Yesterday we brought you news of the second PlayStation VR Demo Disc which would be available for PlayStation VR users as of today. At the time we weren’t sure what exactly we would get by way of videogame titles baring an announcement from developers Polyarc confirming that virtual reality (VR) action platformer Moss would be amongst the titles on offer. (Much to the delight of the VRFocus team.)
The listings for PlayStation VR sampler has now been revealed and includes titles from across the genre spectrum. The full list of titles joining Moss can be found below.
Battlezone by Rebellion
A regular on VRFocus’ lists relating to the bestVR videogame experiences out there, the tank-based shooter takes the series classic roots and updates them for the virtual stage. Battlezone gained a 5-star review on VRFocus, where it was described as “intense and addictive”.
Dino Frontier by Uber Entertainment.
Cowboys meet Jurassic Park by way of Sim City, Dino Frontier lets you capture and tame dinosaurs in the Wild West to help build and manage a virtual town.
EVE: Valkyrie by CCP Games
CCP Games might be packing up the big top as far as their involvement in VR is concerned but that doesn’t stop EVE: Valkyire continuing to be one of the best VR experiences out there, and now VR and non-VR players can enjoy dogfighting in spaceships together.
Fantastic Contraption by Radial Games
Another title commonly amongst those VRFocus recommends: “Easy to begin with, Fantastic Contraption lets you get accustomed to the intricacies of what does what before throwing the real challenges at you. And there’s a lot, the title features 50 levels to get your head around.”
Job Simulator by Owlchemy Labs
A multi-award winning videogame, Job Simulator was so good Google brought developers Owlchemy Labs into the company. The title continues to get development and content as well, with the recently revealed ‘Infinite Overtime’ update.
Raw Data by Survios
A highly popular virtual reality (VR) shooter, Raw Data sees players equipped with both firearms and a katana, and have the simple object of taking out the enemies before they themselves are overcome.
Rez Infinite by Enhance Games
Another PlayStation VR title that received a full five stars in its review, Rez Infinite is the spiritual successor to the original Rez, which first appeared on SEGA’s Dreamcast console.
StarBlood Arena by Whitemoon Dreams
The only title on the listing specifically requiring additional downloading, a demo of Starblood Arena was initially made available back in August. Starblood Arena allows the player to take control of one of nine available ships, each with its unique pilot, features and weapon loadout. Allowing would-be players the combination that suits their preferred style of play.
Star Child by GameTrust
One of a crop of PlayStation VR titles to receive a share of the spotlight recently during Sony’s press event at Paris Games Week, which included the reveal of a brand new trailer. Star Child is takes place on an alien world full of fantastical Martian creatures and creations in a homage to platformers of the 90s while also being something entirely new.
The Persistence by Firesprite
Originally revealed back in March this year, The Persistance comes from the developers behind The Playroom VR. Awaking from cryosleep, it’s up the players to kill the undead and take back control of the ship before it plunges into a nearby black hole.
Thumper by Drool
The self-described “rhythm violence” videogame was announced in March last year and by the time it hit the show floor at 2016’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) it had already made an impact. Drool said in their announcement that Thumper was “unlike anything you’ve seen, played or heard – a cocktail of kinetic action and aggressive acoustics. It’s the kind of game that inhales you, spits you out and leaves you yearning for more.” And they certainly aren’t exaggerating.
Tiny Trax by FuturLab
Slot car racing get a new twist. Tiny Traxfeatures a drifting/boost-recharge mechanic, alongside lane switching and epic jumps across twelve tracks that’ll take players to tropical islands, volcanoes, ice caves and outer-space. It’s developer, Brighton-based studio FuturLab, recently revealed a new PlayStation VR title in Mini-Mech Mayhem.
The PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2 is now available on the PlayStation Store, it requires 15.2GB of space and several titles within it – Raw Data, Rez Infinite, Job Simulator, Dino Frontier and Fantastic Contraption – do require PS Move Controllers in order to play them.
VRFocus will bring you more details on developments with the PlayStation VR very soon.
