Category: Tokyo Game Show

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Sony: VR-Spiele sollen zukünftig hochwertiger und länger werden

Auf der Tokyo Game Show 2018 erläuterte Shuhei Yoshida, Präsident der Sony Interactive Worldwide Studios, die Zukunft der VR-Spiele für PlayStation VR (PSVR). Demnach soll die nächste Generation an VR-Titel deutlich mehr Qualität, Tiefgang und Spielzeit erhalten. Diesen Schluss ziehe man aus dem Interesse der Spieler/innen an größeren und ausgereifteren Games.

Sony – Erwarten uns nun die AAA-Spiele für PlayStation VR (PSVR)?

In einem Interview, mit dem japanischen PlayStation Blog auf der Tokyo Game Show 2018 sprach, Shuhei Yoshida über die Entwicklung der VR-Spiele für PlayStation VR (PSVR). So zog er ein Resümee über den derzeitigen Stand der VR-Titel und die Auswertung der gesammelten Erfahrung der Studios:

Shuhei-Yoshida-Sony

Image courtesy: Sony

“Spieler/innen wollen keine kurzen VR-Erfahrungen. Sie wollen ein richtiges Spiel, welches sie für längere Zeit spielen können. Basierend auf diesen Erwartungen, entwickelte ich eine Strategie zur Umsetzung von größeren und hochwertigeren Spielen, die in den nächsten zwei bis drei Jahren erscheinen werden. In Zukunft erwarten uns viele neue Titel mit tieferem Gaming-Erlebnis.”

Firewall Zero Hour PSVR

Mit Firewall: Zero Hour und dem bald erscheinenden Astro Bot Rescue Mission habe man einen ersten Grundstein für diese Pläne gelegt. Mit Déraciné von From Software und Blood and Truth erwarten uns zudem weitere potenziell hochwertige PSVR-Titel.

Deracine-PlayStation-VR-PSVR-From-Software

Déraciné

Dass Sony fest an die VR-Technologie glaubt, bestätigen sie kontinuierlich in diversen Interviews. Ebenso prognostizieren die Verantwortlichen eine Veränderung des Spielemarktes und die Bildung neuer Genres dank Virtual Reality.

Wir dürfen gespannt sein, wie die Zukunft der VR-Spiele aussieht und ob uns Sony die lange ersehnten AAA-Spiele in den nächsten Jahren präsentiert.

(Quellen: Upload VR)

Der Beitrag Sony: VR-Spiele sollen zukünftig hochwertiger und länger werden zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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The Mystery Continues With Some New Déraciné Gameplay Footage

Since it was first unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) earlier this year, fans and analysts of virtual reality (VR) have been discussing Déraciné, with many people trying to figure out exactly what the title was about. A new gameplay video from the Tokyo Games Show might just shed some night light on things.

The title is being developed by From Software, the company best known for its work on dark and brutally difficult medieval fantasy Dark Souls. What little is known about the plot so far concerns a spirit being summoned by a young girl in a boarding school.

Déraciné - Screenshot (E3 2018)

The new gameplay video was released by GamersPrey and was recorded at Tokyo Game Show, so the audio and in-game text is all in Japanese.

The video begins with a wall covered in simple charcoal portraits of various people. Some of the pictures are of near-professional quality, while others display a childish enthusiasm and exaggerated features. The player moves into the hallway of what appears to be a mansion or large house (presumably the boarding school of the setting), everything is covered in dark wood panelling, and a faint sepia tone seems to tinge everything.

Moving on, a young blonde woman in old-fashioned clothes stands by a doorway. She is partially crouched, leaning as if peering down the hall, but she is eerily motionless, not even blinking as the player tries to interact. Further on, man stands over a large copper pot, also seemingly frozen in the act of preparing a meal.

So overall, Déraciné maintains its aura of mystery for a while longer, though the initial teaser trailer does somewhat indicate the ‘frozen in time’ aspect, with the voice over saying: You’re going to be a fairy! And live in the world where time stands still’.

