Category: Nostos

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NetEase Open-World RPG Nostos Slips to Q4 2019 Release Window

From what’s been shown so far, NetEase Games’ open-world role-playing game (RPG) Nostos certainly seems ambitious. First appearing at Gamescom in 2018, the studio announced several months ago that it was planning a Q3 2019 launch for the title. However, a statement during ChinaJoy 2019 last week now pushes that schedule into Q4 this year.

Nostos 09 Say Hi to Friends [Screenshot]

HTC Vive revealed that Nostos would be launching on Viveport in Q4 2019 so there hasn’t been any official reason given by NetEase as to slip in date. There’s also been no further word on the beta which was originally timetabled for this summer, a window which is rapidly closing. It’s more than likely that the current lack of a beta has had a knock-on effect, with the team requiring more time than initially expected.

Nostos has garnered plenty of interest since its unveiling, promising players a massive world to explore in virtual reality (VR). From open grasslands, arid deserts and snow-covered mountains, to ancient crumbling cities, the title will feature day and night cycles as well as four seasons. Set 1,000 years after the collapse of humanity, the Coral Seas are now the biggest danger to life on land, slowly corroding it with its toxic waters.

Compatible with SteamVR headsets such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality and Valve Index, Nostos worlds will support up to 20 players at any given point, with no limit of the number of worlds available.

Nostos 10 Say Hi to Friends [Screenshot]

That’s not the only VR videogame the studio is working on, the other being Stay Silent. Currently, in Steam Early Access for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, the first-person shooter (FPS) will be coming to Viveport in Q4 2019, indicating a full launch window.

A western-themed multiplayer, Stay Silent puts you in the shoes of a sheriff in an American town in the Wild West of the 1880s. While you would expect to come across some ruthless bandits during this era, NetEase Games has added a further component in the form of a few extra-terrestrial aliens. You can use a trusty six-shooter or up the damage factor by using some of the aliens advanced technology.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Nostos, reporting back with further updates.

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NetEase’s Online VR RPG ‘Nostos’ Release Window Set for Q4 2019, Beta Confirmed

Nostros, the upcoming online RPG with VR support in development by NetEase Games, is now has a release date window of Q4 2019.

Announced initially back in August, 2018, Nostos is promised to be an online open-world RPG, with VR support, that definitely reminds us of Sword Art Online thanks to its anime art style.

This week HTC announced at ChinaJoy 2019 that Nostos will launch in Q4 2019, and that it’ll be released on the company’s Viveport platform, in addition to Steam and Oculus. A specific Nostos release date hasn’t yet been confirmed.

A forthcoming Beta of the game has also been confirmed by the game’s official Twitter account, but it isn’t clear if the Q4 launch is the Nostos Beta, or if the Beta will come before the Q4 launch. We’ve reached out to the studio for clarification.

We went hands-on with an early Nostos build last year and learned more about the game’s premise:

Here’s the pitch: players live in the world of Nostos, a post-apocalyptic, but verdant place littered with the remnants of long-abandoned cities and artifacts that help you survive. Including deserts, grasslands, and mountains, players fight off enemies as a natural timer counts down, an ever-expanding destructive force called ‘Coralsea’. The game is supposed to be an online multiplayer, but it’s uncertain if the ‘M’ for ‘massive’ is applicable at this point.

Unfortunately it was clear that there was still a long way to go in terms of making the game feel VR native and optimizing its performance.

At this point, Nostos‘ VR version feels like a shoehorned implementation, and I genuinely hope NetEase looks around at true VR natives such as Rec Room, Orbus VR, and Echo VR for inspiration moving forward. It’s still early days, and there’s definitely some good bones here that would be grand in VR if properly fleshed out.

Considering the game will also support non-VR play, it will surely be difficult to design rich gameplay that feels truly suitable to both. That was a year ago, though, and by now we’re hopeful that NetEase Games has risen to the task; VR is still awaiting its first great MMO-style game.

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With last year’s preview of Nostos being at Gamescom, we hope to see the latest build of the game at the same conference later this month to bring an update on its progress.

The post NetEase’s Online VR RPG ‘Nostos’ Release Window Set for Q4 2019, Beta Confirmed appeared first on Road to VR.

