Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation
What Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality developers are talking about
Atlas, the pirate MMO from the studio behind ARK: Survival Evolved, has caused frustration among gamers due to launch delays. In one instance, after a countdown timer to the game's release reached zero, nothing happened.
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Back in 2015 Studio Wildcard released its MMORPG ARK: Survival Evolved on Steam, bringing early virtual reality (VR) support to the Oculus Rift DK2. In the following two years the developer has continued to improve the videogame releasing regular updates that have massively expanded the title. In June during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 Studio Wildcard announced that ARK: Survival Evolved would be fully released on 8th August. Today it’s been revealed that the title has gone gold, with the release date now pushed back to the end of August.
For those who don’t know, when a developer announces that a title has gone gold it means that it has passed full certification for its full release as a physical retail copy as well as digital. So now ARK: Survival Evolved will see a worldwide release on 29th August, extending time for pre-orders of the base game, or the content-and-bonus-packed special editions.
“The evolution of ARK has taken a 2-year journey through early access, and the full version will demonstrate that the extra time in development was put to good use,” said Doug Kennedy, CEO and Co-Founder Studio Wildcard in a statement. “We spent the extra time squashing bugs, improving performance, enhancing the single player experience and delivering the end-game content that will reveal the full story of ARK. We’re excited to finally get it into the hands of survivors everywhere!”
For North American customers the core videogame retails for $59.99 USD / £49.99 GBP, with the ARK: Survival Evolved – Explorer’s Edition for $99.99 which includes a Season Pass that will grant access to all expansion packs, starting with Scorched Earth.
Then there’s the ARK: Survival Evolved – Limited Collector’s Edition for $159.99 USD featuring a collectible faux-wooden chest box that contains the base game, season pass, leather-bound Explorer’s Notebook, official ARK necklace, a cloth map of the ARK island, poster of the Studio Wildcard development team and official ARK: Survival Evolved soundtrack.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of ARK: Survival Evolved, reporting back with the latest updates.
Ever since Studio Wildcard launched it dinosaur survival title ARK: Survival Evolved back in 2015, the developer has consistently released more and more content to support players. Now patch v257 has arrived and it’s not small, adding more dinos, buildings, music, UI, improvements and much more.
For starters there are now four additional dinosaurs: Apis Lithohermaea, Kentrosaurus Aethiopicus, Liopleurodon Magicus and Daeodon Comedentis. Apis is a giant prehistoric bee that can sting multiple times, or when a Queen is tamed a nest can be built to farm honey. Kentrosaurus is a smaller cousin of the Stegosaurus and an excellent close-quarters combatant. A tamed herd of Kentrosaurus can defend a compound and take on any larger carnivore.
Liopleurodon is a mythical creature that’s rumoured to have the ability to reward survivors who tame it, the special attribute of luck, great for treasure hunting. While Daeodon is the largest known species of entelodont, an omnivorous family of ancient mammals that features a high metabolism enabling it to heal very rapidly, as well as healing allies.
The update also includes several new TEK structures and gear. There’s the Cloning Chamber for players to replicate their favourite creatures; the TEK Megalodon Saddle, adding a laser firing saddle to the shark; TEK Grenades which are sticky and TEK Turrets, an enhanced Auto Turret with more damage and a better targeting AI.
The volcano has seen a redesign and now leads to the entrance to the TEK Cave. Players also have two new hairstyles to choose from, 15 new gameplay music tracks, additional UI overhauls and full console-style gamepad functionality.
ARK: Survival Evolved is fully compatible with the Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) through Steam.
Checkout the new video for the update below and for the latest updates on ARK: Survival Evolved and Studio Wildcard, keep reading VRFocus.
Today Snail Games has unveiled the first footage of players trying out its unreleased virtual reality (VR) title ARK Park. Licensed from Studio Wildcard’s IP ARK: Survival Evolved, ARK Park takes an educational look at dinosaurs, with the players experimenting with some of the interactive features.
The video features the co-founders of Studio Wildcard, Jesse Rapczak and Jeremy Stieglitz, getting a first look at the new VR experience. They test some of the exhibits, such as a panel providing info on Tyrannosaurus Rex, with height, weight and length displayed, alongside a small model that can be picked up an inspected.
The experience then takes them outside into more natural surroundings, watching dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes wander around, eating and interacting with one another.
ARK Park will be available in 2017 across all three major VR platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. VRFocus will continue its coverage of ARK Park, reporting back with any further updates.
