Category: Epic Games

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VRTGO Expo Will Return for 4th Year

After three previous successful events, UK-based virtual reality (VR) conference VRTGO will be returning to Newcastle Upon Tyne for its fourth year with the aim of looking at the future of VR, augmented reality (AR) and other immersive technologies.

Already lined up to speak at the event is Nick Whiting, Head of VR/AR at Epic Games, creators of the Unreal Engine and hit VR title Robo Recall. Whiting will be addressing attendees on what Epic Games has learned about player psychology, physiology and technology and how that applies to the business of creating VR videogames.

Also presenting at VRTGO 2017 will be Aldis Sipolins, Head of VR and Games Design at IBM Research, who will be talking about his research into VR and artificial intelligence (AI) and how that relates to machine learning.

Carri Cunliffe, Conference Director said, “as VR starts to be adopted across lots of different industries the event will be looking at what the impact will be for us in terms of our everyday lives, entertainment, work, social interactions, the world around us. We are very excited to have amazing influential speakers on board and more speakers and workshops will be announced shortly.”

Nick Whiting from Epic Games said, “I am pleased to be able to speak at the event, and share what we’ve learned about making VR and AR content with everyone, and to talk a bit about where we think the future lies for this technology. It truly has changed the way we interact with computing: from enterprise, to film, to games. This is a very exciting time to be involved!”

There are also plans to include specific industry workshops and opportunities for people to make key contacts within the VR industry. The workshops are planned to focus on areas such as videogaming, manufacturing, architecture and training.

Further information and tickets can be found at the VRTGO official website.

VRFocus will continue to bring you information on VRTGO and other VR events.

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Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4.17 Update Adds Experimental ARKit Support

During Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California a couple of months ago the company announced its first proper foray into augmented reality (AR) by unveiling ARKit. A demo was shown on stage that utilised Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4, which was then followed by the studio announcing downloadable support for developers through GitHub. Now Epic Games has released its next iteration of its videogame development software, Unreal Engine 4.17, which now features experimental support for ARKit built in, as well as several virtual reality (VR) improvements.

That on stage demo – if you didn’t see it – was conducted and created by Wingnut AR, a studio founded by acclaimed director Peter Jackson, the man behind The Lord of the Rings. And it’s with Wingnut AR’s help that the ARKit plugin has been possible, all based on the code work by the team. As an experimental build, it allows developers to play around with the new feature set before official support arrives from Apple in iOS 11 later this year.

Wingnut AR 1

On the VR front Epic Games has added Spectator Screen support to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, whilst improving on the existing support for PlayStation VR.

“The Spectator Screen is the ‘normal’ output device connected to a VR device, usually a TV or a computer monitor. While one player uses the HMD, other people can observe or interact with the experience,” notes the Unreal Blog. “You can now draw any texture, including render targets or UI, to the Spectator Screen in addition to – or instead of – a view of what is being displayed in VR.”

PlayStation VR users have been able to use their TV screen as a means of local multiplayer since launch, with VR titles like The Playroom VR. Now developers working on Oculus Rift or HTC Vive titles should be able to do something similar, opening up more local gameplay possibilities.

The other big VR addition for studios is VR Mode Camera Previews. Now if a developer selects a camera in a scene, or an Actor that contains a camera like a character, they will get an in-world preview of what that camera sees. This preview can then be pinned and moved around the environment.

Head to the Unreal Engine blog for the entire changelog – which as always is massive. As ever, VRFocus will continue its coverage of Epic Games and Unreal Engine 4, reporting back with the latest updates.

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Researchers Showcase Impressive New Bar for Real-time Digital Human Rendering in VR

A broad team of graphics researchers, universities, and technology companies are showcasing the latest research into digital human representation in VR at SIGGRAPH 2017. Advanced capture, rigging, and rendering techniques have resulted in an impressive new bar for the art of recreating the human likeness inside of a computer in real-time.

MEETMIKE is the name of the VR experience being shown at this week at SIGGRAPH 2017 conference, which features a wholly digital version of VFX reporter Mike Seymour being ‘driven’ and rendered in real-time by the real life Seymour. Inside the experience, Seymour is to play host, interviewing industry veterans and researchers inside of VR during the conference. Several additional participants wearing VR headsets can watch the interview from inside the virtual studio.

