Virtual reality (VR) adoption is continuing to grow and likewise so are the amount of developers and the content that they create, which is great. However, there’s a catch when studios want to create multiplayer focused experiences. Originally it was the amount of players available that could cause issues, whereas now there’s a lot more content vying for gamers attention. One way to help ensure there are always players online is to support as many devices as possible, which is exactly what Cortopia Studios has done with magical combat title Wands.
Wands already supported HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Daydream. Now with the recent launch of Oculus Go and Lenovo Mirage Solo, Wands can now be played on both these headsets, offering an even wider choice of compatible head-mounted displays (HMD) and more match-making opportunities.
On the Lenovo Mirage Solo Wands can make full use of the headset’s WorldSense 6DoF tracking capabilities, so players can use the positional tracking to their advantage.
The title is a first-person, cross-platform, social VR PvP experience that pits players online against each other in magic duels, while others can watch through the custom-built spectator mode, enabling a full tournament experience. As players progress and level up they’ll be able to unlock more powerful spells, thus enabling strategic tactical changes depending on how they like to play. One of the most recent updates has added dynamic environments, meaning not only do players have to watch out for their opponent but also the world around them.
“Cortopia is an early pioneer of online competitive VR games,” says Cortopia Studios CEO, Andreas Skoglund in a statement. “With Wands, we’re very happy with the number of fans our title has attracted across the major platforms. Bringing our title to Oculus Go is a very important milestone for us, we are excited to welcome more future master wielders to compete in the global leaderboards in the beyond.”
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Wands, reporting back with the latest updates for the title.
Virtual reality (VR) adoption is continuing to grow and likewise so are the amount of developers and the content that they create, which is great. However, there’s a catch when studios want to create multiplayer focused experiences. Originally it was the amount of players available that could cause issues, whereas now there’s a lot more content vying for gamers attention. One way to help ensure there are always players online is to support as many devices as possible, which is exactly what Cortopia Studios has done with magical combat title Wands.
Wands already supported HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Daydream. Now with the recent launch of Oculus Go and Lenovo Mirage Solo, Wands can now be played on both these headsets, offering an even wider choice of compatible head-mounted displays (HMD) and more match-making opportunities.
On the Lenovo Mirage Solo Wands can make full use of the headset’s WorldSense 6DoF tracking capabilities, so players can use the positional tracking to their advantage.
The title is a first-person, cross-platform, social VR PvP experience that pits players online against each other in magic duels, while others can watch through the custom-built spectator mode, enabling a full tournament experience. As players progress and level up they’ll be able to unlock more powerful spells, thus enabling strategic tactical changes depending on how they like to play. One of the most recent updates has added dynamic environments, meaning not only do players have to watch out for their opponent but also the world around them.
“Cortopia is an early pioneer of online competitive VR games,” says Cortopia Studios CEO, Andreas Skoglund in a statement. “With Wands, we’re very happy with the number of fans our title has attracted across the major platforms. Bringing our title to Oculus Go is a very important milestone for us, we are excited to welcome more future master wielders to compete in the global leaderboards in the beyond.”
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Wands, reporting back with the latest updates for the title.
Magical PvP combat experience Wands has been out for a while, having arrived on Samsung Gear VR in 2016 before being ported to Google Daydream and Oculus Rift last year. Recently Cortopia Studios released a new update, version 1.3.6 adding plenty of new content. Yet its not stopping there, detailing plans for future updates to VRFocus.
In the 1.3.6 patch, the studio added five dynamic environments to make those matches that bit more interesting. Aspis Prison, Temple of Ophidian, Celestial Halls, Dead Master’s Vale and Ortus Station are the five new arenas, featuring rising magma that awakens a giant beast, hidden stone traps, a crystal that occasionally heals or attacks the nearest wielder and more.
