Augmented Reality ist zukünftig ein wichtiges Thema, denn wenn sich die AR-Ansicht nicht auf das Handy beschränkt, sondern über eine kleine und smarte Brille verwirklicht wird, werden AR-Programme zu Alltagsbegleitern. Während man sich vor wenigen Jahren in der eigenen Stadt noch auskannte, nutzt man heute oft Navigationssoftware, um von A nach B zu gelangen. Theoretisch eine simple Herausforderung für AR, einen entsprechenden Pfeil als Wegweiser einzublenden. Doch die Nexus Studios haben einen besseren Vorschlag. Das Team nutzt das ARKit von Apple und bringt einen halbnackten Mann auf die Straße, der euch den Weg zeigt.
Mann voraus: HotStepper für iOS
In der iOS-App müsst ihr nur die gewünschte Zieladresse eingegeben werden und anschließend taucht euer persönlicher Reiseführer auf und ihr könnt ihn verfolgen. Damit das Laufen in der virtuellen Realität realistisch aussieht, hat das Team eigene Werkzeuge entwickelt. Darunter auch das Tool VLO, welches die Nexus Studios demnächst auch für andere Entwickler veröffentlichen wollen.
Damit der virtuelle Stadtführer natürlich in der Umgebung erscheint, wirft er einen berechneten Schatten und das Umgebungslicht hat ebenso Einfluss auf die Helligkeit der Figur. Zudem soll eine Mischung aus GPS-Daten, Lagesensoren und Mapping-Daten zur exakten Bestimmung der Position der Figur zum Einsatz kommen.
A growing application of augmented reality (AR) has to do with navigation, with American Airlines and Gatwick airport both using the technology to help visitors find their way around. Now, to celebrate the opening of its new US office in Los Angeles, Nexus Studios has released HotStepper a wayfinding app that aims to add a skip to your step.
Combining AR, geo-location and mapping technology, a phone’s compass and GPS coordinates, HotStepper will allow users to enter an address anywhere in the world and they’ll be guided to their destination via an eccentric dancing character.
“HotStepper is part of a series of research projects we’re doing into storytelling using real-world data,” explains Nexus Studios’ Head of Interactive Arts Luke Ritchie in a statement. “We’re super excited to be exploring this new frontier and with HotStepper we’ve combined multiple innovations to bring to life a playful dude creating a fun way to get somewhere. The HotStepper has a complex steering algorithm that uses different types of data to keep him on the path and walking in the right direction. It’s only as good as the GPS data though so absolutely use your common sense when perhaps it appears he hasn’t!”
To bring HotStepper to life Nexus Studios created several new tools, including VLO a virtual reality (VR) animation tool that the developer will be widely releasing soon. To make the character look like he belongs in the environment the app calculates whereabouts the sun is in relation to HotStepper, so that his shadow fits with a users current location and time.
Additionally, to showcase the fun storytelling side of the app, whenever you walk past or near a hairdressers, HotStepper’s haircut will transform into a variety of styles.
HotStepper is available now on the app store for iOS devices with an Android version also in the works. Check out the video below to see HotStepper in action.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Nexus Studios, reporting back with the latest updates.
Niantic verschiebt die Veröffentlichung von Harry Potter: Wizards Unite für iOS und Anroid auf nächstes Jahr. Demnach dürfen sich angehende Zauberer erst 2019 an den virtuellen Zauberstab wagen.
Bekannt gemacht wurde dafür mittlerweile eure Rolle im Spiel: Als Mitglied der Statute of Secrecy Task Force durchsucht ihr die Welt nach zauberhaften Wesen, Bestien, ungelösten Mysterien und trefft dabei auf altbekannte Gesichter und Charaktere des Universums. Als kleines Trostpflaster gibt es für alle Potterheads einen neuen Trailer zu begutachten (der allerdings wenig vom eigentlichen Gameplay offenbart):
Das AR-Spiel entsteht in Kooperation zwischen Niantic, Portkey Games und Warner Bros.
