Realities Centre – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

November 23, 2021

XR Art Fest Returns to London’s Realities Centre This Week

Artists have been embracing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology for many years now, exploring new ways of immersing the public in ever more elaborate worlds. If you’re in the UK this week and you’re interested in this side of the XR industry then you might want to head down to the Realities Centre in London, which is hosting an XR Art Fest this Thursday.

Whether you’re an artist interested in learning more about this space or an XR enthusiast who loves to experience the latest XR artworks, XR Art Fest is a one-day celebration featuring workshops, talks, hands-on presentations and more. Guests will be able to take part in workshops with step-by-step tutorials for XR content creation using software like TiltBrush and OpenBrush. The event is sponsored by Psychic VR Lab, the Japanese studio behind the cloud-based XR platform STYLY.

Talks during the day will cover a range of metaverse-related topics, from ‘Art Galleries for NFTs’ looking at how “galleries collaborate with artists to curate and monitise their artwork.” Or how about ‘Virtual Clay Sculpting With Haptics’ by Dr. Ivan Isakov (co-founder / CTO at Valkyrie Industries) who will demo Argil, a VR sculpting app that uses finger tracking and haptics.

“Experiencing creative designs from within brings a whole new paradigm to art,” states Dr. John Holder, CEO Realities Centre Ltd. “We are delighted to bring back the XR Art Fest after a hugely successful first year and offer new opportunities for audiences to not only experience the latest in XR content creation, but also learn how to easily create digital art for themselves.”

The XR Art Fest is a ticketed event with a full event pass coming in at £20 GBP. Taking place this Thursday, 25th November 2021 the XR Art Fest will run from 12:30 pm to 10:00 pm GMT, with plenty of chances to relax, enjoy a drink and socialise with XR professionals and enthusiasts alike.

For further updates on the latest XR events both virtually and physically, keep reading VRFocus.

January 18, 2020

Global Tilt Brush Art Fest and Tournament Taking Place in London Next Month

Google’s Tilt Brush app has been the cornerstone of virtual reality (VR) artistic expression since its launch in 2016, allowing artists both amateur and professional to paint in three dimensions. Many competitors have arrived over the years but Tilt Brush still remains a firm favourite which is why the Reality Centre in London is hosting the UK leg of the Global Tilt Brush Art Fest and Tournament taking place next month.

The event is for artists and VR fans alike, a community get together involving food, music and some friendly competition. For those actually participating they will be able to compete to make the most immersive VR art environment, having 45 minutes each. To add a party vibe to the proceedings a live DJ will be broadcasting via Twitch entirely in VR powered by TribeXR.

London is the flagship event for the 2020 Global Tilt Brush Art Fest and Tournament which currently takes place in eight cities worldwide: Toronto, Boston, New York City, Vancouver, London (Canada), San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The cities have their own local participants competing for prizes based on their artwork, with local and then two grand prize winners for the Another Reality ARtist Award, and Another Reality Best New ARtist Award.

Prizes up for grabs include being featured on a Times Square Billboard, $1000 USD and an all-expense paid trip to an AWE conference in either Santa Clara, Tel-Aviv, Munich, or Shenzhen, winners choice. Further prizes are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

The Global Tilt Brush Art Fest and Tournament will be taking place on Thursday, 13th February at Realities Centre London, from 12pm – 9pm GMT. Spectator tickets are available for £2.50 GBP with the All Access pass allowing you to compete costs £22.

For further details on the event head to the official Eventbrite page, and keep reading VRFocus as further updates are announced.

September 5, 2018

New Speakers, New Panellists, New Games – Last Chance To Get Tickets For The Post Gamescom XR Review!

We are but a day away from our Post Gamescom XR Review, which is taking place in London this Thursday at The Realities Centre’s venue at Huckletree West. The review is, among all things, a chance for people to get together, try some virtual reality (VR) and discuss with those working with VR what they are doing and VR’s videogaming path coming out of Gamescom and all that happened there.