At some point when I was mid-stride during my demo of Sprint Vector on PSVR, I really did forget I was wearing a VR headset. Swinging my arms/Move controllers back and forth at my side, feet firmly planted on the ground, twisting my torso, and glancing to my sides and behind me to see where my competition was at, the illusion of it all fell away and it provided a strikingly convincing case for real immersion and presence. Eventually I realized the bright, cartoony visuals were clearly not real life, but for a few fleeting seconds I could almost feel the wind on my face.
Sprint Vector from Survios (the same team behind Raw Data) is a heart-pumping racing game that asks you to swing your arms and fly through the air like Superman instead of get behind the wheel of a sports car. At a private PlayStation press preview event earlier this week I got the chance to try the game out on Sony’s hardware and came away very impressed.
We saw Sprint Vector running on a Vive already back at E3 2017 earlier this year, but this was the first time we’d played Survios’ frenetic sprinting game on a PSVR. Everyone knows the PSVR headset has lower quality visuals than its PC counterparts, but when you’re playing a game with bright, contrasting colors that is moving by at 40MPH or faster, there isn’t much time to inspect the textures and look for a screen door effect. In fact, the movement is so smooth and pure, I barely remember what the level looked like at all other than the finish line and my name in first place.
It’s such a simple concept for a game, but when you do it in VR it’s way more exciting than you’d think. In practice it feels a bit like you’re skating since you move your arms at your sides, alternating, and pulling the trigger (then releasing) to send yourself propeling forward. Sprinkled throughout levels there are weapons, power-ups, and aerial boosts you can hit as well. When in the air, you stretch your arms out in front of you like a superhero to glide across the sky.
The representative from Survios I spoke with made it clear that, despite the fact that gliding feels fun, they wanted to ensure that running on the ground is always the fastest option, so you can slam back down to earth while mid-air too.
Motion sickness is always a major concern for VR game developers and the system they’ve created for Sprint Vector has a “99% success rate” from the developer’s testing at not causing any discomfort. It’s similar to other arm movement systems we’ve seen in other games, except this one is designed to be played as a fast-paced racing game. It still remains to be seen how varied the title as a whole will be and if it can provide enough nuance to be fun for more than a few minutes, but it’s certainly off to a great start. After two races I was already pretty winded with a bit of sweat on my forehead.
Is Sprint Vector on your radar? The game is coming to PSVR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift, although exactly when it will launch and on which platforms first is still a bit unclear. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
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.
Earlier this year Raw Data developer Survios announced its next virtual reality (VR) Sprint Vector for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has begun its pre-show for its main event at Paris Games Week (PGW), revealing that Sprint Vector will also be coming to PlayStation VR.
Sprint Vector is a fast paced obstacle course racing title that aims to tackle the difficulty of moving in VR without getting sick head on by implementing natural arm swinging movement. All players need to do is swing their arms back and forth as if they were running to increase their speed, the better they time their swings the faster they’ll go.
That’s not all as the courses will be littered with walls to climb, gaps to leap, and various other items in the way to slow players down as they compete against either AI or actual players from around the world.
When VRFocuspreviewed the title at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2017 on HTC Vive, saying: “From this early demo Sprint Vector certainly does things differently, a VR Parkour if you will. VR developers are still learning the do’s and don’ts of the technology and Survios has decided to tackle a major challenge head on, and only time will really tell if this is a successful solution. Sprint Vector has all the makings of another stellar experience from the Raw Data studio.”
At present there’s no confirmed release date for Sprint Vector for PlayStation VR, with the reveal simply stating coming soon.
There’s been several other titles revealed during the showcase so far as well, with first-person title called Megalith and Tribejoy’s Bow to Blood both making an appearance.
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.
Bored of your daily commute, fed up with that bloke from accounts who always finishes the milk before you’ve had your first work brew of the day? Maybe it’s time for a change, time to augment your life with something fresh and new, you’re virtually out the door anyway as you’re reading a job listing page. So keep reading, maybe click on a link or two and submit a CV, because a new reality awaits.
As usual, you can check last week’s edition for further job listings. If you are an employer looking for someone to fill a role in a VR, AR or other related areas in the industry and want that position to be featured on next week’s VR Job Hub, please send details to either pgraham@vrfocus.com or keva@vrfocus.com.