Two new spells have also been added to the roster, Disc of Antioch: a disc that bounces the longer you charge it, which makes it an interesting choice in corridors; and Cerberus Collars, trap an opponent on a tile and they’ll damage them if they try to move.
As for the new stuff coming in the next couple of updates, John Milburn, CMO at Cortopia Studios has so far confirmed in an email that in version 1.3.7: “we’re focusing our efforts on making Wands more accessible and understandable for a wider audience.” So more headset support perhaps? Adding HTC Vive for example would be a sensible way to go.
Milburn also briefly touches on the 1.4 patch, saying: “And in 1.4 we’re releasing the wardrobe, where you can select between several different characters and your own look. Along with this we’re also adding a whole new arena, new spells and a tutorial mode.”
So for fans of the videogame there’s plenty of content planned for the future, greatly expanding upon the original mobile experience. Naturally, VRFocus will find out further details on Wands as Cortopia Studios continues developing further updates, so stay tuned for further announcements.
Im Oculus Store werden regelmäßig kostenlose Probewochenenden für diverse VR-Spiele angeboten, um eine Möglichkeit zu bieten interessante VR-Titel anzutesten. Nun kündigte Oculus nach dem kostenlosen Testwochenende vonEleven: Table Tennis VR zwei weitere Multiplayer-Titel zum Ausprobieren an: Wands und EVE: Valkyrie stehen innerhalb der nächsten zwei Wochen kostenlos auf Oculus Home zum Download bereit.
Kostenlose Probewochenenden für EVE: Valkyirie und Wands
Um die Kaufentscheidungen für VR-Spiele zu vereinfachen, hilft das Anspielen potenziell begehrter Titel. Wohl auch deshalb bietet Oculus regelmäßig kostenlose Probewochenenden an. Mit dem netten Nebeneffekt, die Spielerzahlen in Multiplayer-Titel zu erhöhen. Für den Monat Februar dürfen sich die Besitzer einer Oculus Rift und erstmals auch Gear VR auf spannende VR-Spiele freuen.
EVE: Valkyrie – Multiplayer-Weltraumgefechte für Oculus Rift
In EVE: Valkyrie dürft ihr euch in First-Person-Perspektive hinter das Steuer eines Raumschiffs begeben, um euer Können in fantastischen Weltraumschlachten zu beweisen. Seit der Veröffentlichung im Jahr 2016 erhielt der Multiplayer-Titel eine Vielzahl an Updates, sodass die Spieler mittlerweile jede Menge Abwechslung erwartet. Entsprechend darf man zwischen 13 verschiedenen Raumschiffen und fünf unterschiedlichen Spielmodi auswählen. Zudem bietet der VR-Titel einen Koop-Modus und Crossplattform-Support, um sowohl Besitzer einer PSVR, wie auch PC-Spieler gleichzeitig in die Sci-Fi-Welt zu schicken.
EVE:Valkyrie ist vom 15. Februar bis zum 19. Februar kostenlos innerhalb der Oculus Desktop App spielbar.
Wands – Duell der Magier für Oculus Rift und Gear VR
In Wands übernehmt ihr die Rolle eines Magiers, der mit einem Zauberstab bewaffnet mächtige magische Kräfte gegen seine Kontrahenten entfesselt. Der PvP-VR-Titel bietet schnelles und action-lastiges Gameplay in kompetitiven Runden gegen eure Mitspieler. Dabei sind Geschick und Strategie gefordert, denn ihr dürft insgesamt 22 verschiedene Zaubersprüche entdecken und miteinander kombinieren. In den unterschiedlichen Kampfarenen kommt eure Auswahl dann gegen eure Feinde zum Einsatz.
Wands wird für Oculus Rift und die Gear VR innerhalb der nächsten zwei Wochen kostenlos im Oculus Store verfügbar sein. Derzeit wurde das genaue Datum des Testwochenendes noch nicht angekündigt. Wir werden euch über die Bekanntgabe wie gewohnt auf dem Laufenden halten.
