resident evil 7 biohazard – Page 4 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

June 12, 2017

PlayStation VR Bundle Deals Arrive Ahead of E3 Reveals

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is expected to make a wealth of announcements regarding the PlayStation VR at a press conference later today, prior to a playable outing at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Los Angeles. The retail industry has obviously taken note of this, offer a number of discounted PlayStation VR bundles to tempt you into a new purchase at the crest of the new announcement hype.

Farpoint screenshot The pre-E3 press conference from SIE is set to take place at 11pm BST/3pm PST today, and a huge number of new PlayStation VR titles are expected to be revealed. Previously announced titles such as Golem, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown and GT Sport are also expected to make a return to the limelight, along with rumours of brand new virtual reality (VR) experiences from Sony Santa Monica and Bethesda Softworks.

For those who’ve been waiting for this second wave of videogame titles to be revealed, there’s never been a better time to purchase that PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD). The official suggested retail price (SRP) of £349.99 GBP is greatly discounted in these bundles, including value add-ins of videogames and even the PlayStation Camera.

The best value bundle, offered via Amazon.co.uk, includes the PlayStation VR itself, the hugely popular Farpoint, DriveClub VR and a PlayStation Camera for just £349.99. Another offers Farpoint with the HMD for the same price, or Resident Evil 7 biohazard for the slightly higher price of £357.60. Additional bundles see the PlayStation VR packaged with a carrying case for £347.28 or PlayStation VR Worlds for £348.10.

Resident Evil 7 - Family It should be noted that none of these packages are official bundles distributed by SIE, instead compiled by retailers themselves. If SIE intend on readdressing the value package of the PlayStation VR it’s possible that we could see such an announcement at the press conference later today. VRFocus will of course keep you updated with all the latest details direct from the show.

May 24, 2017

Grab a Bargain with These PlayStation VR Discounts

With Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) now sorting out the supply issues that dogged the launch of PlayStation VR, more PlayStation 4 owners are now getting the hands on the headset. This month also saw a major videogame release in the form of Farpoint, which raced into second spot in the UK charts. But there are further deals to be had for those wanting to expand their collection with several discounts now available on the PlayStation Store.

Mainly for the UK market – with a couple of US discounts for good measure – there a five new titles on sale until June. If you’re quick there are also four available which end tonight at midnight GMT.

Psychonauts-ROR-011

Psychonauts In The Rhombus Of Ruin – £9.79 GBP (36% discount) – UK
DYING: Reborn PSVR – £4.99 (37% discount) – UK
Darknet – £5.49 (38% discount) – UK
DEXED – £3.99 (39% discount) – UK
Waddle Home – £4.99 (37% discount) – UK
Crystal Rift – £3.69 (53% discount) – UK – offer ends today
Resident Evil 7 biohazard – £29.99 (40% discount) – UK – offer ends today
Here They Lie – £9.99 (37% discount) – UK – offer ends today
Driveclub VR – £15.99 (46% discount) – UK – offer ends today
DiRT Rally VR – $34.99 USD (50% discount) – US
Mervils: A VR Adventure – $14.99 USD (25% discount) – US

For the last PlayStation VR news from around the world, keep reading VRFocus.

May 15, 2017

Retailer GAME Offering PlayStation VR Bundle With Farpoint and Resident Evil 7

In advance of the release of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) major launch of first-person shooter Farpoint, UK retailer GAME has put a special offer up on the website offering a bundle of a PlayStation VR headset along with a pre-order copy of Farpoint, a copy of Resident Evil 7 and a two month movie pass for Now TV.

The bundle costs £349.99 (GBP) on the website, though notes that the offers available in GAME high-street stores may be different. The price is quite competitive and GAME are also offering free next day delivery for orders placed before 3pm on Monday to Friday. However, the bundle does not come with the PlayStation Camera, which is required for the PlayStation VR to function, so that would need to be bought separately, nor does it include the AIM controller, a PlayStation Move-derived gun controller with haptic feedback designed to make the most of Farpoint’s combat system.

