Stories such as the breaking of security into major organisations that hold details of customers break out frequently, and HTC Vive seems to be doing what it can to avoid this with its latest partnership with INSIDE to integrate its security technology with the HTC Vive’s content and information. The two companies will be working together to make sure that users’ content won’t be taken, which protects against the likes of copyright.
Security breaches in terms of copyright results in loss of trust in a company and an industry as a whole, and HTC recognises this as it is detailed that “the most important factor in pervasive consumer and business adoption of virtual reality is a broad community of developers generating compelling content across multiple applications”. INSIDE has been brought onto the scene to make sure that all content is protected, as well as the monetisation that the owners generate.
“We are very pleased to be selected by HTC, an leading innovator in virtual reality, to create a significant breakthrough in the VR industry,” said Andrew McLennan, executive vice-president of INSIDE Secure’s Mobile Security Division in a press release. “Driving trust all along the VR content distribution chain will benefit the user experience by greatly enriching the content offering.”
For more of the latest developments of the biggest names in the VR industry, as well as all the news, updates, and features in the world of VR, make sure to check back with VRFocus.
Virtual reality (VR) game jams have been incredibly popular and useful for building VR communities and sharing development knowledge. VRFocus had its first game jam – Virtual Reality Challenge (VRC) – last weekend and today Epic Games has announced another in partnership with NVIDIA, Valve and HTC called VR Funhouse Game Jam.
Based on NVIDIA’s recently released free carnival game for the HTC Vive head-mounted display (HMD) – VR Funhouse – the game jam will be taking place in Hamburg, Germany on the MS Bleichen ship from 24th – 26th September 2016.
The companies have pre-selected teams from across Europe to participate. For the game jam they’ll be using the VR Funhouse Mod Kit to build a new minigame experience within the first two days. On the third day their creations will then be put on public display, where consumers who’ve registered to attend will be able to board MS Bleichen and demo the projects. After which Epic Games, Valve and NVIDIA will raffle off prizes for attendees to win.
If you’re interested in attending the consumer day on Monday 26th September, then head to vrfunhousegamejam.eventbrite.com to register.
VR Funhouse is the first VR videogame from NVIDIA, a company synonymous with manufacturing computer hardware – especially graphic cards. Originally designed to showcase NVIDIA’s graphics technology, such as NVIDIA FleX, NVIDIA Flow, NVIDIA HairWorks, NVIDIA PhysX Destruction and NVIDIA VRWorks’ Multi-Res Shading, VR Funhouse was released for free on HTC Vive back in July.
Featuring seven mini-games set inside a carnival, these included Mole Boxing, Whack-A-Mole, Balloon Knight, a shooting range and a skeet cannon. It was only a few days ago that NVIDIA announced the launch of the VR Funhouse Mod Kit in conjunction with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of NVIDIA and the VR Funhouse Game Jam, reporting back with any further announcements.
Last week VRFocus reported on the emergence of a wireless HTC Vive in development by the company Quark VR, makers of a platform where virtual reality (VR) applications can be used multiplatform. There were quite a few points that were ambiguous, but after getting in contact with the company a few questions have been answered.
The first question that was asked was whether or not Quark VR was in an official partnership with Valve or HTC, and if they were making it together. Krasi Nikolov, CEO of Quark VR, replied: “We don’t have an official partnership with Valve. They are advising us on the OpenVR integration, and supported us with hardware. They are very open and supportive to all Vive developers.”
Nikolov went on to explain whether or not this would result in a new model of HTC Vive, to which he replied that for now it will only be a prototype, as it is too early to talk about anything else.
The next thing that posed a rather big question was how this would work practically, whether or not the HTC Vive is modded. “They way it works is the Vive is connected to a Single Board Computer, and a battery. The SBC is running Quark VR, which is the VR streaming software we are developing. We’ve come up with a low latency streaming solution that meets the demands of VR.”
The prototype is something that Nikolov is particularly interested by, and hopes to irradicate limitations in VR: “The idea for the project came along as a way to show off the capabilities of Quark VR. So far we have a version for Gear VR and Google Cardboard, but as you know, those are limited to 60 fps and don’t have positional tracking. However, applying our software to the HTC Vive would circumvent these limitations, which makes us very excited!”