You can sign up here incidentally and get a ticket.

Huckletree West (1)[2] Of course you’re like as not aware of things already mentioned on the site which will be in attendence, but as with all events some things change so we have some changes to the card (as it were) to inform you of. The bad news is that Firesprite and their VR videogame The Persistence will no longer be able to attend which is a great shame. Don’t worry though as we’ve some new items to announce as well!

First up is confirmation of one of our talks for the event. Dave Raynard, the CEO of Dream Reality Interactive (DRI) will be talking to attendees about the life of a young development studio in The Terrible Twos: The DRI Story So Far.

“Dream Reality Interactive is two years old. DRI have had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects – and still be in business! In this talk, Dave will speak about their journey and reflect on what went well and where they could have improved.”

DRI will also be at the event showing of their VR title Arca’s Path VR of course, and Dave Raynard will also be contributing to the panel at the end of the evening.
Arca's Path keyArt

Also taking part in the panel will be Sam Watts of Brighton-based developer make[REAL], a familiar face to the VR talk circuit and to VRFocus readers with his recent developer diaries about the studio’s project Pastimes for Pirates. Watts will also be showing off the studio’s hit party game title Loco Dojo at the event. Attendees will be able to adventure into a whimsical world overseen by the mysterious Grand Sensei. Can you stand up to his ‘Table of Trials’?

LocoDojo Screenshot 3_RockyDesert One more member of the Post Gamescom panel has also been announced: Kish Hirani. The CTO of Terra Virtua, Hirani has undertaken roles at Acclaim, BBC Multimedia, THQ, Microsoft and at Sony as their Head of Developer Services, running the PlayStation developer technology services division. Hirani is also a former Chair of BAME in Games and a Board member of Women in Games, so will no doubt have much to say on VR’s direction as we begin to look past 2018 and into 2019.

Our final announcement for now is that we will also be joined on the day by Tara Reddy and Sam Weekes, the co-Founders of LoveShark. Who will be showing off their forthcoming augmented reality (AR) drawing-based videogame LaserDRAW. Look out for them on the day.

LaserDraw - Screenshot We’re still awaiting the confirmation of more developers and speakers so look out for more news. But before that act fast if you want to check out everything at the event tomorrow!

August 27, 2018

Football Nation VR Is Coming Home… To The Post Gamescom XR Review

While England might have missed out on winning the World Cup this year, there is still chance to snag a virtual trophy for attendees at the VRFocus post-Gamescom XR review event, as Cherry Pop Games will be bringing Football Nation VR to the event.

Football Nation VR is an upgraded version of VRFC: Virtual Reality Football Club, which brings in several expanded gameplay elements, including a tournament mode directly inspired by the World Cup.

Post Gamescom Review - Football Nation VR Players are able to put on a VR headset in order to take their place on a (virtual) professional team, and make their way up the leagues. Those who do well enough at running, kicking and tackling might even get the chance to play matches at the iconic Wembley Stadium, complete with a cheering crowd.

VRFC was a relatively simple five-a-side style football title, which offered some easily accessible sports experience for VR fans. Though VRFC was positively received for the most part, feedback from the community suggested that a more in-depth experience might be welcomed.

As a result, all 37 countries who took part in the 2018 World Cup are represented in Football Nation VR, and players can choose to take their place on any of the national teams. In the first round, players might be up against any of the other 36 teams, with the simple task ahead of them – score as many goals as possible.

Only 16 teams move forward to the second round, which then continues until only 8 teams, then four, until it is whittled down to one ultimate winner, who will get the chance to heft a virtual trophy.

Football Nation VR 2018

Cherry Pop Games will be bringing a playable version of the title for attendees at the Gamescom XR review event to try, alongside other new and upcoming VR titles from prominent VR developers, such as Rebellion and Firesprite.

You can apply for tickets to the post-Gamescom XR Review event at the Event Brite page, and further news about the event will continue to be covered here on VRFocus.

