MarineVerse Cup, the VR sailing simulator first launched on Steam early access in 2019, has left App Lab and made its way to the official Quest Store.
Billed as “approachable, but authentic,” MarineVerse Cup is a simulator that primarily focused on teaching you the ropes on how to sail two crafts: a dinghy and a small yacht.
Once you get the hang of both tutorials, you can take on time trails, mini games, and engage in some daily racing practice via procedurally-generated races, all featuring leaderboards.
With some more knowhow under your belt, you might also opt for the ‘Sailing Pass’, an in-app subscription that allows you to sail in multiplayer races—both solo or co-op mode—pro races, and access a third vessel, a pint-sized hydrofoil called ‘WASZP’.
Image courtesy MarineVerse
For now, it appears multiplayer is available without a Sailing Pass, but the developers warn that may change in the future.
Founded in 2016, indie developers MarineVerse was born out of lead developer Greg Dziemidowicz’s love for programming and sailing, two passions found at a young age. Recreating that sailing experience was something Dziemidowicz wanted to do since trying out the Oculus Rift DK2, which has some pretty obvious benefits over the real deal.
“With VR, we can let you experience a bit of sailing joy at home, removing some of [the inherent] barriers. Moreover, we can put you in risky situations in a safe environment, allowing you to practice without the risk of harm to yourself, your boat, and others,” Dziemidowicz says in a Meta blogpost. “Sailing can put you in a special state of mind—flow—and VR has such an uncanny ability to bring that feeling quickly. Playing a game can “feel like sailing,” and Marineverse Cup is our way of bringing that incredible feeling of flow to as many people as possible.”
MarineVerse Cup is now live on the Quest Store, priced at $20. The Sailing Pass is priced at $13 per month. Again, it appears multiplayer is live without the pass for now, but that may change. Alternatively, you can join the game’s Patreon to get the pass, which is also a $13 per-month recurring charge.
Upon opening MarineVerse Cup you’re greeted by a beautiful, calming vision of deep blue waters with hazy landscapes in the distance. There’s a sense the developer wants this sailing simulation to feel slightly exotic. This is amplified in the sound design, with splashing water that seems to wash up all around you, and the howling wind as you open up the sails.
The first impression is a good one; not only is the environment welcoming, but the tutorials are deep and expansive. However, sometimes first impressions can be misleading. The infinite blue of this ocean is truly infinite, there’s no sense of place beyond the landmarks in the distance. Sailing in one direction brings you to nothing but more water, shrinking the grand idea of sailing out into the blue.
The tutorials, while informative and helpful, are dry and can get rather boring after a while. That’s the feeling across the game generally – it starts well, then gets rather boring. For example, a large portion of the game is dedicated to racing.
Once you’ve chosen the craft you want to use – dinghy or yacht – you’re teleported to the water in preparation for the race. You wait a couple of minutes, edging close to the starting line, before finding the wind and dashing out towards a buoy marker. You circle the markers and head home to the finish line. At first, it feels exciting, but after a couple of minutes it’s tedious; there is no atmosphere, there’s no sense of racing against anyone but yourself because the bots are spread out, and then there’s the monotonous voice that constantly reminds you “the sail is flapping”.
Sailing is a niche activity and usually, these work well for gaming experiences both in and out of virtual reality, however, in this instance there’s just no spark. There’s no excitement beyond that first impression. This is, in part, because the game’s structure is so obtuse. There is no career mode, the multiplayer can only be played if you give over your email address by opening an account with the developers and the mini-games and challenges simply aren’t fun – there are only so many times you can sail to collect stars or fish.
At the moment, that multiplayer option is a little quiet. I had a handful of races and only in one could I link up with another person. Thankfully bots can be used to fill out the playing field and whenever you finish a race your time is uploaded to a leaderboard, giving a nice sense of competition.
MarineVerse Cup feels like a hodgepodge of ideas thrown together with no cohesion. Choosing races or tutorials is all conducted on a boring looking board in the marina clubhouse, there’s no sense of scale. No grandeur, glamour, or adrenaline. In fact, the best thing in the marina hub is a cat that sits behind you meowing cutely. And yes, you can pet the cat.
I don’t want these flaws to sideline those genuinely interested in sailing in reality, however, I can’t imagine those die-hard sailors finding a lot to love here. Take the yacht as an example, there are several places you can stand on the ship – next to each wheel, at the centre compass, toward the bow, or centre of the stern. You can teleport to these by holding the trigger button.
But you don’t need to be stood at the wheel to steer, nor do you need to be sat to port or starboard to winch the sails. It can all be done from anywhere, with a few controller shortcuts. It completely removes any idea that you’re doing this in virtual reality, where actions make up the experience.
Which brings me to comfort levels. Personally, I rarely get motion sickness in VR nowadays, but here we’re combining seasickness with VR motion sickness. There are options to smooth turning and reduce some movement aspects, but after about 45 minutes of playing I began to feel the creep of light-headed nausea. I tried playing standing and sitting, the latter is a far better experience, but neither eased the feeling.
