Oculus Quest Custom Home Environments Include Simpsons House And More

Everything you do on your Oculus Quest starts in the home environment – you can change your settings, purchase apps and launch yourself into virtual worlds. Users now have a way to create custom home environments, including locations from The Simpsons and other popular movies and TV shows.

From late last year, Facebook started to gradually roll out new environments to Oculus Quest users. While not everyone received the new environments immediately (and some still may not have received them), the feature allows Quest users to choose between the default Oculus Home environment and two new official Oculus environments, including a classic home location from the original Rift and a winter lodge.

However, users also found a way to use custom 3D environments in place of the new Oculus environments. While this method is not officially sanctioned by Oculus and is facilitated by third-party tools such as SideQuest, users created some amazing new environments based on famous settings from pop culture movies and TV shows.

As you can see, we tried out a bunch of custom environments such as the house from the Simpsons, the throne room from Game of Thrones, the garage from Rick and Morty and a version of Oculus’ winter lodge environment that replaces the standard skyline with a skyline of Gotham City.

The environments are impressive and surprisingly detailed. The video doesn’t do the environments justice either – while the default Quest homes are quite small, I maxed out the allowed guardian boundaries for the throne room and still didn’t have enough room to walk around the entire environment. Likewise, there is something very surreal about standing in the iconic Simpsons living room that you don’t quite get from the video.

We recommend trying the environments out for yourself. We’ll be writing up a proper how-to article on the process of installing custom environments, but until then, you can join the Quest Custom Home’s Discord server, where you can find some basic instructions and links to the custom environments.

Have you tried out some custom environments on your Quest already? Let us know your favorites in the comments below and keep an eye out for our how-to guide in the coming days.

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‘Beyond The Wall’ Is A Game Of Thrones VR Experience, Exclusive To Viveport Infinity

game of thrones vr

HBO just released a five minute long Game of Thrones VR experience.

Called ‘Beyond The Wall’, the experience is exclusive to HTC’s Viveport Infinity subscription service.

Viveport is HTC’s VR app store, similar to the Oculus Store. It isn’t exclusive to HTC hardware however, it also officially supports Oculus Rift headsets. In fact, next month it will even get support for Windows MR headsets.

While Viveport sells games like a regular store, it also offers a subscription service called Infinity. Infinity gives subscribers access to over 600 games and experiences on the store. Think of it as like a Netflix for VR. Beyond The Wall will be available exclusively on this subscription service.

Since Beyond The Wall is a Viveport exclusive, that rules out the possibility of a port to Oculus Quest. Quest only runs the Oculus Store. It could however come to HTC’s own Vive Focus Plus standalone some day in future, but there’s no word on that.

As the name suggests, the experience is set beyond the famous northern wall of Westeros. Players take on the role of a brother of the Night’s Watch. Armed with a sword, they fight off hordes of wites and even an undead polar bear.

Viveport Infinity costs $12.99 per month, but if you want to just play this experience you could take advantage of the two week free trial period.

The experience is available in English in the USA, UK, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. There’s no word yet on it expanding to further languages and territories.

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‘Game of Thrones’ VR Experience Coming Exclusively to Viveport Infinity

HTC today announced that a VR experience based on HBO’s hit TV series Game of Thrones is set to launch exclusively on Viveport Infinity starting tomorrow, supporting Vive and Rift.

The experience, called Beyond the Wall, is said to transport users to the northern border of The Seven Kingdoms to fight and defend ‘The Wall’, the megalithic structure separating the South from the untamed North—a place that plays host to the mysterious rise of an army of undead wights under the behest of the ‘White Walkers’. There, players will be able to test their sword-fighting skills against an undead polar bear and hoard of wights.

Beyond the Wall made its initial debut at select AT&T stores as a ‘4D’ brand engagement activation to promote the season finale of Game of Thrones; this represents the first time users will be able to jump into the experience at home.

Image courtesy HTC, HBO

Beyond the Wall was created by HBO and Framestore, the Oscar-winning studio known for their work not only in film and TV, but also immersive experiences such as the Game of Throne-themed VR activation Ascend the Wall, and the recent Magic Leap GOT experience The Dead Must Die.

Since Beyond the Wall is exclusive to Viveport Infinity, HTC’s Netflix-style game subscription service, you’ll of course need to be a member to play.

Viveport Infinity is typically available for free for a two-week trial, costing $13 per month afterwards (or $100 annually), which gives you unlimited access to a 500+ VR games and apps. Take note: throughout the month of June, both new and existing Infinity members who own an Oculus Rift or Valve Index will be able to redeem two free months of the service.

Image courtesy HTC, HBO

There’s just one more catch. Beyond the Wall is launching first in English in the US, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, the UK, and Canada. You can probably thank the patchwork of licensing issues that official IP releases necessarily face when they head across borders.

