Category: Virtuix

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FOIL 2018, More Speakers and Registration Offer

The Future of Immersive Leisure (FOIL) conference 2018 is taking place this May and in the build up to the event more of the keynote speakers have been details.

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Much like FOIL 2017, VRFocus will be supporting the event once again this year as a media partner and will be bringing you all the latest news and updates from the event. With subjects covering virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR), FOIL 2018 promises to be another exciting conference. Following the announcement of the dates of the conference, more speakers and talks have been revealed along with registration now underway.

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Already announced as a speaker for FOIL 2018 is Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games having worked on the VR experience I Expect You To Die. Jesse Schell will be joined by Kevin Williams, Founder, KWP Ltd. for a fireside chat about VR and Schell Games. Other speaks that have been announced for the FOIL 2018 conference and their talk subjects include:

  • D’nardo Colucci, The Elumenati, a company that focuses on designing and engineering innovative solutions for immersive visualization will be taking part in the panel titled Dome Theaters- the Next Generation’alongside Markus Beyr, CEO and Owner of Attraktion! GmbH and Jenni Ogde, President, Executive Producer, Eye Q Productions.
  • Charles Fink, a former Disney, AOL and AG Interactive executive who writes about VR, AR and new media for Forbes will be speaking in a fireside chat with Kevin Williams.
  • Wendy Heimann-Nunes, Co-Founder, Nolan Heimann LLP, will be speaking on Surveying the Licensing Landscape for Immersive Location-Based Entertainment to help make sense of the maze that is licensing.
  • Simon Chu, CEO of Escape VR and Ali Khan, Founder, Tick Tock Unlock will be speaking on Leveraging Synergies between Escape Games and VR, moderatored by Kevin Williams.
  • Jan Goetgeluk, Founder and CEO, Virtuix, will discuss the use of VR and AR within eSports alongside Alex Hertel, CEO and Co-Founder, Xperiel and Dan Jamele, CEO, Mediamation.

These are only a taste of some of the planned keynotes with more to still be announced. You can find the full agenda for the FOIL 2018 conference here.

The FOIL 2018 conference is set to take place on 16th and 17th May, 2018 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Registration is now open and those booking tickets can take advantage of a VRFocus discount code but using VRFOCUS at the checkout to get 15% off the cost of tickets.

For more on FOIL 2018, stay tuned to VRFocus.

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Virtuix Heading To Amusement Expo International

When it comes to virtual reality (VR) videogames to many things still aren’t what they want them to be, and part of that is that the sense of immersion doesn’t necessarily match up with what they expect or would hope for. There is an ongoing desire for freedom of movement when it comes to VR. One of the reasons this year, 2018, promises to be the year of standalone head mounted displays (HMDs) and wireless or ‘untethered’ solutions coming to the fore.

Virtuix OmniHowever, there’s still the desire to move around with actual 1-to-1 movement as opposed to moving via one of the methods of teleportation often employed. And unless you’re looking to enjoying a warehouse style VR experience, when it comes to that kind of feeling in the home there aren’t many solutions.  One that does however is the idea of the omnidirectional treadmill, a motion platform that enables 360 degree movement whilst in a virtual environment. Examples of which include Chinese company KAT VR’s KAT Walk treadmill, which has support from titles such as Arizona Sunshine, Island 359 and Dreadhalls and there is also the somewhat more well-known Virtuix Omni treadmill.

VRFocus has followed the story of the Omni for as long as the site has been in operation. Founded in April 2013, the company based in the city of Austin in Texas, hasn’t had the smoothest of roads. Multiple successful funding and investment rounds did not result in the end product for all. However, Virtuix has been consistently updating and has now shipped more than 2,500 units, is an official hardware partner of HTC and Omni systems can be found around the world.

Virtuix OmniTheir latest announcement sees the company reveal it will be participating in next week’s Amusement Expo International at the Las Vegas Convention Center, something that no doubt VRFocus will be covering at a later date in our series The Virtual Arena. Virtuix will be demonstrating their hardware, as well as Omni Arena and their Omniverse videogames platform which saw the addition of support for Vindicta earlier this month.

