Category: GREE VR Studio

Posted on

GREE VR Studio to Launch Virtual YouTube Channel Using IKinema Technology

Earlier this year real-time animation specialist IKinema announced the launch of its new motion capture solution Orion. Today, Japanese media broadcaster and games publisher Gree Inc. and its subsidiary Gree VR Studio have announced the implementation of Orion to launch a new virtual YouTube hosting channel.

IKinema Orion 1.0

One of the fastest growing trends in Japan currently is the use of live streamed animated characters which GREE Inc. is looking to take advantage of using IKinema’s Orion and LiveAction technology. This will enable virtual animated ‘idols’ to interact live with online subscribers via GREE’s channel.

“This happens to be an exciting time for IKinema, we’re delighted GREE, Inc. have deployed our real-time technology to forge new and dynamic territories for wider audience appeal and usability,” said IKinema CEO, Alexandre Pechev in a statement. “The VTuber trend is increasing at an astonishing rate, and we’re proud IKinema will expedite its development and growth. IKinema’s ongoing vision to democratise quality motion capture for the masses has been our core message and by partnering the cutting-edge Orion and LiveAction technologies, they have become central tools to shape and evolve the future development of the virtual human.”

Already being used by Tencent IEG NEXT Studio, NASA’s Hybrid Reality Lab and the The VOID in its Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire experience, IKinema’s technology can be used with hardware like the HTC Vive and its controllers to capture head and hand motion. With the addition of Vive Trackers the company is then able to capture hips and feet.

“Orion, together with LiveAction proved to be a solid foundation to build on our virtual YouTuber business,” said GREE VR Studio Manager, Masashi Watanabe. “It served as the key components to make our YouTuber vision come to life. It enabled us to realise time efficiencies as well. The staff from IKinema was also very helpful in supporting us to take advantage of their technology for the project.”

GREE Inc. has yet to reveal when it plans to go live with its new YouTube channel featuring live virtual avatars. When it does VRFocus will keep you updated.

Posted on

VR Being Trialed at Tokyo Arcade to Increase Revenue

Virtual reality (VR) is being utilised for many industries, but can it help save one? Videogame arcades have been in steady decline for years, mainly starting in the 90’s when consoles started to provide bigger, richer and more visually interesting content that could be played at home. With the rise of VR, and especially HTC Vive’s Room Scale technology, arcades are now implementing VR or being built specifically for it. For current arcade operators VR could be a way to boost profits, which is why Adores Inc., a Tokyo, Japan-based operator has unveiled a dedicated VR facility.

Located in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, Adores Inc. arcade stretches over four stories with the VR facility taking up one full floor. The arcade uses the HTC Vive head-mounted display (HMD), displaying six titles ranging from first-person shooters (FPS) to playing baseball. All the videogames are supplied by Japanese videogame company, Gree Inc. Eiji Araki, vice president of Gree Inc. said: “To accelerate the launch of the VR market in Japan, we think it’s important to utilize arcades and amusement parks,” reports blooloop.com. Gree has studios across the world and earlier this year launched Tomb of the Golems for Samsung Gear VR. It’s also collaborating with Square Enix on Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR for HTC Vive.

Unlike countries such as the US, Australia or China which tend not to be short of space, Japan is notorious for space being at a premium. Devices such as HTC Vive, which do require a reasonable play area to operate, may not be as instantly accessible for general consumers to setup at home. Therefore VR arcades are able to create new revenue streams whilst providing consumers a means of playing the latest tech. Plus it’s a lot cheaper.

It’s not just traditional videogame arcades that are leveraging VR, HTC has launched the Viveport Arcade in China and Taiwan with more countries being added in 2017. While companies like The VOID and Zero Latency are creating massive warehouse sized experiences for multiple gamers to get involved with.

For all the latest VR news from around the world, keep reading VRFocus.

 

Posted on

HTC Vive and Square Enix Reveal Collaboration on Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR

Japanese card battler Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur will be getting the virtual reality (VR) treatment next year, with a newly announced title for the HTC Vive head-mounted display (HMD). Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR has been revealed by HTC, Square Enix and Gree Co, and will see its first showcase later this month at the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2016.

Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR isn’t just a VR version of its predecessor, Gree has created a unique title with its own storyline and content. Previously a beta version has been shown before, but this new announcement and demo at TGS goes further, with newly developed scenarios being introduced.

Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR - image 1

Naoya Kashima, Producer at Square Enix, said, “We are delighted to announce Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR is finally being delivered to the end users. This is not just a brush-up version of the pilot; all scenarios have been newly developed. We strongly believe the powerful 360-scened card battle and unique characters in the immersive world of VR in started with HTC Vive will be loved by the fans.”

While Eiji Araki, Vice President of Gree, commented: “Having the opportunity to develop this world famous title Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur of Square Enix Co., Ltd. to a mature VR game was a challenge for both Gree Inc. and Gree VR studio. It is also a great chance to deliver such an attractive VR experience to consumers. We hope you will enjoy it at TGS 2016.”

“Since the HTC Vive arrived at retail stores across Japan last month, there’s been a growing swell of acclaim and a strong sales response,” says Jack Tong, President of North Asia, HTC. “We are now extensively working with the global leading Game Soft creator and developer, Square Enix and its partner, Gree to launch the VR version of Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR, one of the best-selling mobile card games worldwide, exclusively on HTC Vive. This strategic partnership will help foster the global virtual reality ecosystem, and deliver the most inspiring and vibrant experiences on the HTC Vive.”

Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR will be available at TGS 2016 from 15th – 18th September at Makuhari Messe. The videogame is scheduled to launch on HTC Vive in Spring 2017.

For all the latest news on Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR, keep reading VRFocus.