Fancy ringside seats to the biggest matches in the WWE? They’re only a VR headset away.
NextVR this week announced that it had formed a partnership with the wrestling brand to bring highlights from its biggest matches to its app later this year. As reported by Variety, six episodes are to be produced, running around 10 minutes in length each. You’ll see every punch, kick, and ungraceful stage dive as if you were there in person.
Just like the rest of NextVR’s content, the highlights will be free to download on headsets that actually support the NextVR app, which includes PlayStation VR, Google Daydream, Gear VR and Microsoft’s new Windows-based ‘Mixed Reality’ devices. Previously, WWE highlights appeared on Samsung’s own 360-degree video platform for Gear, but this latest move will ensure more fans have access to this content.
This isn’t NextVR’s only big news this week. Over at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas the company revealed its new broadcast solution that will actually allow viewers to physically move around inside 360-degree content. Look for much more from the team as the year goes on.
The weekend is here and that means it’s time for the first of our three regular weekend features here on VRFocus. We begin, as always, buy taking a look back over the last seven days to some of the stories that you may not have known regarding all manner of sports and how they are looking to implement immersive technologies. By which we mean virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR). As usual there’s been quite the variety of things going on, including some that has been on the cards for a while – but has somehow never happened or expressly been confirmed.
Intel Makes Another Broadcasting Deal, Teams With Turner & NBA
We begin with basketball, and news of a multiyear partnership between Turner Sports and Intel, that will see Intel become the exclusive provider of VR content NBA on Turner Network Television, better known as TNT. The deal in the latest in a seriesof moves into live broadcasting, partnering with major sporting events and organisations
Intel will be utilising their Intel True VR technology to produce content beginning with the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, Intel will enable fans to experience some of the biggest showdowns in the championship courtesy of the new NBA on TNT app that is due to be released shortly for Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream. As well as live content Intel is partnering with the NBA and will become its official partner on a global scale for all broadcast partners, through them bringing 360 degree volumetric video to potentially 215 countries.
This would, on the face of things also seem to leave previous partner NextVR out in the cold, although individual teams may well have their own deals.
“This is an exciting time to be a basketball fan, and we are thrilled to be working with Intel and Turner Sports to make virtual reality and 360 degree content from the NBA on TNT games available,” NBA Vice President of Global Media Distribution. Jeff Marsilio said in a statement. “We are committed to bringing the most innovative and immersive experiences possible for our fans.”
“Intel is working with leagues and sports organizations all over the world to develop and deliver the most cutting-edge immersive media experiences that will make sports more engaging for the next generation of fans.” Explained Vice President and General Manager of Intel Sports, James Carwana. “This unique partnership with the NBA will enable us to
work with official league broadcasters, including Turner Sports, to take their broadcasts to an unprecedented level and create new ways to immerse viewers in the game.”
“Turner Sports and Turner Ignite Sports have been at the forefront of delivering thrilling new experiences to fans. This unprecedented partnership, with Turner Sports as the first NBA broadcast partner to offer the latest Intel VR technology, does just that,” added Will Funk, Executive Vice President of Property Marketing and Corporate Partnerships for Turner Sports. “We look forward to bringing this partnership to life through our broadcasts, as well as telling the story behind the power of Intel’s True VR technology in other unique, unexpected ways.”
Manchester United Move Into VR For Training
This Week In VR Sport has been going for well over a year at this point and in all that time we’ve covered many a story about football teams developing an interest in VR and AR, predominantly in two areas: connecting with fans and training. Yet arguably the biggest team in football has been relatively coy in getting involved.
We have featured Manchester United a couple of times on VRFocus before, United players were involved in a 360 degree video back in February, but that was for sponsors Swissquote and not their own doing. Back in 2016 it was also revealed that former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal had considered the possibility of using VR as part of his training scheme at the club but ultimately the decision was deferred.