CEO Jan Goetgeluk will also be at the event too, as part of a discussion on how owners of location-based VR spaces can maximise their return on investment.

“We’re very excited to show our latest Omni improvements and Omniverse games at the Amusement Expo,” Said Goetgeluk. “Ever since we launched our Omniverse gaming platform, the Omni has become an entertainment hit at VR arcades and top FECs around the world like Rec Room in Calgary or PlayTime Crown in Melbourne. We look forward to introducing the latest Omni technology to FEC operators from the U.S. and elsewhere.”

Amusement Expo International takes place over Tuesday February 27th 2018. VRFocus will bring you more news on developments with the Virtuix Omni and other VR hardware very soon.

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Virtuix Omni Announce VR Content Platform Omniverse

Virtuix are probably best known for creating the virtual reality (VR) motion treadmill, the Virtuix Omni, but the company is also involved in location-based VR, and today the company has announced the launch of Omniverse, a content delivery and arcade management platform for use by commercial Omni operators.

At launch, 15 VR titles will be available through the platform, including titles such as Affected – The Manor, Karnage Chronicles and Primordian. Virtuix are planning on continuing to add titles to the platform over the coming months.

“We’re very excited about both the quality and quantity of games launching on our Omniverse platform,” says Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix. “We’ve collaborated with some of the world’s top VR content providers to make sure we offer an exceptional set of experiences to our customers, including fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooters, fantasy RPGs, and even casual games offering relaxed exploration. Omniverse transforms the Omni from a standalone hardware input device to an exciting and complete VR entertainment system for our worldwide customers.”

In addition to the VR content, the Omniverse platform also offers a custom interface where players can preview, launch or switch games without needing to remove the headset. The platform also enables operators to pre-set gameplay time for customers and manage multiple Omni devices from a single device. Gameplay is automatically tracked to facilitate accurate pricing and payment.

“Omniverse represents an opportunity for us to launch our game on more than a thousand commercial entertainment systems at once, without the hassle of individual licensing agreements,” says Mark Paul, Co-founder of Fallen Planet Studios, developer of the VR horror hit Affected – The Manor. “We are excited to release Affected on the Omniverse platform and reach a worldwide audience in places that we hadn’t been able to capture before.”

VRFocus will continue to report on new developments in the VR sector.

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Omni Treadmill: Virtuix enthüllt Omniverse-Plattform und 16 Titel [Update]

[Update] Virtuix hat für seine „Tretmühle“ Omni die Omniverse-Plattform und gleichzeitig 16 VR-Titel enthüllt. Der Hersteller vertreibt die Hardware an kommerzielle Anbieter. Über Omniverse können Arcade-Betreiber beziehungsweise die Spieler auf alle Titel zurückgreifen, sie werden von Virtuix nach Minuten abgerechnet. Weitere Spiele sollen noch folgen.

Die Titel in Omniverse sind:

• AFFECTED – The Manor
• Bow Master
• Coin Rush
• Hyperdrome
• Karnage Chronicles
• Nature Treks VR
• Omni Arena
• Primordian
• Project Ghost
• Quell 4D
• QuiVr
• The Bellows
• The SoulKeeper VR
• TRAVR: Shadow Ops
• TRAVR: Training Ops
• VRZ Torment 

Virtuix Omni Treadmill

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Der Laufstall für unbegrenzte Fortbewegung in VR auf kleinstem Raum hat einen Vertrieb für Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz (DACH) gefunden: die Nürnberger nous GmbH berichtet, dass bereits Anfang September erste Laufställe von Virtuix Deutschland erreichen sollen. Allerdings hat die Sache zwei Haken: Auf Wunsch des Herstellers dürfen nur Gewerbetreibende zuschlagen und die Virtuix Omni kostet jetzt das Mehrfache als seinerzeit bei der Kickstarter-Kampagne.

