Category: ios

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Unity Gives Apple the XR Treatment

If you missed the big news yesterday, Apple is now supporting virtual reality (VR) on its Mac platforms thanks to the new OS High Sierra and augmented reality (AR) on iOS with ARKit. During the keynote address the immersive demonstrations from Wingnut AR and ILM used Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, but the other big player in the middleware space, Unity Technologies, will also support Apple’s venture into VR and AR.

Unity is fully integrated with ARKit for iOS, with the company providing an open source bitbucket project for ARKit to get developers started. On the VR side Unity is currently offering an experimental build for content creation with studios able to freely publish to the app store with High Sierra.

Unity Editor on macOS
Unity editor on macOS with Space Pirate Trainer from I-Illusions in VR Mode

Unity has been working with several studios to test out the software, including Space Pirate Trainer developer I-Illusions. On the Unity blog, I-Illusions’ Dirk Van Welden said: “Overall, the porting of Space Pirate Trainer to macOS with Unity went very smooth. We had it running on macOS under a couple of hours. I previously had some concerns about Metal support, but Unity and Apple made the whole process pretty straightforward. Metal support has been hugely optimized in these past weeks and months and most of our custom shaders were supported out-of-the-box, while we never had Metal in mind while creating those shaders. Great job Unity, Valve and Apple!”

Additionally, Unity has been working with Apple and its API for high performance graphics, Metal 2, to gain extra performance by making use of the software’s new features such as the VR-optimised display pipeline.

Developers using Unity can get started straight away with macOS VR by heading to this forum page, or for those interested in AR head here.

For further updates from Apple on VR and AR developments, keep reading VRFocus.

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Apple: iMac Pro für Virtual Reality vorgestellt

Wenn man bisher Virtual Reality Brillen verwenden wollte, dann war zwingend ein leistungsstarker PC mit einem Windows-Betriebssystem nötig. Dies möchten Valve und Apple nun ändern und kündigen an, dass der neue iMac Pro VR-Ready ist.

iMac Pro für Virtual Reality vorgestellt

Apple iMac VR

Der neue iMac wird auf einen 18-Core Xeon Prozessor setzen und die Grafikleistung soll mit der verwendeten AMD Radeon Pro Vega GPU bei 22 Teraflops liegen. Außerdem wird der iMac auf eine 4TB große SSD, 128GB ECC, ein 5K Display und drei Thunderbolt Ports setzen.

Wie man anhand der Daten schon erahnen kann, wird der Einstieg in die virtuelle Realität mit dem Mac nicht günstig. Der neue iMac soll für 4,999 US-Dollar angeboten werden und somit ist der iMac deutlich teurer als ein VR-PC mit einem Betriebssystem von Microsoft. Im Dezember soll der neue iMac auf den Markt kommen und das Produkt richtet sich in erster Linie an professionelle Anwender. Bis wir erschwingliche Produkte von Apple für VR-Brillen sehen, werden wohl noch ein paar Jahre ins Land gehen. Dennoch unterstreicht Apple mit der Ankündigung die Bedeutsamkeit von VR und wir sind uns sicher, dass Apple zukünftig diesen Markt noch stärker in den eigenen Fokus rücken wird.

Weitere Details zum neuen iMac findet ihr hier.

(Quelle: Apple)

Der Beitrag Apple: iMac Pro für Virtual Reality vorgestellt zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Monster Buster: World Invasion Claws onto the App Store

A couple of weeks ago VRFocus reported on developer Tag of Joy announcing the upcoming release of augmented reality (AR) title Monster Buster: World Invasion. Today, the monster collecting and fighting videogame is now available on App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Monster Buster: World Invasion will naturally be paralleled with last summers mobile AR hit Pokemon GO, which garnered a massive amount of players as they went into the real world to catch the illusive creatures. Tag of Joy’s title does just the same with players having explore their surroundings to capture mischievous creatures roaming their neighborhood.

Monster Buster World Invasion

But Monster Buster: World Invasion does differ from Niantic Lab’s experience in several ways. Whilst you do have to collect and fight monsters In order to collect the creatures, players face-off their own monsters against the wild ones and use character’s special moves to defeat the untamed beasts. In doing so players’ monsters gain experience with each fight and with each new level reached can increase their luck, attack or defense skills.