Déraciné - Screenshot (E3 2018)

The gameplay video is available to view below. For further coverage of Déraciné and other upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.

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New Trailer Released For Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories At Tokyo Game Show 2018

It’s been a while since we last saw anything on the upcoming Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories but at the Tokyo Game Show 2018 developer Granzella have showcased a new trailer. In it, viewers get a chance to see gameplay, cutscenes and even a short look at the virtual reality (VR) supported gameplay along with a number of the videogame’s environments, NPCs and dangers that await in the now ruined city.

Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories

For those unaware, Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories takes place in a city that has recently been hit by a major earthquake. Stepping into the shoes of someone who has only just arrived in the city to find work, players must now try to escape from the collapsing city by any means. Players will need to explore the area, meet other people trying to survive and find resources to aid them in their mission. All of this happens while being wary of aftershocks and other disasters that could see buildings toppling down and crashing to the player to death.

While the relaxing music featured in this new trailer may give off a sense of safety, don’t be mistaken. We see a number of different situations unfold in the trailer including exploring areas full of NPCs who can be spoken to, empty streets full of rubble and even two aftershocks that cause a bridge to fall and nearly take the place out with it. On top of this, there are fires, conversations with memorable characters and even a moment showing the players navigating a subway in first-person, which is likely a VR section.

The trailer ends by revealing the release date for the title which has been announced to be October 25th, 2018 in Japan. Currently there is no Western release of the title planned but fingers crossed it happens in the near future. As previously reported, the title does feature PlayStation VR support and can be played in the first-person perspective and you can see it in action here.

You can see the new trailer for Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories below and for future updates on the title, keep reading VRFocus.

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Further Details on PlayStation VR Release of Space Channel 5 VR

Though the SEGA Dreamcast is long gone now, its legacy lives on in the form of the videogames that came to prominence on SEGA’s last console. One of those is Space Channel 5, whose virtual reality (VR) adaptation has been making the rounds at event in Japan, and now wil finally be getting a home release on the PlayStation VR.

Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash is currently in development and is set for release some time in 2019, appropriately marking the 20th Anniversary of the title’s release on the Dreamcast.

A demo of Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash will be playable at the Tokyo Game Show 2018 on 20th-23rd September, 2018. There are also plans to hold a special campaign called the ‘Gyun-Gyun Campaign’ to celebrate the announcement.

Players will be broadcast into the 25th Century where players will take control of rookie reporter twin sisters Lou and Kee who will act as the player avatars for the futuristic rhythm adventure. Lou and Kee (and the player) will be able to dance alongside iconic Space Channel 5 host Ulala and bring back a wash of nostalgic memories.

Developers Grounding Inc have promised that the classic Dreamcast setting and gameplay will be present, but now players can react to the rhythm using their body, instead of just the controller. Brand new stories, characters, stages and sounds can be expected.

Attendees at the Tokyo Game Show will be able to request time with the Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash demo. Demonstrations will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, though some advanced reservations are possible by contacting the company.

Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash will be at the Grounding Booth, Hall 10, W19. The title is available in both English and Japanese, though a Western release has not yet been confirmed. The English trailer is available to view below.

For future coverage of Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash and other upcoming VR experiences, keep checking back with VRFocus.

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This Week In VR Sport: Basketball Training, Realistic Driving And VR Golf

Every weekend VRFocus brings you a number of sports and eSports related virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) stories as part of This Week In VR Sport. This week, Nex Team are using the latest AR technology of Apple’s flagship smartphone to help basketball players improve their game. The VR driving simulator T3R has confirmed it will be attending the Tokyo Game Show and PlayStation announced Everybody’s Golf VR for the PlayStation VR. 

HomeCourt
Image credit: GeekWire

HomeCourt Uses AR Technology For Basketball Training

During the recent reveal event for the new iPhone X models, an app by the name of HomeCourt was showcased. This new iPhone app leverages AR technology to track basketball shots which can in turn be used to help players improve their shots. Thanks to Apple’s new A12 Bionic chip and artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by HomeCourt maker Nex Team, the app can detect a hoop and basketball and is able to measure kinematics, trajectory, release times, and the number of shots made.