July 17, 2018

Join VRFocus For A Post Gamescom XR Review This September

Events are tricky, sometimes there’s just only so much you can do to get to them or see everything there when you do. The next major event on the horizon is, of course, Gamescom next month and after a somewhat lackluster feeling E3 earlier this year, there’s a lot of expectation going in to it.

Realities Centre Huckletree West For those not able to get to this year’s Gamescom event, taking place from August 21st 2018 through to the 25th in Cologne Germany, VRFocus is giving members of the UK XR community an extra opportunity to check out in person some of the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences that will be shown. We’ve teamed up once again with the team at Realities Centre to present what is being called “The Post Gamescom #XR Review” – a chance to demo, connect and discuss everything to do with immersive technology that Gamescom reveals.

Amongst those currently confirmed as attending are Cherry Pop Games with Football Nation VR, Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion’s physics-based platform title Arca’s Path VR and The Persistence, Firesprite’s roguelike horror for PlayStation VR. Along with the opportunity to play the videogames on show there will also be a number of speakers and a panel discussing VR and AR’s role at this year’s Gamescom event and the latest in immersive technology news. Led by VRFocus‘ Editor and CEO Kevin Joyce and Nina Salomons who’ll be familiar to regular VRFocus readers from our regular interview videos.

“Gamescom is always a highlight in the annual videogames event calendar, and over the years has become one of the biggest showcases for new and exciting hardware and software.” Says Joyce, “Working with UK developers to bring their titles back to UK audiences is exactly the kind of opportunity that VRFocus was always designed to provide.”

“The UK XR community is hugely passionate, and the Realities Centre is keen to enable everyone access to all the latest developments whether or not they have the budget to attend international trade shows. Partnering with VRFocus for the Post Gamescom #XR Review enables Realities Centre further reach into the UK community and to attract the biggest names in XR.” adds Thomas Gere, Realities Centre CEO.

The event takes place on Thursday, 6th September 2018, at the Realities Centre at Huckletree West, Mediaworks, White City in London. Applications for tickets can be made at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vr-gaming-showcase-with-gamescom-review-in-association-with-vrfocus-tickets-45551446603. Regular tickets are free, and demos and talks will begin at 7PM. Those who purchase a VIP ticket however will be able to gain access to the demos an hour earlier. Please see the Eventbrite listing for further details.

VRFocus will, of course, be keeping you fully up to date on all the VR and AR news over the Gamescom period. We also announced another event yesterday, the third VR Diversity Initiative (VRDI) meetup which is taking place at the end of this month. You can find out more details about that, here.

June 19, 2018

Go Behind The Scenes Of Arca’s Path In New Dev Story Trailer

Upcoming virtual reality (VR) title Arca’s Path from Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion have released a new ‘Dev Story‘ trailer which offers an insight into the creation and team behind this charming title. The title is about a young girl who finds a mask and is transported to a simulated, fairy tale looking world where players must then guide a ball through each stage in order to progress the story.

The mind behind the idea is Dave Ranyard, CEO, Dream Reality Interactive, who came up with the core idea some time ago before handing it to the team at Dream Reality Interactive to build into a full title. Using a ball-rolling, physics-based platformer as the core gameplay for the title allows for it to be accessible for players and engage their attention onto the world and story which the team hope will create an almost relaxing environment for them.

Set in a beautifully abstract and enchanting world, players will need to lead the young girl through this new worlds. Skill, instinct and awareness will be key to making your way through the rich labyrinth and its dangers. In order to return home and to reality, players must help her tear down the walls of Arca in an engaging story.

VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce previewed Arca’s Path saying: “Arca’s Path VR is by no means a revolutionary experience; a question remains over whether or not the videogame benefits from VR at all. However, it does appear to have the potential to deliver a satisfying platform experience which the player can take at their own pace: the antithesis of those wave shooters, and for that alone it’s a title worth watching.”

