VRTech – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

August 27, 2018

Preview: World of Tanks VR – Well On Track

A long time ago VRFocus questioned Wargaming about the possibility of a virtual reality (VR) edition of World of Tanks. Given the success of competing online war machine simulator War Thunder within the new medium it seemed only natural for Wargaming to be looking into doing the same. At the time a representative of the company explained that it wouldn’t work for tanks in the same way as planes, and that a great deal of experimentation would have to be undertaken before World of Tanks could make such a jump. That jump, it seems, is into location-based entertainment (LBE).

World Of Tanks VR - Logo Wargaming, with the support of Neurogaming and VRTech, unveiled World of Tanks VR earlier this year. It’s most definitely an aside to World of Tanks – a spin-off experience designed for fans and newcomers alike – opposed to integrating VR into the existing online videogame. That brings both strengths and weaknesses into play, but also allows for Wargaming to pitch the experience perfectly for LBE execution.

Limited to four players, each dons their HTC Vive and prepares for war by choosing their preferred tank. In a significant update from when VRFocus first experienced World of Tanks VR, there are now a small selection of tanks available each one with statistics bars demonstrating firepower, reload speed, acceleration etc. Players are no longer limited to fast or slow, heavy or spread. Tactical ambition is now at play not just in the positioning of your tank, but also in the way you engage your enemies.

The World of Tanks VR controls are complicated at first, but soon it becomes natural. The tank will accelerate forward towards the direction the player faces, however given the large bulk of machinery may take some time to turn tight corners. Meanwhile, the player’s central viewpoint will always represent their firing arch in real-time. The player must combine navigation and maneuvering with lining-up that shot on the weak point in the enemy tank’s armour for maximum efficiency, and their best chance of escaping unhindered.

World of Tanks VR - Key Art

With a new map also on display at Gamescom 2018, Cologne, players were invited to work on new strategies revolving around a central chokepoint. The previous map VRFocus experienced was designed to grant a height advantage to those who lied in wait upon a hilltop, with an open plane providing little in the way of cover below. This new map, conversely, is too uneven to offer much in the way of an overview, but pushing into the busy central area looking for a kill can leave you open to attack from every direction; a bridge that provides access to spawn points at either end of the map makes you an obvious and easy target even for those shooting from the hip.

Matches in World of Tanks VR are only a few minutes long and consist of two rounds. It’s very much a simplified experience; one designed less for the passion of tanks and more for the thrill of battle. That’s no bad thing however, as World of Tanks VR stands as an interesting LBE title that may introduce new audiences to the core online experience in a sort of role-reversal for Mario Kart Arcade GP VR: World of Tanks is a franchise set to benefit from VR, opposed to being a benefit to its reputation.

You can also check out our hands-on with augmented reality (AR) counterpart World of Tanks AR Spectate from Gamescom, here.

January 23, 2018

Wargaming to Develop ‘World of Tanks VR’ for VR Arcades

Wargaming—the company behind free-to-play titles World of Tanks (2010), World of Warplanes (2013), and World of Warships (2015)—has announced development of a new title, World of Tanks VR, under development for deployment into VR arcades.

While the original World of Tanks itself isn’t getting VR support (at least for now), the company has announced the formation of Neurogaming, a new VR studio that’s a joint venture between Wargaming and VRTech, a Russia-based VR developer.

As part of its work on CinemaVR, a “scalable, location-based entertainment VR solution focused on session-based multiplayer and co-op games,” which will be offered as white-label VR arcade for those who want to operate their own business, Neurogaming is developing World of Tanks VR, which will be offered through the CinemaVR locations.

World Of Tanks VR To Roll Out As Location-Based VR Experience, Care of Wargaming’s New Firm Neurogaming

For some videogame developers you get a whole raft of titles. Some are hits, some are misses and some are diamonds in a rather hefty skip full of rough. Then there are the developers who develop the occasional title all of which are critically acclaimed but they never seem to make much in the way of money. Artisan developers. Then there are those videogame developers who may as well be wearing a lab coat and long black rubber gloves, playing with electricity harvested from lightning bolts by a dirty great antenna sticking out of the top of their offices. These developers don’t just make videogames, like Doctor Frankenstein before them they bring life to a videogame monster, one that keeps going and going and cannot be stopped.

World of Tanks is one such monster. Since it rolled onto the scene over seven years ago in August 2010, the massively multiplayer online (MMO) – and free to play – videogame has made Wargaming a publishing juggernaut. A global hit played diligently the world over, over 200 million players now enjoy Wargaming’s titles which can be found across all the major gaming platforms and has spawned several spin-offs. Including naval stragegy title World of Warships.

