Lone Echo Post Mortem, Rift SDK Updates And More Sessions Set For Oculus Connect 4

Lone Echo Post Mortem, Rift SDK Updates And More Sessions Set For Oculus Connect 4

Oculus Connect 4 is just a few months away; the developer conference returns to the San Jose convention center on October 11th – 12th. We’re expecting to see what’s new with the company during a busy keynote speech but, until then, an initial list of sessions and workshops has been revealed for the two-day event.

There’s not much here that points us towards what Oculus might reveal at the show, but there are definitely more than a few sessions you shouldn’t miss. With the rise of games like Echo Arena and Sparc, for example, the ‘VR Esports: The Future of Competitive Gaming’ talk from Partnerships and Head of Esports, Christopher McKelvy, is sure to be one to take note of. This session will take a look at how the genre will grow in the coming years.

Personally? We’re more excited about a Post Mortem for what’s easily one of the best games on Rift so far, Lone Echo. Members of developer Ready at Dawn will gather to discuss working on the game, which makes some startling revelations in both locomotion and interactivity. They’re sure to have plenty of interesting stories to tell.

Interestingly, there’s also a session named ‘What’s New in the PC SDK’, with an unannounced speaker. It notes that “The Rift SDK has just introduced a number of new powerful features for advanced VR rendering and composition.” We’re not sure if those features will be added in the next few months of if this means pre-existing features, but this will be one to head to do sure.

Oh and there is, of course, John Carmack’s app critique section, which has become something of a staple for Connect. Brave developers can bring their apps on stage to showcase to the legendary game maker, and he’ll point out all the pros and cons he can spot over a few minutes. This one’s going to be streamed and usually takes place pretty early in the conference, so make sure not to miss it.

Making VR Accessible for Everyone

Most human beings are right-handed. This means, that by and large, most things are designed for use by right-handed people. Can openers, scissors, even pens are all biased towards the right handed community. Videogames are no different, as any leftie who has tried to play Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword or Sonic and the Black Knight will tell you. There are other, similar biases at work too, present in the virtual reality (VR) world. Lets look at some of them.

Gesture Controls

The popularity of gesture controls is growing slowly, but for obvious reasons, the vast majority of people testing the applications and videogames that use these functions are right-handed, and for the most part the player avatars default to being right-handed as well. This can cause some serious issues for left-handed players when they are using the ‘wrong’ hand to control an action, such as swing a sword or fire a gun, aim could be badly off or simply not register. Some titles have a ‘lefty flip’ option, but many do not.

Xenoma e-skin VR

Form Factors

Several smaller, more petite people have reported problems with the HTC Vive headset, complaining of its front-heavy weight, and the lack of suitable adjustment on the strap, so it would not fit correctly. Conversely, people with large hands trying to use the Oculus Touch controllers have likewise experienced problems, such as hand cramps.

This problem extends to accessories such as Data Gloves, which are often designed to fit generic ‘common’ sizes are are not designed to accommodate people with very large, or very small hands. It isn’t really practical to get a custom glove made, though one solution is present in the form of the Go Touch VR ‘gloveless’ data hand sensors.

Disabilities

Much has been written about the ‘simulation sickness’ problem with VR. While that is indeed an issue, there are other, slightly more subtle issues that may wish to be looked at. Many VR titles are designed to be standing, or room-scale, particularly for the HTC Vive, which presents a problem for those with limited mobility, or people who have problems standing for long periods? Any company should be looking to expand the market as far as possible, so it seems a great shame to leave out a potential market. One potential solution is Walkin VR, a middleware application that can map movement to a controller button to make things easier for players with disabilities. This sort of solution ought to be given more attention and integration.

WalkInVR image

Lighting Options

When watching something on a TV, tablet, PC monitor or smartphone, there are multiple options to control the brightness and contrast, and even special applications to adjust the colour to reduce eye fatigue. While there are some workarounds for some high-end VR platforms, for the most part these options are unavailable for VR displays. Research has shown that certain types of light can prevent restful sleep and cause other problems such as headaches if the light is too bright, at the wrong frequency, or using too much ‘blue’ light. While it could be argued that altering the lighting messes with the immersion and artistic vision of a videogame, those same tools have existed for PC for years with little complaint.

In conclusion, a few small tweaks and additions could go a long way towards making VR a more comfortable place for everyone.