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Sword Art Online-Style Open World VR MMO Nostos Due To Release In Q4 2019

Today, at ChinaJoy 2019, HTC revealed Nostos is releasing in Q4 of 2019 and is confirmed for Viveport. The VR MMO is also coming to Steam.

Now to be clear, it’s coming to Steam as well with support for all major PC VR headsets including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows MR devices, and the Valve Index and as far as we can tell there is not going to be an exclusivity period with Viveport, but that could change by the time it comes out. Either way, it is coming to Steam too — the page has been live for months, it just doesn’t have a date there at the moment.

We got the news about Nostos coming to Viveport in Q4 of 2019 by way of a press release directly from HTC, which does imply a partnership of some kind. The press release states:

“Nostos, an open-world role-playing game (RPG) from the Chinese tech giant, NetEase, is going to launch on VIVEPORT in Q4 2019. It will have a massive world that allows multiple players to explore, fight, and build in an abundance of biomes, from open grasslands to mysterious coral seas.”

Nostos did have an Open Alpha period a few months ago, but other than that NetEase has been relatively tight-lopped about the upcoming open-world VR MMORPG. Additionally, NetEase continues to describe it as an “open-world online RPG” rather than an MMORPG, but from what we can tell all of the typical RPG features are included — albeit they may be on a smaller scale.

As of now OrbusVR is still the only real VR MMO on the market, other than perhaps social VR titles such as Rec Room, VRChat, and High Fidelity. But those are more focused on social hubs than delivering mass-scale gaming experiences. Zenith is a new one we’ve learned about recently, which will feature Beat Saber style slashing combat. No Man’s Sky VR, which is coming on August 14th, could arguably qualify as an MMO as well.

Let us know if you plan on jumping into Nostos when it releases later this year!

The post Sword Art Online-Style Open World VR MMO Nostos Due To Release In Q4 2019 appeared first on UploadVR.

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NetEase Games Plan Summer Beta Test for VR Sandbox Nostos

NetEase Games debuted its open world virtual reality (VR) experience Nostos at Gamescom in 2018, showcasing a grand vision for its next title. Then earlier this month the studio held a small alpha test involving around 100 participants. Thanks to that initial run, the studio has revealed plans to roll out a beta test later this summer which will include Oculus Rift for the first time.

Nostos 13 Self-built Village [screenshot in winter]

Nostos’ gameplay focuses on PvE (player versus environment), with survival and exploration the main duties. Set 1,000 years after the collapse of humanity, the world is now wild and very isolating, with NetEase Games explaining: “Players need to explore the land with friends, discover historical sites and the remains of war, build shelters and fight against ‘Coral Seas’, gradually uncovering the truth hidden by time.”

In the Nostos Global Alpha Test participants were able to try various mechanics such as climbing, building, driving and shooting systems freely, via either PC or on HTC Vive. “We chose to present the sandbox genre in a VR environment, creating a fascinating world with a higher degree of freedom for our players,” commented Nostos’ Producer, Shui Ge, in a statement.

There will be a massive world for players to explore, from open grasslands to arid deserts and snow-covered mountains as well as ancient crumbling cities to discover, all the while days and nights will pass and so will the four seasons. The Coral Seas are the biggest danger in Nostos, slowly corroding the land while the creatures that dwell in the toxic waters are a constant threat. So players can band together, collecting resources to build shelter whilst gaining their strength by making sure there is enough food and water to live. Nostos 11 Driving [Screenshot]

NetEase Games has previously said that each Nostos world has the ability to contain a maximum of 20 players, although there won’t be a cap on the number of worlds.

The videogame is slated for a Q3 2019 release, but the studio hasn’t confirmed exactly when the beta will begin and whether it’ll be made available to a wider player base. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Nostos, reporting back with the latest updates.

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Nostos: Erste Testphase des Open-World-VR-RPG startet im April

NetEase startet im April gemeinsam mit Entwicklerstudio Shuige die erste Alpha-Testphase für das VR-Online-RPG Nostos für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive auf Steam. Das Open-World-Spiel vereint in seinem Grafikstil JRPG-typische Anime-Elemente mit schicken Umgebungen und weckt damit Assoziationen an Titel wie Zelda und Sword Art Online. Die Anmeldungen zur Teilnahme sind ab sofort eröffnet.

