augmented reality is now available on Android and iPhone.

You can pick up Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up on Google Play or the Apple App Store. You play as a new employee of the iconic comedy duo’s latest company working to fix up the English city of Bristol.

The project is the result of a collaboration between Bristol-based Aardman and the creative storytellers at UK-based Fictioneers. It uses a 3D mapping platform called Fantasmo as well as Unity’s AR products to “bring the Bristol city centre to life at home,” according to a press release. The story is told through “AR gameplay, CG animations, in-character phone calls, extended reality (XR) portals, and comic strips.”

“Wallace & Gromit have innovation, gadgets, and technology at the comedic heart of their world. Working with Fictioneers to create The Big Fix Up has been a perfect fit, allowing us to bring the duo’s fantastic fictional contraptions right into our audiences homes using the latest real technology,” said Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit at Aardman, in a prepared statement.

Check out this teaser clip:

We haven’t had a chance to give it a try yet but we’ll be checking it out soon. If you’ve tested it on your phone please share your thoughts in the comments below. The creators are planning to release more products using the platform they developed for this Wallace & Gromit release, so if you enjoyed it there’s a chance they’ll make similar apps in the future.

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Ticketed Virtual Event, Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto, Coming February 2021

Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto is a new ticketed virtual event is coming to Pokémon Go to celebrate the game’s fifth anniversary. It will take place over 12 hours in February 2021.

In true Pokémon fashion, there will be two versions of the event — Red or Green — each featuring Pokémon that are exclusive to one or the other. During and after the event, players will also be able to encounter shiny versions of the first 150 Pokémon discovered in Kanto region.

Players will also be able to complete two event-specific Special Research stories, the second of which is designed to take much longer and will see you work toward discovering Shiny Mew.

pokemon go tour

Even players who don’t purchase an event ticket will have something to do — Pokémon that were originally discovered in the Kanto region will appear in the wild and in raids for all players. Likewise, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres and Mewtwo will return in Legendary raids.

You can read more about the event features for ticketed and non-ticketed players, along with the difference between the Red and Green versions, over on the Pokémon Go blog. Be sure to check which version you want to purchase, as certain Pokémon are exclusive to Red or Green and some have an increased chance of being encountered depending on which version you pick.

The event will run from 9am to 9pm local time on February 20 and tickets are available now in the in-app shop for $11.99.

Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto follows on from the massive Pokémon Go Beyond update, which added seasons, raised the level cap and released in November.

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Massive Pokemon Go Update Adds Seasons, Raises Level Cap, And More

Today Niantic announced the GO Beyond update for Pokemon Go, the largest update yet for the mobile AR pocket monster-catching game. Check out the trailer below:

GO Beyond: The Biggest Pokemon Go Update Yet

In this update the level cap is getting raised from Level 40 to Level 50 and impressively seasons are getting introduced. The Season of Celebration event begins on December 1st at 8AM your local time and includes new weather dynamics, differing Pokemon per season, varying global hemispheres, more regional in-game events, and more.

And on December 2nd all-new Pokemon from the Kalos region will be added, such as Froakie, Chespin, Pyroar, and others. They’ll appear more often than usual for the first week as well.

In order to help accommodate the new level cap increase, starting on November 30th you’ll earn up to double XP from catching Pokemon, evolving Pokemon, hatching eggs, registering Pokedex entries, and other activities than before to accelerate the journey. They’re also debuting a “double catch XP bonus” period from November 18th until the end of the year. Finally, there’s the ’12 Days of Friendship’ event from November 18th, today, until November 30th, in which leveling is much faster with a friend, alongside other boosts and rewards.

pokemon go beyond level 45

If you manage to reach Level 40 or above before the end of 2020 you’ll earn a Legacy 40 Trainer title exclusive rewards. One of the more interesting additions with this update also is that leveling up is no longer just about accruing enough XP — you need to complete “Level-Up Research” between levels as well.

For example, in order to get from Level 40 to 41, you need to catch a high-number (TBD) of Pokemon in a single day very quickly Level 42 requires multiple Eevee evolutions, Level 43 requires a certain number of Platinum medals from Gym and Raid battles, and so on. It’s a good concept for end-game leveling that incentivizes mastering all aspects of the game.

What do you think of all these changes and updates? Let us know down in the comments below!

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New Details On Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit AR Racing Kit

A new video from Nintendo details what you can expect from the AR-powered racing kit Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, set to launch later this month on October 16.

The new trailer, embedded above, confirms some details we suspected from the initial announcement footage and shows us even more features. Each kit comes with one kart (either Mario or Luigi), 4 gates, 2 arrow signboards, a USB charging cable and instructions for the game download, so you can install the required software on your Switch.

Mario Kart Live AR Switch

The gates are used to set up the track layout — you lay them wherever you want and then drive through them in order to define the track. You can create any path you want between each gate — you’re not just limited to standard race configurations — and some pretty wacky ones are featured in the video. The included arrow signboards will also transform when viewed in AR view, becoming the neon animated direction indicators from the main Mario Kart series (pictured below). While a big play space would obviously be better, Nintendo recommends a minimum play area of 10 x 12 feet.

Mario Kart Live AR Switch

In terms of gameplay, there looks to be a lot of content on offer. Just like traditional Mario Kart, there’s speed settings for 50, 100, 150 and 200cc, and you can compete in a Grand Prix against AI, with the ability to change the track layout between each race. Themed levels will also put an overlay on the AR gameplay — a water level, for example, will display a blue hue over the AR footage.

Mario Kart Live AR Switch

Everything that happens in-game will be reflected with the physical karts too. If you get a mushroom, your physical kart speed up. If you hit an obstacle, the kart will stop. Classic Mario Kart items such as red shells, blue shells, bananas, lightning, bloopers and bullet bill will all be available as well.