Check back with VRFocus next Sunday at 3PM BST and every Sunday for the latest roles in the VR industry.
It been a long time coming but today virtual reality (VR) studio Survios has now fully released its frantic wave shooter Raw Data for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, leaving early access after just over an year.
And to celebrate the momentous event the developer has rolled out some freebies and discounts for current and new players. So for everyone who owns Raw Data – no matter when you bought it – you’ll receive the free Pioneer Pack which features Eden-inspired skins for all the heroes’ weapons.
And for those VR players who’ve yet to experience one of the most popular shooters on any platform there’s a substantial 25 percent discount available until 17th October, dropping the price from £29.99 GBP down to £22.49.
“Now it’s time for players old and new to experience the definitive Raw Data experience,” said James Iliff, Survios Chief Creative Officer and co-founder in a statement. “The final game features even more story elements throughout all the missions. I highly encourage even the most seasoned of Raw Data players to head back to “Hard Point” and start the journey afresh — and keep an eye out for those glowing tablets placed throughout the levels! Just when you think you’ve played the most intense mission in “Soul Decrypt,” you’ll get pulled into the tenth and final mission, “Fatal Error,” which will have you questioning the very nature of reality itself.”
Then next week the PlayStation VR release will arrive on 10th October in North America, and Europe on 11th October.
VRFocus will continue it coverage of Survios, reporting back with the latest updates.
Patch Notes for Raw Data v1.0.0
Raw Data officially leaves Early Access: Features and content complete! The entire development team would like to thank our Early Access community for their support and enthusiasm over the past 15 months. Follow us @Survios for the latest news on Raw Dataand other forthcoming VR projects!
New Mission – Mission 10 – Fatal Error: Confront the true hidden face of Eden Corp in the final battle for the future of humanity.
New PVP Mode – Duel: Face off 1v1 in a deadly fight for survival. Best 3 out of 5 wins!
Mission Briefings: aNg3l and Simon have returned to the Showroom Blacksite to guide the Operative from mission to mission. Rewatch any mission briefing through the Intel Menu.
Intel Unlocks – Smart Pads: Interactive Smart Pads are now hidden throughout Eden Tower; collect them all to dive deeper into the lore of Eden Corp and Raw Data!
Intel Unlocks – Intranet: SyndiK8 has gained access to Eden Corp’s intranet. Operatives will now receive regular emails and promotional materials after completing missions.
Intel Unlocks – Codex: Intel has been gathered on many aspects of Eden Corp. Learn more about the different robot models and the facilities you’ll be encountering within Eden Tower.
Intel Unlocks – Videos: Watch promotional content published by Eden Corp and rewatch mission briefings.
Pioneer Pack – Eden Corp Weapon Skins: New Eden Corp-themed weaponry now available for all SyndiK8 operatives. Simply click on your operative’s selected weapon in the Hero Select screen to swap to the new skin.
Developer Survios recently announced that its robot-battling first-person shooter (FPS)Raw Datawas almost ready to leave Early Access. In anticipation of this, a new teaser trailer has been revealed showing players what to expect from the full experience.
The short trailer teases the story campaign of the title, with a voice taunting the player, questioning what exactly the Resistance is fighting for. Raw Dataputs the player in the role of part of the Resistance, who are seeking to bring down the corrupt Eden Corporation, who in the future of 2271, control much of the world. The player can choose from several types of heroes, including Saija the Cyber-Ninja, Bishop the Gun Cleric, or Boss the Street Merc.
Players can choose to go it along or team up with other players to take on the mission to infiltrate Eden Corporation headquarters and find enough information to bring down the company. Eden have a whole host of robots to protect their secrets, though, so players will need to learn how to handle their arsenal of weapons to take them out.
Raw Data is due for its full official release on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift on 5th October, 2017. The PlayStation VR release is expected somewhat later, on 10th October in North America, and Europe on 11th October.
You can watch the teaser trailer below. Further information and updates are available on the Steam store page.
VRFocus will bring you further information on Raw Data as it becomes available.