Virtual reality (VR) developers Cortopia launched its first title in August 2016. Titled Wands, it aimed to provide PC-level quality on mobile VR platforms, and even won awards for its efforts. The company has now succeeded in raising investment to continue its work in VR development.
Cortopia is hoping that the $2.4 million (USD) of investment will help with recruiting talented individuals and continue the development of Wandsand other VR titles. The company is hoping to further drive innovation in the VR sector, and as part of this, is aiming to develop Wands into a competitive VR esports title.
Wands has been one of the best-selling titles on the Samsung Gear VR, frequently topping the top selling videogames list for that platform, and was the recipient of the Best VR Game awards from the International Mobile Gaming Awards at GDC in 2017. Cortopia has worked closely with Samsung, as well as other VR hardware companies such as Oculus, Google and Pico.
“It has been a strategic and very intentional effort on our part to build great relationships with our platform partners. In addition to making great games, we want to make sure that we are a partner who sticks to the deadlines and makes use of the new VR technologies offered by the different platforms”, says Cortopia’s new CEO Andreas Skoglund, who came to the company is 2017, bringing with him his experience in working for DICE and Electronic Arts.
Cortopia is also working on developing new IPs and experiences for VR, and there are also indications that the company is looking into augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) for future projects.
“I am very excited about what AR will do, both in terms of how we consume entertainment and how we live our lives” he says and continues: “This new technology will introduce a whole new way of how we behave in everyday interactions and one of the major milestones we need to hit is understanding how games will look and work in this media 5 and 10 years from now.”
Further news about Cortopia and other developments in the VR industry will be here on VRFocus.
Wands is one of the most polished experiences on mobile VR headsets, and holds up well on high-end devices too. You can only expect to see the game grow in 2018; its developers just raised $2.48 million.
Swedish-based Cortopia Studios announced the news late last month in partnership with Init Invest. These funds — raised from several unnamed investors — will be used to turn Wands into a major multiplayer VR game (it already supports competitive modes) as well as develop new VR experiences and expand the team. Cortopia will also be looking into augmented reality technology going forward.
Wands itself has players taking part in multiplayer battles, casting spells that players can customize and bring into matches. It’s basically the Harry Potter VR simulator many of us have been waiting for ever since we picked up a headset.
We were quite fond of Wands when it first launched on Gear VR back in August 2016. “There are lots of different maps to battle on, an inventive spell customization interface, and some truly intense duels waiting to be had in the depths of this mysterious and mystical world,” we wrote in our review. One of our few complaints was that it was a game best suited for positional tracking but, since then, it’s been remastered for both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Look for more from Cortopia as the year goes on, then.
Das First-Person-Spiel Wands versetzt euch ähnlich wie The Unspoken in die Rolle eines Zauberers, der in actionlastigen Duellen gegen andere Magier im Einzelkampf antritt. Der VR-Titel ist bereits für Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VRund Google Daydream erschienen. Nun veröffentlichte das Entwicklerstudio Cortopia ihr VR-Spiel Wands offiziell für HTC Vive im Viveport. Eine Steam-Version folgt am 11. Dezember 2017. Zudem kündigten die Entwickler Crossplattform-Support für die verschiedenen VR-Brillen an.
Wands – Veröffentlichung für HTC Vive und kommender Crossplattform-Support
In Wands tretet ihr in schnellen und actionreichen Duellen gegen andere Spieler auf der ganzen Welt an, um zu beweisen, wer der beste Magier im Land ist. Dafür stehen euch insgesamt 22 verschiedene Zaubersprüche zur Verfügung, die ihr mit eurem Zauberstab auslöst. Von sengenden Feuerbällen über zerstörerische Blitze müsst ihr je nach Situation die richtige Wahl treffen, um siegreich aus dem Duell hervorzugehen.