Now, however, there’s going to be a new way to get yourself immersed into the epic tank battles of World War II – Wargaming are officially bringing World of Tanks to virtual reality (VR) – and location-based VR at that.

They are doing so. along with partners VRTech, through the founding of global location-based VR company Neurogaming. A Cyprus based firm, which already has a development studio in Russia and plans to open offices in Amsterdam and New York later this year. Neurogaming is currently at work on scalable, location-based VR solution CinemaVR which has already seen success throughout 2017. This is in addition to PolygonVR, a high-end, location-based entertainment solution which includes VR platform and is targeted to both competitive long-play multiplayer and eSports. Something VRFocus got to try out at last year’s Gamescom event. Neurogaming will be launching its own ‘Platform-as-a-Service’ to VR locations this year.

“With location-based VR, we make the experience more affordable and accessible. Moreover, unlike any other developer, our biggest aim is to change the experience from one-time involvement to a long-term engaging story with co-op and competitive elements.” Explains World of Tanks‘ creator Slava Makarov, who is also a Strategic Advisor for Neurogaming. “Working with the World of Tanks IP and creating an experience for its 180 million community is a massive and exciting opportunity for us.”

This will not be Wargaming’s first look into VR however, VRFocus has reported on numerous times the studio’s ‘Special Projects Unit’ has utilised immersive technology. Including a 360 degree experience onboard the HMS Belfast, celebrating the tank, taking a trip inside the HMS Cavalier and using Google Tango and Hololens to bring tanks from the videogame into reality. We will of course bring you further updates on how World of Tanks VR develops and more information about the developments at Neurogaming and Wargaming as we get them.

August 31, 2017

Don’t Think VR Has A Future? Wait Until You Try Wargaming.net’s Free Roaming VR

Wargaming.net is renown around the world for its online tank-based multiplayer World of Tanks (WoT). The company also dabbles in plenty of future tech like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to ensure it stays up with current trends, such as its VR spectating experiment during the WoT 2016 Grand Finals or the Tank 100 app. Then earlier this month the company announced a partnership with Russian VR specialist VRTech, to bring its location-based entertainment to Europe. The first unveiling of which took place at Gamescom 2017 and VRFocus was there to try it out.

If you’ve read VRFocus‘ previous coverage you’ll know that VRTech’s system comes in two flavours, Cinema VR and Polygon VR. The former is the simpler of the two which VRTech franchises out. This involves a setup rig that’s 5 metres by 5 metres, consisting of four HTC Vive’s suspended from the top of the metal framework. This allows all cabling to be off the floor giving players a reasonable movement range much like you’d have in a home setup. The system also allows up to four players in one session.

Wargaming-VRTech

For the Cinema VR demonstration one videogame was playable, a first-person shooter (FPS) called RevolVR. This was essentially a wild west shootout scenario, very similar in fact to Dead and Buried. After activating the character select wheel – which chooses automatically – each player finds themselves dotted around a small level, with a limited amount of cover to hide behind. It’s then a case of killing your opponents as quickly as possible, either with body shots or a few well placed headshots with the pistols provided – no other guns were available.

This sort of title is ideal for a setup like this, limiting movement to ducking behind cover and popping up to take a shot. While it won’t amaze gamers who are well attuned to VR, it will certainly impress those who’ve never even tried VR – and that’s the point – as the locations will be in shopping centres or amusement arcades for example. And for this purpose Cinema VR does an admiral job.

Switching to Polygon VR however is another ball game entirely. This is wireless, complete free roaming gameplay, much like The VOID or Zero Latency. This has an area of 10 metres by 10 metres, using an MSI backpack, StrikerVR gun, and a customised Oculus Rift headset. Again, this is designed for four players but now there’s plenty of kit to wear as the system tracks your entire body. So attached to your feet, legs, waist, elbows, hands and head are markers – similar to mo-cap setups – enabling operators to track every movement of your body for full immersion.

This is definitely not the sort of attraction you’ll find in a shopping mall, it’s way to big, complicated and time consuming to setup, this is one for theme parks. Just getting everything hooked up and ready took at least 20 minutes, with the videogame taking about 15-20 minutes to complete. Here’s the thing, put four friends into Polygon VR and they’re going to have a brilliant time, or they should do. When VRFocus tried the experience it was with two strangers who only spoke pigeon English which made it hard to build up a team dynamic with a solid plan on achieving success, but it was easy to tell how that would work with some buddies.

The actual videogame on demonstration was called Paragon, a military shooter where you had to ascend a tower, taking out machine gunners and snipers, punching in codes to activate sections to eventually free a UFO before getting picked up in a helicopter.

