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Hidden Path Brings Popular Tower Defence Title Defense Grid 2 to Gear VR

This week Hidden Path Entertainment has brought its highly successful tower defence title Defense Grid 2 to Samsung Gear VR, as well as offering a free trial for mobile users and Oculus Rift owners.

The studio launched Defense Grid 2: Enhanced VR Edition to Oculus Rift on launch day and now Gear VR owners get to experience all the same content.

Defense Grid 2 GearVR

What’s new about the launch is a new ‘free to try’ aspect Oculus has started, with Defense Grid 2 being the first title. Previously the company has had demos available but they’ve been few and far between. Instead this new option is actually the full videogame – rather than just a slice – with players only able to access a certain part of it. In this case Chapter 1 is available to fully play, if they like it then they can pay to access the rest of the title which is a further five chapters.

This is the same for both headset versions, and if it proves popular will likely see a continued roll out as new content is released.

The Gear VR version of Defense Grid 2 features complete controller support, whether that’s the headset touchpad, a Bluetooth gamepad, or the new Gear VR controller.

VRFocus reviewed the Oculus Rift version last year, giving it the full five stars, saying: “Hidden Path Entertainment know what they’re doing with tower defence videogames. They’ve taken their tried-and-tested method, not messed too much with the core formula and come up with Defense Grid 2: Enhanced VR Edition. In doing so they’ve created an addictive title that continues to do the series proud.”

For any further updates from the studio, keep reading VRFocus.

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Snap Stock Dropped 17% From Decreased Revenue And Lagging User Growth

Snap Stock Dropped 17% From Decreased Revenue And Lagging User Growth

Not even the dancing hot dog can cheer up Snap’s cranky investors. Only a few minutes into Snap’s earnings call Thursday, Evan Spiegel mentioned the popular hot-dog filter his company introduced last month, saying it may be “the world’s first augmented reality superstar.”

But it was too late. Even a beloved luminary like the breakdancing hot dog couldn’t undo the gloom that had already settled on Snap’s earnings report, which missed revenue and net loss estimates only slightly but seemed to lead to another wave of disillusionment around the social media company.

Snap’s stock fell as much as 17 percent to $11.40 a share in after-hours trading after the company said revenue rose 153 percent to $182 million and net profit nearly quadrupled to $443 million, or 16 cents a share. Analysts had been expecting $186 million in revenue and a net loss of 14 cents a share. At its low point, Snap was trading 33 percent below its March IPO offering price.

Snap has proven proficient at rolling out innovative features, such as amusing filters or Snap Map, which uses a map interface to locate snaps from one’s friends or those shared publicly around the world. But the metrics the company shared on both user activity and its ability to monetize those users show Snap is still battling its way up a hill where Facebook and Instagram are already standing.

Average daily users grew 21 percent to 173 million in the second quarter, below the 175 million that analysts polled by Factset had forecast. Average revenue per user more than doubled to $1.05 — also below the $1.07 figure that analysts were looking for.

Again, these shortfalls are hardly evidence Snap is troubled. Rather, they show it’s taking longer for the company to deliver on the user engagement and revenue generation investors were hoping for when it went public. But because Facebook has been so quick to copy Snapchat features in Instagram, more time isn’t a luxury Snap can necessarily afford. (For context, Instagram has 700 million DAU and the Instagram Stories feature has more than 250 million.)

After a rocky earnings report in the first quarter, the pressure was on Snap and Spiegel to turn things around in the second quarter. While Spiegel and other Snap executives spoke repeatedly about the company’s progress luring in big advertisers with features such as self-service ads, the absence of guidance that could buttress that optimism with Snap’s estimates added to the uncertainty around its future.

Also adding to the uncertainty were signals that Snap was focusing on controlling costs rather than expanding its user base outside of North America and Europe. Headcount in the second quarter grew 10 percent to 2,600, down from the 27 percent growth rate in the previous quarter. Snap indicated that the pace of hiring could remain slower in the current quarter.