Farpoint Pre-Order Bonus

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard has been covered extensively on VRFocus and received praise from many critics, with it’s VR compatibility being considered one of the major arguments for buying a PlayStation VR headset among many PlayStation fans. Now TV, meanwhile, is a streaming television and movie service that offers the library of Sky Movies content available in a more flexible way than a satellite TV subscription.

Farpoint is one of the most anticipated PlayStation VR titles, putting the player in the role of an explorer who becomes stranded on a distant alien world who must find a way home through hostile, unknown territory.

Though Europe and the UK didn’t have quite the same problems that the USA and Asia did with supply problems for the PlayStation VR, and even though the PlayStation Camera isn’t included, it is anticipated that uptake on this offer will be high, so if you want to take advantage, better sooner than later.

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on special offers for VR hardware and software.

May 15, 2017

Game Offers PSVR Bundle With Farpoint, Resident Evil 7 Free

Given that VR headsets are so expensive, we’re always on the lookout for deals that might entice more people to dive in, and UK retailer Game might just have the best offer yet for PlayStation VR (PSVR).

The company is currently offering Sony’s headset along with a copy of the rather excellent PSVR compatible survival horror revival, Resident Evil 7, and the just-launched blockbuster first-person shooter (FPS), Farpoint for £349.99. That basically means two of PSVR’s biggest games are completely free. You also get a two month pass to a movie streaming service, Now TV, for what it’s worth.

While that’s a great deal, be warned; it doesn’t include the PSVR’s Aim Controller, which is heavily featured in Farpoint. You can play the game with a DualShock 4, but it was specifically designed for the new controller, which also launches today, and the Aim controller is currently only being sold as a bundle with the game for £75.

The set also doesn’t come with the PlayStation Camera, which is essential to actually use PSVR. Another bundle offers the camera for free, but no games. Unless you already have the camera, you’ll need to mix and match.

If you think this deal might be for you (it’s still worth it for the free copy of Resident Evil 7 alone), we’d recommend hanging onto your copy of Farpoint until Sony offers a standalone version of the Aim Controller (or another bundle). The device will also support upcoming games like Arizona Sunshine and Dick Wilde, so hopefully a standalone version isn’t too far off.

Make sure to check back with UploadVR later today; we’re going to have a lot more coverage of Farpoint and the Aim Controller very soon.

Tagged with: Farpoint, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

May 10, 2017

Resident Evil 7 Now Has Over 200,000 PSVR Users

Back in January Capcom’s beloved survival horror series, Resident Evil, made a triumphant return with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The PS4 version of the game featured full support for the PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset, and the community appears to have embraced it quite readily.

By the start of February Resident Evil 7 had seen at least 100,000 PSVR users. We knew this thanks to Capcom’s ResidentEvil.net, a stat-tracking site that users can opt into that, among other things, keeps track of how many players are experiencing the game in VR. Now, just over three months on from reaching the 100,000 milestone, the game has hit another: 200,000.

Roughly 9% of players that opted into RE.net had experienced the game in VR by the time it surpassed the 100,000 mark. At the time of writing, that figure has now grown to 10.19%. That’s 207,061 VR users and 2,031,380 total users. Take note that not all of these users will have been on PS4; the site counts PC and Xbox One copies too, which makes the 10% figure all the more impressive.

A few weeks back, Capcom revealed that the game had sold 3.5 million units in total, so it’s likely that far more than 200,000 people have seen the game in PSVR too.

At the end of February Sony revealed that PSVR had sold 915,000 units to date, suggesting that a fair number of people that own the headset picked up Resident Evil 7. It’s not difficult to understand why; we awarded the game 9/10 upon launch, celebrating the series’ return to its scarier roots.

Currently we’re waiting on the arrival of some free story DLC for the game, though that was recently delayed into later 2017.

