Copycat Mario Kart company must pay Nintendo more than $450,000
Nintendo was awarded more than $450,000 in damages against a company operating a copycat Mario Kart course.
Japan’s Coolest VR Arcades + New Resident Evil VR Games: The VR Culture Show #3 Coming TODAY
Welcome back to The VR Culture Show!
For our third episode, due on today, we’re in Japan. Yup, the land of stunning scenery, bustling metropolises and robotic toilets. How could we venture over to the East and not bring a camera in search of every cool VR gadget and game we could find?
And, believe us, we found plenty. In this episode, we visit three different VR arcades to see some of the amazing, unique experiences they offer. First up we’re in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district to visit Bandai Namco’s amazing Mazaria VR park. Located in the Sunshine City shopping mall, the dream-like center offers all kinds of amazing VR goodies, including games based on Dragon Quest and Pac-Man.
We also journey over the road to the Capcom Plaza, where two exclusive Resident Evil VR games are on offer. This is a rare look inside two location-based spin-offs that you can’t play in the West so, if you’re a fan of the series, you really won’t want to miss this.
Finally on the arcade front, we also head up to another Bandai Namco VR Zone, this time in the chilly northern city of Sapporo. There we find yet more legendary franchises have been virtualized, including Gundam and Evangelion.
Outside of arcades, we also got to hang out with Psychic VR Lab, an intriguing Tokyo-based company making a web-based VR/AR creation platform called Styly. The team took us on a whirlwind tour of some of its work across the Shibuya district, where it has plenty of cool AR experiences littering the streets and some strange VR apps too. We also attended the company’s New View Awards, which hosted a bunch more indie-made VR ideas.
So, when will this burst of exotic VR excitement land on your plate? Very soon; be back here at 10am PT on Monday, January 20 to be the first to watch our best episode yet.
Liked this episode of The VR Culture Show? Let us know! We’ll be back soon with another installment, so keep your eyes peeled.
The post Japan’s Coolest VR Arcades + New Resident Evil VR Games: The VR Culture Show #3 Coming TODAY appeared first on UploadVR.
Hatsune Miku review – hologram star fires up crowdsourced power pop
O2 Academy, Brixton, London
The virtual Vocaloid singer gives online devotees a non-stop real-world rave and a chance to light their glowsticks
On Saturday night, a singer with a 13-year career played only her second London headline show. Naturally, the venue was packed out with rapt, merchandise-clad fans eager to see her live. But “live”, in this instance, is a loose concept – because Hatsune Miku is a hologram, or virtual idol.
Miku’s name comes from a blend of the Japanese words for “first”, “sound” and “future” and the turquoise-haired avatar was created by Japanese software company Crypton, as the face of Yamaha’s Vocaloid software, in 2007. Independently produced freeware can be downloaded by anyone and used to create a song in Miku’s piercingly sweet vocal. In terms of her tracks, she’s the world’s first crowdsourced pop star. Her setlist pulled from the more than 100,000 songs that have been made in Miku’s name, and that have amassed an international fandom that has propelled her to performing on the Late Show with David Letterman, a Lady Gaga tour, and this year, even at Coachella.
Continue reading...The Valve Index Is Now Available In Canada And Japan
The Valve Index is now available for purchase in Canada and Japan, further expanding the post-launch markets for Valve’s latest VR headset.
The headset, which launched earlier this year, has been available to order in the United States and a selection of European countries. Now, customers in Canada and Japan join the ranks of Index-available countries, after initial pre-orders sold out for the device in May this year. Notably, the Index is still not available for purchase in some major markets such as Australia or China.
There is also a special Canadian shipping FAQ for the Index , which clarifies delivery times, import charges and carrier information.
Customers can order the full kit, including the Index headset, 2.0 sensors and Index controllers, or choose from various other combinations of the kit, depending on what they need for their setup. The Index headset can be used with existing HTC Vive trackers, and the HTC Vive wands and does not require users to upgrade to Index controllers or 2.0 sensors.