Whilst exploring the real world in order to discover new monsters, players will also come across treasure chests and ingredients to create booster cookies and drinks. Additionally, Quick Fight matches allow players to fight monsters without going anywhere. This allows them to gain experience and collect loot, but does not offer the option to capture new monsters.

“We hope that the forty quirky monsters in Monster Buster: World Invasion will win the hearts of the players and encourage them to go outdoors and play,” said Šarūnas Ledas, CEO at Tag of Joy in a statement. “The game is casual enough to appeal to most people but we believe that the elaborate crafting system, exciting battles and customizable monsters will really grab players’ attention.”

While currently available for iPhone and iPad, Monster Buster: World Invasion to come to Google Play for Android devices in June.

For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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Like Taking Racy Selfies? Make Them Less NSFW With AR app Trickpics

As is the way of the world today, the rise of smartphones led to the prominence of the selfie, with everyone and their dog taking photos of themselves to share with the rest of the planet. While those generally found on social media tend to be fairly innocuous, everyone likes to turn the heat up on occasion. Whether that’s sending a racy selfie to a loved one or you’re just completely uninhibited online, there might be points where you want to cover those private parts. So the purveyors of online raunchiness PornHub has come up with an app to do just that.

Mobile augmented reality (AR) (in the loosest term) app Trickpics allows users to make their NSFW pics a little safer by putting animations over those areas people may want to cover. Stickers are categorised into three options – it shouldn’t be too hard to guess what those are – with a total of 15 to chose from.

As you might expect there’s a tongue-in-cheek humour to the sticker labels such as Mile Highs, Twin Peaks, Magnum, Trouser-Snake, Lockdown and Midnight Snack, all with their own short animation.

Checkout the video below for a more revealing look at the app, and if it tickles your fancy it’s available for free on iOS and Android.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of all things AR, reporting back with the latest news.

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Geht auf Monsterjagd in der AR mit Monster Buster: World Invasion für iOS

Der Titel Monster Buster: World Invasion möchte in die Fußstapfen von Pokemon Go treten. Das Spielsystem ist ähnlich, denn dank AR gibt es eine Integration der Monster in die reale Welt. Nun gibt es eine Veröffentlichung des Spiels für das iOS-Betriebssystem. Ob das Spiel einen ähnlichen Hype wie Pokemon auslösen kann, bleibt abzuwarten.

Monsterjagd in AR auf dem iOS

Das Entwicklerstudio Tag of Joy aus Litauen bringt mit seinem AR-Titel Monster Buster: World Invasion die Monsterkämpfe auf das iPhone. Das Konzept des Spiels erinnert stark an Pokemon Go, denn auch hier geht ihr auf Monstersuche, um diese zu bekämpfen. Jedoch unterscheidet sich die Geschichte. In Monster Buster: World Invasion versuchen bösartige Monster aus einem parallelen Universum die Erde anzugreifen. Für das bloße Auge sind die außerirdischen Eindringlinge jedoch unsichtbar, weshalb ihr zum Smartphone greifen müsst. Durch euer Smartphone werden die fiesen Angreifer sichtbar und ihr könnt sie bekämpfen. Um die Erde zu verteidigen, schlüpft ihr in die Rolle der Monster Buster und nutzt eure eigenen Monster im Kampf. Zu Beginn erhaltet ihr ein Startmonster, entweder Bo, Elefuntik oder Slender, welche euch im Kampf beistehen. Zudem könnt ihr 40 weitere Monster an versteckten Orten finden.

Monster-Buster-Monster-Invasion-Tag-of-Joy

Jedes Monster hat seine speziellen Fähigkeiten, die wiederum im Verlaufe des Spiels modifiziert werden können. Mit jedem Kampf erhalten die Monster Erfahrungspunkte, wodurch sie auf neue Level aufsteigen. Manche Monster erscheinen nur in speziellen Außengebieten und für Eilige gibt es auch einen Quick Fight Modus. In diesem muss man nicht extra hinausgehen, um die Monster zu bekämpfen. Allerdings findet man so auch keine neuen Monster, sondern kann lediglich Erfahrungspunkte oder Gegenstände sammeln.