If you want to try Acra’s Path for yourself, you will be able to play it along with a number of other VR titles such as The Persistence and Football Nation VR at the upcoming Post E3 #XR Review event taking place in London on 20th June. There will be a number of playable titles, speaker sessions and a panel discussing all the latest XR news lead by VRFocus’ own Kevin Joyce and Nina Salomons. You can find more details on the event here and can book tickets on the Realities Centre Eventbrite Page.

Arca’s Path will be releasing later this year for PlayStation VR, Steam VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, and Samsung Gear VR. For all the latest on the title and to stay up to date on all things VR, keep reading VRFocus. You can see the video below.

June 12, 2018

Firesprite’s The Persistence Will Be Playable At Post E3 #XR Review Event In London

UK-based developer Firesprite, the studio behind the the virtual reality (VR) title The Playroom VR for PlayStation VR are currently working on their next experience in the form of a horror title called The Persistence. With Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 show underway the developer confirmed that the title would be playable at the event. For those who are unable to make it to E3 2018 however, there is a chance to get hands-on after the show at the upcoming Post E3 #XR Review event.

Realities Centre_LOGO

The Persistence is a horror title that will immersive players within a spaceship out in the deep reaches of space that is studying a collapsed star. As to be expected, a disaster occurs, killing most of the crew. The ship’s computer tries to employ the on-board cloning machine to resurrect the crew but it doesn’t go as well as the computer would hope for. This is where the player steps in as the only non-corrupted crew member who is now tasked with defeating the corrupted crew and taking back control of the ship.

Those who have been unable to get to California to get hands-on with the title will then be glad to know that Firesprite will be bringing it to the Post E3 #XR Review event. This is taking place at the Realities Centre, a London, UK based hub for all things VR, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) and will be bringing together a range of products and content for people to enjoy post E3.

The Persistence

“E3 is one of the most exciting events in the yearly calendar for interactive entertainment so the opportunity to showcase the best of the UK’s talents could not be missed,” said Thomas Gere, Realities Centre CEO in a statement. “Partnering with VRFocus has afforded us the opportunity to get an insight into the show floor from halfway across the world and bring in the people responsible for some of the biggest announcements of the event.”

Alongside the chance to experience The Persistence, attendees will also be able to try a range of titles including Arca’s Path from Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion, along with Football Nation VR by Cherry Pop Games. In addition to the playable demos on show at the Post E3 #XR Review, the event will offer a number of speaker sessions and a panel discussing all the latest XR news lead by VRFocus’ own Kevin Joyce and Nina Salomons.

The Realities Centre Post E3 #XR Review will be taking place on 20th June, in White City, London. The event starts at 7pm but VIP tickets allow for early access to the event. You can find tickets for the event over on the Realities Centre Eventbrite Page, and for more news on all things XR, keep reading VRFocus.

June 6, 2018

Realities Centre Reveals Post E3 #XR Review Event Line-Up

In a few days time the biggest videogame event on the calendar, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 opens its doors to industry and public alike in Los Angeles. Heading all the way over to California just isn’t always financially viable for some developers, especially smaller indie teams. So the Realities Centre, a London, UK hub for all things virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) related is holding a post E3 event to showcase some of the products and content revealed during the event.

E3 2018 header

For the ‘Post E3 #XR Review’, Realities Centre will feature a line-up of hands-on demonstrations for guests to try, these include the recently announced Arca’s Path from Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion; to be playable in the UK for the first time, as well as Cherry Pop Games’ popular Football Nation VR.

“E3 is one of the most exciting events in the yearly calendar for interactive entertainment so the opportunity to showcase the best of the UK’s talents could not be missed,” said Thomas Gere, Realities Centre CEO in a statement. “Partnering with VRFocus has afforded us the opportunity to get an insight into the show floor from halfway across the world and bring in the people responsible for some of the biggest announcements of the event.”

