HTC’s Cher Wang Given ‘Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award’ by AIXR

Cher Wang - HTC

The annual VR Awards created by The Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR) holds its event every November, highlighting the best companies, products and those working in the XR industry. One of its main awards is the ‘Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award’ which HTC founder and CEO Cher Wang has been given this year.

VR Awards 2019 image

HTC has been involved with the virtual reality (VR) industry for many years, initially with a firm focus towards consumers with the HTC Vive. Whilst still involved with the consumer sector via the Vive Cosmos, over the years the company has shifted more towards enterprise use cases, from hardware such as Vive Focus Plus and Vive Pro Eye to fostering new startups through its Vive X accelerator.

“I am honoured to receive this award, and dedicate it to all of our teams and partners who dared to dream and are working hard to make the vision happen,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC Corp in a statement. “It’s an exciting time to be in the industry. We’re still in the Age of Exploration for VR, discovering new use cases every day, and it’s been fantastic to see so many people, companies, schools, museums, and more recognise the potential for VR, and utilise it for collaboration, training, education, healthcare, art and culture, and even global sustainability. VR truly holds the key to a better world.”

Recently, HTC Vive launched the Vive XR Suite, designed to help businesses collaborate virtually, comprised of Vive Sync, Vive Sessions, Vive Campus, Vive Social, and Vive Museum; all with their own unique features. Whilst its distribution platform Viveport has been an important part of recent festivals such as Venice VR Expanded and LFF Expanded.

E3 2018 - HTC Vive

“We’re incredibly proud to name Cher as our ‘Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement’ award winner and hope that by showcasing her work, we can inspire the next generation of pioneers to do more, to break new barriers and continue to develop digital technology,” Daniel Colaianni, AIXR Chief Executive commented. “As always, we’re thankful to our partners at Accenture for their support which enables us to recognise achievement and nurture a flourishing industry as it continues to grow.”

This is the second year for the award which was previously by John Carmack. All the other award winners will be announced during the main event on 12th November 2020, held virtually for the first time inside VRChat. For further updates including the winners, keep reading VRFocus.

2020 Emmy Nominations Include Doctor Who: The Runaway And More

The 2020 Emmy Award nominations were announced today, and four VR experiences are featured across two categories — three in the Outstanding Original Interactive Program category and one in the Outstanding Derivative Interactive Program category.

The 2020 Emmy Awards ceremony is set for September 20 this year and, as expected, a few VR experiences have crept their way into the nominations across two interactive categories.

The nominations for Outstanding Original Interactive Program Category:

  • Rebuilding Notre Dame, a VR documentary from TARGO.
  • The Messy Truth VR Experience, an experience starring Winston Duke (better known as M’Baku from Black Panther) which focuses on race.
  • When We Stayed Home, a compilation of 360 degree videos from TARGO, documenting the empty streets of several cities in April of this year.

The three VR experiences are the sole nominations in the category this year, facing no non-VR competition. For example, VR experiences in the same category last year were also up against other non-VR interactive titles, such as the choose-your-own-adventure program You vs Wild available on Netflix, starring Bear Grills. The award was taken home by NASA’s InSight Mars Landing in 2019, beating out VR experiences Travelling While Black and First Man VR.

If you want to check them out, Rebuilding Notre Dame and When We Stayed Home are both available to view on Oculus Quest through Oculus TV.

The other area featuring a VR title this year is the similar, but slightly different, Outstanding Derivative Interactive Program category. The nominations for that are:

  • Big Mouth Guide To Life by Social Life and Netflix
  • Doctor Who: The Runaway by BBC and Passion Animation Studios

The former is not a VR experience, so here’s hoping The Runaway manages to bring it home. Ian checked out the 10-minute experience earlier this year, and called it a must-see for fans of the show. It’s available for free on Steam and the Oculus Store for PC VR.

What titles are you hoping take home the awards in September? Let us know in the comments.

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Asgard’s Wrath, Half-Life: Alyx Lead Race For AIXR’s 2020 VR Awards

The finalists for the fourth international 2020 VR Awards have been announced, with Asgard’s Wrath, Half-Life: Alyx and more in contention for the coveted VR Game of the Year award.