Monster-Buster-World-Invasion-Tag-of-Joy

Der CEO von Tag of Joy Šarūnas Ledas sagte zu seinem Titel Folgendes: „Wir wollten unseren Titel Monster Buster: World Invasion schon mit der Veröffentlichung für Windows Phones für das iOS-Betriebssystem freigeben. Als Pokemon Go im Jahr 2016 die Latte für AR-Spiele jedoch so hoch setzte, überarbeiteten wir das komplette Kampfsystem, verbesserten die Monetarisierungsmöglichkeiten und integrierten den Quick Fight Modus, um die ultimative Version zu veröffentlichen.“

Das AR-Spiel wird ab dem 24. Mai für das iPhone und das iPad bereitstehen.

(Quellen: VRFocus | Monster Buster)

Der Beitrag Geht auf Monsterjagd in der AR mit Monster Buster: World Invasion für iOS zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Fantasy Monsters Invade AR In Monster Buster: World Invasion

With the success of Pokemon Go bringing augmented reality (AR) to the attention of the mainstream, it was inevitable that there would be new titles seeking to build upon that success. Independent Lithuanian developer Tag of Joy are seeking to do just that with the upcoming release of Monster Buster: World Invasion.

The concept behind the title is that monsters from a parallel invasion are trying to invade Earth. Unable to be seen normally, players must take on the role of ‘Monster Busters’ who use their smartphones to discover and battle the invading creatures along with the help of some friendly monsters. Players can choose an initial monster partner from Bo, Elefuntik or Slender to help them as they seek out 40 other monsters lurking in hidden places.

“We’ve planned on launching Monster Buster: World Invasion on iOS since its release on Windows phone”, said Šarūnas Ledas, CEO at Tag of Joy. “As Pokemon Go pushed the bar higher than it’s ever been for Augmented Reality games in 2016, we’ve overhauled the combat system, improved monetization and refined the quick fight mode to launch the ultimate edition of Monster Buster: World Invasion.”

Each monster has its own unique set of moves that can be further modified as it gains experience and levels up. While certain types of monsters usually only spawn in certain outdoor locations, the title will contain a ‘Quick Fight’ mode which will allow players to fight nearby monsters without needing to go and hunt them down; useful for those who are unable to go out and find them. Quick Fight mode, however, doesn’t allow the discovery of new monsters, but does allow collection of loot and experience.

Monster Buster: World Invasion will be available for iOS devices on 24th May. You can watch the announcement trailer below.

VRFocus will bring you further information on Monster Buster: World Invasion and other AR titles as it becomes available.

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Hunt Digital Treasure With Captain Blimey

Combine augmented reality (AR) with the worldwide hobby of geocaching and add the possibility of winning real cash prizes and you’ll get recently announced AR mobile videogame Captain Blimey.

The concept of a large-scale treasure hunt dates back to the Victorian era, where the ‘letterboxing’ treasure hunts were sometimes organised as party games. Later, children’s illustrated books would offer obscure clues and riddles leading to a real-world treasure that families could try and search for together, such as the 1979 book Masquerade by Kit Williams. Captain Blimey takes that concept into the modern day with the pirate-themed AR application now available through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The title gives a sequence of clues leading to various local, domestic and international prizes that are available depending on the location of the player. In addition to the global prize hunts, there are other chests throughout the game containing coins, potions and other treasures within the game world.

Players use GPS-enabled smartphones that show a map based upon the player’s physical location. Treasure is found by using the phone camera to display a chest or other prize in AR, which will flash when the player is close enough to open it. Captain Blimey was created by Srikant Vemparala, Mike Snow and Pradeep Kanneganti, who were inspired by the story of the Fenn Treasure, a famous story about lost buried treasure.