The expansion of availability to Canada and Japan comes after a huge week in VR for Valve, after unveiling their flagship VR game and the next entry into their esteemed Half-Life series, Half-Life: Alyx. Despite being developed by Valve with the Index in mind, Alyx will still support most PC VR headsets with motion controllers and SteamVR compatibility. That being said, the Index controllers will offer expanded, yet optional, interactions in the game due to their grip system that includes advanced finger-tracking.
Existing and new owners of the Valve Index will also receive a free copy of Half-Life: Alyx at launch. It doesn’t need to be the full kit either – if you purchase, or own, even just the Index controllers, you will receive a free copy of Alyx at launch.
The Valve Index is available to order in select countries on Steam now.
The post The Valve Index Is Now Available In Canada And Japan appeared first on UploadVR.
Capcom Japan Announce Another Resident Evil 7 Free-Roam VR Attraction
Capcom announced a new walkthrough, free-roam VR attraction set in the world of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, titled Biohazard: Walkthrough the Fear.
Although the announcement was made in Japanese on Capcom’s Japan site, we’ve been able to glean a few basic details through translation services.
The whole experience is available exclusively in Tokyo, Japan, at the Plaza Capcom Ikebukuro Store. The attraction is an original experience in the Resident Evil world, set in Louisiana. From a rough translation, it seems that players have been kidnapped by Jack Baker and trapped in the basement of his mansion. The experience will see you fight your way out of the mansion, presumably with lot of zombie-shooting action.
It will cost 2800 Yen (roughly $25), with sessions lasting 40 minutes and requiring 4 people. You can book with 3 or less people, but the site does warn that you may be placed with other strangers who booked the same session, to make up the 4 people required. Sessions start from October 26, with reservations open online now.
This is actually the second Resident Evil arcade VR experience announced recently – Biohazard Valiant Raid was opened at the same location in Tokyo back in July. Valiant Raid is still also available for reservations and, as far as we can tell from a rough translation of the booking site, will remain available in conjunction with Walkthrough the Fear.
Sadly, there’s been no word at all on either experience opening up in any countries outside of Japan.
Have you tried Valiant Raid or will you be checking out Walkthrough the Fear when it opens? Let us know in the comments below.
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Japan eröffnet erstes VR Ninja Dojo für Touristen
Tokyo bietet zahlreiche Attraktionen für seine Besucher und gilt als beliebtes Reiseziel für Touristen. Neben den spannenden Kulturgütern und der weltbekannten Elektronikmeile Akihabara (mit unserem VR-Shooter Tower Tag innerhalb der SEGA VR Arena) können sich Besucher ab dem 18. März dank VR-Technologie im ersten VR Ninja Dojo zum Shinobi ausbilden lassen. Das Erlebnis kombiniert reale mit virtuellen Übungen und lässt euch mit VR-Ninja-Examen abschließen.
VR Ninja Dojo – VR-Shinobi-Ausbildung in Tokyo
Die Ninjas gehören zu den bekanntesten Gestalten des alten Japans und wurden als ausgebildete Kämpfer im vorindustriellen Japan in zahlreichen Aufgaben eingesetzt. Dazu zählten Kundschaftermissionen, Spionage, Sabotage und Meuchelmord. Um die schattenhaften Eliteeinheiten des Feudaljapans ragen sich zahlreiche Mythen und Legenden, die bis heute ein romantisches Bild von den Shinobi abzeichnen.
Wer einmal selbst in die Ninjakünste eingeführt werden möchte, erhält beim nächsten Japanausflug erstmals die Möglichkeit dazu im ersten VR Ninja Dojo von Five for Uchikanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Innerhalb der VR-Ausbildungsstätte wird Kultur mit Entertainment verbunden, um die Besucher in einer Reihe von physischen Übungen die Bewegungen, Techniken und Waffen der Shinobi näher zu bringen.
