What Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality developers are talking about
The Nvidia earnings call for the second quarter of the 2018 fiscal year boasted strong growth in gaming, but the company said that cryptocurrency miners have caused a surge in demand, and there's no end in sight.
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ComputerWorld's Johnny Evans talked to Marxent CEO Beck Besecker about developer's need for a CMS to get the most out of Apple's AR SDK.
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Ever since the release of Apple’s ARKit platform, ARKit developers have been creating some amazing ARKit apps. Just in the last month we have seen everything from a variety of ARKit inter-dimensional portals, to ARKit measuring tools and an ARKit Pac-man recreation. With ARKit as part of iOS 11 and projected to be released with the iPhone 8, we’ll likely see even more creative demos over the coming months. The iOS ecosystem is ripe for ARKit disruption as ARKit developers will be looking at a projected 505 Million ARKit supported devices by the end of 2017.
With the explosion on ARKit apps, we wanted to highlight a few of the better examples of ARKit being deployed by ARKit developers. You can find most of these ARKit examples on YouTube or on the Facebook Augmented Reality community. At Zugara, we have also been experimenting with ARKit and will be releasing some demos publicly soon.
Listed below, in no specific order, are some of the better ARKit apps we’ve seen created by ARKit developers over the last month. Think of this as a living list of ARKit apps as we’ll continue to add any new and exciting ARKit examples as we see them.
ARKit Portals
There have been a variety of different ARKit “Portals” released by ARKit developers but the 3 best we’ve seen to date are the original ARKit inter-dimensional portal by @Nedd, ARKit A-Ha Music video and ARKit portal on the floor. ARKit inter-dimensional portal and ARKit A-Ha Music Video are embedded below and you can find the ARKit portal on the floor video here.
ARKit Games
2 of the more impressive examples of using ARKit for games utilize different methods. The first is the ARKit game by Alpha.io which utilizes the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope for interaction with Augmented Reality objects positioned with ARKit. The second method is more location-based where your environment turns into an interactive game with this ARKit Pac-man recreation.
ARKit 3D Object Placement & Interaction
ARKit has also been used in more straightforward ways (similar to SLAM) where 3D Augmented Reality objects are positioned and stabilized in the real-world environment. This method is similar to what was typically used with markers and image recognition to place and view Augmented Reality info. A few of the better examples of using SLAM-like functionality with ARKit include iPhone object product placement, an ARKit virtual tour of Van Gogh’s bedroom, and ARKit used to place and view a dancing robot.
Update 8/11/17 – Added this ARKit example showing very realistic 3D models for food ordering.
ARKit Other
There are also a few ARKit apps that don’t fit into a specific category but show the flexibility of the ARKit platform. These include using ARKit as a virtual measuring tape to using ARKit for tracking of virtual characters in a real world film.
Update 8/11/17 – Added amazing ARKit video showing how to paint with fingers.
As we mentioned earlier, a new ARKit app is released by an ARKit developer almost every day. We’ll continue to update this post with latest ARKit examples and you can also view latest ARKit news and apps at the Facebook Augmented Reality page.
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EVGA launched the latest version of its SC17 laptop for PC gamers on Thursday, packing an Ultra HD display, GTX 1080 graphics, and loads of love for overclockers. It is powered by a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor.
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According to a report by ABI Research, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and 360-degree video will usher in a new era of interactive and immersive content, which will generate an estimated $6 billion (USD) by 2022.
The report shows that since the launch of major VR platforms such as Oculus Rift, large companies has now been tested in all major genres, including sports and music. The report predicts that engagement with these interactive formats will only increase over time.
“Immersive content promises to marry Hollywood style content, tapping into the production elements of video games,” says Sam Rosen, Managing Director and VP at ABI Research. “New technologies exist to conduct fully spatial and/or light field mapping of spaces, as well as to generate holographic models of actors. Combining these techniques with artist-generated layers and interactive storytelling elements, such as speech synthesis, opens the door to using gaming technologies to deliver immersive entertainment to large audiences. Early on, content will probably only target location-based VR installations, but broader reach of the genre could come when a larger number of standalone VR headsets launch in 2018.”
Though the does report acknowledge the current barriers in place with regards to both the creations and consumption of these immersive technologies, noting such issues as the complex workflows needed to create and stitch together 360-degree video, along with the high price of entry for high-end VR platforms.
“The 360-degree video market presents a struggle for content creators,” Rosen continued, “On the one hand the new technology enables them to tell stories in a more impactful and immersive way, but it also requires new expertise, workflows and hardware. Add to this the limited installed base and still developing business models and it quickly becomes difficult to greenlight a project if ROI only looks at the near-term. The development of the market will depend on both smaller firms testing experiences with modest budgets, as well as larger firms investing in full scale projects and sponsoring internal and external innovation in the market.”
VRFocus will continue to bring you news on developments within the VR industry.
If you’ve been planning on getting into virtual reality (VR) gaming, are keen on purchasing HTC Vive, and happen to live in Australia then there’s a very limited deal available that’s not on offer anywhere else.