Now Mi Hiepa – a partnership of Hiepa, a sports data specialist company and the Manchester based developer Mi – will be bringing their coaching system Mi Heipa Scout, which utilises gamification, to Manchester United’s academy. It is hoped it will help train the next generation of players and help hone their decision making in match situations.
“For the first time, coaches, managers, scouts and sports directors can produce rapid, standardised, measurable and comparable results from talent pools that may have been previously unmanageable.” Explain the company on their website. “At the same time existing talent can be progress-tracked and improved. Our Elite solutions help your best players get better mentally and physically through individual training drills. Our proprietary limb tracking mechanism enables us to track the movement of a player’s feet and shins independently in 3d space.”
“The product has been developed and perfected with input from physiotherapists, sports scientists and football clubs themselves and it’s extremely rewarding that Manchester United has recognised the benefits that Mi Hiepa will deliver to its already incredibly successful youth setup,” explained Andy Etches of Mi Heipa. “We have plans for significant growth and hope to be expanding our 15-strong team in Manchester with a raft of new appointments over the coming months”
“At Manchester United we’re proactive about embracing innovative new ways of learning.” Manchester United’s Tony Strudwick added. “We were impressed by the Mi Hiepa virtual reality tool, which works by homing in on players’ decision making skills and training them in isolation. Gamification works really well with younger players and it provides the motivation they need for improvement. In the modern world of producing young footballers, this is just the kind of innovation that will give us a competitive edge.”
VRFocus will bring you more news on the developments at Mi Heipa in the future as they look to expand and secure additional partners.
VR For WWE? It’s “Custom Made” For It Says HHH
Our thrice weekly look at all things 360 degree video, Life In 360 has featured WWE on several occasions as they have experimented with producing content in that format – and its important for that format they do. Why? Because it may surprise you to know that World Wrestling Entertainment are one of the biggest portals for video on the internet. In 2014 17.7% of all livestreamed video content came from WWE, making it second only to Twitch (43.6%)
It’s important that the company stay on the cutting edge of fan engagement, as Paul Levesque was explaining to CNBC in Lisbon recently. Levesque is better known by his in-ring identity as Hunter Hearst Helmsley. aka Triple H. Nowadays though his work is more outside the ring both as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE, and his continued role as the founder and Senior Producer of its developmental programme NXT.
Speaking at the Web Summit technology conference earlier this week Levesque noted VR could become a part of their flagship event Wrestlemania, going forward.
“In some ways, it is kind of custom-made for what we do and I think as the technology improves it will get better and better.” Said Levesque. “Everybody wants to be there live and in person and if its Wrestlemania and you can put a headset on, or whatever that device is at the time, and you can actually put yourself on that front row sitting there experiencing it… that’s a whole different point of view.”
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WWE and Psyonix have partnered up to promote Rocket League at upcoming WWE shows. In-game footage will be showcased during events and playable stations will be set up in the arenas themselves.
It’s that time again where we take a weekend re-visit of a Life In 360° item and follow-up with some more information or content. We previously had one back in February where we revealed some behind the scenes information relating to the making of the Dragonwatch 360° VR Experience. This time we’re revisiting last Monday’s post where we featured all the 360 degree content coming out of WWE Wrestlemania weekend, which included interviews with WWE superstars Chris Jericho and Sasha Banks and also a near ten minute debate between multi-time World Champions (as well as now General Managers on opposite WWE brands) Daniel Bryan and Kurt Angle on how a dream match between the two would have gone down.
A week later and WWE have followed up with another video, this time from during Wrestlemania 33 itself, and since we’re not likely to return to the ring on Life In 360° for several months it’s worth an add on. Especially as it shows the introduction of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E, aka The New Day, at the show. Who though not wrestling, were the hosts for the event.
WWE mounted a 360 degree camera to the New Day’s ice cream cart – it’s a long story – and you can actually ride along with The New Day down what is quite possibly the longest stadium ramp in history.