Former Bioware Developers Launch Debut VR Game: Dash Dash Run!

PrimeVR, a studio founded by former Bioware developers, has launched its debut virtual reality (VR) videogame. Dash Dash Run! is a frantic running videogame that demands the player pump their arms using the HTC Vive’s motion controllers to race at high speeds across a variety of coulourful worlds.

Dash Dash Run! screenshotDash Dash Run! is a single-player experience akin to Survios’ Sprint Vector, though with a much more cartoon-inspired setting. Players can race against one another’s ghosts, which are automatically recorded and uploaded to provide an asymetrical challenge. Players can also generate a unique avatar so that they may be recognised for the standing on the global leaderboard, as well as taunt their challengers with a motion-generated victory dance.

“We’re a small team comprised of ex-BioWare developers who are so pumped for VR we setup a new studio and put it in the name. Each of us have over 15 years of experience spanning 5 generations of console technology… so you could say we’re a little old school,” stated Chris Entwistle, founder of PrimeVR, in communication with VRFocus. “When we looked at the VR market we noticed a big trend towards futuristic neon style games, so we set out to do something fast, fun, and colourful.”

Dash Dash Run! is currently available for HTC Vive on Steam, priced at £14.99 GBP, with a Viveport release also planned. PrimeVR is also developing a version of the videogame for the Oculus Rift, though no plans for a PlayStation VR port have yet been announced. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on Dash Dash Run! and other VR titles from PrimeVR.

Oculus Connect 4: Erste Details zur Virtual-Reality-Konferenz

Am 11. Und 12. Oktober findet die Konferenz Connect 4 in San Jose, Kalifornien statt. Oculus verrät nun im Blog erste Details zur Veranstaltung. Über 30 Sessions widmen sich den Oberthemen Design, Entwicklung, Vertrieb und Zukunft. Höhepunkt dürfte die Keynote werden, auf der Oculus neue Hardware vorstellen könnte. Freuen darf man sich aber auch beispielsweise auf den jährlichen Vortrag von John Carmack oder auf den Auftritt der Entwickler von Lone Echo.

Connect 4: Buntes Programm für Entwickler, Designer und Kreative

Mit der Connect 4 lädt Oculus wieder Entwickler, Designer und Kreative ein, um alles rund um das Thema VR und MR zu präsentieren und diskutieren. Die Konferenz startet am 11. Oktober mit einer Keynote und man darf gespannt sein, ob Mark Zuckerberg in San Jose neue Hardware vorstellt: Im Gespräch derzeit ist ein All-in-One-Headset für rund 200 US-Dollar. Nach dem Auftakt geht es mit Vorträgen weiter. Unterhaltsam dürfte es wieder sein, wenn John Carmack VR-Apps auseinandernimmt. Laut Oculus nimmt der Chef-Technologe kein Blatt vor den Mund. Gespannt darf man auch sein, wenn die Macher von Lone Echo die Bühne betreten und über ihre Erfahrungen bei der Entwicklung des Spiels reden.

Oculus Connect 4

Ein Workshop soll Entwickler zeigen, wie man in 30 Minuten ein neues Projekt fit für Social VR machen kann. Dafür benutzt man lediglich bereits erhältliche Tools wie das Avatar SDK und nutzt die Entwicklungsumgebung Unity. Auch Mixed Reality wird ein Thema sein. In einer Demo zeigen Oculus-Mitarbeiter, wie man die Mixed-Reality-Features im Rift SDK nutzt und wie man die Ergebnisse in Unity, nativen Apps und der Unreal Engine nutzen kann.

Hilfe für Entwickler: Von der Planung bis zum Vertrieb

Nachdem man also eine tolle Software erstellt hat, kommt der nächste entscheidende Schritt: der Vertrieb. Produktmanager von Oculus lüften das Geheimnis, wie die Facebook-Tochter seinen Kunden das Finden von passenden Inhalten im Store ermöglicht. Wer noch keine eigene App entwickelt hat und sich noch in der Planungsphase befindet, erhält ebenfalls Unterstützung. Der frühere Activision-Mitarbeiter und jetzige Oculus-Produzent Rade Stojsavljevic verrät, was im Bereich mobile Spiele bei Kunden funktioniert. Weitere Themen lassen sich auf der offiziellen Webseite zur Connect finden.
Oculus Connect 4
Weiterhin wird Oculus wie im letzten Jahr im Launch Pad Kiosk 360-Grad-Filme und VR-Erfahrungen zeigen sowie die „Frauen in VR Happy Hour“ veranstalten. Erstmalig findet hingegen das „Frauen in VR Film-Festival“ statt, bei dem diverse soziale und technische Themen angesprochen werden soll. Zudem können Besucher der Konferenz Skulpturen in VR und als 3D-Ausdruck bewundern.

Die Tickets für die Connect 4 kosten 400 US-Dollar, bis zum 21. August gewährt Oculus einen Rabatt von 100 Dollar. Noch scheint es Eintrittskarten zu geben, was sich aber schnell ändern kann.

(Quelle: Oculus-Blog)

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Oculus to Talk “Breakthroughs in Spatial Audio Technologies” at Connect Conference

Oculus Connect 4, the company’s fourth annual developer conference, is set for October 11th and 12th in San Jose, California. There, Oculus will share with developers some of its latest research and developments, including what’s coming to the company’s VR Audio SDK.

See Also: NVIDIA Shows How Physically-based Audio Can Greatly Enhance VR Immersion

Spatial audio is hugely important for creating convincing virtual reality worlds. Traditional stereo audio often sounds like it emanates from within your head. In VR, most sounds need to have distinct sources that sound as if they’re coming from somewhere within the virtual world, just like they would in real life. But simulating realistic sounds in complex 3D environments isn’t as easy as it may seem, especially if you need to do so accurately and efficiently. Many companies have been working on the challenge of spatial audio in VR, with varying degrees of complexity and success.

At Connect 2017 in October, Oculus Audio Design Mananger Tom Smurdon and
Software Engineering Manager Pete Stirling will take to the stage in a session titled ‘2017 Breakthroughs in Spatial Audio Technologies’, to overview the latest spatial audio tech devised by the company.

Get up to speed on key terminology and concepts you need to know, then dive directly into the newest audio tech developed by Oculus. We’ll cover how new techniques and tools like Near Field HRTF and Volumetric Sound Sources help create dramatically increased immersion for people experiencing your game or app. Attendees will also get a first look at what’s coming in the Audio SDK roadmap.

The session description also promises to give attendees a first look at what’s coming to the Oculus Audio SDK, implying that whatever new spatial audio tech the company has cooked up will soon be rolled into the SDK.

The session is among more than 30 expected at the developer conference, 14 of which are now revealed on the Oculus Connect schedule.

The post Oculus to Talk “Breakthroughs in Spatial Audio Technologies” at Connect Conference appeared first on Road to VR.

IO Industries Partners With Microsoft to Produce Holographic Technology

British-based firm IO Industries is know for producing high-resolution, high-speed cameras at low cost and with a very small form factor. These products have brought it to the attention of Microsoft, who have partnered with the company with the intention of creating the next generation of holographic augmented reality (AR) technology.

IO Industries is providing 4K cameras and video recorders to supply for technology such as Microsoft’s HoloLens, along with interactive holographic labs, which use up to 110 cameras per lab, at a cost of $1 million (USD) per lab. The deal between IO Industries and Microsoft could be worth up to $17 million over the next two years.

“It is our biggest opportunity in the history of our company,” said IO president Andrew Sharpe, speaking to LFP Press. “It sounds futuristic, but it is happening now,” he said. “We all watched Star Trek and now in 2017 this is becoming a reality.”

HoloLens

The relationship between IO Industries and Microsoft began at a technical conference in Las Vegas, where teams from the two companies met to discuss the challenges inherent in creating holographic AR technology: “They found it was more challenging than they thought and more expertise was needed. What they wanted to do was work with a company that had the ability to put the pieces together,” said Sharpe. “It is not a simple task. They were receptive to a company building all the pieces they needed.”

They found that working together, IO Industries could provide the robust hardware, while Microsoft concentrated on creating software to collate the images together: “We give them the raw data from the cameras in the system and their software takes over to generate the holographic image.” said Sharpe.

VRFocus will continue to report on new AR technologies.

Kostenloser Coldplay Livestream Head Full of Dreams nächste Woche für Gear VR

Die britische Pop-Rock-Band Coldplay erfreut sich großer Beliebtheit in sämtlichen Generationen. Mit insgesamt 80 Millionen verkauften Tonträgern weltweit und 50 Millionen verkauften Alben ist sie eine der erfolgreichsten Bands der 2000er Jahre. Kein Wunder, das die Tickets für ihre Liveshow nicht gerade billig und schnell ausverkauft sind. Doch Besitzer einer Samsung Gear VR dürfen sich freuen, denn sie können den kompletten Auftritt innerhalb der A Head Full of Dreams-Tour am 17. August 2017 kostenlos per VR-Livestream verfolgen.

Coldplay per VR-Livestream

Die Besitzer einer Samsung Gear VR können den Auftritt von Coldplay auf ihrer A Head Full of Dream-Tour auf dem Chicago Soldier Field am 17. August 2017 kostenlos per VR-Livestream verfolgen. Das Spektakel startet um 20:30 Uhr EDT in Amerika (ca. 2:30 Uhr in Deutschland – CEST). Für alle, die kein Interesse daran haben das Konzert zu dieser späten Stunde zu verfolgen, wird ein Mitschnitt für eine limitierte Zeit online zur Verfügung stehen.

Das Ganze ist dank einer Kooperation zwischen Samsung und Live Nation möglich, weshalb eine 360-Grad-Übertragung des Konzerts eingerichtet wird. In mehr als 50 Ländern wird der VR-Livestream zugänglich sein. Dabei soll laut Samsung ein authentisches Gefühl wie bei einem echten Livekonzert vermittelt werden. Die Energie und Atmosphäre soll spürbar sein, versprechen die Verantwortlichen und wollen für eine authentische Immersion innerhalb der VR-Erfahrung sorgen.

Die A Head Full of Dreams-Tour ist laut Billboard Boxscore mit 5 Millionen verkauften Tickets die fünft erfolgreichste Livetour überhaupt. Die Band startet ihre Tour zum gleichnamigen mittlerweile siebten Album.

Der 360-Grad-VR-Livestream sowie die nachfolgenden Aufzeichnungen können ab dem 17. August 2017 in der Samsung VR App eingesehen werden. Es ist etwas schade, dass die Besitzer von anderen VR-Headsets wie Oculus Rift oder HTC Vive derzeit von den VR-Livestream Angeboten ausgeschlossen sind. Dennoch dürfte das Angebot jeden Coldplay-Fan und Besitzer eine Gear VR mehr als erfreuen.

(Quellen: RoadtoVR | Samsung VR | Video: Samsung Newsroom Youtube)

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NFL Refs Using STRIVR’s VR Training Platform to Prepare for New Season

The NFL continues to maintain its strong relationship with VR technology, now employing the STRIVIR platform to train some officials. According to a report by SportTechie, the virtual reality training company has been working with the NFL’s Officiating Development Programs for the past nine months, presenting game scenarios in a VR headset from a referee’s perspective to supplement the limited opportunities for real-world practice.

According to the report, Strivr began working in earnest on a VR training program for the NFL offseason after the Super Bowl in February, providing officials with “life-like situations that put them into a game scenario so that they can react to plays much as they would on the field.”

The Strivr platform provides 360-degree capture of a game scenario, offering a convincing first-person perspective from an appropriate position on the field—an immersive upgrade over the standard video footage previously used by the Officiating Development Programs for training.

Perhaps the best way for an official to gain experience in a real-world NFL scenario is during the preseason (which recently began), a series of exhibition games which take place before the regular season kicks off in September, but such opportunities are very limited, and don’t offer the endless repeatability of VR training.

Improvements to replay technology in sports is a double-edged sword for referees; while the regularly-used ‘replay review’ system helps officials to make certain tough calls, the multiple-angle, slow-motion footage often works against the referee in many other situations, highlighting any mistakes during high-pressure moments. Having unlimited access to equivalent scenarios any time of year in VR could surely have a positive impact on officiating consistency.

“Refs are under a huge microscope and with replay, if they get something wrong, it’s seen,” Strivr CEO Derek Belch said in an interview with SportTechie. “This is how we take officiating to the next level and addressing some of the same issues players have.”

Strivr’s training platform was already well-established in the NFL from a player’s perspective, thanks to existing partnerships with seven NFL teams, providing off-field training in VR. The company claims that their technology speeds up reaction times, and helps to improve performance and decision-making. The company has enjoyed success in VR training in several sports, and scored a $5 million Series A investment last year that allowed them to expand their performance training into many corporate sectors.

The post NFL Refs Using STRIVR’s VR Training Platform to Prepare for New Season appeared first on Road to VR.

PSVR: Megaton Rainfall erscheint im September 2017

Das Entwicklerstudio Pentadimensional Games beziehungsweise der Hauptentwickler Alfonso del Cerro arbeitet bereits seit 2015 am First-Person-Superheldenspiel Megaton Rainfall für die PlayStation VR (PSVR). Nun verkündet der Entwickler endlich ein offizielles Veröffentlichungsdatum: Der Titel soll am 26. September 2017 erscheinen.

Megaton Rainfall: Als Superheld die Alieninvasion vernichten

Das spanische Entwicklerstudio Pentadimensional Games verkündet die Veröffentlichung des VR-Titels Megaton Rainfall im September 2017. Die lange Entwicklungszeit soll sich jedoch gelohnt haben, wie Alfonso del Cerro – Gründer des Indie-Studios und Hauptverantwortlicher – erklärt. Er arbeitete hart an dem Titel, um die bestmögliche Immersion, Steuerung und Bewegungsfreiheit zu bieten. Zunächst entwickelte er allein den VR-Titel, doch er erhielt später Unterstützung von Sony, um das Projekt abzuschließen. Seitdem greifen dem Entwickler Grafiker, Illustratoren und weitere Helfer unter die Arme.

In Megaton Rainfall schlüpft ihr in die Rolle eines mächtigen Superhelden, der die Welt vor einer Alieninvasion retten muss. Dabei verwendet ihr eure Superheldenkräfte, um die Aliens abzuwehren. Klingt zunächst nicht außergewöhnlich, jedoch gibt es dabei einen Haken: Feuert ihr mit euren Energiewellen daneben, so entstehen Kollateralschäden in den umstehenden Städten und Gebieten. Zerstört ihr aus Versehen zu viel eurer Schutzbeauftragten, verliert ihr. Jedes Gebäude ist anfällig für Zerstörung, weshalb man mit Bedacht agieren muss.

Megaton-Rainfall-PS4-PSVR-Pro-Sony

Der Spieler ist also unverwundbar, die Umgebung besitzt jedoch Lebensenergie. Doch ihr verteidigt dabei nicht nur ein Gebiet, sondern müsst die komplette Welt umkreisen. Überall auf verschiedenen Kontinenten greifen die Aliens an, doch dank eurer Superkräfte seid ihr in der Lage, mit Überschallgeschwindigkeit zu den unterschiedlichen Orten zu fliegen. Ihr könnt sogar die Erde verlassen und außerhalb des Planeten agieren.

Megaton Rainfall erscheint am 26. September 2017 für PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR (PSVR) sowie mit verbesserten 4-K-Modus und dauerhaften 60 FPS für die PlayStation 4 Pro. Wir sind gespannt, ob sich die lange Entwicklungszeit tatsächlich gelohnt hat und wie sich das First-Person-Superheldenspiel anfühlt.

(Quellen: VRFocus | Megaton Rainfall | PlayStation EU Youtube)

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HTC Vive Reveals Extremely Limited Edition Front Defense Bundle With Themed Covers For Australia

HTC Vive Reveals Extremely Limited Edition Front Defense Bundle With Themed Covers For Australia

HTC Vive is getting a brand new game bundled with every unit sold… at least it is in Australia.

Vive Studios’ Front Defense, a World War II- era first-person shooter developed by Fantahorn Game Studio, will be included with every unit sold on the Australian Vive website until August 24th. Not only that, but the bundle comes with a themed protective cover for both your headset and the Vive controllers. The white covers sport the Front Defense logo. Pretty cool, huh?

That’s not all; Vive costs $100 AUD less for Australian fans buying directly from the official site for the next two weeks too. But you have to hurry; these units are very limited. The site’s terms and conditions note that only 80 units are available, so if you’re considering picking it up you better act now.

That said, we weren’t the biggest fans of Front Defense, giving it 4/10 in our full review.

We have of course reached out to HTC to ask if this bundle and promotion will be going live anywhere else over the next two weeks. We’d love to see more themed bundles with these covers, especially with big IP like Fallout soon arriving on the headset. Previously Vive bundles included a free copy of Star Trek: Bridge Crew.