Nostos – Erste Alphaphase des Open-World-VR-RPG startet im April für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen auf Steam

Open-World-RPG’s in VR erleben, ein Traum vieler MMOPRG-Veteranen, die sich der neuen VR-Technologie verschrieben haben. Erfolgreiche Serienumsetzungen wie Sword Art Online machen es vor und lassen uns über die Möglichkeiten träumen: Die VR-Brille aufsetzen und sich in einer gigantischen, immersiven Welt voller Aufgaben und Erkundungsmöglichkeiten verlieren, um gemeinsam mit anderen Spielern zum nächsten großen Helden zu werden. Dabei darf das motivationstreibende Looten und Leveln natürlich nicht fehlen.

Bisher waren noch keine VR-Titel in der Lage, diese Anforderungen zu erfüllen, auch wenn kommende Spiele, wie Orbus VR: Reborn versuchen, in die offene Lücke einzuschlagen. Mit Nostos für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen steht nun ein potenzieller Genrevertreter in den Startlöchern, der nicht nur optisch durchaus ansprechend wirkt, sondern auch einige interessante Gameplay-Mechaniken verspricht.

So versetzt das VR-Online-RPG einen Zelda-ähnlichen Anime-Stil in ein Endzeit-Fantasy-Setting und verspricht eine offene Spielwelt mit Sandbox-Elementen, Gildensystem und vieles mehr. Meteorologische Wettereffekte, Tag-Nacht-Wechsel und ein realistisches Kampfsystem sollen das Paket zusätzlich abrunden. Dank SpatialOS soll zudem eine riesige Spielwelt entstehen, die quasi endlos auf die Spielerschaft wirkt. Um für eine größere Spielerbase zu sorgen, wird neben der VR-Variante Crossplay mit PC-Spielern ermöglicht.

Nostos-VR-RPG-MMO-Oculus-Rift-HTC-Vive-Windows-MR

Ab Mitte April soll die erste Alpha-Phase des vielversprechenden VR-Spiels für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive auf Steam starten. Die Anmeldungen sind ab sofort auf der offiziellen Webseite eröffnet.

(Quelle: Upload VR | Nostos | Video: UploadVR YouTube)

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Open-World Online VR RPG Nostos Global Alpha Test Coming This April

Open-World Online VR RPG Nostos Global Alpha Test Coming This April

It’s rare that a game can so entirely capture my attention purely from its art style alone, but that’s what happened with Nostos. Announced back at Gamescom 2018 by Netease, Nostos employs a gorgeously colorful anime-inspired art style and features some of the most captivating art work I’ve seen yet for a VR game. Even just the way the website evolves and changes images as you scroll is amazing.

We got the chance to try it out at Gamescom very, very briefly and came away with more questions than answers, but it’s still pretty high on my list of anticipated games for the year. And since it’s coming to both PC VR headsets like Rift and Vive, as well as non-VR PC users with cross-platform multiplayer (similar to VR Chat) hopefully that means player population won’t be as big of an issue.

When I first watched the trailer the first thing I thought of was Sword Art Online. Rarely do we see a VR game trailer that’s so focused on the atmosphere of its world rather than the interactivity and physicality of being in VR, so that was a bit refreshing to me. Initially I thought it was an MMO because of the SpatialOS integration, but that’s not really the case even though it is an open-world online RPG.

We heard from a representative at Netease that the Alpha Test is slated for mid-to-late April and will run through Steam. There won’t be an NDA so you can expect to see footage and coverage of what we think once that kicks off. You can register at the site right now.

With OrbusVR Reborn on the horizon and now this, things are looking quite appealing for fans of VR and MMO-style games. Let us know what you think of this one so far down in the comments below!

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The post Open-World Online VR RPG Nostos Global Alpha Test Coming This April appeared first on UploadVR.

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The Best HTC Vive Games Coming in 2019

HTC Vive owners have been able to enjoy a plethora of virtual reality (VR) titles over the last year, from single-player adventures to multiplayer shooters, the headset has something for everyone. Having already covered ‘The Best HTC Vive Games of 2018‘ it’s now time to look at what’s to come, with cross-platform action as well as open-world escapades. 