I’m aware that I’ve been pretty negative about MarineVerse Cup, which frustrates me because there were some genuinely great moments, fleeting though they were. I loved sitting in the boat and looking up towards the sails as they billowed in the wind, and the feeling of catching the wind just right and hearing the air whip past was exhilarating. Though, as you’re probably sensing, these moments were few and far between. MarineVerse Cup feels more like a sedate Sunday at a boating pond, rather than the thrill ride of sports sailing.
MarineVerse Cup, a competitive VR sailboat racing game, is coming soon to the Meta Quest store.
The game first launched for PC VR in mid 2019, before first arriving on Quest via SideQuest in late 2019 and then launching on App Lab in early 2021. Now, the app is making its way over to the official Quest store on February 24.
The store description says the experience is “approachable, but authentic” and is designed for “people who enjoy simulation games and want to test their skills in a competitive setting.”
The game also has daily and weekly races with different wind conditions and leaderboards to compete on. There’s two boats that come with the base game (the yacht and dinghy) and seven locations – Sydney, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Enoshima and Cape Town. There’s also a bunch of modes, including daily practice races, multiplayer leagues, co-op and competitive multiplayer racing in real time, and more.
While there’s no price listed just yet, we’d expect it to be a paid experience based on the pricing of the Steam version for PC VR. In the description on the Quest store, it also says an additional in-app purchase, the “Sailing Pass“, is required for access to multiplayer, pro-racing and a third boat, the Waszp.
Now that non-store distribution options are officially available, we’ve rounded up the 12 VR games that debuted with App Lab on Quest today. Give them a try now!
Here is the full list of all 12 games. Keep in mind that while some of them are free, like the beta version of Ancient Dungeon and several demos, many of them are paid apps. The payment process is handled just like it is in the actual Oculus Quest store.
Just click the link and proceed via the landing page as usual. If you’re on mobile, it should open inside the Oculus mobile app. If you’re on a PC, make sure you’re signed into your Facebook/Oculus account via the website before clicking.
For more details on App Lab, check out our announcement article from this morning. As a summary, these apps will now show up in your actual library rather than under “Unknown Apps” and qualify for updates from developers automatically without you needing to sideload anything or plug the headset into a PC at all.
They will not, however, show up in the store or be promoted/marketed within the headset itself. You’ll need to rely on SideQuest, YouTube, websites likes ours, social media, and so on to find out about new App Lab games on Quest. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better than it was a day ago.
SideQuest seems committed to working with Facebook to act as an extension and bridge between the indie VR community and the Quest headset, so that’s great news going forward.
Which of these 12 is your favorite App Lab for Quest game so far? Personally, I think I’m partial towards Ancient Dungeon as a big RPG fan myself. Let me know down in the comments below!
Australia-based MarineVerse specialises in virtual reality (VR) sailing experiences, having previously released VR Regattaand Big Breezy Boat for PC VR headsets. These are fairly leisurely sailing simulators, whereas its current Early Access project MarineVerse Cupis all about competitive racing. Today, the studio has announced a partnership with boatbuilder WASZP, bringing its boats into the competition.
The two companies have been closely working together to create a realistic digital version of WASZP’s foiling boats for the MarineVerse Cup so that sailors and gamers alike can learn to control these high-end boats.
This means that the VR title now has three types of boat to race, with players able to jump into daily races to climb the leaderboards. There’s also a league system where players can rise from the Standard to Pro league via the daily races mode.
“WASZP is a perfect boat to showcase virtual reality and introduce gamers to sailing – WASZP is fast, fun & exciting. Not only do you get to sail, but you can fly in VR! Our goal with MarineVerse Cup is to develop a fun sailing game that is authentic and approachable. Collaborating closely with a Melbourne based WASZP team, is a fantastic opportunity to make it happen,” said Greg Dziemidowicz, Lead developer, MarineVerse in a statement.
Marc Ablett, Head of Product and Global Sales at WASZP adds: “The immersive technology and experience is so life-like. We have engaged some of the best WASZP sailors in the world to help us with the physics of the boat within the game.”
Additionally, WASZP will be launching a platform called RACEHUB to help connect sailors worldwide with competitions, both on the water and virtually. Those who signup to RACEHUB will get a copy of MarineVerse Cup.
MarineVerse Cup is available through Steam for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Oculus Quest users can find it on SideQuest. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
It might be Spring but Winter is coming. No, not the kind with creepy ice kings, undead and dragons, the one with sailing boats, icebergs, Northern Lights and some orcas. That’s right, sailing sim VR Regatta has just launched its latest DLC taking to the Arctic.
Who wants to sail around the Caribbean, sipping on Mojitos, enjoying golden sunsets and topping up that tan when you can head to the far north and the cold icy realm that only gets proper sunshine for half the year. VR Regatta – Arctic is MarineVerse’s biggest sailing map to date, with not only more water to explore but also three races and a brand new gameplay mode, Cargo Delivery.
Additionally, there’s the ‘Titanic Challenge’ whereby players have to sail from A to B while avoiding submerged ice-bergs – not so easy in the Arctic.