During the presentation former NBA star point guard Steve Nash and Nex Team founder David Lee took to the stage to reveal the app and demonstrate it’s feature set. A number of people are investors in HomeCourt including Nash himself along with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin, and Philadelphia 76ers Sam Hinkie. A number of college basketball programs are also using the app to help their teams improve as well.

The app is another great example of Apple’s continued investment and development within the AR sector and how they want to position their products to be able to enable apps such as HomeCourt.

VR Driving Simulator T3R Is Coming To The Tokyo Game Show

Middleware technology and videogame developer Silicon Studio announced earlier this week that they will be attending the upcoming Tokyo Game Show to showcase their VR driving simulation, known as T3R.

The T3R VR diving simulator makes use of a racing chair in combination with a realistic dashboard and wheel layout, along with 360-degree spatial images and 4-axis motion technology to offer the most authentic driving simulation possible. To help with this immersion the simulation leverages the popular racing videogame Assetto Corsa, from developer Kunos Simulazioni, which is known for its impressive realism and player immersion.

The Tokyo Game Show will be opening next week with its business days taking place on 20th-21st September, with restricted access to press and those working in the industry. Attendees will be able to try out the technology for themselves along with seeing demonstrations from the staff which will talk through the functions and implementations of the technology. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on this as it developers.

Everybody's Golf VR

Everybody’s Golf VR Announced For PlayStation VR

To finish up this week how about a round of golf? Well the good news is that earlier this week PlayStation announced Everybody’s Golf VR. This new release is being developed by Clap Hanz in association with JAPAN Studio and will be the first time that the popular golf franchise makes its way to VR.

Planned to release sometime in 2019, players will be able to immerse themselves in the world of Everybody’s Golf and use their Dualshock 2 or PS Move controller to swing the virtual golf club across a variety of courses. This also makes the title much more accessible as players now use their body to control the gameplay. On top of that, thanks to the 360-degree field-of-view players will also be able to see uneven terrain, read wind direction, and experience the nature of the golf course in impressive first person.

For now, not much more has been revealed about the title but at least PlayStation VR owners and fans of Everybody’s Golf can get excited. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on the title in the future so make sure to stay tuned for more.

That is all for This Week In VR Sport. For more on immersive sport news keep reading VRFocus and remember to check back next week for another This Week In VR Sport.
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An Upgraded Last Labyrinth Heads To Tokyo Game Show Once Again

“Your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, and you find yourself in a room you’ve never seen before. You go to stand but are barely able to move.  You look down to find that your arms and legs are strapped to a wheelchair. As the panic begins to set in, you catch a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of your eye. A young girl, standing in the darkness, stares at you with cold eyes…”

Last Labyrinth - LogoAs always with videogames, the wait can sometimes seem like a very long time indeed. So, we won’t be too judgemental if you don’t remember the last time we brought you news about Last Labyrinth, a room escape virtual reality (VR) title for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.  In fact, it was almost two years ago to the day that we brought you news of how developers Amata K.K. (back then known as Tayutau) were debuting Last Labyrinth at that year’s Tokyo Game Show.  Actually, Amata K.K. have told us they were pleasantly surprised anyone from the Western media even noticed!

So, we’re equally happy to let you know similar news to that we gave you two years ago – Last Labyrinth is heading to the Tokyo Game Show. But the developers have not been idle during this time. Thanks to the response to their initial appearances, the team have gone back and remade all of the assets in the videogame to produce a much crisper and better-looking experience.

Amata - LogoNot only that, the team have also confirmed two other pieces of news: The first is that Last Labyrinth will be receiving a simultaneous worldwide release in Spring 2019 and that along with the previously announced headsets support will also be given to the Windows Mixed Reality family of headsets.

Those attending this year’s Tokyo Game Show will be able to find Amata at booth 10-W09 in the VR/AR Area. They’ve also supplied some new screenshots – still work in progress obviously – of Last Labyrinth for you to have another look at the title.  Additional information can be found on their website at http://lastlabyrinth.jp.