Virtuix Omni Treadmill: Endlos-Runner für VR ab September für Deutschland, Österreich und Schweiz

So schön Room-Scale auch ist: eher früher als später stößt man an Grenzen beziehungsweise eine Wand. Umgehen lässt sich das Problem mit der Virtuix Omni Treadmill, auf der man auf der Stelle unendlich lange laufen kann. Das Kickstarter-Projekt begann bereits im Juni 2013 und konnte in 48 Tagen über eine Million US-Dollar sammeln. Es gehört damit zu den erfolgreichsten VR-Kampagnen auf der Plattform.

Der Preis für die Omni lag seinerzeit bei rund 400 US-Dollar und enthielt die erforderlichen Schuhe, Tracking Hardware und einen Gürtel für das Omni-Rack. Bis zur Auslieferung dauerte es allerdings erheblich: Noch im Dezember 2016 mussten Teilnehmer an der Kampagne auf den Laufstall warten. Zudem stornierte der Hersteller internationale Bestellungen und lieferte lediglich an Kunden in den USA aus.

Zumindest Gewerbetreibende können das inzwischen laut nous verbesserte Produkt ordern, ab September sollte die Auslieferung dann im DACH-Bereich erfolgen können. Billig wird der Spaß wohl nicht, der Vertrieb nous spricht von einem Mehrfachen des Kickstarter-Preises. Endkunden bleibt also nichts übrig, als sich nach einer Arcade-Halle mit Omni umzusehen, wenn sie den Laufstall ausprobieren wollen. Aktuell nennt der Vertrieb drei Anlaufstellen: Die VR-Lounge in Berlin, das Giga-Center in Köln und die Virtuis VR-Arcade in Nürnberg. Allerdings sollen bereits weitere Arcade-Hallen ihr Interesse bekundet haben.

Bisher stehen offiziell erst drei Titel bereit, die mit dem Laufstall kompatibel sind: TRAVR Training Ops, TRAVR Shadow Ops und OMNI ARENA. Außerdem gibt nous bekannt, dass noch mehr Spiele zugesagt oder in Planung sind. Im April diesen Jahres verkündete Virtuix eine Partnerschaft mit HTC und gab bekannt, dass man drei neue Spiele unterstützen wolle: den Zombie-Survival-Titel Arizona Sunshine, das VR-Horror-Spiel The Bellows sowie den First-Person-Shooter Quell 4D.

Der Beitrag Omni Treadmill: Virtuix enthüllt Omniverse-Plattform und 16 Titel [Update] zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Virtuix Omni: Offizieller Partner von HTC und Support für Arizona Sunshine

Virtuix Omni war eines der ersten Kickstarter Projekt für Virtual Reality Produkte. Dabei erhielt die Spendenaktion bis zum Ende über 1,1 Millionen USD und war damit eine der erfolgreichsten Kickstarter Kampagnen seiner Art. Jetzt kündigten die Erschaffer des Produkts Virtuix den Support der Omni für drei neue Spiele an. Außerdem gibt es eine neue Partnerschaft mit HTC.

Support der Omni für Arizona Sunshine und weitere Spiele

Spender für die Omni Kickstarterkampagne, die außerhalb der USA leben, erhielten zum Ende letzten Jahres schlechte Nachrichten. Das Unternehmen kündigte nämlich an nicht in der Lage zu sein, ihr Produkt außerhalb der Staaten zu versenden. Deshalb suchte sich das Unternehmen Unterstützung, um etwas für die enttäuschten Spender zu tun. Entsprechend veröffentlichten sie den Support der Omni für das Zombie-Survival-Spiel Arizona Sunshine. Das Spiel ist erhältlich für die HTC Vive und Oculus Rift. Dabei schlüpft der Spieler in die Rolle von Überlebenden innerhalb der Zombieapokalypse, in der Atmosphäre von The Walking Dead. Das Ziel ist das Überleben gegen die Massen der lebenden Toten und andere menschliche Überlebende, die mindestens genauso gefährlich sind. Zusätzlich stellt man sich Komplikationen wie dem Navigieren innerhalb der gewaltigen Landfläche Arizonas, der Suche nach Nahrung und dem Widerstehen der unerbittlichen Hitze.