Spiegel said that he and cofounder Bobby Murphy wouldn’t sell any of their shares in Snap this year, saying they still believe in the company’s long-term success. “Snap is one of six platforms with over 150 daily active users outside of China. The other five are platforms run by two companies with huge market caps,” he said. “We’ve historically been able to do business in markets that are highly competitive and saturated by our competitors.”

Snap is taking small steps toward that long-term potential — for example, it posted a gross profit for the first time since it first filed to go public. But it’s still spending nearly $3.50 for every revenue of dollar it brings in.

Bottom line is that Snap still has a long way to go. And investors are starting to wonder if it has enough time to get there.

This article by Kevin Kelleher originally appeared on VentureBeat.

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ARKit is a Goldmine for VR Developers

ARKit is a Goldmine for VR Developers

One of the most enjoyable accounts on Twitter in recent days has been @MadewithARKit, which curates some of the best new pieces of content created in Apple’s new ARKit toolbox. The possibilities for VR developers that want to use the technology are literally endless, and if you use Unity, it is very easy to move VR objects into ARKit. It’s also quick — you can make an object in a program like Google Blocks and then put it in ARKit, where it can interact with the real world.

Developer and musician Andrew Deutsch used Blocks and ARKit to create a piano playing character who could then perform on any surface, including a bar top or an outdoor cafe table. He also made a piece where flowers popped up all over a dirty NYC subway platform. Deutsch is planning on spending more time experimenting with the medium, too. “It’s a brand new world of creation,” he says. “I’m following what a lot of people are making and the main thing is the they are having fun with it.”

VR artist Cabbibo, for instance, has shared a number of pieces, including one where flowers grow out of a sidewalk.

It also appears that he spent some of this time watching Netflix while creating swirling patterns around his living room.

But as much fun as it can be to create artsy projects, ARKit can also be the basis for many practical applications. At a recent ARKit meetup in New York, one company demoed a piece that allowed users to scan menus and visualize food items — great for people with visual or reading comprehension difficulties or non-native language speakers. There’s also a great use case for decorators or anyone who has struggled to buy a new sofa without knowing exactly how it will look in their living room. And of course, as use cases in the commercial space grow, brands will want to get in on the game, and companies like Vertebrae can help developers monetize their projects.

As VR grows and changes as a medium, it is bound to start intersecting with AR in a number of ways. Nexus Interactive Arts, for instance, created basic inside-out positional tracking and pass-through AR for a Google Cardboard headset. Normal VR mirrored the actions of someone painting in the Vive with a character so users could see what was being created in real time.

For developers, the time to start exploring ARKit is now, when it’s still relatively underground. Once the mainstream finds out about the technology and what it can be used to create, the gold rush will be on.

Cortney Harding is a contributing columnist covering the intersection of VR and media. This column is an editorial product of TVREV, produced in partnership with Vertebrae, the native VR/AR ad platform.

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Review: Dash Dash Run!

Videogames, whether they’re traditional monitor-based or virtual reality (VR), for the most part tend to be fairly non-athletic. But there is a growing trend in the VR industry in creating much more physical entertainment because of motion controllers, and these are naturally based around sports. Running tends to be an issue because at present feet aren’t tracked – this may change when devices such as the Vive Tracker become more widely available. That hasn’t stopped developers trying however, and PrimeVR’s first VR title, Dash Dash Run!, does that by getting you to swing your arms as wildly as possible.

The actual technique is nothing new, with Survios’ Sprint Vector probably the best known (even though its not been released yet). It’s a simple technique that works very effectively as a means of forward locomotion, helping reduce the possibility of simulator sickness.

Dash Dash Run! screenshot

In Dash Dash Run! there is one main goal, getting to the end of the course as fast as possible, the faster you do so the more points you’ll score at the end. Each course has a bronze, silver and gold time which are shown prior to the race beginning. Once the race begins it’s time to start waving the controllers back and forth to build up speed, whilst you tilt your head to steer.

None of the courses are a straight shot, they’re littered with obstacles that can slow you down should you come into contact with them. There are also items that can aid a win and improve scores at the end. A double green arrow adds a quick speed boost, while a red icon grants a temporary shield so you can run though objects. Whilst these two are sparsely found on courses, the tracks are littered with gold coins which all add to that final score.

Dash Dash Run! is very energetic, it’s cartoon aesthetic belies an quite intense videogame that’ll have you sweating in no time. The basic nature of the controls means that it’s very easy to pick and start playing straight away – there’s no tutorial to speak of – just choose a course and start. The biggest issue with Dash Dash Run! are the amount of levels available, there’s currently only four, and with three of them requiring a gold time of around thirty seconds you’re going to get through them very quickly – the rainbow road style track will take over a minute which certainly makes those arms burn!

Dash Dash Run! screenshot

There is a worldwide leaderboard so that even if you get gold you may not rank highly, encouraging you to go back for another try, and you do get to compete against the other top players during each race. Aside from that there’s very little else to Dash Dash Run! It does have a few quirky additions, such as the avatar selection button which will randomly create your character and name – sometimes to amusing effect. Plus at the start and end of each race you can make gestures at the crowd or taunt your opponents with a selection of gestures using the HTC Vive’s touchpad.

Dash Dash Run! is a fun, novel videogame that’s great if you want a quick workout to work up a sweat. Unfortunately, there’s so little to the title after running the small amount of courses a few times that after about half an hour you’ll be done, moving onto something that’s got more to offer.

60%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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This Week in VR Sport: Sports Illustrated AR Covers, VR Cricket Uses Mo-Cap, Get VR Golf Lesson from a Pro

It’s Saturday, so VRFocus brings you the usual slice of sports teams, companies, and sports stars all getting into swing of embracing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology.

Sports Illustrated College Football Issue Features AR Covers

If you didn’t catch it, earlier this week VRFocus reported on well-known publication Sports Illustrated embracing AR for its College Football issue.

Using the Time Inc’s LIFE VR app, fans can active AR content by pointing their smartphone camera at one of the fours Sports Illustrated covers, unlocking an exclusive video which provides a preview of the upcoming college football season.

Additionally there’s further AR compatible content inside the issue such as 360-degree videos.

SI Covers- College Football Preview

Balls! Virtual Reality Cricket Using Motion Capture for Greater Realism

For fans of VR and cricket there’s not exactly a great deal of choice when it comes playable videogames. If you happen to own HTC Vive there is Balls! Virtual Reality Cricket, an early access title which launched last year. In an effort to make the experience more realistic, developer Stickee Studios has collaborated with researchers at the University of Bath to motion capture all the movements needed.

With help from researchers at the University’s Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA), the studio used actors to record the movements needed for bowlers, fielders and even umpires, reports Phys.org.

While this particular data will be used for Balls! Virtual Reality Cricket – which will be available through an update – the university also plans on using it for other entertainment applications, aiming to improve other immersive experiences.

Head of Studio at CAMERA, Martin Parsons, said: “Working with commercial partners from the games industry gives us valuable experience with clients to better understand their needs and work outside the ‘research bubble’.”

Balls! VR Cricket screenshot 1

Golf Pro Rickie Fowler to Offer VR Golf Lessons

Love playing a round of golf but find you tend to aim for a bunker, or your putting needs a bit of work? What you need is some professional instruction, and that’s where Success Series comes in. The new immersive company is a coaching and education platform showcasing champion athletes, and its first sports star is pro-golfer Rickie Fowler.

If you’ve not heard of Fowler, he’s currently the sixth-ranked golfer on the PGA Tour which he’s won four times, with a career high of fourth in the world after a win in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Success Series creates 360-degree – and 2D – training videos which can be viewed through its Android compatible app. Currently the platform has five videos available – all Fowler’s – which showcase how to get more yardage on drives and hit bunker shots for example.

“To be involved in the world’s first ever VR sports coaching series is an incredible honour,” Fowler said in a statement. “This new technology will give everyone access to a unique platform and hopefully I’m able to assist the weekend golfer save a few strokes and make their overall game more enjoyable.”

“Our main aim was to create a unique experience for all golf lovers and also an incredible and informative way to provide a golf lesson,” said Anthony Puntoriero, CEO and co-founder of Success Series. “We’re really happy to have a platform that not only provides golfers with solutions but also enhances their experience with Rickie.”

Success Stories Rickie Fowler

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REZ Infinite kommt noch dieses Jahr für Google Daydream

Nach dem Launch von Rez Infinite für die Sony PlayStation VR (PSVR) folgte diese Woche überraschend der Release für die Oculus Rift und HTC Vive. Nun kündigt der Entwickler Enhance Games an, dass das Kultspiel noch dieses Jahr für die Google Daydream erscheinen wird. An den großen aktuellen Systemen fehlt dann nur noch die Samsung Gear VR.

Rez Infinite auf fast allen Plattformen

Einer der besten Railshooter erscheint nach und nach auf weiteren Plattformen. Für dieses Jahr hat das Enhance Games den zeitlosen Klassiker Rez Infinite für Googles Smartphone-System Daydream angekündigt. Die kürzlich erschienene Fassung für die Oculus Rift und HTC Vive bezeichnen die Entwickler dank möglicher Grafikpower als bisher beste Version. Inzwischen haben wir Rez Infinite mit der Oculus Rift getestet, ihr findet das Review im Video in diesem Beitrag. Noch ist wenig über die Daydream-Fassung bekannt, allerdings dürfte man grafisch Abstriche machen müssen. Vor allem die neue Area X mit ihren Grafikeffekten wird wohl Federn lassen müssen, während die ursprünglichen Level nur wenig leiden sollten. Mehr werden wir wissen, wenn die Daydream-Version erscheint.

Rez Infinite erschien ursprünglich 2001 für die Sega Dreamcast und konnte eine Fangemeinde erobern. Später erschienen Umsetzungen für die PlayStation 2 und XboX 360. Der dreidimensionale Shooter verbindet Musik, Rhythmus und eine Polygon-Welt mit technoiden, aber trotzdem oft organisch wirkenden Gegnern. Durch Combos, die Tonkadenzen auslösen, erweitert man die avantgardistische elektronische Musik und spielt sich leicht in einen Rausch. Rez Infinite ist dem Maler  Wassily Kandinsky gewidmet. Im Spiel geht es um eine künstliche Intelligenz, die ihre eigene Existenz anzweifelt und versucht, sich abzuschalten. Als Hacker im Computersystem versucht man das zu verhindern und kämpft unter anderem gegen Firewalls als Bossgegner. Wenn Rez Infinite für die Daydream erscheint, wäre das eine willkommene Bereicherung des  Angebots für Googles VR-Plattform. Die Daydream-Halterung kostet inklusive Controller derzeit knapp 70 Euro und setzt ein kompatibles Smartphone wie das Google Pixel oder neuerdings das Samsung Galaxy S8 voraus.

[Pricemesh]

(Quelle: RoadToVR)

Der Beitrag REZ Infinite kommt noch dieses Jahr für Google Daydream zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Punch and Judy Meets Charades in Puppet Fever

Even with online multiplayer videogames and apps that promote social experiences in virtual reality (VR), locally the technology is still quite isolating. There are titles such as Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes or The Playroom VR which showcase how, with a little imagination, VR experiences can work in a group setting. Swedish indie developer Coastalbyte Games is tackling this challenge with an interesting looking videogame called Puppet Fever, mixing charades with puppetry.

If you’ve ever seen a classic Punch and Judy show (especially if you’re British), then the idea is that players are the puppet master of a virtual puppet theatre. As puppet master, the player serves as game show host, judge and actor as the other players guess a hidden word, much like charades.

Puppet Fever screenshot 02

The VR player then has a range of icons to choose from in which they can set the scene for the rest of the group looking at a TV or monitor. While these items can be put in place and remain stationary, in the true style of puppetry the VR player can animate the scene with the characters coming alive with their own animations.