The international VR Awards aim to gather some of the biggest names of the industry to celebrate and recognize some of their biggest achievements and milestones over the last year in the world of virtual reality.

This year, the show will move to a virtual format in light of COVID-19, and will be hosted entirely in VRChat on November 22. In previous years, the VR Awards hosted a big ceremony in London — you can view our summary of the 2019 awards here.

The 2020 finalists are as follows:


VR Social Influencer

Nathie

Eric for President

Cas and Chary VR

Virtual Reality Oasis

Kent Bye


VR Game of the Year

Sanzaru Games – Asgard’s Wrath

Stress Level Zero – Boneworks

Cortopia Studios – Down the Rabbit Hole

Valve – Half-Life: Alyx

nDreams – Phantom: Covert Ops

Cloudhead Games – Pistol Whip

Insomniac Games – Stormland

Kluge Interactive – Synth Riders

Fast Travel Games – The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets

Fireproof Studios Ltd – The Room VR: A Dark Matter

Skydance Interactive – The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Schell Games – Until You Fall


VR Experience of the Year

Accenture – All Kinds of Limbo

Dimension – Britannia VR: Out of Your Mind

Magnopus – Elixir

Charlotte Mikkelborg – Fly

Funktronic Labs – Fujii

Force Field Entertainment – National Geographic Explore VR

Atlas V – The Dawn of Art

Tender Claws – The Under Presents

Zenart VR – Zen Universe


VR Film of the Year

Felix and Paul Studios – Algeria: A Spark of Light

Fabio Rychter & Amir Admoni – Gravity VR

Samantha Quick – Lutaw

Walt Disney Animation Studios – Myth: A Frozen Tale

Enrique Agudo – The Pantheon of Queer Mythology


VR Marketing of the Year

Khora – 360° VR Space Safari

Glassworks Barcelona – Audi e-tron Room: The Future Paradox

Imagination – Land Rover Defender VR Experience

ICEF – LONDONIST Student Accommodation Agency

EAB – This is USAFA

HIKKY CO., LTD. – Virtual Market 4

MALVI – VR Accommodation Experience


Rising VR Company of the Year

Cybershoes GmbH

Emperia

Evernever Games

Klip VR Immersive Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

VR Inn


Innovative VR Company of the Year

Ballast Technologies

Cleanbox Technology

EVA Esports Virtual Arenas

Kagenova

Orka

Qualcomm

Skydance Interactive

VISBIT Inc


VR Education and Training of the Year

VirtualSpeech – Collaborative Soft Skills Training in VR

Orka – DHL SLAM

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LTD – Large-Scale Multi-user Fuel Movement VR Training Simulator

ITI – ITI VR Construction Hazard ID

Make Real & Lloyds Banking Group – Relationship Management

TANTRUM Lab – McDonald’s Hospitality Training

MEL Science – MEL Chemistry VR

Accenture – Police Stop and Search VR Training

TAFE NSW – VR in Vocational Education & Training: Evaluating Effectiveness & Efficacy


VR Healthcare of the Year

FundamentalVR – Fundamental Surgery @HomeVR modality

Sector 5 Digital – Galderma Interactive Anatomy (GIA) VR

Health Scholars – Health Scholars ACLS VR Simulation Trainings

Make Real & NHS – Blood Identification VR

Oxford Medical Simulation – OMS: Interprofessional

PeriopSim – PeriopSim

Oxford VR – Social Engagement

Exonicus – Trauma Simulator


Out-of-home VR Entertainment of the Year

ILMxLAB & The VOID – Avengers: Damage Control

SOMNIACs – Birdly® – Paradise Lost

Ballast Technologies Inc. – DIVR+

Vertigo Arcades – Ghost Patrol VR

HOLOGATE – HOLOGATE ‘BLITZ’

The VOID – Jumanji: Reverse the Curse

The Dream Corporation – OTHERWORLD

Frontgrid – ParadropVR™ City Flyer

Wevr – TheBlu: Deep Rescue

REWIND – Universal Monsters Presents: Bride of Frankenstein holoride


VR Social Impact Award

AARP Innovation Labs – Alcove

Entropia XR – GALERIKU – A VR MUSEUM LIKE NO OTHER

RT – Lessons of Auschwitz: VR tribute by school students

East City Films & Chartered Society of Physiotherapy – Some Inattention On The Left


VR Enterprise Solution of the Year

Neutral Digital – British Airways First Class VR

MEDIASQUAD GmbH – BRP-Rotax VR Job Assessment

Enduvo – Enduvo 1.0

Accenture – Immersive Collaboration Platform (ICP)

Vrgineers, Inc. – US Airforce Flight Simulator

Immerse – Virtual Enterprise Platform


What are you predictions for the big categories? Let us know in the comments.