Image courtesy: VR Ninja Dojo | Five for
Dafür durchlaufen die angehenden Ninjas zunächst eine Reihe von realen Übungen, um die ikonischen Katanas, Shuriken und Ninjutsus daraufhin in immersiver Umgebung einzusetzen. Nach der Einführung in die Ninjakünste können die ausländischen Besucher ihr frisch erlerntes Wissen innerhalb einer Wave-Shooter-VR-Erfahrung mit einer HTC Vive und angepassten Controllern anwenden.
Der Fokus soll dabei allerdings mehr auf Unterhaltung anstatt Authentizität liegen. Für Japaner ohne ausländische Begleitung ist der Zugang zu den VR-Kursen untersagt. Allerdings können diese ein spezielles Angebot buchen.
Image courtesy: VR Ninja Dojo | Five for
Das gesamte Erlebnis ist in Englisch gehalten. Wer gerade nicht das virtuelle Katana schwingt, darf die Künste anderer Shinobi-Anwärter über einen Bildschirm verfolgen. Beim erfolgreichen Abschluss der Ninja-VR-Erfahrung erhalten die Gäste ein Zertifikat, welches sie als erfolgreichen VR-Ninja auszeichnet.
Image courtesy: VR Ninja Dojo | Five for
Das gesamte Erlebnis für bis zu zehn Personen dauert ca. 75 – 90 Minuten und kostet 6,500 Yen (umgerechnet ungefähr 51 Euro).
(Quelle: VR Ninja Dojo | VR Scout | Video: VR NINJA DOJO YouTube)
Der Beitrag Japan eröffnet erstes VR Ninja Dojo für Touristen zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
Beat Saber PSVR Finally Comes To Japan Next Month
Good news, Japanese VR fans! The long wait for Beat Saber on PSVR is very nearly at an end.
The Japanese PlayStation Blog recently confirmed that Beat Games’ VR hit arrives on March 7th. There’s nearly four months after the western version debuted on November 20th 2018. No doubt the localization process and go-between with the Japanese division of Sony slowed the release down a little. A price for this version hasn’t been announced just yet.
In Beat Saber you control two wannabe lightsabers. Notes stream towards the player in time with a song and you have to slash them using motion controllers. It sounds simple but it’s devilishly addictive. “Beat Saber on PSVR is exquisite,” we said in our review. “Overall it’s a more polished, feature-packed, and expanded version of the Early Access PC title, while still retaining the core of what made it a viral sensation in the first place.”
An arcade version of the game, Beat Saber Arcade, is already running in some locations in Japan. You can also get the game on PC VR systems, but we’d bet PSVR is a much bigger platform in Japan that the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
This is just one of many milestones down for the Beat Games team. Fans are also eagerly awaiting news on the game’s first premium DLC, which is said to be dropping soon. This will be the first of three planned packs that should add around 30 new songs to the game in total. Last week we also reported that the developer is working with Subpac to help deaf fans play the game with just as much efficiency as any other player.
Tagged with: Beat Saber, japan, PSVR
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How skillful translations helped these Japanese video games gain global appeal
Thanks to their translators, some Japanese games are seeing greater success abroad than at home, teaching players about Japan and its culture in the process.
The post How skillful translations helped these Japanese video games gain global appeal appeared first on Digital Trends.
Attack on Titan: The Human Race zieht als VR-Attraktion in Arcades in Tokio ein
Sony Music Communications und Taito sorgen in Kooperation für den Einzug der neuen VR-Attraktion Attack on Titan: The Human Race in die japanischen Arcades. Die VR-Erfahrung basiert auf einem Storyabschnitt der Mangavorlage und lässt die Spieler/innen hautnah als Mitglied des Aufklärungstrupps auf Titanenjagd gehen. Die erste Testphase findet ab dem 19. Oktober im Ginza Sony Park in Tokio statt.