First-person shooter experience Raw Data was released into Early Access on Steam back in July, and since then has seen several improvements and updates, including the Hostile Takeover PvP expansion. Now developer Survios has announced that the title will soon be leaving Early Access.
Raw Data will officially leave Early Access for its full release on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift on 5th October. The full release for PlayStation VR will come somewhat later, in North American on 10th October, and Europe of 11th October, 2017. All platforms will have access to the narrative story campaign, complete with new level introductions and dramatic final mission and a graphical overhaul. Users playing on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift will also have access to the Hostile Takeover player vs Player mode.
“The most exciting part of Raw Data leaving Early Access is that our players will finally experience the complete story from its classic beginning to its heart-pounding conclusion,” said James Iliff, Survios Co-Founder and CCO. “Throughout the Early Access updates, we’ve been steadily drawing our players deeper into the complex relationship between their SyndiK8 heroes and Eden Corp’s nameless, sinister threat. Now, with Raw Data‘s fully fleshed-out narrative, they’ll know who (or what) they’ve been fighting and what they’re fighting for.”
“Raw Data‘s Early Access period has been amazing for us, not just in terms of its success, but how it helped us grow and evolve the game to this final stage,” said Nathan Burba, Survios Co-Founder and CEO. “The community has been engaged and passionate with us since we launched in Early Access, and their feedback has played an essential role as we turned Raw Data into the ultimate sci-fi VR action experience.”
Finally, at long last, Raw Data is exiting Early Access. The fast-paced action game by Survios that’s become synonymous with intense action in virtual reality is officially releasing on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift this October 5th and PlayStation VR (PSVR) this October 10th.
I personally first played Raw Data about a year and a half ago at GDC 2016 before the Vive and Rift even launched as consumer devices. In my demo I remember it being one of the first VR games that not only made me sweat, but made me move around so much I accidentally punched one of the booth supervisors while slashing with a sword.
“The most exciting part of Raw Data leaving Early Access is that our players will finally experience the complete story from its classic beginning to its heart-pounding conclusion,” said James Iliff, Survios Co-Founder and CCO, in a prepared statement. “Throughout the Early Access updates, we’ve been steadily drawing our players deeper into the complex relationship between their SyndiK8 heroes and Eden Corp’s nameless, sinister threat. Now, with Raw Data’s fully fleshed-out narrative, they’ll know who (or what) they’ve been fighting and what they’re fighting for.”
Raw Data has evolved a lot in the months it’s spent in Early Access adding not only new characters and features, but also brand new levels and even entirely separate game modes like Hostile Takeover, which is a player-versus-player competitive multiplayer. That commitment to delivering quality content is why Survios has earned over $1 million in sales for its game that still isn’t even technically released. Few games offer as much polish and variety right now in VR.
We’ll keep following the game on its path to launch in October. Raw Data hits Rift and Vive on 10/5 and PSVR in the US on 10/10, followed by PSVR in the EU on 10/11. At launch the PSVR edition will not have the Hostile Takeover game mode available but it is expected to release at a later date to be determined.
Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
Nate Burba is CEO and Co-Founder of Survios, one of the forerunners in VR gaming today. His company’s immersive experiences taking gaming to the next level. His successes resulted in AAA hits like Raw Data, a co-op first-person shooter proclaimed as VR’s first hit game. Additionally, the company is creating groundbreaking gaming technology (cue, Sprint Vector) which is making gameplay more fluid and lifelike than ever.
Hayim Pinson: When I started digging into your company’s capital and its background, I was surprised to learn that Survios didn’t mention VR in its name — even though you are a business that specializes in VR games.
NB: Well, if you want your company to last 100 years, it makes good business sense to exclude an industry that’s only been around for a year or two from the name.
When creating a brand, you want it to have some dexterity. We decided on the name Survios because it represents an idea and a purpose. Plus, we wanted to keep the company open to more avenues than just VR.
What was the environment like in the U.S. video game industry when the Oculus Kickstarter campaign began?
NB: The biggest win for Oculus was being able to get John Carmack and Gabe Newell in the Kickstarter video. They’re basically the patron saints of game development. Once they were onboard, Palmer became the bright young person developing something that the whole world had been dreaming about.