Dinosaur hunters in ARK: Survival Evolved will be able to update the videogame today with some festive merriment as Studio Wildcard has released its Winter Wonderland 2 update.
The Winter Wonderland 2 event welcomes the arrival of Raptor Claus and his load of gifts, challenging ARK survivors to chase him around the world as he drops loot, coal and a few new goodies, which can be used to craft holiday-themed items. The update also adds several dinosaurs and creatures: Cnidaria, Troodon, Tusoteuthis, Pegomastax, and the Therizinosaurus.
Cnidaria Omnimorphis a species of Jellyfish which can’t be tamed or trained, so tribes keep schools of them around for their bioluminescence and their ability to sting. Troodon Magnanimus is one of the smartest creatures on the islands. Players don’t “tame” a Troodon, they earn its loyalty through its social nature and love of the hunt. Pegomastax Fructarator is a relatively harmless herbivore who prefers to live alone and gorges on just about any plants it can find. Pegomastax features a nasty beak and are excellent scavengers who collect an extraordinary quantity of seeds and berries, while also handily gathering the rare flowers and mushrooms. Tusoteuthis Vampyrus bares a close resemblance to giant squids. It may be slow, but Tusoteuthis uses its tentacles to first grab, then crush,and then syphon the blood out of, its hapless victims making it a deadly predator. Lastly there’s Therizinosaurus Multiensis which is built like a T-Rex, but tameable and a herbivore. Therizinosaurus’ claws allow it to perform both brute-force or delicate actions; making it handy to have around for harvesting specific resources, or, when needed, decimating enemies in combat.
ARK: Survival Evolved currently features in the Steam Winter Sale with a 60 percent discount available. For any further updates to the title, keep reading VRFocus.
It was at the end of last month that we at VRFocus covered the story of how Snail Games has announced a partnership with Wildcard Studio to license its IP to create ARK Park. Today on the PlayStation.Blog it was revealed that the title would be coming to the PlayStation VR in 2017.
As with ARK: Survival Evolved dinosaurs are the order of the day, except in ARK Park things are a bit more peaceful. Allowing for users to explore a variety of environments from the heat of the tropics to the cold of distant mountain peaks. Each home to a variety of dinosaur species that, with the PlayStation VR, you can get up close to and even ride.
Collection challenges, excursions and other activities such as a photography mode (complete with a selfie stick, naturally) are all available to take on. Although to access everything you may find you have to solve a number of puzzles first.
The game is in development via Peacock Studio, which is a part of Snail Games and according to Snail Games Executive Producer Sky Wu, the team will overseen to some degree by Studio Wildcard. A teaser trailer has been released that you can see below. VRFocus will bring you more information about ARK Park as it is revealed.
If you love hunting and exploring in dinosaur infested worlds you may have come across virtual reality (VR) compatible title ARK: Survival Evolved by Studio Wildcard. Today Snail Games has announced a partnership with the studio to license its IP to create ARK Park.
In ARK: Survival Evolved players can hunt and tame dinosaurs whilst building communities, while ARK Park takes a different approach, creating a futuristic dinosaur theme park. Here players will be able to watch, interact and learn about over one hundred dinosaurs whilst they wander around the park.
“ARK Park is designed with the concept of creating a simulated world that could never exist in reality,” said Shi Hai, CEO, Snail Games. “Instead of a linear plot structure, we created the world where players have the freedom to explore and approach every single detail in the virtual space at their own pace. We wanted to achieve a level of visual authenticity and player interactivity that will set a benchmark in the VR industry.”
As more of an educational experience, ARK Park will feature a multiplayer tour to bring people from around the world together to experience the awe of the dino attractions.
“We’re excited about the partnership with Snail Games,” said Jeremy Stieglitz, founder, Studio Wildcard. “By bringing the survival game into more of an educational theme park setting will broaden the reach of the ARK franchise, making it a stronger brand.”
Snail Games hasn’t confirmed which head-mounted displays (HMDs) it plans to support, but as ARK: Survival Evolved is compatible with Oculus Rift, expect that device at the bare minimum.
As further details on ARK Park are released, VRFocus will bring you the latest details.
Studio Wildcard has issued an official response to complaints targeting the recent DLC rollout for its Steam Early Access game ARK: Survival Evolved, noting that an early expansion launch ensures "minimal integration issues with subsequent releases."
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