Die Runden finden in diversen Kampfarenen statt und lassen sich sowohl im kompetitiven Modus für eine Rangliste oder im normalen Modus austragen. Die Fortbewegungsmethode findet über Teleportation zu festgelegten Punkten statt.
Im Jahr 2016 konnte sich das Zaubererduell den Titel des besten VR-Spiels im Bereich der Mobile Games sichern und wurde seitdem weiterhin mit Updates versorgt. So haben die Entwickler sowohl Balancing-, wie auch Gameplay- und Interface-Elemente verbessert. Außerdem soll in Kürze Crossplattform-Support für die verschiedenen VR-Plattformen folgen, sodass die Besitzer unterschiedlicher VR-Brillen miteinander interagieren können.
Das First-Person-Spiel erschien bereits im Oculus Store für Samsung Gear VR und Oculus Rift sowie im Google Playstore für Google Daydream. Nun folgte die Veröffentlichung im Viveport für die HTC Vive. Am 11. Dezember erscheint der Titel zudem auf Steam. Vermutlich wird die Steam-Version ähnlich wie im Oculus Store für 14,99 Euro erhältlich sein.
Wands (2017), the first-person magic-dueling game, is available today for HTC Vive via Viveport. Already supporting Gear VR, Daydream, and Oculus Rift platforms, developing studio Cortopia confirmed with Road to VR that cross-play with other headsets is coming today, or at very latest “later this week.”
The studio also confirmed that Wands is hitting Steam at some point “in the near future,” although they weren’t specific when it would occur. The Steam version predictably also advertises Oculus Rift support, which may also be the case for the Viveport version, although this remains to be seen.
Pricing still isn’t available at the time of this writing, but if the Viveport version holds true to the Oculus Home version, it should cost $15 when it officially launches later today. The game will also be available through Viveport subscription, HTC’s monthly games’ subscription service.
Wands features fast-paced 1v1 magic duels across a number of battle arenas. Wielding a wand with access to 22 different spells, you battle it out to the death in competitive and casual matches. Locomotion is achieved through node-based teleportation, much like The Unspoken (2016).
The game first released on mobile platforms in summer 2016, later followed with its Oculus Rift launch back in September 2017. As a part of its mobile VR legacy, Wands for HTC Vive also features equal support for gamepads and motions controllers.
You can download the Viveport version here. The purchase link should be live later today.
Rift versus Vive. Oculus Touch versus Vive wand. It seems like these are the only things you hear about any more in the virtual reality scene. But what if the answer to all of these questions was: neither. What if the true hero of the VR world is not some big, expensive system that demands a PC from the Batcave to properly function? What if the hero this industry deserves is small, scrappy, and — believe it or not — relatively cheap?
That’s right, I’m talking about a little headset called the Samsung Gear VR. It only costs $99, all it takes to run is a device that millions of people already carry in their pockets (a modern Samsung Galaxy, Android smartphone,) and it boasts some truly incredible games and experiences.
Don’t believe me? Geez you sound like my dad when I told him I wanted to be a writer instead of a doctor. I convinced him with a total lack of scientific ability, and I’ll convince you with this list of the nine best Samsung Gear VR games you can play right now. Let the opinion shifting begin!
Land’s End
Let’s start this list off strong. Land’s Endmight be the best game on the Samsung Gear VR. With a breathtaking oceanside setting, it stands as a constant reminder of just how amazing VR can look on the this beefy little headset.
The gameplay, puzzles, and mechanics all work together within the Gear’s unique ecosystem to create an experience just as, if not more, immersive than many titles on the more advanced platforms. If you have a Gear VR, do not let this one go unplayed.
The Well
Turtle Rock is better known for its VR scare-fest, Face Your Fears, but its recently-released, visually stunning RPG, The Well, is, well, well worth talking about (sorry). Battle fantastical creatures in this dungeon-crawler inspired experience while you explore the incredible world of Tholl.