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A Game Of Thrones Magic Leap Hands-on — Winter Is Coming To AR

A Game Of Thrones Magic Leap Hands-on — Winter Is Coming To AR

Experimental technology has become a part of the marketing campaign for the final season of A Game of Thrones. I checked out the Magic Leap One augmented reality and HTC Vive Focus virtual reality installations for A Game of Thrones at the AT&T store on Powell Street in San Francisco.

I tried out Magic Leap’s experience, Game of Thrones: The Dead Must Die, first. It was upstairs in an area that was like museum for A Game of Thrones, complete with outfits from the show on display in glass cases. The Dead Must Die is a mixed reality experience, combining real world props and AR. The physical space was set up like a scene out of King’s Landing.

An attendant helped me put on the Magic Leap One Creator Edition glasses, which come with a computing puck that you sling over your shoulder and glasses that enable you to see animated overlays on the real world. Before me, on the floor (as you can see in the picture), was one of the White Walkers, an undead creature that was sawed in half. But its animatronic arm was still moving.

Above: The Dead are not quite dead yet.

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi

Then, another one of the virtual Walkers started busting out of a box. I had to pick up a flaming torch and light the creatures on fire. I did so, and they promptly burned back to death. Then an ice wall on other side of the room started to crack. I had to physically walk up to the wall. When I did so, a Dragon Glass knife appeared. I grabbed it, and then a Walker busted through the icy portal in the wall. I stabbed the Walker, and then the experience ended. It was a pretty quick, accessible, and immersive experience.

The Dead Must Die experience is available at AT&T locations in San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago. It will arrive in Los Angeles and Dallas later in the month, and it will last until June 10.

After that, I went downstairs, where they were still working on setting up the HTC Vive Focus experience with A Game of Thrones VR experience. It took a while to get it up and running. But I waited.

Above: The Night King in A Game of Thrones.

Image Credit: Magic Leap

I put on the HTC Vive Focus, which is a standalone VR headset. I was standing on a mixed reality platform with a lot of plastic ice around it. And when I went into the VR experience, I was at the gate at the bottom of The Wall. A Ranger from the Night’s Watch was there in the icy corridor. He told me that I needed a sword, and he gave me his. Then he picked up his bow and opened the gate.

In VR, snow blew in through the open passage. And in real life, I was hit with a blast of cold air. It was a pretty cool effect. Then he began walking ahead. I followed him, though I didn’t have to physically move or control the game at all. It was an experience on rails. The blizzard around us grew thicker, and I could only see his footprints in the snow. Then he screamed, and I started moving faster.

Above: This AT&T store is like A Game of Thrones museum.

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi

Then I got to a bloody spot in the snow. And a giant creature — I think it was a big Direwolf — attacked me. It was like an infected Direwolf, or an undead creature. The ranger shot a fiery arrow at the creature’s head, and it erupted into flame. I took my sword, hit the head, and then my sword was flaming. The creature jumped and attacked me, and when it landed on the ground, the motion platform I was standing on moved. I kept swinging at the wolf again and again.

Finally, it died. Then I followed the blood trail to my companion, who was lying against a rock in the snow. Then he got up in a zombie-like way, and it was clear that he had become a White Walker. He approached me and attacked, and I swung my sword at him.

Above: A Game of Thrones merch at AT&T.

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi

Then, all of the White Walkers in the mist came forward, attacking me from a few sides. I swung my sword at them over and over, taking them down with a couple of swings. Eventually, they overwhelmed me and killed me. And that was it.

It was a pretty intense experience, mostly because that cold wind was blowing the whole time.

The store also had a lot of memorabilia and authentic costumes from A Game of Thrones. You can also buy a bunch of merchandise from the show and its various houses like House Stark or House Lannister. I took a poll and it asked me who would be crowned ruler of Westeros, and I voted for Khaleesi, or Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke. It showed that most people thought she would be crowned. I also thought I could be a good pretender to the throne as well.

Above: Dean Takahashi getting delusional at the AT&T store at 1 Powell in San Francisco.

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi

The Magic Leap One headsets are on sale for $2,295. Season 7 kicks off on HBO on April 14. HBO also has built A Game of Thrones online entertainment hub, where you can get episode recaps, quizzes, in-depth character profiles, downloadable wallpapers and behind-the-scenes content, this online destination is built by superfans, for superfans.

You could say they’re going all out.

This post by Dean Takahashi originally appeared on VentureBeat. 