The Best HTC Vive Games Coming in 2019

Vacation Simulator – Owlchemy Labs

After the massive success that was Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives in 2016, Owlchemy Labs plans to launch the next title in the series Vacation Simulator this year. Originally due in 2018, the launch was pushed back in November. Just like its predecessor, Vacation Simulator is a comedic, hands-on experience, taking you away from the workplace and onto the idyllic shores of a sun-kissed island. Here you’ll be able to customise your character, take selfies, play with beach balls, test your barbecuing skills and much more.

Vacation Simulator does have an exact 2019 launch date, but it’ll support HTC Vive, plus Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR.

Space Junkies - Key Art

Space Junkies – Ubisoft

After first making an appearance during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2017, Ubisoft has held a couple of open beta’s during the course of 2018, so you may have already played Space Junkies. A zero-gravity, competitive shooter experience, players engage in either 1-v-1 or 2-v-2 matches using a variety of weapons such as “Sunblasters” and “Bioguns” to dispatch enemies.

As it is a purely multiplayer experience Space Junkies is another multiplatform title, due for release some point this year.

Population One - Screenshot

Population: ONE – BigBox VR

The battle royale genre has dominated standard videogaming for a while thanks to titles like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The genre hasn’t quite had the same effect in VR with BigBox VR’s Smashbox Arena being one of the more notable examples. It’s not stopping there, however, with an even grander project, Population: ONE. Currently in private beta, players will be able to climb, fly and build with up to 24 others in a match, with cross-play compatibility for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

Impressed when we first saw it during Gamescom 2018, Population: ONE is shaping up to be even better than its flat screen cousins. Scheduled for launch in 2019, no date confirmed just yet.

Rhythm of the Universe image1

Rhythm of the Universe – ROTU Entertainment

Having only released the first teaser trailer a couple of weeks ago, there are still a lot of questions surrounding Rhythm of the Universe. The videogame is going to be episodic, with seven chapters in total, each released around six months apart. Each can stand on its own but their stories will be part of a bigger narrative. From details released so far, Rhythm of the Universe looks to be a puzzle adventure involving music and music mythology.

Rhythm of the Universe has been confirmed for three headsets, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Oculus Quest, with the first episode arriving sometime this year.

Nostos – NetEase Games

Last but not least is the epic looking Nostos by NetEase Games. This is a massive open-world adventure that just so happens to be multiplayer. Worlds in the videogame can have a maximum of 20 players and are fully adaptable, so they can destroy and build at their leisure, creating ecosystems in a post-apocalyptic environment. Definitely one for those who love role-playing games (RPGs), Nostos will have you fighting for survival.

NetEase Games is currently working on just the HTC Vive version of the title – the closest to an exclusive the headset is getting on this list – but it hasn’t ruled out a release on Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR. The HTC Vive release is planned for Q3 2019.

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SpatialOS GDK is now Available for Unreal Engine

Being able to create massively scalable online multiplayer videogames is no easy task which is why Improbable created the SpatialOS Game Development Kit (GDK). Today, the company has announced that the SpatialOS GDK is now available of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine as a free download.

The SpatialOS GDK will allow Unreal Engine users to grow any videogame in scale and complexity without the need for major changes to it or the engine code.

“It’s a platform for creating games that go beyond the limits of a single server, enabling you to implement new kinds of gameplay that would be impossible with the traditional client-server approach,” Epic notes on the Unreal Engine Blog. “What this means is that if you’re looking to make a multiplayer game using Unreal Engine, you can use the new SpatialOS Game Development Kit for Unreal to tap into Unreal Engine’s networking APIs to turn the client-server architecture into a distributed one, with your game hosted on Improbable’s global cloud platform.”

“We’re always excited to see new technology that gives developers using Unreal Engine more options,” said Nick Penwarden, Director of Engineering – Unreal Engine, Epic Games in a statement. “Now that SpatialOS works natively with our network replication APIs, it will be easier than ever for developers to explore how SpatialOS allows them to scale their game ideas seamlessly across multiple servers.”

SpatialOS

Titles already tapping into the power of SpatialOS included NetEase’s upcoming virtual reality (VR) project Nostos and PC videogame Scavengers by Midwinter Entertainment.

“Developers want technology to enable their vision and enhance their creativity,” said Improbable’s Aaryn Flynn, General Manager, North America. “The new SpatialOS GDK unlocks new possibilities within Unreal Engine, empowering developers to make many game servers work together and act as one in a way that is seamless to players.”

The SpatialOS GDK for Unreal is available from the Unreal Marketplace and is free to try, with a free sandbox allocation for prototypes and experimental deployments. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Improbable and SpatialOS, reporting back with the latest announcements.

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SpatialOS GDK is now Available for Unreal Engine

Being able to create massively scalable online multiplayer videogames is no easy task which is why Improbable created the SpatialOS Game Development Kit (GDK). Today, the company has announced that the SpatialOS GDK is now available of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine as a free download.

The SpatialOS GDK will allow Unreal Engine users to grow any videogame in scale and complexity without the need for major changes to it or the engine code.

“It’s a platform for creating games that go beyond the limits of a single server, enabling you to implement new kinds of gameplay that would be impossible with the traditional client-server approach,” Epic notes on the Unreal Engine Blog. “What this means is that if you’re looking to make a multiplayer game using Unreal Engine, you can use the new SpatialOS Game Development Kit for Unreal to tap into Unreal Engine’s networking APIs to turn the client-server architecture into a distributed one, with your game hosted on Improbable’s global cloud platform.”

“We’re always excited to see new technology that gives developers using Unreal Engine more options,” said Nick Penwarden, Director of Engineering – Unreal Engine, Epic Games in a statement. “Now that SpatialOS works natively with our network replication APIs, it will be easier than ever for developers to explore how SpatialOS allows them to scale their game ideas seamlessly across multiple servers.”

SpatialOS

Titles already tapping into the power of SpatialOS included NetEase’s upcoming virtual reality (VR) project Nostos and PC videogame Scavengers by Midwinter Entertainment.

“Developers want technology to enable their vision and enhance their creativity,” said Improbable’s Aaryn Flynn, General Manager, North America. “The new SpatialOS GDK unlocks new possibilities within Unreal Engine, empowering developers to make many game servers work together and act as one in a way that is seamless to players.”

The SpatialOS GDK for Unreal is available from the Unreal Marketplace and is free to try, with a free sandbox allocation for prototypes and experimental deployments. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Improbable and SpatialOS, reporting back with the latest announcements.

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VRFocus Speak With The Producer On Nostos To Learn More About The Beautiful Title

Back at Gamescom 2018 NetEase, a leading Chinese internet technology company revealed a new virtual reality (VR) videogame titled Nostos which immediately caught the attention of many with its beautiful trailer. During the event VRFocus’ Nina Salomons had the chance to talk with ShuiGe, a producer on the title to learn more about the ever changing world of the VR title.

Nostos Trailer

In Nostos, players will need to explore a vast, beautiful but desolate world in which cities have been abandoned for decades and are now crumbling away. Within this rich landscapes and locations are historical sites that hold the remnants of the war that brought about the end that players will need to explore in order to uncover the truth about what happened, all while trying to survive out in this world.

Thanks to the immersive power of VR, players will not only be immersed within the title but also be able to play as themselves, as ShuiGe explains in the below interview noting the power of technology to create these opportunities. Being a multiplayer title, players will encounter other players along their journey but will not only be limited to a single world.

“We designed the multiplayer world in the game to have a maximum of 20 players but we have so many worlds that players can cross to those worlds” ShuiGe noted: “The player can change the world by building something or destroying something to make the ecosystem different, so every world will be different.”

Making the worlds feel unique by the player’s actions not only allows for great gameplay but also creates the chance for players to tell their own stories to each other. Seeing how a town come to be and hearing how the players have had to defend it over time allows for fantastic story telling that is driven by player action. The building system which was shown briefly in the reveal trailer, is send to allow players the chance to build whatever they want. “The build system is piece-by-piece and you can build any kind of house you want and build something functional like a tower, bonfire or a store. You can build anything you want” ShuiGe adds.

One final piece of information that ShuiGe reveals in the interview is that though climbing and driving are already in the title – and seen in the trailer – the team are thinking about adding a system for airships. They want each of the systems to feel great while still offering an easy way to explore the world that is engaging and fun. Given that 20 players will be sharing a world, having airship races would be somewhat exciting.

Nostos is currently in development for the HTC Vive and is planned for a release in Q3 2019. The team have not ruled out a release on Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR but are not committing to anything just yet. For more on Nostos in the future, keep reading VRFocus and you can see the full interview for yourself below.