VRFocus will be bringing you news and updates from Tokyo Game Show throughout next week and you can expect further updates from us on Last Labyrinth in the new year.

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VR Driving Simulator T3R Will Be Showcased at Tokyo Game Showcase

Though not as massive as similar events such as E3 or Gamescom, the Tokyo Game Show is a respected event, which often features some developments, hardware and videogames born from China, Japan and the rest of East Asia. Middleware technology and videeogame developer Silicon Studio have announced that it will be attending the event and bringing along its virtual reality (VR) driving simulation, known as T3R.

At the Silicon Studio booth demos will be available of T3R, which has been described as a hyper-realistic driving simulation which has been utilised by professional drivers.

The T3R VR driving simulator uses a racing chair in combination with a realistic dashboard and wheel layout, along with 360-degree spatial images and 4-axis motion technology that can recreate driving conditions.

To create this sense of realism, popular racing simulator videogame Assetto Corsa is used as the basis. Assetto Corsa was released by Italian developer Kunos Simulazioni Brand and has become one of the most popular and well-regarded driving sims available on PC. Silicon Studio have melded Assetto Corsa’s highly praised gameplay with its custom-developed optical post-effect middleware, YEBIS in order to create T3R.

Silicon Studio will be showing the T3R demonstration along with a demonstration of Street Fighter V Arcade Edition, which will feature implementation of the real-time global illumination system ‘Enlighten’. Both of these will be available at the Tokyo Game Show during the business days 20th-21st September, which is restricted to press and those working in the game industry.

Attendees wishing to try the available demos will be accepted in order of arrival. In the case of high demand, numbered tickets may be issued. There will also be a demonstration corner, where staff will be explaining the functions and implementations of YEBIS and Enlighten middleware.

For further coverage of VR at the Tokyo Game Show will be here on VRFocus.

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VR vs. Since You’ve Been Gone

Don’t look now, but I’m actually here this week. Yes, apologies needed for my absence in the last couple of weeks. I had to take some time off at relatively shortish notice for the first one but as for the last week I was rather distracted by the pressing need to lay on the bathroom floor and beg the universe for everything to just stop following a bout of food poisoning and subsequent severe dehydration. It was as pleasant a break as it sounded. Trust me.

It also prevented me from attending EGX which was just up the road from me and I’m naturally pretty bummed about. As things stand now I’m still pretty weak and being at a computer for any length of time is deeply uncomfortable in at least four different ways. How fortunate I am that’s not my job. Ha ha!

Wait, that is my job?
Bugger.

Anyway, before I have to make another mad dash for the bathroom in my absence there’s been a number of items that I’d’ve certainly been column-worthy material. We’ve had the announcement of L.A. Noire’s HD remake and virtual reality (VR) mode which was touched on in something of a ‘Kevstitution’ VR vs. column as it was courtesy of VRFocus’ own Mistah J, Editor Kevin Joyce – one which makes a number of similar points I had planned to make, helpfully. We will be coming back to that game though as I do have some additional thoughts on what they’re doing and trends on the matter that I’d like to tackle.  Suffice to say it’s great that Rockstar are at least taking a look at making things in the VR space, even if there are some reservations about how they are going about it.

LA Noire VR Case Files (Thin Version)Speaking of making things in VR, this last week was also the return of Palmer Luckey. Who hadn’t really gone anywhere – but yet also had; and he was doing something or not doing something inside/outside VR depending on what person you asked on any given day, that’s not including if they’d seen their shadow when they’d woken up in the morning thus signifying another six weeks of ZeniMax lawsuits. Or something to that effect. He appeared on stage for HTC Vive at the Tokyo Game Show to discuss a number of items. Of course, as every report ever on Luckey is all lies – that appears to be the running theme on Twitter anyway – he may actually not have done so at all.  It may have just been a figment of my fevered imagination; born from a desire to get another tick on my 2017 predications column from earlier this year.

Speaking of which can Samsung please hurry up and buy FOVE in the next couple of months so we can tick off that prediction? Cheers, guys.