VRTech - CinemaVR

In parts it was amazing, just like VR in general has to be seen to be understood, this type of VR takes the technology to a whole different level and you’d want every immersive experience to be like this. However it wasn’t all plain sailing, at times things glitched out and became almost unplayable.

When things ran smoothly the ability to just wander around a platform, picking off enemies, then moving to another position, seeing a team mate and having to remember to physically walk around them was as equally weird as it was brilliant. Home consumer VR is immersive that’s for sure but this dials that up to eleven – laser quest just won’t cut it anymore.

Now this may have been due to Gamescom and the fact that any sort of wireless communication is horribly unstable, there were times when things just didn’t work. Trying to punch a four digit code in became a test of perseverance and luck, hit the wrong number and trying to delete it would erase the previous numbers, building that feeling of wanting to hit the keypad before realising it wasn’t physically there.

Then at times the tracking went so suddenly one of the other team members would have their feet above their heads, arms contorted into some unfathomable position like a freaky Picasso painting. The most annoying however was when the gun lost tracking, it was visually there but not in the same place as the actual gun, or it would glitch about so trying to shoot a sniper nestled into a tower became almost an impossibility.

So there were some issues granted. After finishing the demo though all that fell away to leave a feeling of excitement. Like any new tech finding its feet there are going to be hurdles to cross, and VR has overcome many with plenty more still to go. One thing’s for sure, location-based, free-roaming needs to be a part of VR’s future and Wargaming.net and VRTech are on the right path, now where are the tanks!

August 18, 2017

Wargaming to Showcase VRTech’s Polygon VR and Cinema VR at Gamescom 2017

Earlier this month VRFocus reported on World of Tanks developer Wargaming.net announcing a partnership with Russian virtual reality (VR) specialist VRTech, to bring the latter’s location-based immersive experiences to Europe. Well that’s happening sooner rather than later with Wargaming.net’s stand at Gamescom 2017 to showcase Polygon VR and Cinema VR.

Polygon VR and Cinema VR are essentially two sides of the same coin. The first provides the experiences and tech required to play in VR, with VRTech creating its own in-house first-person shooter (FPS), a ‘School of Magic’ team exercise and a puzzle solving adventure, all of which are multiplayer based.

VRTech - CinemaVR

While Cinema VR is the location solution that VRTech franchises out to various locations across Russia. With enough play area for up to four people.

Alongside VRTech, Wargaming.net will also have plenty of tank related stuff going on, taking up 1400 m² of show floor with new iterations of World of Tanks on PC and consoles, World of Warships, and a public world premiere of Creative Assembly’s Total War: ARENA.

Talking about Gamecom 2017, Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming said: “For Wargaming and each of our employees, who are gamers by heart, the shows and meetings at our two gamescom booths are the highlight of each year. We are so proud to finally unveil all our latest achievements, future games and put on a great show to our true fans plus thousands of new players. We’ll have chance to chat, get their feedback and deliver truly legendary and fun experience during five amazing days in Cologne. This is also our chance to meet most of our current and potential future partners in person to strengthen our business relationships and to be even more successful together in the future.”

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Wargaming.net, reporting back with the company’s latest VR projects.

August 11, 2017

Wargaming and VRTech Forge Partnership Providing Location-based VR Gaming

World of Tanks developer Wargaming.net has announced a collaboration with Moscow-based virtual reality (VR) company VRTech to bring location-based immersive experiences to the European market.

VRTech is known for location-based VR solutions, including CinemaVR and PolygonVR. The collaboration is set to combine VRTech’s solutions and Wargaming’s expertise in game design and visual effects.

VRTech - CinemaVR

“The potential of taking location-based VR to a new level is an opportunity we had to capitalize on,” said Aleksandr Zezulin, R&D Operations Director at Wargaming in a statement. “With this partnership, we are planning to change the public perception of VR from a one-time experience to a source of fun, re-playable entertainment. This type of new business for Wargaming is a scalable, successful set-up that will help us produce high-quality entertainment.”

“We’re excited to announce our strategic partnership with Wargaming,” said Yuri Krylov, CEO of VRTech. “This unique collaboration has all the chances of changing the VR market, and we welcome location and IP owners in EU to join our partnership on this exciting journey.”

VRTech launched in December 2016, bringing its VR booths to over 20 locations in cinemas and malls in Russia’s largest cities. Its first European showcase of CinemaVR and PolygonVR technology will happen during Gamescom 2017 this month.

Wargaming.net has supported VR and augmented reality (AR) in various forms over the last couple of years. Promotions have included a partnership with the Tank Museum at Bovington, as well as creating content for other museums around the world, such as the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the RAF Museum, and the Pacific Battleship Centre.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Wargaming.net, reporting back with further VR updates.