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Finalists for the 2020 VR Awards Include Half-Life: Alyx, Valve Index & Qualcomm

VR Awards 2019 image

This November the annual VR Awards will hold its fourth event, going digital for the first time via VRChat. In the run-up to the event, nominations are now in and the finalists have been revealed for the 13 categories, with some expected and unexpected entrants.

Half-Life: Alyx

The VR Awards 2020 is set to be the biggest yet for organiser The Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR). Now that the nominations are in a judging panel of industry experts will make their decision for the 12th November ceremony.

Additionally, tickets have now been made available, with a free tier providing access to the VR Awards 2020 via desktop or VR headsets. The £35 GBP ticket also gives holders access to online 1-to-1 matchmaking pre and during the event plus networking with similar ticket holders. The Professional VIP ticket at £199 then adds a bespoke and curated academy meet and greet sessions and collectors edition digital access.

Valve Index

Here’s the full list of award nominees:

VR Healthcare of the Year

  • Make Real & NHS – Blood Identification VR
  • FundamentalVR – Fundamental Surgery HomeVR modality
  • Sector 5 Digital – Galderma Interactive Anatomy (GIA) VR
  • Health Scholars – Health Scholars ACLS VR Simulation Trainings
  • Oxford Medical Simulation – OMS: Interprofessional
  • PeriopSim – PeriopSim
  • Oxford VR – Social Engagement
  • Exonicus – Trauma Simulator

VR Education and Training of the Year

  • VirtualSpeech – Collaborative Soft Skills Training in VR
  • Orka – DHL SLAM
  • GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LTD – Large-Scale Multi-user Fuel Movement VR Training Simulator
  • ITI – ITI VR Construction Hazard ID
  • TANTRUM Lab – McDonald’s Hospitality Training
  • MEL Science – MEL Chemistry VR
  • Accenture – Police Stop and Search VR Training
  • Make Real & Lloyds Banking Group – Relationship Management
  • TAFE NSW – VR in Vocational Education & Training: Evaluating Effectiveness & Efficacy

VR Enterprise Solution of the Year

  • Neutral Digital – British Airways First Class VR
  • MEDIASQUAD GmbH – BRP-Rotax VR Job Assessment
  • Enduvo – Enduvo 1.0
  • Accenture – Immersive Collaboration Platform (ICP)
  • Vrgineers, Inc. – US Airforce Flight Simulator
  • Immerse – Virtual Enterprise Platform

VR Social Impact Award

  • AARP Innovation Labs – Alcove
  • Entropia XR – GALERIKU – A VR MUSEUM LIKE NO OTHER
  • RT – Lessons of Auschwitz: VR tribute by school students
  • East City Films & Chartered Society of Physiotherapy – Some Inattention On The Left

Rising VR Company of the Year

  • Cybershoes GmbH
  • Emperia
  • Evernever Games
  • Klip VR Immersive Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
  • VR Inn

Innovative VR Company of the Year

  • Ballast Technologies
  • Cleanbox Technology
  • EVA Esports Virtual Arenas
  • Kagenova
  • Orka
  • Qualcomm
  • Skydance Interactive
  • VISBIT Inc

Out-of-home VR Entertainment of the Year

  • ILMxLAB & The VOID – Avengers: Damage Control
  • SOMNIACs – Birdly – Paradise Lost 
  • Ballast Technologies Inc. – DIVR+
  • Vertigo Arcades – Ghost Patrol VR
  • HOLOGATE – HOLOGATE ‘BLITZ’
  • The VOID – Jumanji: Reverse the Curse
  • The Dream Corporation – OTHERWORLD
  • Frontgrid – ParadropVR City Flyer
  • Wevr – TheBlu: Deep Rescue
  • REWIND – Universal Monsters Presents: Bride of Frankenstein holoride