Incidentally, if you’re wondering what the trio are dressed up in, WWE had an advertising tie-in with Square Enix to promote the latest Final Fantasy title during the show – and who better to show that than the group who so often feature on Austin Creed’s (Woods) YouTube gaming channel UpUpDownDown?
VRFocus will be back tomorrow at the usual time for your first scheduled look into the 360 degree video content out there to enjoy.
Welcome back to another week in the world of virtual reality (VR) and it is the day after the night before. The day after the ‘ultimate thrill ride’ as it was styled this year; WWE’s showpiece annual event Wrestlemania. (Though in truth this is actually being written during the event itself.) As such, since we do check in with them on Life In 360° – they are one of the biggest suppliers of video content on the Internet after all – it only seems appropriate that we do so today once again. Especially since in the run up to the event WWE released a number of 360 degree videos to promote it.
We start with the first chronologically in which current Smackdown General Manager and former WWE champion Daniel Bryan sits down with Kurt Angle, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday and Renee Young to discuss what the result would be in a hypothetical dream match between the two.
Next up, Renee Young again speaks to “The Boss” Sasha Banks in the run-up to her participation in last night’s Fatal 4 Way match for the Raw Women’s Championship. The pair watch back Banks’ Wrestlemania 32 performance with some behind-the-scenes information as well.
Lastly, Young speaks with Chris Jericho on the eve of his Championship defense against Kevin Owens. Jericho is a veteran of the squared circle in the truest sense of the word and is one of only a handful of individuals to perform at more the event on more than ten occasions. The pair look back on his career and his Wrestlemania moments.
VRFocus will be back with more 360 degree goodness on Wednesday.
For those that follow wrestling the road to Wrestlemania is well under way following last night’s Royal Rumble pay per view event by WWE.
We’ve covered them a couple of times recently on the Saturday VR In Sports articles thanks to the adventures of their stars on the PlayStation VR. They have also appeared a coupleof times on Life In 360° thanks to occasional ‘WWE 360’ videos. It’s been a while since we featured those however, partly because it’s been a little while since WWE itself featured them on its channel.
That being said, they recently released two videos featuring superstars Bailey and The Undertaker which puts you on the front row of the crowd for their entrances. You can view them both below.
VRFocus will be back on Wednesday with another trip into the realm of 360 degree video.
For VRFocus’ weekly round up of sporty virtual reality (VR), we’ve got a wrestling superstar who tries PlayStation VR with a few jump scares, NFL legend Joe Montana will soon be launching VR experience Montana 17, and indie developer Dariusz Pietrala looks for funding to create an immersive version of mobile title Ski Jump.
WWE Superstar BIG E Gets Scared Playing Until Dawn: Rush of Blood on PS VR
Last weeks feature included WWE wrestlers Cesaro and R-Truth trying PlayStation VR Worlds Collection‘s The London Heist and Danger Ball respectively. Some of the best VR related videos on YouTube usually involve scary titles and this next one is no different. WWE Superstar BIG E gets to play Supermassive Games’ on-rails horror shooter Until Dawn: Rush of Blood to hilarious effect.
NFL Star Joe Montana Set to Launch VR Project Montana 17
NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and video game veteran Damon Grow have co-founded a new studio called Superstar Games. For its first project the fledgling studio will launch Montana 17, a VR American football title that will support both Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR.
Providing an experience from the quarterback’s perspective, Montana 17 is a seven-on-seven all-passing game with four quarters. Daydream will control the QB with its supplied remote, while Gear VR users will use the touchpad.
Montana 17 will be licensed by the NFL Players Association, allowing NFL superstars like Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Odell Beckham Jr., and Montana himself to feature.
“To be at the frontier of a new dawn of gaming medium was too good to pass up,” said Grow, CEO of Superstar Games, reports Sport Techie. “What we tried to accomplish is transporting the mind to the world of football. To give you the sense of elation and presence of actually being in the game being cheered on by thousands of fans. It’s quite exhilarating. Hearing the crowd, the strategy of picking plays in real time, the crunch of getting tackled at the line of scrimmage and playing as your current football heroes.”