While you can simply sail the seas at a leisurely pace in VR Regatta, because the title has been created by a small group of passionate sailors and technologists its more akin to a simulator than an arcade sailing experience. Players board realistic sailing boats which are designed to teach them the basics of sailing, from steering to speed management.
A detailed tutorial will teach the basics, but then the possibilities are as broad as the ocean itself: explore, race, take on challenge modes, advance your sailing career, and even join a multiplayer crew. The main game features the Akalana Islands, an idyllic Caribbean location and The Windy Islands.
VR Regatta: Arctic was assisted by the Film Victoria’s assigned production investment funding. The DLC is available today from Steam for $9.99 USD/ £7.19 with a 10% discount for the next week. VR Regatta is compatible with HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the title, reporting back with any further updates.
If you are looking to escape the incoming Winter and relax on the open seas with the sun shining above you then you’ll be glad to know that VR Regatta – The Sailing Gamehas made it’s way to the Oculus Store. Released on Steam Early Access back in 2016 and leaving it earlier this year, the title has now released on the Oculus Store complete with a number of improvements.
This new release of the title comes following six months of continues iteration and improvement since the Steam release to make it the best possible build. The team at MarineVerse was founded by a group of passionate sailors and technologists, spread across the globe who came together to put their skills and knowledge into the ultimate virtual reality (VR) sailing experience.
Some of the new improvements including a new unique on-boarding experience that has been crafted based on hours of user tests and continuous community feedback. This means that players who are discovering sailing with the title or that need a bit of help here-and-there will be assisted by an AI instructor named Brain. Their role is to offer relevant tips and advice based on the player’s actions to enable players to learn how to sail without needing to complete a complex tutorial but rather through gentle hand holding as they naturally progress.
Thanks to the team’s dedication to capturing the heart and soul of sailing within VR Regatta – The Sailing Game players will be able to enjoy an immersive and authentic experience. Of course, thanks to the six months of development time on this release of the title players can look forward to changes and improvements to visuals, performance and gameplay that ensure everything is just that little bit nicer.
VR Regatta – The Sailing Game is now available on the Oculus Store for £14.99 (GBP) and is also available on Steam for £15.49 with support for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on the title in the future but until then you can enjoy the latest trailer for title below, celebrating the release on the Oculus Store.
Earlier this year Australian developer MarineVerse launched its first virtual reality (VR) title for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality, VR Regatta. Today, the team are back with a new experience for mobile platforms Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR, a casual sailing videogame called Big Breezy Boat.
Mush like VR Regatta, Big Breezy Boat allows users to experience what it is like to sail freely in the vast open ocean. Toning down the content for mobile devices, players get to learn the art of sailing on their own private yacht in this single-player experience.
They get to manipulate their boat using a variety of controls, such as steering the wheel to change the direction, adjusting the handle and turning the winch to tighten or loosen the sails. The videogame features fixed point teleportation, enabling players to hop to various spots on the boat to handle the controls.
Lead developer at MarineVerse Greg Dziemidowicz said in a statement: “I’m really excited for there to finally be a highly accessible VR sailing experience for the masses. I hope that with the attractive price of Oculus Go, sailing clubs will fully embrace opportunities that virtual reality sailing training has to offer.”
Big Breezy Boat is the product of years of research, development, design, and testing by a small group of passionate sailors and technologists, who created MarineVerse, a studio spread across the globe and working together through the internet.
Oculus Go has only been out a few short weeks and already its seen a number of titles newly released for it – alongside the masses of Gear VR compatible titles available. These have included Coatsink’s They Suspect Nothing, République VR,Trains VRand Wands.
Those who own an Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR, Big Breezy Boat is available now via the Oculus Store with a launch discount of 10 percent, retailing for $4.49 USD. VRFocus will continue its coverage of MarineVerse, reporting back with further videogame announcements and updates.
Having spent more than a year on Steam Early Access, developer MarineVerse has now fully launched its sailing simulator VR Regatta – The Sailing Game, expanding support from HTC Vive to Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
VR Regatta aims to be the most realistic way of sailing in virtual reality (VR), putting players aboard authentic sailboats that need to be controlled through careful manipulation of the sail and the rudder. A detailed tutorial will teach the basics, but then the possibilities are as broad as the ocean itself: explore, race, take on challenge modes, advance your sailing career, and even join a multiplayer crew.
Players will be able to explore the Akalana Islands, an idyllic Caribbean location offering sunrise, daytime, sunset & night sailing around bays, lush islands and open seas. Or then head to The Windy Islands in the scorching equatorial region to test those sailing skills. There are three different boats each designed to suit varying skill levels as players take on the different modes
“I believe virtual reality can greatly enhance sailing training, be a great way for all ‘landlocked’ sailors to stay connected to their hobby and introduce more people to sailing,” said Greg Dziemidowicz, Co-Founder of MarineVerse in a statement.
VR Regatta – The Sailing Game is available through Steam with a limited time discount. Until 6th February the videogame comes with a 15 percent discount, droppin gthe cost no matter which headset you own from £10.99 GBP down to £9.34.
As always, for you daily dose of VR news from around the world, keep reading VRFocus.