Attack on Titan: The Human Race – VR-Attraktion für Arcades in Tokio
Die Manga-Serie Attack on Titan konnte sich seit der Erstpublikation 2009 mit einer Veröffentlichung in mehr als acht Sprachen und zehn Ländern weltweite Fans sichern und erhielt bereits zahlreiche Auszeichnungen.
Die Geschichte dreht sich um die Geschehnisse rund um die Charaktere Eren Jäger, Mikasa Ackermann und Armin Arlert, welche gemeinsam mit den restlichen überlebenden Menschen in einer abgeschotteten Stadt leben. Die gigantischen Mauern dieses Rückzugsorts gewährleisten Schutz vor den menschenähnlichen, riesigen Titanen, welche marodierend durch das fiktive Land ziehen.
Attack on Titan / A.O.T. Wings of Freedom
Beinahe 100 Jahre lang leben die zurückgezogenen Bewohner/innen dort in Frieden, bis eines Tages die gigantischen Stadtmauern von einem übernatürlichen Titanenexemplar mit freiem Willen zerstört werden. Dadurch können die humanoiden Wesen eindringen und verschlingen alles, was sich ihnen in den Weg stellt. Der Überlebenskampf der Protagonisten beginnt und die Geschichte führt die Leser/innen durch eine Welt voller Gefahren, Intrigen und ungeklärten Mysterien.
Erstmals erhalten die Besucher/innen des Ginza Sony Parks in Tokio nun die Möglichkeit, selbst in die Rolle eines Mitglieds des Aufklärungstrupps zu schlüpfen und sich in eine immersive VR-Attraktion in der Welt von Attack on Titan zu begeben. So können bis zu vier Spieler/innen gleichzeitig eintreten und eine Story-Passage der Originalvorlage nachspielen.
Image courtesy: Siliconera
Innerhalb der Szene verfolgt die Truppe des Aufklärungstrupps einen sonderbaren weiblichen Titanen, um diesen einzufangen. Ein gefährliches Unterfangen, denn die Titanin ist mehr als tödlich und nicht zimperlich dabei die Spieler/innen auszuschalten. Während diese versuchen die Titanin in eine Falle zu locken, müssen sie durch einen virtuellen Wald reiten und dabei jeder Menge Hindernissen ausweichen. Die VR-Attraktion setzt Bildern zufolge auf die HTC Vive Pro.
Image courtesy: Siliconera
Attack on Titan: The Human Race wird erstmals vom 19. bis 26. Oktober im Ginza Sony Park vorgestellt. Wann und ob die VR-Erfahrung nach Europa kommt, ist derzeit nicht bekannt.
(Quellen: Siliconera | VR Scout)
Der Beitrag Attack on Titan: The Human Race zieht als VR-Attraktion in Arcades in Tokio ein zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
Virtual necessity: can VR revitalise Japan’s ailing arcades?
VR may have lost the sofa war to home consoles – but the format once heralded as the future of gaming could yet revive the glory days of the past
One day, on my way past the outskirts of Kabukichō – Tokyo’s red-light district, infamously depicted in the Yakuza games – I spot a curious advertisement. At first glance, it looks like nothing out of the ordinary: a woman cheerfully donning a VR headset, with kanji lettering welcoming passersby to come in and try the technology for themselves. As my eyes wander to the logo in the corner, I realise that the poster is promoting Soft On Demand – one of Japan’s biggest porn, or “AV” (adult video), companies. I’m staring at a billboard for a virtual brothel.
A stone’s throw away is Bandai Namco’s massive VR Zone complex, an indoor, 38,000 sq ft all-VR theme park that opened just over a year ago. And further south, on the artificial island of Odaiba, Sega recently cleared out a massive room in its Joypolis amusement park to make space for Zero Latency VR, a “warehouse scale, free-roam, multiplayer virtual reality entertainment” where a team of zombie hunters are equipped with “military-grade” motion-tracking backpacks and let loose on the undead with an arsenal of plastic firearms.
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