The result is a rather stunning representation of Seymour—rendered at 90 FPS in VR using Epic’s Unreal Engine—standing up to extreme scrutiny, with shots showing detailed eyebrows and eyelashes, intricate specular highlights on the pores of the skin, and a detailed facial model.

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To achieve this, Seymour wears a Technoprops stereo camera rig which watches his face as it moves. The images of the face are tracked and solved with technology from Cubic Motion, and that data is relayed to a facial rig created by 3Lateral and based on a scan of Seymour created as part of the Wikihuman project at USC-ICT. Seymour’s fxguide further details the project:

  • MEETMIKE has about 440,000 triangles being rendered in real time, which means rendering of VR stereo about every 9 milliseconds, of those 75% are used for the hair.
  • Mike’s face rig uses about 80 joints, mostly for the movement of the hair and facial hair.
  • For the face mesh, there is only about 10 joints used- these are for jaw, eyes and the tongue, in order to add more an arc motion.
  • These are in combination with around 750 blendshapes in the final version of the head mesh.
  • The system uses complex traditional software design and three deep learning AI engines.

A paper published by Seymour and Epic Games researchers Chris Evans and Kim Libreri titled Meet Mike: Epic Avatars offers more background on the project.

From our reading of the project, it’s somewhat unclear but sounds like the rendering of the digital Seymour is being done on one PC with a GTX 1080 Ti GPU and 32GB of RAM, while other computers accompany the setup to allow the host’s guest and several audience members to view the scene in VR. We’ve reached out to confirm the exact hardware and rendering setup.

The post Researchers Showcase Impressive New Bar for Real-time Digital Human Rendering in VR appeared first on Road to VR.

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The Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far – Robo Recall

For VRFocus’ first videogame lets head back to the start of the year, to a title that quite frankly should be part of every Oculus Rift users library, and that’s the fantastic Robo Recall from Epic Games. For the majority of the time Epic Games grace the pages of VRFocus because of the company’s middleware development software, Unreal Engine, which is used by virtual reality (VR) developers around the world. While Epic Games has made plenty of standard PC titles, it had never released a fully fledged VR experience until Robo Recall came along.

Naturally before Robo Recall was launched Epic Games had tried out a multitude of different ideas, with a public tech demo coming in the form of Bullet Train. This laid the groundwork for what would become Robo Recall, a frantic first-person shooter (FPS) that encourages players to mix and match between ranged and melee combat.

Robo_Recall_OC3_A4_screenshot_02 (1)

There are a few simple reasons why Robo Recall should be downloaded as soon as you have an Oculus Rift. The first is easy, it’s a AAA quality title that’s free. Yeah, it’s free, you pay nothing for Epic Games’ first VR experience – which is exclusive to Oculus Rift. Then there’s the fact that it was well received by the industry and press. VRFocus reviewed it for launch day back in March, giving it a full five stars, saying: “Robo Recall elicits such a high standard that future FPS titles will be measured by it, and should be considered a killer app for Oculus Touch.”

Set in a world where robots are part of everyday life, something goes wrong and they all start going on a destructive rampage. So its down to you to bring order to this chaos by unleashing some violent payback of your own. Specifically designed for the Oculus Touch, players can dual wield pistols, shotguns, revolvers, or just as easily get up close to rip a robots arm off and batter it into submission.

There are three main areas to play through, each divided into further subsections. The aim of the game is to score as many points as possible with the enemies or time available to you. So while you can just shoot them in the face and move on, that won’t really up the multiplier that much. So instead you have to get creative for those highscores. Mix and match between weapons, juggle enemies in the air with well timed shots, take out one robot with another’s head and so on.

Teleportation is the movement of choice in Robo Recall. While certainly not the favourite choice for experienced VR players, it means that anyone can dive right in without having to worry about any VR nausea. When the title first arrived it only supported Oculus Touch’s two sensor setup that comes supplied in the box. That was updated at the end of March so that players who’ve bought a third sensor could enjoy full 360-degree tracking.

And lets not forget about community mod support. The studio actively encourages modders to play and tinker with the videogame, creating new options to further enhance Robo Recall. Epic Games has released several mods with community ones including a Star Wars theme.


Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far

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The Void und Epic Games treten Disneys Accelerator-Programm bei

Verschiedene Konzerne bieten Accelerator-Programme an, um jungen Startups und kleineren Unternehmen unter die Arme zu greifen und gemeinsam neue Innovationen zu schaffen. Dazu zählen auch HTC und Disney. Letztere wählen jedes Jahr einige wenige Firmen aus, um sie in ihr eigenes Accelerator-Programm zu integrieren. Die diesjährigen Auserwählten sind zwei bekannte Namen aus der VR-Industrie.

The Void und Epic Games zukünftig bei Disney

Die Teilnahme an Disneys Accelerator-Programm bietet diverse Vorteile: Die beteiligten Unternehmen erhalten nicht nur finanzielle Unterstützung, sondern auch Support der Experten des Multikonzerns bei neuen Innovationen und Technologien. Doch auch die Veröffentlichung von Produkten innerhalb des Disney-Universums ist möglich. Entsprechend begehrt sind die Plätze innerhalb des Programms bei Unternehmen. Um diese zu verteilen, werden jährlich einige Unternehmen ausgewählt. Dieses Jahr waren die Teilnehmer: Ambidio, Axiomatic, Brit+Co, Epic Games, Hoodline, Kahoot!, ProductionPro, Reply Yes, Samba TV, Savioke und The Void.

Auserwählt wurden letztendlich The Void und Epic Games.

The Void ist bekannt durch Einrichtungen mit VR-Erfahrungen, welche weltweit in diversen Städten installiert sind. So gibt es bereits Erlebnisparks in New York, London, Dubai und bald auch in Kanada. Die bekannteste Attraktion ist die Ghostbusters VR-Erfahrung.

Ghostbusters Dimension The Void

Das zweite Unternehmen ist Epic Games, die Schaffer der Unreal Engine, welche von unzähligen Enwicklern für VR-Spiele und herkömmliche Games verwendet wird. Außerdem entwickelte das Unternehmen erfolgreiche VR-Titel wie Robo Recall für die Oculus Rift und arbeitet an unterschiedlichen AR-Technologien.

Robo-Recall-Star-Wars-Mod

Durch die Kooperation der Unternehmen mit Disney könnten wir also zukünftig The Void VR-Erfahrungen mit Disney-Inhalten erleben. So könnte es The Void Erlebnisse im Star Wars-Universum geben, die uns in die Schlacht gegen das Imperium führen oder in die Rolle eines Jedis schlüpfen lassen. Auch eine offizielle Unterstützung des Robo Recall: Star Wars Mods wäre denkbar. Die Möglichkeiten sind unbegrenzt und wir sind gespannt, was die Zusammenarbeit für die VR-Industrie mit sich bringt.

(Quellen: UploadVR | Disney Accelerator)

Der Beitrag The Void und Epic Games treten Disneys Accelerator-Programm bei zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Disney Invests in VR Arcade The VOID, Epic Games in 2017 Accelerator

The Walt Disney Company has announced participants in its 2017 incubator Disney Accelerator, a program intended for early and venture-backed tech startups working in media and entertainment. Among the 11 picked for the company’s 2017 Accelerator is location-based VR arcade The Void and Unreal Engine creator Epic Games.

Starting in 2014, Disney’s Accelerator backs around 10 companies each year, offering financial investment and a three-month mentorship with access to the co-working space at Disney’s creative campus in LA. Companies to come out of Disney’s Accelerator include the toy company Sphero, 360 streaming platform Littlestar, 360 video production studio Jaunt and modular electronics producer littleBits.

image courtesy The Walt Disney Company

The Void is a location-based VR company that delivers a warehouse-scale experience unlike any other currently. Employing interactive sets, real-time effects, and backpack-mounted, tether-less VR headsets allowed for what Road to VR‘s Chris Madsen said ultimately helped him ‘achieve and maintain long moments of presence’ when he visited the Void in 2015.

…the sense of Presence built as I reached out to touch a stack of crates in front of me, the image becoming real as my hands were greeted with a real wooden surface. Intrigued by the merging of worlds, I dragged my hands across the surface, leaning my weight into it, and pulled myself up to peek over the ledge at the space beyond. The prop felt to be an exact match to what I was seeing through the lenses of the VR headset.

In a visit last year to The Void’s Ghostbusters: Dimension experience at Madame Tussaud’s in New York, Road to VR writer said the weight of the VR equipment didn’t distract him at all from his virtual surroundings—an old hotel room populated by a host of relatively benign pink ghosts.