For anyone who is particularly intrigued by this idea, Quark VR will be taking the prototype to VRDC this November, as well as SVVR and SFVR.
For more on the latest in the VR industry, make sure to check back with VRFocus.
Die Entwicklung von Spielen ist teuer und häufig langwierig. Daher können sich alle Entwickler glücklich schätzen, denen finanziell unter die Arme gegriffen wird. Jetzt verkündet das Team von Steel Wool Studios, dass HTC 5 Millionen US-Dollar in das Unternehmen investiert hat.
Steel Wool Studios
Steel Wool Studios wurde im Jahr 2011 von ehemaligen Mitarbeitern von Pixar und LucasArts gegründet. Seit 2014 haben die Entwickler ihre Fokus auf Virtual Reality Inhalte gelegt. Die erste Veröffentlichung des Teams war Quar: Battle for Gate 18, ein RTS Spiel, das nur wenig verkauft wurde und uns im Test auch nicht wirklich überzeugen konnte.
Doch bei der Investition wird es auch weniger um den alten Schinken gehen, als viel mehr um das neue Projekt der Entwickler. Mit Mars Odyssey steht eine Simulation für die HTC Vive in den Startlöchern, die euch direkt auf den Mars bringt. In Mars Odyssey landet der Spieler auf dem Mars und muss einige Roboter reparieren, die auf dem Mars ihre Arbeit verrichten. Der Mars Rover wird genau an dem Punkt stehen, wo er auch in Wirklichkeit steht. Dies wurde mit Hilfe von NASA Daten ermöglicht.
HTC CEO Cher Wang sagt:
„Wenn man sich Mars Odyssey und die anderen Projekte von Steel Wool anschaut, die aktuell noch in der Entwicklung sind, dann wird schnell klar, dass dieses Studio die Verbreitung von VR durch wunderschönen Content mit einer packenden Story voranbringen kann.“
Ob die Investition von HTC bedeutet, dass die Anwendungen exklusiv für den Viveport oder die HTC Vive erscheinen, ist aktuell nicht klar. Valve sagte zwar, dass man solche Deals nicht macht, aber dies muss natürlich nicht bedeuten, dass HTC ähnlich handelt.
No matter the studio, no matter the application or experience and no matter the hardware that it is being produced on, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) continues to generate investment from both inside the industry and from grants, individuals and consortiums outside outside of it.
The latest to acquire funding is independent Steel Wool Studios, a team with more than an a little bit of an interesting background.
Founded five years ago Steel Wool Studios has within its staff alumni from Telltale Games, Lucasfilm and Pixar Animation Studios which many video game aficionados would consider something of a dream team development. Steel Wool Studios began to use VR in 2014 on and earlier this year this work produced Quar: Battle for Gate 18, a turn-based strategy launch title for the HTC Vive which VRFocus described in its review as “genuinely fun and often tense”.
Their next project Mars Odyssey sees you take on the needed maintenance roll for the (in-game) long abandoned Mars exploration rovers. Teaming with NASA, Steel Wool Studios have produced a realistic environment based on the known martian terrain and the likes of Pathfinder and Opportunity will be found in their current locations and need to be repaired using their actual schematics. is launching on Steam on September 9th 2016, also for the HTC Vive. It is this along with other VR related projects “which span game, simulation, and narrative-based concepts” that will be supported by HTC through $5 million (USD) in Series A funding.
Speaking on the deal, HTC Corporation’s CEO Cher Wang said, “The Steel Wool Studios team carries an impressive pedigree of creative talent that has already proven its ability to build cutting-edge content for the nascent VR category. Taking a look at Mars Odyssey and Steel Wool’s other projects under development, it’s immediately clear that this studio will drive VR adoption with great content that balances amazing visual fidelity with strong storytelling.”
“After earning our stripes with Quar, we went all-in on creating content for VR, a medium we’ve been waiting for our whole lives.” Added Andrew Dayton, who co-founded Steel Wool Studios. “HTC’s investment gives us the ability to explore and push the limits of VR through the completion of projects we hope will excite everyone as much as we’ve enjoyed building them.”
VRFocus will bring you more information on the release when we have it.