Arca's Path keyArt

In addition to demos the ‘Post E3 #XR Review’ event will offer a number of speaker sessions and a panel discussing all the latest XR news lead by VRFocus’ own Kevin Joyce and Nina Salomons.

The Realities Centre ‘Post E3 #XR Review’ will take place on 20th June, in White City, London. While the main event starts at 7pm early access VIP tickets are also available, with doors opening at 6pm for unrestricted access to the demonstrations. Head on over to the Realities Centre Eventbrite page to secure a ticket, and for the latest news from E3 2018 on all things XR, keep reading VRFocus.

March 27, 2018

The Realities Centre on Supporting the VR Diversity Initiative

The Realities Centre is a space dedicated to accelerating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for start-ups and corporates. Based in London they have two locations where they regularly host events, hackathons and showcase VR. Previously they have done a Post-CES event with VRFocus and showcased nominated VR films from Sundance Film Festival’s XR Awards in Huckletree West. VRFocus spoke to Thomas Gere, the founder and CEO of the Realities Centre about how they are also supporting diversity.

Realities_Centre

The VR Diversity Initiative 2018 VR Kick-Off! was hosted by Hobs Studio, the largest 3D printing company in the UK that utilises VR, AR and 3D printing for large projects. Having their own academy, and supporting Hobs Studio with their academy, the Realities Centre supported the VR Diversity Initiative with hardware, set-up and making sure everything worked during the event. All of the PC’s were provided by BlueHire whilst the Realities Centre helped provide some headsets.

“We are joining VRFocus and Hobs Studio and lots of other amazing supporters for their virtual reality diversity initiative, which is something that is very close to our hearts. There’s a lack of talent in virtual reality,” says Gere. He believes there’s a real potential for individuals to get jobs in sectors or roles that they’re unaware of such as 3D artist or 3D printing artist. The Realities Centre and Academy Class have a VR bootcamp already, and are helping support Hobs Studio with their #FutureSkills programs.

“We’re looking to have a lot more events like this ourselves at the Realities Centre, we also have an academy where we have been teaching how to use VR and AR, and how to make applications such as there’s Hololens as well which is the mixed reality (MR) one, and we’re looking also to grow the VR Diversity Initiatives and help people,” Gere confirms.

To find out more watch the video below.

March 5, 2018

The VR Diversity Initiative 2018 VR Kick-Off! First Event of 2018

With the winter in the UK suddenly picking up a notch and bringing snow, the storm nicknamed the Beast from the East resulted to various travel disruptions for many participants. A few had to drop out or were unable to fly to the UK in time to make it, but twenty of the twenty-three participants who were selected managed to make it to Hobs Studio for the first VR Diversity Initiative of 2018.

VR_Diversity_Initiative2

The participants were divided into two groups. One group focused on 360 filmmaking which was led by Alex Ruhl, where participants learned the rules of 360 filmmaking. With the help of a GoPro Fusion and a laptop, the group learned about what a virtual reality (VR) film was, what types of cameras were available to shoot on, the benefits and negatives of filming for VR and finally went outside to face the snow in order to shoot various scenes which were then analysed on Adobe Premiere and viewed on a headset.

The second group got put into six teams of two and went hands-on with VR ready laptops, most of which were provided by BlueHire Ltd. They set up a profile on Unity and learned how to get their HTC Vive or Oculus Rift ready for creating a rough VR prototype. The morning was led by workshop leaders Kaw Tun Sein and Sam Perrin, who were later joined by workshop leaders from Dream Reality Interactive (DRI) in the afternoon. These were John Foster, Lead designer at DRI, Albert Bentall, Creative Director at DRI and Anna Hollinrake, Senior artist at DRI.

VR_Diversity_initiative3

At the end of the day participants were able to try out the VR prototypes that were created during the day. Linda Mason a participant of the VR Diversity Initiative workshop said that she enjoyed being able to use the VR equipment with others: “Now I’m not afraid to get a camera – I’ve learnt the basics.”

Here is a small video showcasing the beginning of the day: