Location-based entertainment (LBE) is a growing sector within the virtual reality (VR) industry, and a natural subsection of that are esports. During the annual Paris Games Week (PGW) event last month Esports Virtual Arenas (EVA) debuted a 1,000 square meter stadium designed to host VR competitions.
EVA’s VR Esports Stadium concept is built around the premise of competitive player vs player experiences which can also be viewed by large, physically present crowds. While the initial debut featured a 1,000 sq meter stadium at PGW 2019, the concept can be tailored to suit a range of factors, from location size to number of players.
The EVA stadium can be scaled from 400 m2 (4,300 ft2) to 3000 m2 (32,000 ft2), accommodating a maximum of 30 players at once. When it comes to the public, 500 spectators can be seated around the arena to witness every move the competitors make in the stadium as well as watching their in-game actions displayed on gigantic screens hung in the centre. Additionally, matches can also be live-streamed for fans online.
At PGW 2019, EVA held competitive 4v4 matches using a specifically reworked version of the VR title After-H. Built when EVA used to be called SmartVR Studio, After-H was designed specifically for LBE venues but the developer decided to expand that support to home headsets in September. So After-H can currently be found on Steam Early Access as a free download for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality and Valve Index headsets.
EVA is offering a turnkey solution for those interested in implementing the concept which includes exclusive videogames, equipment and structures, building a facility in three months. The company plans on opening the first EVA VR Stadiums to the public during 2020 in France as well as internationally.
Having originally started out as SmartVR Studio developing Top Floor, a VR experience about fear of heights and After-H, the company rebranded as Esports Virtual Arenas (EVA), receiving €2m EUR from the Trust Esport Venture fund to develop its stadium idea.
As and when the stadium concept becomes publicly available VRFocus will let you know. Or for LBE action now, then check out Godzilla VRin London, UK or Terminator: Guardian of Fate at Dave & Buster’s locations in the US.
When Sony announced Megalith from developer Disruptive Games during its Paris Games Week (PGW) presentation on Monday, it resulted in more questions than answers. The short teaser video (embedded below) was just a cinematic with little context and other than the hosts stating that the title is a “hero shooter” after the trailer, we didn’t really have much to go on. That is, until now.
Yesterday we had the chance to interview Eric Ellis, Co-Founder and CTO of Disruptive Games, as well as Jake Biegel, Co-Founder and CCO, about the game’s development, how it plays, and what to expect. From what we can tell, they’re angling for this to be much more than just another VR shooter.
Both Ellis and Biegel have a strong background in AAA-quality game development, having worked at Insomniac on the Ratchet & Clank and Resistance franchises, in addition to credits at studios like LucasArts, Pandemic, Cyan Worlds, and Neversoft. They know a few things about making games.
At its core Megalith is a competitive multiplayer action game. Players will take control of large titans that tower over the rest of the levels and give players extreme powers. Each of the titans will play very differently, such as some being ranged, some being melee, some a hybrid, and so on. In this way, it’s like a “hero shooter” such as Overwatch, Quake Champions, or other similar games, but it has many more nuanced elements as well.
“We started early on playing around with a lot of ideas and something that stuck that was fun is the sense of scale,” explained Ellis. “The game originated around the idea of being larger than tiny the humans around you and we had a lot of fun prototyping and experimenting…we also continue to do research in what we call ‘training wheels’ for VR. With many people it seems like you can build up your tolerance to these things [like motion sickness] over time. We have settings that will make it feel more comfortable like snap turning.”
The focus on full smooth locomotion is a big break from the norm with VR right now, but it’s a welcomed approach that a lot of people seem to be embracing in lieu of the slower-paced, immersion-breaking teleportation system that many games opt for by default.
“Megalith really involves multiple different multiplayer game genres,” said Biegel. “The hero shooter labeling does come back to VR though. We have full body presence with smooth locomotion and that’s something only some experiences offer with your actual presence right now, so that lends to the hero shooter element because you feel like you’re really becoming the thing rather than just playing it with a controller.”
At its core, Megalith sounds like a hybrid hero shooter meets small-scale MOBA, meets competitive action game. The MOBA elements come into play because each titan will have access to “disciples” on the ground that follow and obey your orders, so your objective for the game is to usher disciples towards a designated portal location via a “symbiotic” relationship. When you add in the need to fight off other players’ titans, things can get hectic. As of now, matches are arranged in a 2v2 (two player titans plus disciples vs. two player titans plus disciples) setup, but a good amount of gameplay variety is planned.