With Oculus, VR had a tremendous amount of buzz. People were bored of the the gaming industry because it had remained relatively stagnant for the last 15 years.
Even though they were developing better graphics, more triangles…
NB: Exactly. Games had developed better graphics and internet connectivity, but the controllers were basically the same. In the past, the gaming industry had turned the world upside-down again and again, but at time we were saying, “Hey! Where’s our revolutions?” To see another potential revolution on the horizon was really exciting. Everyone was pushing for it.
The gaming industry is unique because it’s not entirely motivated by the market. Technology companies, software developers and game developers are always looking for (and investing in) the next best thing. Due to this, the line between producer and consumer starts to blur. I believe that we’ll start to see more of this in the next 50–100 years.
I think the [Oculus] Kickstarter campaign was a watershed moment that pushed new life into the gaming industry. Behind the scenes, companies like Valve and Sony were trying to figure out what the VR medium would look like and began to get products into the hands of developers.
Individual gamemakers took notice, too — but large corporate entities, like Blizzard, didn’t didn’t start developing VR games right away. The company took slight interest, but it due to a personal interest from a handful of developers at Blizzard that people started developing games for VR. It wasn’t like the company took the idea to the boardroom and said “Yes! Let’s make some money now.”
Right, I guess corporations can’t rely on some of these nascent technology to increase profit.
NB: Here’s the best metaphor I can use to describe a corporation: it’s a giant robot made out of people. Some people have to make up the head of the robot; some the arms and legs. And in order to move forward, they all have to agree. Corporations can’t do anything on a whim because — as you know — a giant robot is quite unwieldy.
OK, that was the best metaphor I’ve ever heard.It only took few years for Valve come into the picture, so I guess they saw something in those early stages.
NB: Yeah, at the end of the day, it’s a bunch of nerds working on stuff that they wanted people to like. I think you can really see it the growth of VR gaming as a collaborative effort between Oculus, Valve and any of the other companies out there.
So let’s go back to Survios. I think it was 2013 when it was funded?
NB: Right. We’ve gone through multiple rounds of funding. In 2013 we raised our seed round funding which was about $250K. Then in 2014 we raised a series A round, which amounted in about $4.2M. As of last year, we announced a total of $50M raised.
What was that like getting your initial funds back in 2013? Nowadays it feel like just about any company can slap VR into their name and receive funding. But I know things were different then.
NB: In 2013, Los Angeles was a smaller ecosystem. Our savvy seed investors were actually friends and family. The father and uncle of our composer, Jeremy Tisser were primary investors early on. They saw potential in us young people who were doing something new and interesting.
So, James and I put together a business plan — I think it was a 100 pages long. We put a lot of work in there to really show that our pan was possible. We also worked with USC Stevens Institute to help start the business. It was very fertile ground to get us going. We raised a small amount of money to be able to rent out an office where we built our first wireless prototype.
This was a big a-ha! moment that lead us to the work we do today. Having a wireless device meant you could really get lost in virtual reality. You can forget about the world because there’s not some leash pulling you back. It wasn’t exactly like the products we have today, but we designed an experience specifically for that prototype so that people could get a taste for what the world would be like in the future. It was an incredible experience.
What was it like for you on the learning curve side of things because I’m sure there’s been a shitload of challenges.
NB: You just learn something new every day. Sorry for the clichés, but it’s hard to sum up. I have an innate and kind of boundless curiosity. Normally this is a curse, due to the fact I can’t really get anything done because I’m constantly looking up stuff on Wikipedia. But when you’re the CEO, it’s actually perfect. When everything is interesting and every person is interesting, you work with anyone. Normally people have different limits.
What I’m starting to learn is that if you want to be able to grow a company, then you yourself can’t be limited in your thinking. You can’t have some rigid way of doing things that only works when your company has 20 people but totally breaks down when your company has 50 people. I’m learning that you can let your management style effect the company or you can change yourself.
I imagine that involves putting ego aside a lot in order to grow.
NB: Yeah it’s a weird paradox. When you put your ego aside, you’ll grow — but then when you grow, your ego says “Wow, look at me I’m even better now.” It just goes to show that if you’re in a leadership position, you have to constantly keep your ego in check for your company to get better.