Gameplay Video des Zombie Shooters

Weitere Titel mit Omni Support sind Quell 4D einem Virtual Reality First-Person-Shooter im Retrostil und The Bellows einem VR-Horror-Spiel im Stil eines interaktiven Films, bei dem der Spieler in eine Welt der Dunkelheit und Albträume eintaucht, um sich der furchterregenden Vergangenheit zu stellen.

Partnerschaft zwischen Virtuix Omni und HTC

Zudem machte Virtuix auf der Vive Ecosystem Konferenz in Shenzen in China, die Ankündigung zur offiziellen Partnerschaft mit HTC. Dadurch steht dem Unternehmen die HTC Hardware zur Verfügung und man darf mit integrierten Omni Support für zukünftige HTC Vive Titel rechnen. Dies dürfte einen weiteren großen Schritt zur Fertigstellung der Kampagne bedeuten und neue Unterstützer anziehen.

(Quellen: VR Focus, Kickstarter)

Der Beitrag Virtuix Omni: Offizieller Partner von HTC und Support für Arizona Sunshine zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Virtuix Omni Becomes Official Hardware Partner of HTC, Native Arizona Sunshine Support Added

The Virtuix Omni was one of the earliest examples of a virtual reality (VR) related product to launch a Kickstarter. It was also one of the most successful, netting over $1.1 million USD in funding by the end of the campaign. Now the creators of the product, Virtuix, have announced three new games the Omni will support and that they will be partnering with HTC.

The end of last year saw some less-than-good news for backers of the Omni Kickstarter who lived outside of the USA as the company announced they would not be able to ship orders to those customers. After that disappointment, Virtuix and Omni needed to win back support. They hope to do so with the announcement that zombie survival game Arizona Sunshine will get Omni support.

Virtuix Omni Header

Arizona Sunshine is a videogame experience available on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift that puts the player in the role of one of the few human survivors of a zombie apocalypse as they try and hunt down fellow survivors. The zombies are not the only threat, however, the player must also learn how to navigate the vast, arid Arizona landscape, scavenge for supplies and survive the scorching heat.

 

Two other titles have been announced as featuring Omni support: Quell 4D, a fast-paced retro-style FPS and The Bellows, a narrative VR horror experience.

The other big news announced by Virtuix at the Vive Ecosystem conference in Shenzen, China, is that it is now a formal hardware partner with HTC, which will allow the company to work more closely with HTC hardware, and potentially integrate Omni support further into upcoming HTC Vive titles.

 

Further updates on the Omni are available on the Kickstarter update page.

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on the Virtuix Omni and other VR-related Kickstarter products and campaigns.

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Virtuix Unveils Omni Arena For HTC Vive

Yesterday VRFocus reported on Racket: Nx, a virtual reality (VR) videogame aiming to be an eSport of the future. Today we have another contender for such a title; this one from the team at Virtuix who are better known for the Virtuix Omni, perhaps the most well known of the omni-directional gaming treadmills currently on the market.

Omni Arena (1)

The game, developed by Virtuix’s internal game design department Virtuix Studios (TRAVR: Training
Ops,  TRAVR: Shadow Ops), is called Omni Arena. Which plays off the name of their most famous creation which is indeed a requirement for play. Taking place in what almost looks like a combination of skate park and wither a football pitch or basketball court, players must defend a number of point areas on the map referred to as ‘power cores’ from waves of robots hellbent on destroying them. Which is easier said than done when you have to run all over the map.

In it’s current guise Omni Arena possesses two maps and both single player and co-operative multiplayer modes although a future update, tentatively scheduled for later this year in April should see it gain a king-of-the-hill style game for up to four players.

 

Virtuix’s Jan Goetgeluk, the Founder and CEO of the company, had this to say. “Omni Arena was developed to combine the physical activity of the Omni with the thrill of eSports and the immersions of VR. The game provides an adrenaline
rush to the players and a visual spectacle to the audience. It’s well-suited for competitive gaming in VR arcades and gaming centers, and many of our location-based entertainment customers plan to organize Omni Arena tournaments and VR eSports leagues featuring the game. We plan to host a worldwide Omni Arena tournament later this year.”

VRFocus will bring you more details about the game and tournament plans when they are available.