VR Marketing of the Year

  • Khora – 360° VR Space Safari
  • Glassworks Barcelona – Audi e-tron Room: The Future Paradox
  • Imagination – Land Rover Defender VR Experience
  • ICEF – LONDONIST Student Accommodation Agency
  • EAB – This is USAFA
  • HIKKY CO., LTD. – Virtual Market 4
  • MALVI – VR Accommodation Experience

VR Film of the Year

  • Felix and Paul Studios – Algeria: A Spark of Light
  • Fabio Rychter & Amir Admoni – Gravity VR
  • Samantha Quick – Lutaw
  • Walt Disney Animation Studios – Myth: A Frozen Tale
  • Enrique Agudo – The Pantheon of Queer Mythology

VR Experience of the Year

  • Accenture – All Kinds of Limbo
  • Dimension – Britannia VR: Out of Your Mind
  • Magnopus – Elixir
  • Charlotte Mikkelborg – Fly
  • Funktronic Labs – Fujii
  • Force Field Entertainment – National Geographic Explore VR
  • Atlas V – The Dawn of Art
  • Tender Claws – The Under Presents
  • Zenart VR – Zen Universe

VR Hardware of the Year

  • Pimax Artisan
  • Valve Index
  • Oculus Rift S
  • Varjo VR-2
  • VRgineers, Inc. – XTAL 8K

VR Game of the Year

VR Social Influencer (New Category)

  • Cas and Chary VR
  • Eric for President
  • Kent Bye
  • Nathie
  • ThrillSeeker
  • Virtual Reality Oasis

For further updates on the VR Awards 2020, keep reading VRFocus.

VRChat to Host 4th VR Awards in October

VR Awards 2019

As many events have had to do this year, the annual VR Awards by the Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR) will be online only. Today, the AIXR has announced a partnership with VRChat to host the event.

VRCHAT

One of the longest-running virtual reality (VR) social platforms, VRChat has built a solid community thanks to customisable features. You can hop in and simply explore what’s been made, playing games or chatting with other users. Or for those who know how to use Unity, the VRChat SDK opens up a world of possibilities for the creation of avatars or new environments.

Hence why AIXR has partnered with the app to bring the 2020 VR Awards to life digitally. To help in this endeavour, the AIXR is seeking Unity creators from the VRChat and VR Awards community, whether they’re good at 3D animation, modelling, world-building and more.

If you’d like to get involved in an event celebrating the XR industry then fill out this form. Or if you just want to attend then you’ll need to download VRChat (which is free) for headsets like Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Valve Index. The awards are scheduled to take place on 27th October 2020.

VR Awards 2019 image

“Our primary goal for this VR Awards was to create the most impressive VR event experience to date – We are proud to be joined on this journey by our industry partners as well as talented creators and VR fans from across the world,” says Daniel Colaianni, Chief Executive, AIXR, in a statement.

The VR Awards will be celebrating virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) content across 13 categories including VR Hardware of the Year, Rising VR Company of the Year, VR Education & Training of the Year and the Accenture Lifetime Achievement Award – which John Carmack won last year.

Nominations were originally supposed to close in May but due to the current pandemic, the AIXR extended the window until 11:30 PM BST / 3.30 PM PDT on 11th June 2020. And for this year’s event, there will be a new public voting portal although no further details have been revealed regarding how this will operate. Traditionally, all the VR Awards are selected by a panel of judges from the XR industry.

As further details regarding the 2020 VR Awards are released, VRFocus will let you know.

Nominations Have now Opened for the VR Awards 2020

Hosted by The Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR), the annual VR Awards will be celebrating its fourth year in 2020 and because of the current pandemic will be going virtual for the first time. This week AIXR has opened the nominations, with 13 categories covering the breadth of virtual reality (VR) hardware and software.

VR Awards

The VR Awards will include the same categories as last year including the Accenture Lifetime Achievement Award which was previously won by John Carmack. While nominations will be deliberated on by an expert judging panel, 2020 will also feature a new public voting portal, with details released nearer the judging date.