Ski Jump VR Seeks Indiegogo Funding
Ever fancied giving ski jumping a go but been a little too scared to try? Well indie developer Dariusz Pietrala has the solution with his VR experience Ski Jump VR. Originally a mobile title for iOS and Android, Pietrala now plans the upgrade the title buy supporting PC, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift head-mounted displays (HMDs).
Looking for funding via Indiegogo, the developer looks to raise $2000 USD to bring the project to fruition. The basic video game will come with 10 hills and 3 gameplay modes to master, but stretch goals will expand this further. If the campaign hits $5000 then 5 more hills will be added, $10,000 for another 5 and $25,000 for even more.
Wrestling, especially the WWE, is an incredible window into sports drama. Since inception, this American past time has maintained a degree of excitement built upon high-flying athletes, bloody rivalries, infectious personalities, and stylish violence. Business Insider sat down with Michelle Wilson, WWE’s Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, about the growing amount of digital content they’ve created, and revealed fans may get the chance to leap from the top ropes with VR as the driving force for some new ideas.
The crux of these newer developments, as so put forth by Wilson during the interview, revolves around the company’s understanding that they’re no longer creating content just for those watching on television, but also on other media devices. They’re adapting to Snapchat and Facebook live with their digital team of 100 – 120 people, including many that utilize those types of social platforms regularly. They’ve shifted over the last five years, growing from 750 hours of content every year to 1500 across long-form television production and the short-form stylings that fit on the more quickly consumed formats like YouTube. They may soon be adding another format to their repertoire as well.
“VR is a really interesting thing to watch for us,” Wilson said. “We know that our fans want to be literally in the ring with our superstars. So I think AR and VR is something we’re really paying attention to.” She goes on to point out that “where” fans will be able to experience these is what they’re thinking about and, in response to a question, she said they’re already testing and evaluating VR and AR technology.
The WWE has already embraced 360-degree video, showing off a new perspective on some of the exciting moments from their television broadcasts.
It’s Friday, which means we all have 24 hours (or so) remaining before we get to enjoy a well deserved weekend. Unless you are working – in which case my commiserations. To begin our collective sprint to freedom I’ve got something much longer than the usual fare you see on Life In 360°. Clocking in at over 8 minutes we have an entry connected with YouTube’s Room 301 series of videos from this Halloween just gone.
In it, Dwayne Johnson – aka The Rock – appears after two time travelling tour guides (and you) end up discovering that what was thought to be hocus pocus and mumbo jumbo was most definitely not anything of the sort. The magic of Room 301 is real – and the result could be the end of everything. Created by Studio 71 and The Big Picture Company in conjunction with Seven Bucks Digital Studios, The Rock Presents: Escape From Calypso Island is one you’ll definitely want to see with your compatible HMD on.
It seems Johnson can’t get enough of the jungle at the moment, as he’s currently filming the role of Dr. Smolder Bravestone (and what a name that is) for next year’s sequel/reboot of 1995 movie Jumanji. With The Rock involved it seems it might be a case of “In the jungle you must wait, until you know know your role and shut your mouth.”
VRFocus will be back on Monday with another Life In 360°, until then you can see Escape From Calypso Island below, which – be warned – is not for kids and contains strong language.
This would, on the face of things also seem to leave 
Now Mi Hiepa – a partnership of Hiepa, a sports data specialist company and the Manchester based developer Mi – will be bringing their coaching system Mi Heipa Scout, which utilises gamification, 
A week later and WWE have followed up with another video, this time from during Wrestlemania 33 itself, and since we’re not likely to return to the ring on Life In 360° for several months it’s worth an add on. Especially as it shows the introduction of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E, aka The New Day, at the show. Who though not wrestling, were the hosts for the event.