Tagged with: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

April 25, 2017

Capcom Confirm Delay of Resident Evil 7 biohazard’s ‘Not a Hero’ DLC

Resident Evil 7 biohazard has been a massive success for Capcom after previous instalments started to put the franchise on rocky ground. Since the videogame’s release in January the studio has added two further DLC packs and a third was due to be released this Spring. That’s not going to happen as Capcom released a video message confirming a delay.

In an unusual move, director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masachika Kawata revealed why the delay has happened, with Kawata saying: “We were working very hard to get the DLC ready in time for the spring release.” Nakanishi then went on to add: “And we got close to completing the game content. However, in light of the incredible reception to the release of Resident Evil 7, we concluded that this DLC was not good enough to meet those high expectations.”

“Our aim is for this content to match the high quality of the main game, so we need more development time in order to achieve that goal,” said Kawata.

Resident Evil 7 - chris2

At the very end of the video executive producer Jun Takeuchi revealed further content plans saying: “We are also working on a further piece of DLC at the moment,” without going in anymore details.

The Not a Hero DLC first got announced back in February, with Capcom revealing a big spoiler about the end of the main game via Twitter. ‘Chris Redfield returns’ read the tweet, going on to say ‘Who or what is he chasing?’ What Capcom hasn’t yet said is if this DLC will support virtual reality (VR), as Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 both featured some VR-compatible content.

PlayStation VR has a 12-month exclusive on Resident Evil 7 biohazard, so if the title does come to other headsets in 2018 there will be plenty of content to play through.

Checkout the full message below, and for further Resident Evil 7 biohazard updates, keep reading VRFocus.

April 25, 2017

Resident Evil 7’s Free Story DLC Has Been Delayed

Three months on from the release of Resident Evil 7 and it remains one of the best games on PlayStation VR (PSVR). That’s why we’re looking forward to the game’s upcoming free story DLC, ‘Not A Hero’. Sadly that content has now been delayed.

The DLC, which adds a new campaign in which players would take on the role of series regular Chris Redfield, was original due to launch this spring. That would mean it was due to launch within the next few weeks but that’s now not the case. As explained by Producer Masachika Kawata and Director Koshi Nakanishi in the video below, Not A Hero will now be released at some point later this year.

A more specific date hasn’t been provided, but Kawata and Koshi did share that they had made the decision to delay the game in order to meet the expectations set by the original release.

“Our aim is for this content to match the high quality of the main game,” Kawata said, “so we need more development time in order to achieve that goal.”

“Rest assured we’ll use this time to create something our fans will ove,” Koshi added, “so we hope you understand.”

Executive Producer Jun Takeuchi then takes over to further explain the decision to delay the game, though by that point we already sort of have the message.

Not a lot is known about Not A Hero, though the teaser image released for the content certainly suggests a more action-orientated approach. Either way we’re looking forward to it; we gave Resident Evil 7 9/10 when it released in January. “By uniting elements from the past, such as the slow pacing, focus on exploration, mind-bending puzzles, and desperation for survival, with the pulse-pounding first-person gameplay of the recent era of horror games, Capcom has crafted a veritable modern classic,” Games Editor David Jagneaux said. Resident Evil 7 embraces virtual reality as a medium and proves that you don’t have to cut corners or make sacrifices to create a compelling VR experience.”

Tagged with: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

April 22, 2017

The Making of Resident Evil 7 Part 3 and 4 are Available

Parts three and four of the popular series of videos discussing all the behind-the-scenes work that went on to bring Resident Evil 7 Biohazard to life have now been released by developer Capcom.

Part three goes into details about adapting the videogame to be compatible with virtual reality (VR). In a somewhat ironic twist, though executive producer Jun Takeuchi was very much interested in VR technology and applying it to the title, he was not able to play much VR himself due to physical limitations. The video reveals that the Resident Evil team within Capcom have been researching VR technology since 2012, and lead VR engineer for Resident Evil 7, Kazuhiro Takahara had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to apply the technology.

The ‘Kitchen’ demo, which was showcased at E3 2015, was a turning point for the implementation of VR. The E3 demo showed the level of immersion possible by showing footage players wearing PlayStation VR headsets as they experienced the horrors within the experience, rather than showing footage of the videogame itself.