Im Sommer 2016 konnte man ein außergewöhnliches Phänomen in den Städten beobachten, denn unzählige Jugendliche und Erwachsene sammelten sich in Gruppen auf öffentlichen Plätzen, um gemeinsam mit ihrem Smartphone zu interagieren. Pokémon Go löste im letzten Jahr einen gigantischen Hype aus, der unzählige Spieler motivierte, auf die Straßen zu gehen. Nun kündigte Niantic, Inc. ihren nächsten AR-Titel an, der sich erneut in einem Multi-Millionen-Franchise bewegt: Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Niantic Incs. Vorgängertitel Ingress und Pokémon Go
Das Entwicklerstudio Niantic, Inc. (damals Niantic Labs) brachte vor dem Megaerfolg von Pokémon Go bereits im Jahr 2013 einen anderen AR-Titel hervor, der sich heutzutage immer noch in einer kleinen Community an Beliebtheit erfreut. In Ingress treten zwei Gruppierungen um die virtuelle Kontrolle öffentlicher Bereiche gegeneinander an.
Viele der damals eingereichten Datensätze wurden für Pokémon Go genutzt, was einen Teil des enormen Erfolgs der virtuellen Jagd um die Taschenmonster ausmachte. Der Zauber des Spiels lag in der Innovation, denn es forderte die Spieler auf, nach draußen zu gehen und dank AR mit der echten Welt über das Smartphone zu interagieren. Dies war zum damaligen Zeitpunkt für viele Nutzer noch etwas völlig Neues. Zudem förderte es die Bewegung und den Kontakt mit anderen Menschen. Leider fehlten dem Spiel Langzeitmotivatoren und Abwechslung, wodurch die Spielerzahlen sanken. Der massive Hype um das Spiel flachte schließlich ab. Es wird heute nur noch von einem Bruchteil der damaligen Nutzer gespielt.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite wird Nachfolger von Pokémon Go
Doch nun kündigten die Entwickler ihren neuen AR-Titel Harry Potter: Wizards Unite an, der den AR-Entertainment-Bereich auf das nächste Level bringen soll. Dafür ging Niantic, Inc. eine Partnerschaft mit Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment und WB Games ein. Die Verantwortlichen von Niantic folgen dabei ihrem Erfolgsrezept, denn wie bei Pokémon Go erfüllen sie somit den Wunsch vieler Spieler, einmal in das magische Universum ihrer Kindheiteinzutauchen.
Im Spiel übernimmt man die Rolle eines Zauberers, der sich durch das Erlernen von Zaubersprüchen gegen mächtige Feinde und legendäre Monster stellt. Diese sind wie gewohnt in der realen Welt aufzufinden. Doch neben den gesammelten Datensätzen aus den vorherigen Titeln, gewohnten Funktionen und ikonischen Charakteren soll das AR-Spiel viele neue Mechaniken und Herausforderungen bieten. Welche dies genau sind, ist derzeit noch nicht bekannt. Auch das Veröffentlichungsdatum wurde bisher noch nicht genannt.
Minimalist puzzle title Cubiques was released on the apple app Store only a few months ago, gaining praise for its clean lines and intuitive gameplay. Lead developer Dilmer Valecillos isn’t satisfied with that, however, and its now leveraging the power of ARKit to bring the title into augmented reality (AR).
Cubiques is a puzzle game that involves moving blocks around a stark, minimalist environment. The object is for the red cube to touch every other tile in the environment. As players advance through the levels different tile types becomes introduced, changing the game mechanics and requiring players to think hard about their route. 70 levels are available in the original title, each featuring clean, isometric designs and relaxing music.
The lead developer is now using the power of Apple’s ARKit to bring the title to AR. A short proof-of-concept video has been released to show how the title would work when translated into AR. You can view the video demonstration below.
Valecillos joins a number of other developers who have begun to use ARKit to adapt existing titles into AR using the powerful new features offered by the ARKit SDK, such as HoloGrid: Monster Battle, or Guns of Boom from Game Insight.
Since Cubiques AR is a relatively straightforward adaption of the title, it has already been approved by Apple and is expected to be released on Apple app store on 9th November, 2017 for users running iOS11 on ARKit compatible devices. It is expected that most of the features from the non-AR version, such as the leaderboard and level select will be ported to the AR version.
With the rise of interest in AR and the popularity of ARKit and Google’s ARCore, it is likely that many more mobile titles will see a transition into AR as developers learn the capabilities of the new technology and incorporate it into their work.
VRFocus will bring you further information on Cubiques AR as it becomes available.
Die App DroneBase Pilot für iOS steht seit etwas über einem Jahr zur Verfügung. Nun bekommt sie für iPhone und iPadAirCraft spendiert: Im Minecraft-Stil können Drohnen-Piloten mit der App virtuelle Objekte in die Luft zaubern. An einer Version für Android arbeiten die Entwickler von DroneBase noch.