“Captain Blimey motivates players to move and be active through its competitive game rewards such as cash prizes or gift cards,” said Vemparala. “In designing the game, we solved the problem of geographic barriers in treasure hunts. Friends from Seattle to New York City can play together, whether working together to solve a treasure hunt or indulging in a friendly competition.”

The title is free to download, though some enhancement items such as premium currency and potions are available to buy through micro transactions.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Captain Blimey and other AR projects as it becomes available.

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Ex Jaunt Director Heads to Robot Sea Monster Games, Studio Announces MR Title Refraction

Today casual mobile videogame developer Robot Sea Monster Games has announced that Daniel Burwen, former Director of Experience at Jaunt VR has joined the team as creative director. The studio also revealed its first mixed reality (MR) project, Refraction coming to iOS.

The new creative director brings many years experience to the role: “I am excited to move back into the game engine/interactive side of virtual.mixed reality,” said Burwen in a statement. “My roots are in video games and environment art, so it is only natural my path would take me this way. I’m excited to see my ideas for new stores and worlds evolve into new platforms like mixed reality, a reminder that good stories can work across any platform.”

Occipital Bridge - Stonehenge

“The last three years of building the Robot Sea Monster Games team has been a delight. We brought on David Christensen from Ubisoft to be our AAA mobile games creative director, and he’s been taking the team to new levels. It’s gratifying to see the quality of work he is leading the team to,” said CEO Josh Rose. “We opened this year eager to start moving into new modes of interaction. AR, VR and mixed reality gameplay and storytelling were top on our list of new experiences to create. It is therefore, with great pleasure, that I can announce the newest Creative Director addition to our team, Daniel Burwen, formerly of Jaunt VR.”

“I first met Dan when he was working on creating the format that we have come to see as standard in touch pad animated comic books. He was exploring storytelling in this new medium right at the beginning, before there were tools and templates to work with. What he made was the award-winning series Operation: Ajax. Dan’s experience in story and how to create immersion across many mediums is going to make him a valuable addition to the team as we head into a future of mixed reality projects.”

While Refraction is a launch title for the new MR headset for iOS, Occipital Bridge. It’s a 2D graphic novel where the player sees their own environment transformed into a fantasy world.

As further details on Refraction VRFocusare released will keep you updated.

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Augmented Reality Will Be Available On Apple iPhone 8 Teasing Frontier For Smartphones

Next season, it is expected that Apple will launch its next generation Augmented Reality applications on iPhone. Expectation will be higher because this year signatures ten years since Steve Jobs first announced the revolutionary Apple product.

Speculations about what new features Apple might offer with its iPhone 8 are spreading all over. A general agreement steps forward that Augmented Reality will be featured on Apple iPhone 8 as its newest frontier for smartphones.

Working on AR Applications

As reported, Apple has numbers of people recently working on ways to bring AR to the widespread. Enterprising designers have taken it up to themselves to create ideas of what the next iPhone might look like while waiting for its expected September launch of the new iPhone.

iPhone 8

One of the most favorable concept is from Gábor Balogh, a product designer based from Budapest. His iPhone 8 concept features a lovely edge to edge screen and many analyst believes it will make its debut this year.

Although this concept seems similar to iPhone 7, the device will look much larger in this concept. He will also feature a dynamic background that diverts based on whatever the camera is pointing at.

If you ask the virtual assistant in this iPhone 8, Siri will be able to identify landmarks and locations around to tell you the things you need to know.

Balogh visions an iPhone that will take the hypothesis out of just following directions on Google Maps and Apple so here is where AR then be very useful.

AR in iOS

In augmented reality you will be using the camera to demonstrate an easy way to follow blue line that will take your way to your destination.

Hence, application through the top of an iPhone screen can  be hard to climb, only by an edge to edge screen is the remedy to this problem. With this iPhone 8 concept, it can rotate the problem issue by changing the apps down towards home button.

The Last Say

For the last say, this concept also shows the future AR integration along with the Health app, for you to have as simple as pointing your phone to someone and tell Siri how is it going.

The world is getting excited for the future of the iPhone 8 and can’t wait until September when the event will take its place.

Only Apple can take notes on how close time will just be and a lot of rumors between then and now is much expected too.

 

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