Now that the HTC Vive has been out for a while, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of content flow onto Valve’s flagship VR headset. Hundreds of games live on Steam with HTC Vive support, although it’s worth clarifying that the majority of them offer very little in the way of engaging content beyond a simple gameplay mechanic that’s fun for 30 minutes.
As a result, we feel the need to provide a definitive source with an up-to-date list regarding the very best Vive games that you can play right now. We’ll keep an eye on the VR gaming landscape and update this list over time, as appropriate, to better represent what’s available.
Obviously, it goes without saying that the first three Vive games you should play are the original three that came bundled with the Vive’s very first preorders: Tilt Brush, Job Simulator, and Fantastic Contraption. While Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption may not be bundled any longer, they’re still awesome demonstrations of what VR can accomplish by focusing on very specific concepts. Additionally, The Gallery, and Zombie Training Simulator, are included with all current Vive bundles, and also deserve recognition as being excellent games in their own right. And Google Earth VR is one of the best apps period, but it’s not really a game technically.
But this list is focused on games you don’t have access to out of the box. If you just got a Vive or are cruising for something to play, you already tried the bundle games. You want something more. And that’s where this list comes in.
None of these games come bundled with the device, prices will likely change depending on which week or month you’re reading this list, and chances are they’ll all receive updates and patches making them even better than they are today. But the fact remains that at the time of writing, these are the 9 must-play Vive games available right now, in no particular order.
The Lab
Not only is The Lab free to download and specifically created by Valve for the HTC Vive, but it’s also one of the best demonstrations of not just VR, but room scale as well. Instead of masquerading as a glorified tech demo pretending to be a real game, it’s just a collection of short demo experiences. Each of them focus on something specific and really show you how much potential exists for developers in the future.
Longbow, for example, puts you atop a castle wall as an archer that’s tasked with shooting invaders. It sounds simple but it’s incredibly addicting. Then there’s Xortex, which is a clever twist on the classic shoot ‘em up genre that puts you in control of a ship in 3D space as you move and zip around by dodging and shooting lasers from every direction. It’s free and it’s super high-quality, you’d be crazy not to download this one immediately.
Raw Data
Raw Data is what happens when a group of game developers get together and posit a virtual world where all of the protagonists get to be super-powered, cyborg-killing, badass heroes. It can be easy to brush this one off as “just another wave shooter,” but that would be a gross oversimplification of the game. You don’t just face off against robots and call it a day, but instead move around the environment and set up defenses, dodge attacks, and more.
What makes Raw Data so great though is that you’re not just fighting these robots by yourself, but you can do so in cooperative multiplayer with friends or random people over the internet. The multitude of different classes — such as a pistol-wielder and sword-wielder — lend a lot of variety to the experience. With more classes coming, as well as more missions, powers, and enemies, this is easily one of the most polished and robust Early Access VR titles on the market.
Vanishing Realms
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play D&D with a hint of Zelda in VR? Then look no further because Vanishing Realms could very well scratch that pesky itch. On the surface, it’s a relatively bare bones dungeon crawler with some light exploration and puzzle elements, but where the game really shines is when you’re thrust into combat.
Using the Vive’s motion controllers and room scale technology, you maneuver around the environment to dodge enemies and attacks and can even swing your sword and block with your shield all using real-life 1:1 motion tracking. Hear a bow string twang from behind? Spin around and block the arrow with your shield. Duck behind cover and cast spells at enemies. You can do it all in Vanishing Realms.
Onward
This is the hardcore VR shooter for hardcore VR gamers. If you grew up playing games like Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, SOCOM, and other similar tactical military shooters, then you’ll feel right at home in Onward. It has much more in common with the grueling teamwork of those games than the run-and-gun hip firing found in modern shooters like Call of Duty, and it was all created by one guy.
From holding your rifle with both hands and using your walkie talkie on your shoulder, to pulling out your knife to sneak up on an opponent, Onward is the visceral, realistic VR game many people have been waiting for. It uses full roomscale tracking with motion controllers and artificial locomotion attached to the trackpad — no teleporting here. The community is healthy and fun, making this one of the clear standout titles for the HTC Vive so far.