This is Coffee Stain Publishing’s first foray into VR, after it hosted a VR game jam in order to scout new teams and projects. This resulted in a rough prototype of what would become Puppet Fever. Coffee Stain plans to publish Puppet Fever on several VR platforms starting late Q4 2017, it hasn’t confirmed which yet – although the video below shows the title running on Oculus Rift with Touch support.

VRFocus will follow the development of Puppet Fever, reporting back with further updates.

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Punch and Judy Meets Charades in Puppet Fever

Even with online multiplayer videogames and apps that promote social experiences in virtual reality (VR), locally the technology is still quite isolating. There are titles such as Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes or The Playroom VR which showcase how, with a little imagination, VR experiences can work in a group setting. Swedish indie developer Coastalbyte Games is tackling this challenge with an interesting looking videogame called Puppet Fever, mixing charades with puppetry.

If you’ve ever seen a classic Punch and Judy show (especially if you’re British), then the idea is that players are the puppet master of a virtual puppet theatre. As puppet master, the player serves as game show host, judge and actor as the other players guess a hidden word, much like charades.

Puppet Fever screenshot 02

The VR player then has a range of icons to choose from in which they can set the scene for the rest of the group looking at a TV or monitor. While these items can be put in place and remain stationary, in the true style of puppetry the VR player can animate the scene with the characters coming alive with their own animations.

This is Coffee Stain Publishing’s first foray into VR, after it hosted a VR game jam in order to scout new teams and projects. This resulted in a rough prototype of what would become Puppet Fever. Coffee Stain plans to publish Puppet Fever on several VR platforms starting late Q4 2017, it hasn’t confirmed which yet – although the video below shows the title running on Oculus Rift with Touch support.

VRFocus will follow the development of Puppet Fever, reporting back with further updates.

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Puppet Fever Is A Promising VR Game Mixing Charades And Theater

Puppet Fever Is A Promising VR Game Mixing Charades And Theater

We’re still patiently waiting on the full release of the hugely promising Mindshow, but Puppet Fever looks like it could tide us over quite nicely in the meantime.

Announced today, Puppet Fever is the first VR project from Coastalbyte, and is being published by Goat Simulator developer Coffee Stain. Along with the puppeteering of Mindshow, it looks like it draws inspiration from local multiplayer games like Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes in that one player uses a VR headset while others remain in the real world.

The VR user is given a word that only they can see. Using a pair of motion controllers they’re able to pick up various pictures around them, representing people and objects, to act out sequences that will help other players guess the right words. If you had the word ‘party’, for example, you might make a bunch of people start dancing.

It’s a simple concept but one that could be quite engaging in VR. Coastalbyte is aiming to have the game out in Q4 of this year of various headsets. None of those have been named just yet, but the Oculus Rift is being used in the multiplayer trailer above.

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Checkout These Menacing Screenshots for Horror Title Don’t Knock Twice

Earlier this week VRFocus reported on Wales Interactive announcing that its virtual reality VR) title Don’t Knock Twice will be released in a few weeks time on 5th September 2017 for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. For the announcement the studio released a new trailer and now VRFocus has some more screenshots for you to look through.

Don’t Knock Twice is based on the recently released movie of the same name, a psychological horror based on a urban legend about a vengeful, demonic witch, who can be summoned by knocking twice on a old derelict house.

For the videogame, players are cast as a guilt-ridden mother who must save her estranged daughter. They find themselves inside a grand manor house which must be explored to save the daughter.

Wales Interactive will launch Don’t Knock Twice for all three headsets at £15.99 GBP / $19.99 USD, with players able to make use of a 20 percent discount on pre-orders.

Have a look through the screenshots below to see what’s in store, or head on over to Steam to download the demo that’s available. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 13 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 12 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 11 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 10 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 09 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 08 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 07 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 06 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 05 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 04 Don't Knock Twice Screenshot 03