“The VR Awards is the centre of recognition and celebration of achievement in VR. The nominations period is always an exciting period for us, as we get a chance to see some of the best projects from across the year. Going digital gives us a chance to bring those projects to the spotlight to more people than ever before,” said Daniel Colaianni, Chief Executive, AIXR in a statement.

VR Awards 2020 Categories

The VR Awards features 13 categories, including:

  • VR Hardware of the Year
  • VR Game of the Year
  • VR Experience of the Year
  • VR Film of the Year
  • VR Marketing of the Year
  • Rising VR Company of the Year
  • Innovative VR Company of the Year
  • VR Social Impact Award
  • VR Enterprise Solution of the Year
  • VR Education & Training of the Year
  • VR Healthcare of the Year
  • Out-of-Home VR Entertainment of the Year
  • Accenture Lifetime Achievement Award

AIXR

The nominations are open until 21st May 2020, with AIXR members entitled to one free complimentary nomination while non-members will have to pay. Each nomination costs £179+VAT GBP (total £214.80). VRFocus would assume the new public voting portal will be free to encourage consumers to vote but we’ll have to wait and see.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of the VR Awards 2020, reporting back with the latest news and updates.

The VR Awards Moves To Digital, In-VR Event For Its Fourth Year

The annual VR Awards will be returning for the fourth consecutive year later in 2020, but the show is going all-digital.

AIXR, the group behind the awards, is transitioning from the physical event previously held in London to an entirely online stream. Details are thin right now, but AIXR tells me it’s planning to let people join both in VR and on normal PCs and tablets.

The move was spurred in some part by the ongoing coronavirus crisis but AIXR also stressed that it had planned to move the VR Awards online for a long time. The current situation in the world just meant that this was the time to do it.

And so the event plans for a live panel paired with pre-programmed content. There will also be new reveals for upcoming VR content as with previous years.

Last year saw A Fisherman’s Tale take home the prize for VR game of the year. Not only that but Facebook’s John Carmack accepted a VR Lifetime Achievement Award. It was delivered just in case, given that Carmack now works part-time on VR, devoting himself largely to AI instead.

In the face of the current situation, other VR events have also moved online. Yesterday HTC held its annual Vive Ecosystem Conference in VR for the first time ever, for example.

The VR Awards will take place on October 27. Nominations for this year will open on March 26, with AIXR set to run Webinars featuring last year’s winners in April. Who do you think is shaping up to be an early frontrunner for best game? Let us know in the comments below!

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AIXR’s 4th VR Awards Will be Going Virtual for 2020

While big events like the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) are struggling to find relevance in 2020 due to the coronavirus, others are using the situation to explore steps into the future. The Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR) which hosts the annual VR Awards has announced plans to hold a digital ceremony for the first time later this year.

VR Awards

The international VR Awards will be celebrating its fourth year in 2020 and now plans on doing things a little differently, using state of the art technology to offer a fully immersive awards show.

There are many months until the event takes place but the team have already revealed plans to feature a live studio panel, complete with pre-programmed livestreamed content which will supposedly be ‘indistinguishable from a televised physical show.’

“From day one of launching the VR Awards, our goal always was to transition to a virtual space, to allow creators, no matter their location, to join via their browser, phone, VR headset and more. Given world climates, we’ve been handed an opportunity to make this a reality, and it was an offer we couldn’t refuse to innovate on,” said Daniel Colaianni, Chief Executive, AIXR in a statement.

VR Awards 2019

Details on how this will be achieved have yet to be revealed but it does look like AIXR will be employing digital avatars in some respect. HTC will be holding its Vive Ecosystem Conference (HTC 2020 VEC) in VR using VR Education’s ENGAGE platform.

2019’s VR Awards were quite the event with puzzle title A Fisherman’s Tale securing the VR Game of the Year, beating the likes of Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Blood & Truth and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice VR Edition. Oculus’ John Carmack – who stepped down as CTO to work on artificial general intelligence (AGI) – was given The Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nominations for the 2020 VR Awards begin next week on 26th March. AIXR will be running a series of webinars on 2nd and 23rd April 2020 for those interested in getting the most out of the nomination process, featuring last year’s winners. As further details regarding the new VR Awards format are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.