A Chair in a Room: Greenwater
What does it take to scare you? I don’t mean to make you jump in surprise from something that pops up as you round a corner in the darkness, or a loud noise that catches you off guard. I mean what does it take to really, really frighten you? The kind of scare that leaves you thinking about it after you take off the headset and stop playing the game. That answer is likely very different for everyone, but for me, the answer is A Chair in a Room: Greenwater.
Everything from the pacing, to the foreboding sounds and atmosphere, all the way to the twisted story of mental illness and terrifying captivity, A Chair in a Room: Greenwater is one of the scariest games I’ve played on the HTC Vive. Instead of relying on cheap jump scares, it builds a suspenseful narrative that concludes in a breathtaking ending. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a great example of what’s possible with the horror genre in VR.
The Brookhaven Experiment
You’ve probably heard about it or seen it before, as The Brookhaven Experiment has become synonymous with, “Hey! Watch this person’s ridiculous reaction to fake stuff in VR!” But the great thing about The Brookhaven Experiment is that if you look beyond the silly reaction videos and dig into the meat of the game, what you’ll find is one of the most satisfying (albeit terrifying) VR experiences currently on the market.
You can plow through the game’s Survival mode, completing waves as they get progressively harder and more intense, as well as the Campaign mode, which features a pseudo-plot and voice acting to push the story along. Between waves you’ll upgrade your weapons and prepare for the onslaught of more zombies, crawlers, and other creepy beasts. It sounds simple, but the slowly building dread you’ll face as you spin around searching for that last zombie — just as your flashlight dies — is truly unnerving.
Rec Room
You’ve got no excuse for not playing Rec Room. This whimsical gym simulation, complete with dorm rooms, a communal area, and tons of activities, is not only free to download and play for all Vive users, it’s also one of the most engaging experiences you can try in VR to date. When you first log into the world, you’ll start in your dorm room, alone, to get your bearings. Pick out your clothes, choose your appearance, and establish a bit of your virtual identity before meeting your peers.
From the main lobby, you can walk around and chat with other players, complete with high-fives, fist bumps, and incredibly emotive faces. Activities range from an exciting game of Paintball, Table Tennis, Dodgeball, and more. The premise is simple, but the execution is so loveable and on-point that it’s impossible to not play Rec Room with a smile on your face. It reminds us of the reasons we enjoy(ed) going to school: hanging out with friends.
Island: 359
It’s really a damn shame. But it seems like, in the year 2016, people have mostly forgotten how terrifying dinosaurs can be. They’ve been replaced mostly with zombies as the go-to monstrosity of choice, but little else can match the ferocity and terror from the roar of a towering T-Rex. That’s something that Island: 359 not only captures, but revels in from start to finish. It may currently only be a fraction of its planned vision, but it’s already delivering on much of its core promise.
In Island: 359, you’re a mercenary dropped into a dangerous tropical jungle on the hunt for big, bad dinos. You’ll be tasked with venturing into the depths of the sprawling tree-laden wilderness — a massive area — complete with free quick-sprint teleportation movement. With a litany of guns, items, and other upgrades to find, you’ll spend your time upgrading as you advance through the jungle. But be careful: your bounty won’t count if you can’t make it back to the chopper for evacuation.
Redout
This is WipeOut for the modern age. It’s a shameless imitation that does everything right and excels at its copy of Sony’s first-party racing title, updating it for 2016, and adding VR support to boot. It may not be a VR-only title like most of the others we tend to cover at UploadVR, but it’s still one of the best games you can play right now on the HTC Vive.
The speed is indescribably intense and the sheer breadth of content is refreshing for an industry that seems riddled with tech demos and brief experiences. Redout came out of nowhere to offer the speed, thrills, and intensity that the market was craving. Definitely grab this one if you haven’t already.
8/30/16 Update:The Gallery was moved into the ‘bundle’ paragraph at the start of the article, while Unseen Diplomacy, Space Pirate Trainer, and #SelfieTennis have been retired. The list has also been expanded from 7 games to 9, opening up 2 new spots. In the 5 total vacant slots, we’ve added Raw Data, A Chair in a Room: Greenwater, Island: 359, Battle Dome, and Rec Room.
This article was originally published on 4/13/16.
Editor’s Note: Another version of this list, specifically focused on multiplayer games, has been retired and will no longer be updated. This list is our definitive collection of the overall best Vive games we’ve identified as of the last time the list was updated.