Resident Evil 7 biohazard - Mansion

Part Four covers the lengths that the development team went to in order to make the experience of Resident Evil 7 as realistic and immersive as possible. The team acknowledge that while the visuals are important, atmosphere is a premier consideration in a horror game, which means getting elements like the sound design correct were vital. In the video, the sound team talk about how certain sounds can inherently make humans feel uneasy, adding to the atmosphere in a subtle way.

The aim was to make Resident Evil 7 ‘universally scary’, an experience that anyone could be scared by. Members of the team drew upon their own fears and phobias to realise the videogame. Some even visited spooky places in the real world to capture inspiration for the title. The setting played an important part in that, as the designers realised that part of the secret was to make the house a unique ‘character’ of its own, much like the Spencer Mansion from the original Resident Evil.

The Making of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard videos, part three and four are available to watch below.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Resident Evil 7 and other VR titles when they become available.

April 3, 2017

Play GT Sport in VR at Insomnia60

Last week saw the announcement that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) would be bringing the PlayStation VR to Insomnia60, 14th – 16th April 2017, at Birmingham NEC. Today, booking will open for public appointments to get hands-on with a variety of PlayStation VR titles including the highly anticipated GT Sport.

GT Sport screenshot

Insomnia60 will be the official public debut for GT Sport’s virtual reality (VR) gameplay in Europe. While the videogame was originally expected to launch last year, a delay has seen anticipation rise even higher. No official release date has been set for the PlayStation 4 debut of the Gran Turismo franchise, though the official PlayStation website states ‘2017’.

Alongside GT Sport, SIE will showcase PlayStation VR Worlds as well as the previously confirmed Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Farpoint. PlayStation VR demonstrations will use the familiar booking system which SIE has rolled-out at many international events, with appointments available to schedule from 4pm BST today.

Insomnia60 will take place at the Birmingham NEC, 14th – 16th April 2017. A full day at Insomnia60 will cost £25 GBP per person, with the full VIP experience priced at £90 + fees. VRFocus will keep you updated with any further VR experiences added to the playable line-up at Insomnia60.

March 29, 2017

Capcom Release Part 2 of The Making of Resident Evil 7 Videos

In the second part of Capcom’s behind-the-scenes series of short films about the making of Resident Evil 7, the creators discuss the making of the ‘dinner’ scene and the meaning behind the setting and some of the names.

The second part of The Making of Resident Evil 7 is called ‘Welcome to the Family’ and goes into more details about the creation of the videogame antagonists. The creators reveal that the game was set in Louisiana in order to capture a ‘Southern Gothic’ feel. The development team did some searching on Google Earth in order to find a place that matched the tone they were aiming for. Members of the capture team even flew out to a location that had been found by one of the team in order to take photo scans of an abandoned Louisiana house to capture the texture and feel of the buildings.

Resident Evil 7 biohazard - Mansion

The character of Jack was known during early development as ‘Daddy’, who was originally characterised as being a somewhat two-dimensional monstrous killer, but as his character was fleshed out, aspects of him being a father figure, as well as his determined pursuit of the player character came into play, and the writers hit upon using The Shining as inspiration, which is why the character became known as Jack, after both the character of Jack Torrence, and Jack Nicholson, the actor who played him.

The infamous ‘dinner’ scene where the Baker family sit around a horrifying feast, was redone completely, after the director thought it needed to be more disturbing. The effectiveness of the scene is that it truly allows the player to perceive the horror of the family’s insanity. Rather brilliantly, the development team actually acted out the entirety of that scene in a brightly-lit conference room to use as a pre-visualisation, complete with little drawings of cockroaches on bits of paper.

Resident Evil 7 - Family

Further episodes of The Making of Resident Evil 7 biohazard will be released on a weekly basis. You can watch Part Two: Welcome to the Family below. Part one of the series can be found here.

VRFocus will bring you further updates on Resident Evil 7 and other VR videogames as they come in.