We’re still waiting to find out more about the game, see it in action, and try it out for ourselves, but so far it sounds intriguing. Fast-paced, intense, competitive VR games are becoming more popular as the market continues to grow. Does this sound like the type of game you’d want to play on PSVR? Let us know down in the comments below!
Note: This is our preview of Blood & Truth from Paris Games Week. The same code is now on show at PlayStation Experience, so we thought we’d show you our impressions again.
It’s no secret that The London Heist is the highlight from PlayStation VR Worlds, a collection of small VR game concepts that released alongside the PSVR last year. The package was created by Sony’s London Studio and The London Heist, a short, interactive narrative experience about thieves and an epic car getaway, stole the show. Now a year later those same developers are working together again but this time they’re taking what they learned from working on PSVR Worlds and making a single, fully-developed game called Blood and Truth.
Blood and Truth was announced yesterday during Sony’s Paris Games Week presentation and is being billed as a modern day action game that puts you “in the shoes of an action hero” like never before according to the PlayStation blog post — it feels a bit like James Bond to me from an aesthetic perspective. They weren’t willing to tell me how long it will be, but they did say it’s much longer than a short demo-like experience.
At a private PlayStation press event yesterday I got the chance to go hands-on with the game and play through a brief section. My objective was to track a mobster guy in a hotel/casino and interrogate him to find out the location of his boss, the game’s main bad guy. I could reach down and pull out the silenced pistol on my chest with my right hand and grab an ammo clip from my hip using my left hand. Reloading was done by slamming the clip into the gun, just like in The London Heist.
Movement is a bit unique in Blood and Truth. In the trailer (embedded below) it seems like the developers included smooth, free locomotion as a movement option but that’s not the case based on what I’ve seen. Instead, there are pre-defined waypoints spread throughout the game that you select and your character will automatically slide across the level towards them.
You could also strafe from side-to-side between movement nodes as well. It feels less like you’re walking and more like the experience is on rails of some kind or you have on rollerskates. I didn’t notice any discomfort, but the lack of control was a bit odd.
The content of my demo was promising and makes me feel like the finished product will feature a lot of gameplay variety. Things start out nice and slow as I’m slowly sneaking into the facility and have to monitor my target’s movements across the casino using security cameras. Eventually I’m discovered and a security guard opens fire, forcing me to creep down the hallway.
On the ground floor of the building I start setting C4 charges on slot machines to rig the place to blow up. Taking my time not to get caught, it was satisfying to focus on VR’s interactive potential. Instead of just tapping a button like you would in a non-VR game, I had to open the pouch, remove the C4, attach it to the surface, and press the red button to arm it. This series of actions coupled with the intensity of enemies searching for me, dramatically enhanced the atmosphere.
Gunplay felt great once the shootout commenced and I was able to easily move between cover even though it was just node-based sliding movement. When the bullets started firing I didn’t care much about the lack of free locomotion because I was so focused on not getting killed, but I could definitely imagine the absence of freedom to explore will get frustrating as the game goes on.
My demo concluded in a foot race as my target tried to flee that was entirely on rails, moving me through the halls completely automatically. Since I needed information I couldn’t shoot my target due to the risk of him dying, so I had to shoot all of the enemies that popped up in my path during the chase, but take care not to hit him in the back. The best moment in the whole demo happened when I shot a fire extinguisher that exploded and resulted in a super slow-motion bullet-time sequence that earned me several headshots. Watching enemy corpses sink lifelessly to the ground is super satisfying, if a bit jarring, due to the game’s relative realism.
Blood and Truth is shaping up to be the game that everyone wanted The London Heist to be in the first place. We look forward to learning more about the game in anticipation of its release for PSVR in 2018.
Missed the announcements from Paris Games Week (PGW)? A huge fan of virtual reality (VR)? PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR owners likely already know that there are now over 100 titles on the platform. But that’s just now. There’s plenty of videogames on the way to add to that collection, and luckily VRFocus has got your back. Below you can find a list of all the PlayStation VR videogames that were announced or mentioned at PGW – and we have also created a little video recap which you can find below.
Bandai Namco bring you Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, taking their popular fighter pilot series to VR for the first time. With spectacular views, a dynamic weather system and various maps, this videogame demands the highest possible aerial combat skills.
Chris Redfield comes up against new and terrifying enemies in his pursuit of deadly psychopath Lucas in Resident Evil VII thanks to the Not A Hero free DLC. There are plenty of gory situations to confront on the path ahead as Redfield seeks an end to the bloody reign of the murderous Baker family.
Developers Against Gravity have created a social platform where players can engage in multiplayer games with one another. As with all the products mentioned here, check out the link for more information.
Announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), VRFocus thought Moss was perhaps the cutest VR game to date. Sadly, that date has shifted, with the title now delayed until 2018. Developed by Polyarc, Moss asks players to solve puzzles in a larger-than-life world. The protagonist Quill also recognises who you are and tries to point out tips when you’re stuck. Quill’s intricate hand movements actually promotes sign language as she uses her body, hands and squeaks to communicate with you.
Announced at PGW today, this first-person shooter (FPS) takes adventure to a futuristic, robot-filled sci-fi world. You play as the last human on a world where synthetic creatures seek to dominate their new hunting grounds. Created by Fast Travel Games, this Swedish studio is formed of Ex-Rovio, EA and DICE staff.
Another newly announced title, Bow to Blood is a multiplayer videogame where players pilot airships into combat with other players. PlayStation VR owners can go solo or team up to battle rivals. Stand and fight or reposition on your foe? It’s your call.
Announced back in August this real-time tabletop warfare simulator should be something strategy fans will enjoy. Players will have access to 12 different units, four of which can be deployed at one time. This includes tanks, soldiers, flamethrowers, artillery and helicopters. Each unit costs energy to put on the battlefield – so don’t start spamming out loads of troops without thinking careful first.
Showcased at E3 this year, this videogame asks players to see the world through sound; similar to how echolocation would work underwater. The noise you make highlight the surroundings around you in a creepy white line drawing style. Unfortunately, whilst using sound shows your path it also draws the attention of enemies. You will need to balance your need to see versus your need to keep safe. A slow and steady process that really gets under your skin.
A fast-paced obstacle course racing title that asks players to swing their arms back and forth in order to increase the speed at which they travel. Climb, jump, leap across various obstacles and compete against friends or A.I.
Developers Playful Corp have created a dark, cyberpunk world where strange creatures roam in a bizarre neon-lit world. A side-scrolling platform experience, the protagonist has to solve puzzles and take an elevator deeper into an alien world.Transference– Coming Soon
Announced at E3, Elijah Wood’s videogame company Spectrevision and Ubisoft have created a psychological thriller videogame where players delve into the destructive tale of a man’s obsession as they explore his digitally recreated memories. Think Inception, but as a videogame where you have to solve puzzles in the man’s memories. VRFocus did an interview with Kyle McCullough from SpectreVision if you want more information.
Available on the Samsung Gear VR and now coming to PlayStation VR, this flying simulator allows you to try three different aircrafts, has several missions which in turn allows the player to purchase airports across three separate islands. Shoot balloons, take photos, fly through rings, race against players or practice that perfect landing.
This tongue-in-cheek action videogame allows you to cook up a storm as a chef feeding some very hungry zombies. That’s right, you’re not killing zombies on mass but feeding them some very well-cooked hamburgers instead. Perfect for Halloween.
Set in sci-fi world on what seems another planet, PGW is the first time anything of this videogame was showcased and very little is known about it for sure. However, it appears to be the evolution of previously announced VR title Eden. And features some very strange and bizarre looking creatures that resemble a Brachiosaurus. The teaser also features three-armed robotic drones and enormous monsters.
Showcasing the first hands-on previews at PGW, the gameplay features customisable costumes, a various array of fish (and other creatures) and various ways of catching fish from travel to sonar detection.
A first-person videogame where you play as a titan on a quest to become a powerful god. With destructible environment and a range of weapons in a stylised world.
Set in a medieval castle with ghostly inhabitants, you play a young mage recently returned from magic school on a quest to delve into their family’s fraught past. You have to rebuild your family’s wealth and use your wand to uncover treasure, coins and crowns. As the name of the title suggests, you’ll have to do a lot of smashing and hitting things to do that. Venture into multiple dungeons, secret rooms and set things on fire, smash everything you see or sneak up on ghosts to find hidden gold.
Another new title to add to the growing list of PlayStation VR games available for players, you play a brutal gangster in London. On a quest to avenge his murdered family, you have to break into enemy hideouts, casinos and gun down your enemies. You need to be prepared for both stealth gameplay as well as ready to throw yourself into the action. The teaser showcase lock picking and a bomb detonating as you shoot down enemies.
Those are the latest videogames that have been announced or will be coming soon to the PlayStation VR. Watch the video below to get a glimpse of all the videogames and follow VRFocus for any further announcements on the videogames.
Sony went all-in on its PlayStation Paris Games Week press conference, with a ton of new game announcements and trailers, including brand-new looks at The Last of Us Part II and God of War.
Announced today at Paris Games Week, Moss, the insanely charming third-person action-adventure puzzle game from Polyarc, is confirmed to launch on PSVR in February 2018. Pre-orders for the game are starting today.
First revealed at E3 earlier this year, Moss follows a pint-sized hero named Quill, who with her trusty blade and puzzle-solving abilities must make her way through an idyllic forest into somewhere much less forgiving. We got a hands-on back at E3, and it proved to be a highly-polished experience that seemed to offer an engaging story, even though both you, a disembodied observer, and Quill, your faithful pal, don’t actually speak.
Originally intended for holiday 2017 release at around 3 hours of gameplay length, release is now slated for February 2018. Pre-orders are being taken both at PlayStation Store and GameStop for $30. Links to both stores will be active starting today at 12:00 PM PT (your local time).
Polyarc is giving pre-order customers instant access to an exclusive dynamic PlayStation Theme and PlayStation Avatar featuring Moss’s hero Quill and her forest home. European fans pre-ordering Moss will receive their pre-order bonuses at launch this February. You can preview the dynamic theme and avatar on Polyarc’s social channels.
Check out the short gameplay video below to see what Moss is all about.
Spelunky 2, sequel to Derek Yu's genre-defining indie rogue-lite platformer, was announced for PS4 as a surprise teaser during Sony's Paris Games Week presentation. No release date is yet available.
Paris Games Week saw the announcement of two newly revealed games for PSVR, and among the rash of PS4 trailers comes the news that Ultrawings, Sprint Vector, and Dead Hungry are all making their way across the aisle to PSVR.
Bit Planet’sUltrawings is an aerial-themed, open-world game where you’ll pilot multiple aircraft to complete a variety of missions across an island-themed world. Ultrawings currently holds a [9/10] on Steam for its HTC Vive and Oculus Rift version.
Sprint Vector from Survios, the developers behind Raw Data (2017), are bringing their foot-racing game to PSVR too alongside the Rift and HTC Vive version. The locomotion scheme is brilliant, and offers a nausea-free, fast-paced experience. Check out our latest hands-on here.
Dead Hungry from Q-Games is also headed to PSVR, which as a low-poly game makes a lot of sense. It’s done well on both Rift and Vive, and we’d expect the same out of the fast-paced action game that works a bit like Root Beer Tapper (1983) except with a much more complicated order and, you know… with zombies.
This news is breaking. Check back for more updates soon.
If you didn’t know already this Wednesday sees the start of Paris Games Week (PGW) 2017 in France and as is customary Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is holding its regular pre-event press conference, announcing lots of new titles for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR. Even before the main event has started there’s been loads of announcements during the pre-show livestream. One of those was Moss, revealing that the title has now been delayed until February, 2018.
There was no mention on why Moss has been delayed by several months, with developer Polyarc previously confirming during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 that the videogame would be released later this year.
Moss takes players on a adventure with an adorable little mouse called Quill. Quill’s adventure sees her solving puzzles and exploring a larger-than-life world where certain creatures could very well swallow her in one.
VRFocus has extensively covered Moss since its initial announcement back in June, writing a glowing preview that said: “Moss deserves a place on your ‘most wanted’ list. After just one short play, the tease of more taxing puzzles and the forming of a non-verbal relationship with the adorable Quill is very compelling. The hope is high that Polyarc will carve a lengthy adventure that takes full advantage of the mechanics that have been laid out in this early demo.”
VRFocusalso sat down with Chris Alderson, the Art Director at Polyarc to learn more about the title, revealing that what VR lacks are some mascots and hopefully Quill might just be able to fill that void.
While Moss may not be a new title for PlayStation VR, there have been several new videogames revealed including Survios’ Sprint Vector, Megalith and Bow to Blood.
Plenty more PlayStation VR news is expected today and during the course of PGW 2017, so keep reading VRFocus for the latest updates from the event.
For Sony, Paris Games Week looks more like a fall version of E3, with promises of seven new game announcements. Sony will kick off the show at 8 a.m. PT October 30, ahead of the main event at 9 a.m. PT.
Rec Room
Transference 
Megalith