But, let’s go to Raw Data. What was creating Raw Data like? What was the reception like and — in hindsight — what are your thoughts on it?
NB: Raw Data started when we wanted to switch to Unreal Engine. We were making Zombies in Holodeck when Unreal first came out. We were like “Oh, my god it’s free and it’s so pretty.” We also switched to an architecture where we weren’t developing for a mobile chipset. With these changes we had a lot more power and decided to develop a new title. Something that had a broader appeal than Zombies in the Holodeck — which played a harder note.
In contrast Raw Data can play this hard note (especially in level 2), but it also plays the action movie note and the humor notes. It’s a broad-ranging piece of IP. But it started off as just us tinkering around in Unreal — seeing what was fun and trying out some of our mechanics and systems.
Raw Data Promotion Image
Initially it was called “Bullet Time Apex.” That the code name we called it as we were developing several different systems. At that time were created a lot of the AI, weapon , and multiplayer systems you see today. The game however was more like a linear campaign with a more traditional locomotion. Unfortunately, we found that this locomotion made some people nauseous. The game didn’t have much of a tight direction.
In late 2015, Raw Data evolved as we developed a gameplay based on the tower defense premise — like the kind you see in Orcs Must Die! 2 and Payday 2. We wanted a game that could be played for hours, but only needed a small amount of assets to create.
So, a game that’s constantly changing without doing too much work.
NB: Yeah. We added some systems in the game that allow for different types of play.
I’ve seen a lot of similar patterns, like on Rainbow Six Siege.
NB: Yes. The goal of any game developer is to create an experience that can be different every time you play. But there’s also a cost-benefit analysis that we have to take into consideration. So inevitably we ended up developing something that was more like Nexus’ Tower Defense; where you have to defend a point, play multiplayer and progress through different levels.
It was also important to us to have a nice story mechanism. So we had to standardize all the characters in the game. What they’re talking about, where they’re located — there’s a method to the storytelling end of the medium as well.
It all came together in early 2016. We presented an early version of Raw Data at the VRLA Expo. It began as a hold-out shooter, but then once we added teleporting, we realized we could create something much larger. That’s where the tower defense element came in. After that, the whole project took off.
We released an early-access version in July. Right now, we’re building up to the version 1 release with a longer extended early access period. In the future we don’t want the early access to be this long because it makes the project a little bit more difficult. Right now we’re going through some growing pains as we learn how to develop things.
One thing I realized is that a lot of my favorite games are the second version. Game developers need to build over an extended period of time. That’s why I’m a big fan of Payday 2 over Payday 1 or Orcs Must Die! 2 instead of Orcs Must Die! 1. Even the original Metal Gear Solid was actually a remake of Metal Gear 2.
You’re always building on the foundations. So as good as a game Raw Data is now, we want to make games that are a lot better. We’re looking to create games with larger levels, better look motion, better game play — and honestly something that costs the company less money, too. Luckily, we’re getting more efficient as we go.
I can imagine your efficiency could triple from what you’ve learned from creating Raw Data. The next one will be a lot smoother. Speaking of fluidity, what are your thoughts on fluid locomotion?
NB: Well, fluid locomotion is a key new piece of technology that we’re developing. To quote Henry Jenkins, a professor at UGC, “the most fundamental thing to being a human being is to be able to move through space from point A to point B” — I think this is the more fundamental thing in games, too.
As human beings, we have grown and evolved to operate in 3D space. So that’s the #1 thing to simulate in a VR video-game. It’s pretty difficult to create, but VR is doing that reasonably well today, though most games are not really moving through space that much.
Why is moving through space in VR so difficult?
NB: That’s a good question. VR disconnects your vestibular system (the audio-visual sensory system in your body). Normally this system works in tandem with every other function in your body. Your internal systems are constantly reading what’s going on in the words around you, so that you know to do the right things at the right time.
If you compare it to a game engine, it’d be like you were in a fixed update cycle. You’re reading all that muscle data, weight data, and gravity data as you move around. We just don’t have that kind of system in VR yet.