The Well offers hours of content for just $4.99, and makes great use of Gear VR’s new controller. This will give you the long-missed traditional gaming thrills largely absent on Gear right now.
Augmented Empire
If you’re looking for a hardcore turn-based strategy RPG in VR you think you’d have to turn to systems like PC and console, right? Wrong; VR’s best SRPG is actually on Gear VR and living large. Augmented Empire from Esper developer Coatsink is probably the biggest game on Gear and completely worth your time.
Empire mixes up Xcom’s nail-biting strategic gameplay with a character roster you’ll come to care for thanks to a mission structure largely inspired by Mass Effect. The result is a surprisingly deep experience you won’t soon forget.
End Space
There are lots of space shooters on the Gear VR — we even included Anshar Wars 2 on this list already — but that game is arcade-fun with a hefty dose of multiplayer. End Space, on the other hand, feels like a much more simulation-esque approach, with a bit slower-pace, larger environments, and more structured objectives.
Fans of sci-fi games and space shooters specifically should absolutely have End Space in their library as there is more than enough content to keep you busy, with a great world and excellent single player missions. Plus, the game helped launch an entire game studio. You can read more about it on the Oculus Store.
Dark Days
Dark Days may not be as viscerally terrifying as another game appearing later on this list, but it remains one of the most psychologically troubling Gear VR games to date. Channeling the X-Files and Twin Peaks, Dark Days will task you with exploring creepy locales in order to untangle an occult mystery.
Just don’t be surprised if the occult starts to fight back.
Skylight
Skylight is the kind of game that’s difficult to describe because it combines genres in really clever ways. As a mixture of both turn-based and real-time strategy games, it defies convention and opens up the door for something really special in VR.
Being able to pop on a mobile VR headset and enter into an almost Enders Game-esque representation of space-based warfare is exciting and the tactical mindset required to win is nothing short of refreshing.
Affected: The Manor
This game will scare you. This game will make you scream. This game will cause your underwear budget to double. This game is Affected: The Manor.
Navigating the titular haunted mansion in this Gear VR title is nearly impossible to do without either closing your eyes, screaming at the top of your lungs, or dissolving into a complete psychotic breakdown. If you like being scared, or seeing your friends be scared, then Affected: The Manor is the game for you.
Wands
We’ve all picked up a pencil when no one’s looking and waved it around trying to make an object float, or turn an enemy into a frog. Wands captures that childlike dream of wizardry and translates it into a truly fun and creative Gear VR experience.
Battling with magic and developing your wizarding skills is made all the more enjoyable by the gothic art style that may make some of us feel a little better that we never got a letter from a certain castle in Scotland.
Minecraft
Question: What project could be so captivating that it demands the personal attention of one of gaming’s living legends and an Oculus senior executive? Answer: bringing Minecraft into VR.
John Carmack himself, the creator of DOOM and current CTO of Oculus, made translating the worldwide phenomenon onto VR platforms his personal pet project. He succeeded this year and Minecraft is now available to play on both the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR. Both entries are brilliant ports of an already amazing title that offer newcomers some immersive incentive to jump onboard, while also giving veterans a completely new perspective to enjoy the game they love.
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12/27/17 Update: Tactera was retired from this list to make room for Skylight.
11/23/17 Update: Anshar Wars 2 and Drop Dead were both retried from the list, while Augmented Empire and The Well were both added.
From now until the end of 2017, Google is offering a game bundle worth $40 with every Daydream View purchase, which includes some of the platform’s best titles. Google’s updated VR headset was announced this week alongside their Pixel 2 smartphones, and begins to ship on October 17th.
Announced on Tuesday, the new version of Daydream View – a VR headset enclosure for Daydream-ready Android smartphones – has improved upon the original design in subtle but important ways, with new optics, ergonomics, and a passive heat sink – read our hands-on article for some initial impressions.
The new headsets begin shipping October 17th; the game bundle will remain available until December 31st, and must be redeemed by January 15th 2018.