DroneBase-Pilot mit neuem Modus AirCraft
AirCraft stellt einen kleinen Bausatz mit einfachen 3D-Würfeln zur Verfügung, die man der echten Umgebung hinzufügen kann. So lassen sich beispielsweise virtuelle Rennstrecken anlegen, die sich aus der Drohnen-Perspektive durchfliegen lassen. Die Objekte erinnern dabei sehr an Minecraft: Es stehen Klötzchen in sechs Vollfarben und drei Größen zur Auswahl. Hinzu kommen noch sechs texturierte Klötze ebenfalls in drei Größen. Mit ihnen lassen sich dann beispielsweise Objekte realisieren, die an Mauern und Bäume erinnern. Neben Rennstrecken sollen Anwender somit beispielsweise auch Kunstwerke und fliegende Städte bauen können. Die Pläne des Entwickler-Teams gehen aber noch weiter, so arbeiten die DroneBase-Entwickler laut VRScout derzeit mit einer Baugesellschaft zusammen. So könnte man Bauvorhaben visualisieren und nicht nur am Boden, sondern zusätzlich mit der Drohne aus der Luft erkunden.
Die App DroneBase Pilot steht kostenlos im App Store zur Verfügung, setzt aber vor der ersten Nutzung eine Registrierung beim Hersteller voraus. Das Modul AirCraft befindet sich offiziell noch in der Betaphase. Neben dem Smartphone oder Tablet mit GPS benötigt man eine passende Drohne: Die Entwickler empfehlen mindestens eine DJI Phantom 3, Inspire 1 oder ein entsprechendes Modell. Außerdem sollte die Kamera des des Flugobjektes bestimmte Mindestanforderungen erfüllen, um ein möglichst optimales Ergebnis zu erzielen.
Google today released a new spatial audio software development kit called ‘Resonance Audio’, a cross-platform tool based on technology from their existing VR Audio SDK. Resonance Audio aims to make VR and AR development easier across mobile and desktop platforms.
Google’s spatial audio support for VR is well-established, having introduced the technology to the Cardboard SDK in January 2016, and bringing their audio rendering engine to the main Google VR SDK in May 2016, which saw several improvements in the Daydream 2.0 update earlier this year. Google’s existing VR SDK audio engine already supported multiple platforms, but with platform-specific documentation on how to implement the features. In February, a post on Google’s official blog recognised the “confusing and time-consuming” battle of working with various audio tools, and described the development of streamlined FMOD and Wwise plugins for multiple platforms on both Unity and Unreal Engine.
Image courtesy Google
The new Resonance Audio SDK consolidates these efforts, working ‘at scale’ across mobile and desktop platforms, which should simplify development workflows for spatial audio in any VR/AR game or experience. According to the press release provided to Road to VR, the new SDK supports “the most popular game engines, audio engines, and digital audio workstations” running on Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Google are providing integrations for “Unity, Unreal Engine, FMOD, Wwise, and DAWs,” along with “native APIs for C/C++, Java, Objective-C, and the web.”
This broader cross-platform support means that developers can implement one sound design for their experience that should perform consistently on both mobile and desktop platforms. In order to achieve this on mobile, where CPU resources are often very limited for audio, Resonance Audio features scalable performance using “highly optimized digital signal processing algorithms based on higher order Ambisonics to spatialize hundreds of simultaneous 3D sound sources, without compromising audio quality.” A new feature in Unity for precomputing reverb effects for a given environment also ‘significantly reduces’ CPU usage during playback.
Much like the existing VR Audio SDK, Resonance Audio is able to model complex sound environments, allowing control over the direction of acoustic wave propagation from individual sound sources. The width of each source can be specified, from a single point to a wall of sound. The SDK will also automatically render near-field effects for sound sources within arm’s reach of the user. Near-field audio rendering takes acoustic diffraction into account, as sound waves travel across the head. By using precise HRTFs, the accuracy of close sound source positioning can be increased. The team have also released an ‘Ambisonic recording tool’ to spatially capture sound design directly within Unity, which can be saved to a file for use elsewhere, such as game engines or YouTube videos.
For PC VR users, Google just droppedAudio Factory on Steam, letting Rift and Vive owners get a taste of an experience that implements the new Resonance Audio SDK. Daydream users can try it out here too.