You have to effectively simulate that system to get rid of the nausea some players experience. A great example is climbing. If you look at a Sprint Vector — you grab something that’s a fixed object in the real world and you see your hand close around it. You pull yourself up and your body foes up. Because of that assumed outcome, you won’t get nauseous.
Now if no one’s ever climbed up something before they might get nauseous. If you’re 8-years-old and you haven’t climbed the monkey bars yet, you will get nauseous. Since most people have experienced climbing in real life, we take that feeling of motion and we start building off the concept.
We look at other subtle ways that people move around the world using just their head or their hands. When we can understanding the kind of expected outcomes around these movements, we start to develop systems for movement [in the game].
One example is gaining momentum by pushing off things with your arms. That’s why we added the notion of pumping your arms to move forward in Sprint Vector. It’s all about details and making sure the whole system feels really, really good. We want the sensation to feel smooth. Plus, there’s some other secret sauce and tricks in there that I can’t talk about which make sure you don’t get nauseous.
That’s really incredible and do you foresee implementing these tactics these new strategies into titles in the future? And do you think it’ll be adopted by others?
NB: Yeah, I think we’re definitely going to have [Sprint Vector] in many of our titles. It’s going to be a signature technology for us moving forward.
I think we’ll have some companies that we will work with adopt the system. I’m not going to say we’re going to license technology, but we’ll probably work with some companies or license holders to develop more titles that way.
I’m sure there will be developments in the industry that will have some similarity. I think this kind of system is necessary to make a [VR] game where you can move around without getting nauseous. And let’s face it, most games you need to move around.
What are your expectations for the rest of 2017? What excites you?
NB: To be honest, I’m very internal-facing. I focus on the people here [at Survios] and how well they’re working. We’re excited about Raw Data, and about Sprint Vector and some of the other projects we’re working on.
I’m kind of the worst person to ask sometimes, because every time I play another game outside of the company I get excited, too. It’s a double-edged sword that reminds me of a story about Christopher Nolan watching the Matrix, cursing because the filmmaker did the thing we wanted to do. That’s how I feel about some of the things I encounter. I think we’re going to see a consistent drip of new content in VR. I expect to see where motion VR on multiple platforms crosses over with controller VR on multiple platforms. And, of course, where non-VR on multiple platforms comes into the mix.
I’m also excited to see some popular video games like Grand Theft Auto or Pokemon be the best games in VR. It may take several years to make, but I’m excited to see what some of those things are going to be like when those larger companies dive into [VR] and spend larger amounts of money.
What are your thoughts on a PlayStation VR and their success?
NB: I think PlayStation allows the industry to reach users they wouldn’t normally. To set something up on a PC, you kind of have to be married to the idea. You have to install a driver — and other nitty-gritty nerdy things. It we lived in a world, where everyone was gaming on a PC, then it’s much easier for us to do our thing. But that world’s going to take us a while to get to.
Well they’re not quite triple-A, but they’re definitely a lot closer triple-A than the majority of Oculus and Steam VR publishers.
NB: There’s no room for shovelware in Sony, right. I am sure there’s going to be more shovelware. I think there’s less and less shovelware in Oculus because they’re creating better content now. When Oculus first started it was all shovelware. This was because a bunch of developers were just throwing games together and throwing them up. There was a whole Oculus share, but now you have the proper Oculus platform which has a lot better content.
But Sony? Sony is a little more fundamentally stringent than Steam. I think that it’s not just about the quality, because there are fun games on Steam and fun games on Oculus — but they’re super indie games. They don’t have the development of that high concept stuff like character creation, marketing, world building and graphics — so they’re perceived in a different light. That’s one thing Sony helps us out with, it’s a bit more of a prestigious platform to be on.
How can fan’s keep in touch with the latest updates at Survios?
NB: Sure so you can follow us on Survios.com also our Facebook page Survios VR that we’re on Twitter or on Instagram and you can follow me @Nathanburba on Twitter and if you want to send me an email it’s Nathan@survios.com
EVE: Valkyrie by CCP Games
Job Simulator by Owlchemy Labs
The Persistence by Firesprite
Thumper by Drool
Tiny Trax by FuturLab