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Magic Leap und HBO veröffentlichen AR-Erfahrung zu Game of Thrones

Die achte Staffel der epochalen Fantasyserie Game of Thrones basierend auf der Romanreihe A Song of Ice and Fire von George R. R. Martin steht kurz bevor. Ab dem 14. April beginnt der Staffelauftakt zum Abschluss der Geschichte und die Fans können das heiß erwartete Ende, rund um die eisigen Schlachten zwischen dem Nachtkönig, Jon Snow und den Lebenden in Westeros kaum noch erwarten. Um den Hype weiter anzuschüren, sorgt eine neue Kollaboration zwischen HBO und Magic Leap nun für die Veröffentlichung einer GoT-AR-Erfahrung namens The Dead Must Die: A Magic Leap Encounter für die AR-Brille des Unternehmens. Die Magic-Leap-Erfahrung soll allerdings vorerst exklusiv in ausgewählten AT&T-Läden vorgestellt werden.

Game of Thrones – Magic Leap und HBO stellen “The Dead Must Die: A Magic Leap Encounter” in ausgewählten AT&T-Läden vor

In The Dead Must Die dürfen die Nutzer erstmalig selbst in das virtuelle Westeros eintauchen, um in den eisigen Gefilden hinter der Mauer auf Tuchfühlung mit einem White Walker zu gehen. Besser gesagt auf Konfrontationskurs, denn die Untoten sind alles andere als freundlich gesinnt gegenüber allen Lebenden. In der Rolle eines Soldaten begegnet ihr mit einer Fackel bewaffnet in einer schneebedeckten MR-Umgebung dem gefährlichen Widersacher.

Möglich macht dies eine Partnerschaft zwischen HBO und Magic Leap, um die AR-Erfahrung mit der AR-Brille des Unternehmens vorzustellen. Allerdings ist das Erlebnis nicht für die eigenen vier Wände gedacht. Die MR-Erfahrung wird vorerst nur in ausgewählten AT&T-Läden in den USA vorgeführt, dafür stilecht in einer würdigen Kulisse.

Valerie Vargas, SVP für Marketing und Creative-Service bei AT&T kündigt die Kollaboration mit enthusiastischen Worten in einem Statement an:

Dies ist das größte Fernsehereignis in der jüngeren Geschichte, zum großen Teil aufgrund der leidenschaftlichen, loyalen und engagierten Fangemeinde der Show. Zur Feier dieses Fandoms, und auch selbst als Fans, haben wir auf allen unseren Plattformen einzigartige Erfahrungen entwickelt, die nur AT&T und HBO bieten können. Mit dieser Kampagne wollen wir die großartigen Fans der Show und ihren festen Platz in der Popkultur feiern.”

Ab dem 1. April beginnt die Ausstellung in Boston, ab dem 3. April in Chicago und ab dem 6. April in San Francisco. Daraufhin ist die GoT-MR-Erfahrung bis zum 10. Juni zugänglich. Weitere Standorte sollen in Los Angeles und Dallas folgen.

(Quellen: VR Focus | Variety | Twitter: Game of Thrones)

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Game of Thrones is Getting the Mixed Reality Treatment on Magic Leap One

As if you didn’t know already but the biggest TV show on earth, Game of Thrones will soon be back on our screens for the 8th and final series. Naturally, AT&T and HBO weren’t going to let an opportunity like this go by without some wide-ranging promotion, announcing a marketing campaign which will see the GoT universe come to life thanks to Magic Leap.

Game of Thrones

Head down to the AT&T flagship stores in Boston (Boylston) on 1st April, Chicago (Michigan Avenue) on 3rd April and San Francisco (1 Powell) on 6th April and you’ll encounter The Dead Must Die, a Game of Thrones experience exclusive to Magic Leap.

After putting on the Magic Leap One headset fans step into a physical representation of King’s Landing which then transforms into an ominous icy scene. Here they will encounter a White Walker and lead the fight for the living.

“This is the biggest television event in recent history, in large part due to the show’s passionate, loyal and committed fan base,” said Valerie Vargas, SVP of advertising and creative services, AT&T in a statement. “In celebration of that fandom, and as fans ourselves, we have created unique experiences across all of our platforms that only AT&T and HBO can offer. With this campaign we aim to celebrate the show’s superfans and its permanent place in pop culture.”

Game of Thrones

Additionally, AT&T and Magic Leap have announced that the Magic Leap One headset will soon be sold in each of those flagship stores. Consumers can order online at att.com/magicleapone starting 5th April. Magic Leap One retails for $2,295 USD and can be purchased via monthly financing.

“AT&T’s investment in 5G will enable the widespread adoption of emerging and innovative technologies like Magic Leap’s spatial computing and will help to redefine how we access and experience everything from work, play, communication, media, healthcare and education,” said Rony Abovitz, CEO of Magic Leap. “The Magic Leap team and I are excited to take this next step in our exclusive partnership, tapping into AT&T’s vast retail distribution and the Magicverse innovations that will be powered by their game changing 5G network.”