Last month VRFocus reported on Los Angeles-based virtual reality (VR) studio Dark Corner announcing its latest horror film Night Night as well as the official unveiling of its dedicated VR horror app. Now in the run up to Halloween and for fans of all things scary, the studio has now launched the app publicly.
Initially featuring eight immersive experiences that are both cinematic and hair-raising, the Dark Corner app, built using Vusr by Secret Location, will include Catatonic, Knives, Sonar, The Invisible Man, Burlap, The Peeler, Mule and 1157, with Night Night available on 19th October.
“Dark Corner is the new destination for thrilling experiences helmed by some of the most innovative filmmakers working in VR today,” said director and founder, Guy Shelmerdine. “While most entertainment VR apps offer a mixed bag of content, our goal is to deliver a highly curated selection of exhilarating experiences to a specific audience that loves genre in all its forms.”
Featuring both free and paid content from Dark Corner Studio as well as other filmakers, the Dark Corner app, is available for iOS, Android, Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream, and Oculus Rift.
“We don’t claim to have all the answers about the future of VR, but we do know that people love to be terrified when they put on a headset,” added Teal Greyhavens, Head of Content for Dark Corner. “Our model is about providing a consistent stream of cinematic experiences that emphasize storytelling and suspense, while remaining accessible and engaging for mainstream audiences.”
As further content is added to the Dark Corner app, VRFocus will let you know.
Kids these days naturally understand tablets and smartphones better than anyone who has come before them. Make their time online valuable with this list of fun and educational apps for kids.
Apple iPhone and iPad users have been able to enjoy plenty of new augmented reality (AR) apps since iOS 11 arrived several weeks ago. One of the latest experiences to come to the platform is a relaxing aquarium builder called ARQUA!
Designed by indie 3D artist Isaac “Cabbibo” Cohen in collaboration with Viacom NEXT, ARQUA! enables players to digitally overlap animated aquatic features (such as fish, coral, kelp) on their real world surroundings, creating a customised rainbow aquarium that is interactive and shareable.
Once the aquarium is created, players can then explore their creation; teasing fish, tickling kelp, and twisting crystals. When a new day begins it all starts again, creating another psychedelic wonderland.
Developed using Apple’s new ARKit app ARQUA! is available through Apple’s App Store for $0.99 USD.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of ARKit apps, reporting back with the latest releases.
Like it or not advertising in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is going to become more pronounced as the technology develops, giving studios access to more revenue streams that can aid content creation. Mobile monetization and marketing company ironSource has now announced it’ll be launching the AR ads for mobile videogames this November.
Created in ironSource’s Playworks Studio, the ads use 3D assets from the original videogame, and can run on both iOS and Android in-app traffic. The AR ads superimpose in-game characters and scenarios from the advertised title onto a user’s environment, where they can vanquish monsters, earn points, or step into the virtual world of the experience, before being prompted to install the app to continue playing.
“For mobile AAA games which are often 3D and filled with special effects, AR ads finally offer a format that can evoke the true nature and experience of the game in an ad experience. Couple that with the large scale supply enabled by our direct relationships with thousands of game publishers using our ad network, and the potential opportunity for massive game advertisers is huge,” said Dan Greenberg, Chief Design Officer at ironSource in a statement. “Ultimately, amazing creative experiences are not enough to guarantee campaign results. You need to be able to access large volumes of relevant users, and to live close enough to the data to iterate and optimize. As the first ad network offering AR ads, that’s something we’re able to offer mobile AAA games looking to grow their market share by leveraging this new format.”
The AR ads were developed while ARKit was still in beta, but with Apple rolling out support this month with iOS 11 users will now see a growing number of AR videogames and soon corresponding ads.
“While we’ve seen AR applied in an advertising context with features like lenses, this is the first time it will be used to market games. Yet games are in many ways the perfect application for AR advertising, given that a lot of the ways people interact with AR experiences actually mimic gameplay interaction,” continued Greenberg. “The fact that we’ve been working with some of the largest gaming companies for so many years means we have a deep understanding of gameplay and how to translate it into a more compact and condensed ad experience. We’ve presented this new technology to our top partners while in beta and the reactions were uniformly positive. Our first campaign is already scheduled for November once user adoption of iOS 11 has increased.”
VRFocus will continue its AR coverage, reporting back with the latest announcements.