There are 24 Grand Prix race tracks, including Cheep Cheep Reef, Ember Island, Boo Fortress, Chain Chomp Gate, Rainbow Road, World 1-1 and Magikoopa Mirage. Selecting these race tracks will alter the environmental obstacles, which are themed differently depending for each track. The game will support playing against AI or with up to 4 other players total, provided each user has their own kart and Nintendo Switch.

While the initial announcement trailer looked cool, this new video has really cemented just how many features are in the game. This isn’t a stripped-down version of Mario Kart altered to work in AR, it looks like the opposite. Most elements you know and love from Mario Kart will be on offer in Home Circuit, but with an AR twist.

The Mario and Luigi kits for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit are available from October 16 for $99 each.

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Pokémon Go Ending Support For Old iPhone And Android Devices Soon

Niantic announced in a tweet yesterday that Pokémon Go will no longer support certain old iPhone and Android devices after an update coming in October.

This includes the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6, as well as anything running iOS 10, iOS 11 or Android 5. While you might still be able to play for now, if you fall into one of those device categories then Pokémon Go will not be supported on your device after the October update releases.

The iPhone 5S and 6 released in 2013 and 2014 respectively, while iOS 10 and 11 launched in 2016 and 2017 and Android 5 in 2014.

This end-of-support announcement affects iPhone 5S and 6 users the hardest, as there’s no option besides buying a new phone. On the other hand, if you’re using a newer iPhone model running iOS 10 or 11, you can update your operating system to iOS 12 or above to continue to enjoy Pokémon Go after October. The same goes for Android 5 users, assuming your phone supports an update to Android 6 or higher.

While it’s always sad when a new app update ends support for devices that previously worked fine, it seems unlikely that this will affect a huge portion of the Pokémon Go player base. Nonetheless, it sucks if there’s even a few hardcore fans still enjoying the game on an iPhone 5S or 6, who will now have to purchase a new phone if they want to keep playing.

Pokémon Go launched in 2016 and became a worldwide hit. The game has been updated with lots of improvements and new content since release, including the recent addition of AR occlusion for Android devices.

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The Witcher: Monster Slayer Is A New Mobile AR Game From CD Projekt Red

A new mobile The Witcher AR game called Monster Slayer developed by Spokko, part of the CD Projekt Red family, will bring the monsters of the dark fantasy universe to your neighborhood using Pokemon Go-style gameplay.

Since the runaway success of Pokemon Go, there’s been an absolute plethora of similar games aiming to emulate that success. There was a The Walking Dead location-based AR game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite from the same studio, then Minecraft Earth and now… The Witcher: Monster Slayer.

That’s right, you’ll soon be able to get your Geralt on and go out hunting for monsters in the streets around you house, catching them using an AR interface that places creatures in your surroundings using a live feed from your phone’s camera.

While the trailer, embedded below, shows a young man playing the game in a beautiful eastern European-looking forest, it’s not likely everyone will have such an apt setting to play the game in. I’m personally looking forward to catching some monsters from the Witcher in a dirty city alleyway.

Spokko says that “preparation is key” if you want to defeat the enemies in Monster Slayer, perhaps hinting at more depth in the mechanics of this title than others in the genre. You’ll have to use potions, oils, bombs, and bait if you want to succeed, just like in the mainline Witcher games.

The game announcement comes at a strange time — while Pokemon Go remains popular, none of the more recent games that followed it seem to have had the same success. Plus, for many people around the world, walking around their neighborhood is not a great idea, or even not allowed, at the moment due to the pandemic. That being said, a release date for the game hasn’t been announced, so that could be less of a concern in the future.

Will you be trying out The Witcher: Monster Slayer? Let us know in the comments.

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Moss Developer Polyarc Secures $9M Series B Funding For AR Game Development

Today the developers of Moss, Polyarc, announced a $9 million Series B venture funding round led by Hiro Capital to expand into AR game development. Even still, the developer tells us they’re still committed to making a sequel to Moss.

Anyone that has spent any time inside a VR headset and browsed any of the major storefronts from Oculus Home and Steam to the PSN store have likely seen Quill, the main character from Polyarc’s Moss advertised somewhere. She’s cute, charming, and full of character despite never speaking a word and is the cornerstone of what made Moss such a great experience.

The Series B fund raise is led by Hiro Capital, followed by Vulcan Capital, an existing investor, and Galaxy Interactive via its Galaxy EOS VC Fund, a partnership with EOSIO blockchain software publisher Block.one.

Notably, this fund raise is specifically announced as being targeted at AR game development. This seems odd at first given their experience in VR development, but sounds like it’s all part of their vision for the industry.

“We see VR and AR as a continuum, and there are great games to be made all along that spectrum,” says Lincoln Davis, Publishing Director at Polyarc, in an email to UploadVR. “We’re excited for the opportunity to keep pushing the industry with new ways to experience physical interaction, emotional feedback, and object persistence.”

Since we’re still waiting on an official reveal for their next VR game, presumably Moss 2, it still came as a bit of a surprise. Will this impact Moss 2’s development at all? Is that an AR game now?

“As you covered in the past, the team is excited to continue Quill and the player’s story in the world of Moss,” says Davis. “And we can’t wait to share more.”

That’s reassuring then. There hasn’t really been a big, breakout success in the AR space for gaming yet. Pokemon GO isn’t really true AR and the small games developed for Hololens were mostly just tech demos. Magic Leap has a handful of games, but it was never really designed as a gaming platform.

I asked for more details on their AR plans regarding whether it would include a Moss AR game, new IP, which platforms, etc., but Davis simply said that “has yet to be determined” at this time.

Let us know what you think down in the comments below! For more on Moss, check out our full walkthrough video series.

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