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Magic Leap, reporting back with the latest announcements.

‘Brass Tactics’ Preorders Now Open, Free-to-Play Version to Launch in February

Tabletop real-time strategy game Brass Tactics, which launches on February 22nd, is now available for preorder on the Oculus Store at a promotional price of $24.99. A free-to-play version of the game called Brass Tactics Arena is also open for Early Access registration, and is slated for a February release.

As explained in a recent post on the official Oculus blog, preordering Brass Tactics saves $15 from the regular $39.99 purchase price. Brass Tactics Arena is due to launch a week before the full game, on February 15th.

A new post on developer Hidden Path’s blog explains the free-to-play Brass Tactics Arena will feature “unlimited cooperative, competitive, and vs AI play on a single hand-detailed map,” whereas the full version of Brass Tactics will feature “20+ uniquely crafted, hand-detailed maps” and a “6+ hour story campaign.” Registration for Early Access to Brass Tactics Arena, which will go into Early Access at a still indeterminate time in February, is now open via this web page.

Brass Tactics is a highly-anticipated VR title from the creator of RTS classic Age of Empires II (1999). Hidden Path aims to bring the spirit of Age of Empires to VR by presenting it in the style of the opening credits of Game of Thrones. We took an early hands-on with the title at GDC last year.

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Brass Tactics für Oculus Rift verschoben auf Februar [Update]

[Update] Eigentlich sollte Brass Tactics am 19. Oktober kommen, nun soll laut Oculus das Echtzeit-Strategiespiel erst am 22. Februar 2018 erscheinen. Zuvor soll im Januar eine offene Multiplayer-Betaphase stattfinden, um noch Feintuning am Spiel vornehmen zu können. Die längere Zeit will der Entwickler Hidden Path dazu nutzen, das Spiel deutlich zu erweitern: So soll sich die Anzahl der zur Verfügung stehenden Truppen auf 16 verdoppeln. Spieler können sich acht Truppen wie beispielsweise Bogenschützen und Lufteinheiten frei aussuchen oder auf bestehende Sets zurückgreifen. Außerdem wird es weitere Optionen bei den Technik-Bäumen für die ausgewählten Truppen geben.

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Das Echtzeit-Strategiespiel Brass Tactics lässt sich ab sofort vorbestellen, am 19. Oktober soll es dann verfügbar sein. Wer jetzt zuschlägt, spart rund 15 Prozent. Hinter dem Spiel steckt Mark Terrano, der Kopf des Titels Age of Empires II: Age of Kings. Das schraubt die Erwartungen an Brass Tactics in die Höhe: Viele erwarten das erste große Strategiespiel für die virtuelle Realität. Tatsächlich steckt viel Arbeit in Brass Tactics und der Trailer macht nicht nur alten Strategie-Hasen den Mund wässrig.

Brass Tactics : Game of Empires trifft Game of Thrones

Das Echtzeit-Strategiespiel (abgekürzt RTS für Real Time Strategie) Brass Tactis soll am 19. Oktober erscheinen und lässt sich ab sofort im Oculus Store vorbestellen. Frühe Käufer erhalten laut Oculus einen Rabatt von 15 Prozent, der Preis sinkt demnach von zukünftig knapp 30 Euro auf jetzt 25 Euro. In bester Table-Top-Marnier schickt man seine Truppen in die Schlacht, wobei Spieler den Blickwinkel frei wählen können und mittendrin statt nur dabei sind. In der virtuellen Realität sollte das Gemetzel jedenfalls ziemlich beeindruckend aussehen.

Der CEO des Studios Hidden Path, das auch Defense Grid 2 für die Oculus Rift und Samsung Gear VR entwickelt hat, äußert sich auf dem Oculus-Blog über die Vorzüge der jüngsten VR-Entwicklung: Brass Tactics sei bahnbrechend für das Strategiespiel-Genre, denn der Spieler fühle sich mitten in der Schlacht und sähe, wie seine Strategie vor seinen Augen zum Leben erwacht. Das Ziel war es laut CEO Jeff Pobst, ein Spiel im Age-of-Empires-Stil mit Elementen des Vorspanns von Game of Thrones zu entwickeln. Außerdem habe man sich für eine physische Welt entschieden: Um Gebäude upzugraden, klicke man deshalb nicht bloß auf ein Icon, sondern greife nach „echten“ virtuellen Elementen und füge sie dem Königreich zu. Laut Pobst spricht das Spiel nicht nur Strategie-Experten an, sondern auch Einsteiger in das Genre. Es sei für sie so einfach zu spielen, wie mit einer kleinen Spielzeugarme, die man auf der Landkarte einsetzt.

(Quelle: Oculus-Blog)

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