I will add though that if Luckey’s appearance was just my imagination can I just say how disappointed I was he didn’t stroll on stage to Eric Bischoff’s WWE theme? I think I might just mentally re-dub that over any appearance he subsequently makes in the future for my own amusement.  Whatever the case there’s no doubting, and never has been, Luckey’s commitment to making VR work.  As I’ve said on VR vs. previously he remains for better or worse the face of VR and channeling that enthusiasm contructively and creatively will do VR nothing but good.

Next up there was Nintendo being Nintendo in a very Nintendo way which I’d love to tackle but frankly I can’t summon the energy to devote to a column taking Mr. Fils-Aimé’s comments to pieces at the moment. Plus, there’s the school of thought that he’s talking such utter bunk he’s not worth discussing in the first place. Leaving just an echo of sadness and anger where rational thought used to be.

Lastly there’s been Intel cancelling Project Alloy, its all-in-one VR head-mounted display (HMD) citing a lack of interest from commercial partners.  Which I can kind of understand. After all we’ve a gajillion VR headsets and there’s got to be a tipping point at some point. It felt like a bit of an out-of-leftfield announcement at the time and who really was it for?  Most of Intel’s commercial partners who would have potentially been interested are already involved in VR, augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR) headsets – many of them their own.

Cancelling now may be a shock and give plenty of fuel for the VR Is Dead crowd, but probably something we’ll consider in hindsight to be a very shrewd business decision. If something’s not going to fly for you nip it in the bud, save the cash and channel what you’ve learned into other things. I’m willing to bet Intel will still have a patent or two up its sleeve now thanks to the HMD which may come back into play at a later date and they’re now probably better placed to assist others in their efforts.

What will the next week bring? For VR, who knows. For me it probably brings the consumption of more rice and juice in an attempt to stop my stomach feeling like it is a washing machine. We should probably start looking towards the future however and Oculus Connect 4. Because that my friends needs to be big in more ways than one. Next week however I want to go back to talking about videogames.

Yes, we need to sit down and have a long talk about those…

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New Summer Lesson Trailer Reveals New Student

Earlier this month it was revealed that Summer Lesson would be adding a new student with a new expansion pack titled Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo – Seven Days of Etude. The latest trailer revealed at Tokyo Game Show reveals some more details.

Chisato Shinjo lives in a large, impressive house and is part of a prominent, wealthy family. However, she is also something of a recluse who doesn’t go out to socialise very much. Though intelligent, she can be prone to selfishness, with something of a bleak, pessimistic personality. It will be the player’s job to get to know her, and teach her about what is happening in society and how to get along better with others.

As has been the case for previous chapters of Summer Lesson, Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo – Seven Days of Etude will have optional DLC packs containing extra scenes, costumes and events. There is also likely to be a deluxe DLC pack as there was for previous chapters.

Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo – Seven Days of Etude will be released for PlayStation VR on 12th October, 2017. You can watch the Tokyo Game Show trailer below.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Summer Lesson as it becomes available.

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Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV Tokyo Game Show Trailer Revealed

For those who want to spend more time with Noctis, Ignis and the rest of the boys from Final Fantasy XV, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is coming to PlayStation VR in November to let you head on a virtual reality (VR) fishing trip.

The latest trailer shown by Sony and Square Enix at the Tokyo Game Show showed off some of the gameplay of the upcoming VR fishing adventure. Players will be able to accompany the Final Fantasy XV crew to picturesque locations to catch fish. There is a story mode that lets players take advantage of RPG elements such as upgradable equipment to catch bigger fish, and learn that fish are not the only things lurking in the waters, as terrifying aquatic abominations can also be found.

There’s also a free-fishing mode for a more relaxed experience.

Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is available for pre-order from the PlayStation Store, and users who do so will get access to an in-game Samurai outfit and a PlayStation 4 dynamic theme. The title is expected to release on 21st November, 2017.

You can watch the Tokyo Game Show trailer below.

VRFocus will bring you further information on Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV as it becomes available.