The Void now operates four VR centers globally; at Madame Tussauds in New York, The Rec Room in Toronto, The Beach in Dubai, and their headquarters outside of Salt Lake City.

“As a veteran of the entertainment industry, I can say that the integrity, innovation, and magic of The Walt Disney Company is unparalleled. I’ve had the pleasure of working for Lucasfilm and ILM in the past, and my time there has greatly influenced my career. As we look back at all that we’ve accomplished in such a short time at THE VOID, and towards the future and the incredible potential to bring a new form of location-based entertainment to audiences across the globe, we know that the power of The Walt Disney Company will help us get there,” said The Void’s CEO Cliff Plumer.

While not strictly ‘VR news’, Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is one of the pillars of VR-capable game engines, and has been most recently an integral part in bringing ILMxLab’s Star Wars demo to life via Unreal Engine VR Editor. Its not certain exactly what Disney’s Accelerator will accomplish for Epic Games at this time however.

Epic Games Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said, “Over the past few years, we’ve had great collaborations with The Walt Disney Company, contributing Unreal Engine technology to everything from theme park rides to Star Wars movies, and we look forward to participating in the Disney Accelerator.”

The post Disney Invests in VR Arcade The VOID, Epic Games in 2017 Accelerator appeared first on Road to VR.

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VR Arcade Company THE VOID Joins Disney Accelerator Program

The Disney accelerator Program is now in its fourth year of operation. The Program is designed to help companies who Disney believe are creating the future of entertainment by offering them access to Disney’s leadership along with resources and support that they previouly could not have reached. This year’s additions to the program sees location-based virtual reality (VR) company THE VOID join the accelerator program.

THE VOID are perhaps best known for creating the out-of-home VR experience Ghostbusters: Dimension which has been exhibited at New York’s Madame Tussauds and will soon be launching at The Rec room in Toronto, Canada in association with Cineplex.

THE VOID - GB - UNITY - BANNER

Cliff Plumer, the CEO of THE VOID had this to say on joining the accelerator program: “Our team at THE VOID has created something amazing. And we could not be more honored to have that hard work and vision noticed by Disney. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to work alongside these innovators who share our passion to create magical and memorable entertainment attractions,” Plumer said, “There is much to be learned from Disney, a company that crosses the boundaries of space and time, transcending languages and generations, bringing together people of all ages and nationalities. But most importantly, Disney brings more imagination, magic, and fantasy to the world. And we are inspired and motivated to embark on this next phase of our journey alongside them.”

Epic Games, the creators of the Unreal Engine that powers several VR titles and the creators of popular VR shooter Robo Recall have also joined the program.

“The Disney Accelerator has provided The Walt Disney Company incredible opportunities to connect with and be inspired by many talented entrepreneurs from all over the world,” said Michael Abrams, Senior Vice President, Innovation, The Walt Disney Company. “This year, more than ever, we are working with companies with the potential to help define the future of media and entertainment together with Disney.”

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on developments from within the VR industry.

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Epic Games Announce the NVIDIA Edge Program Celebrating Unreal Engine Developers, Artists and Designers

Epic Games is well known for supporting the Unreal Engine developer community through initiatives like the Unreal Dev Grant programme. Today the company has announced another, this time in partnership with graphics card manufacturer NVIDIA, called the NVIDIA Edge Program.

Celebrating talented developers, artists and designers who use Unreal Engine, the programme will award individuals and teams with the latest NVIDIA hardware – GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1080 Ti cards. Three projects will be selected each month to win some hardware, with the aim of helping them produce even bigger and better videogames.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080

In addition to winning new graphics cards, the winners will also see their projects showcased on the Unreal Engine and NVIDIA blogs with additional promotions also possible. The NVIDIA Edge Program will begin in July 2017, with the first round of winners announced at the end of that month. The program will then continue all the way through until the summer of 2018.

While this isn’t a programme developers can join up to they can certainly help themselves by using a few tricks to get noticed. They’ll need to capture in-engine stills or video of their projects and then share them on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And don’t forget to tag or mention the Unreal Engine or NVIDIA accounts when posting to make sure those projects get seen.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Epic Games, Unreal Engine and NVIDIA, reporting back with the latest announcements.