HTC is currently a Front Defense bundle that includes the VR system, the videogame, a limited edition HTC Vive protective cover – with the Front Defense logo – for the headset and controllers, and $100 AUD off the regular price. This deal is available now, directly via www.vive.com/au until 11.59am 24th August, 2017.
There is one small catch however, this bundle isn’t just limited in time, it’s limited in quantity as well. There are only 80 units available if you want one. On the plus side, all the units come with free shipping.
So $100 off and some nifty protective covers might be enough to tempt you into purchasing, whereas Front Defense not not as much. Developed by HTC’s internal virtual reality (VR) development team at Fantahorn Studio, VRFocus reviewed the title, only giving it 3-stars saying: “Front Defense is an experience that leaves you wanting. It’s one of those titles in which you can see bags of potential in the individual elements but ultimately it just doesn’t fit together as a perfect whole. You’ll play it a few times, complete it, but then never be drawn back to face another wave of Axis forces.”
VRFocus will continue its coverage of HTC Vive, reporting back with the latest announcements.
Seven companies have joined forces to create a platform that aims to understand how the human mind works and processes information while watching television. Using a virtual reality (VR) headset along with an array of sensors, the creators hope to gain an insight into human behaviour and responses using the new platform, dubbed ‘VR on air test’.
According to Creative Director of one of the companies, Takayuki Yoshizawa of AOI Pro Inc. the idea came together after researchers realised users found monitoring equipment to be less intrusive when they were already wearing a VR headset. Yoshizawa told The Drum: “We originally had the idea of collecting data independently, building a platform and monetising it. If we could then use that data to understand their emotions, we could create a data set that could be used for business purposes as well.”
The more controlled environment of VR creates advantages for this kind of tracking study, as Yoshizawa noted: “EEG requires a controlled environment to avoid disruption (e.g., users getting distracted by the TV or furnishings around them). In the case of eye tracking, the distance between the user and the screen prevents precise measurement of exactly what object the user is viewing. In contrast, with VR, we can easily create a controlled environment.”
Companies are already looking at creating tools to utilise the data collected by the platform, and the companies involved are wanting to involve industries such as healthcare, education and entertainment.
“By combining a picture of a user’s emotional state (derived from “sensor-based data”) with data from traditional digital marketing tools (such as browsing history and cookies), the platform can be used to create and build businesses that match human emotions.,” Yoshizawa said, “In the future, we will expand and diversify the sources and volume of data that we handle in order to grow and enhance our service offerings.”
VRFocus will continue to report on new technology and innovations within the VR sector.
Xing: The Land Beyond from White Lotus Interactive has been around for a very long time in game development years. The Kickstarter campaign originally launched in 2013, raising $30,000. Now today, Xing is shaping up to be one of the most visually pleasing and highly anticipated new classical-style adventure games in some time. With the success of last year’s Obduction from Cyan Worlds, there is clearly still a market for these sorts of games.
Today, we finally found out the release date of Xing and can set aside the long 4+ year wait we’ve had to endure. Xing: The Land Beyond will officially release next month on September 18th, 2017, for Rift and Vive (as well as non-VR PCs.) You might recall our inclusion of Xing in the 50 Days of PSVR countdown, and the PlayStation VR version is still coming, just at a later date. You can see the new launch date trailer right here:
In anticipation of the upcoming release, we spoke with members of the development team to learn more about the game’s creation process, challenges, and inspirations over the years. You can read the full Q&A with White Lotus Interactive Co-Founder, Developer, and Artist, Koriel Venus Kruer, as well as Developer, John Torkington:
UploadVR: What are the biggest inspirations you had while working on XING?
Koriel Venus Kruer: Games that inspired us while working on XING include: Portal, Myst, the Zelda games, Golden Sun, and Dear Esther. I think we were also inspired by stories of small indie studios with few members (like us) actually releasing their games, because it made it all sound actually feasible. We also found inspiration in a lot of other media, like movies and TV shows. Some of those include The Lord of the Rings, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
John Torkington: We’ve all had our different influences. I’ve been moved by games since early childhood, so an appreciation for an earlier generation of games should be readily visible in XING. In some ways, the early days of VR remind me of the early days of 3D, where doing things like a 3D menu and emphasizing level design with vertical spaces were first explored.
UploadVR: How do you think the game compares to other VR adventure titles such as The Gallery and Obduction?
Kruer: Though all three games are within the first-person puzzle-adventure genre, XING sets itself apart in so much as how you play and interact with the world, through objects you pick up that have a variety of uses, burning fire mechanics, jumping (yes there’s some platforming), throwing etc.. Did I mention that in XING, you are dead? Though the stories that players follow throughout XING primarily deal with death, the world is vibrant and colorful, almost as a contrast between the beauty of nature and life, and the reality of mortality. So I suppose thematically it’s quite different too.
We are friends with both Cloudhead Games and Cyan, and have swapped lots of tips and tricks with both studios during development. Since Cyan is using UE4 for Obduction, we were able to talk to them about their solutions to tech art stuff, and vice versa. It’s actually been amazing. We wish for those studios all the best, as Cloudhead works on their release of the 2nd episode of The Gallery, and Cyan prepares for their PS4 and PS VR Port, both coming very soon!
Torkington: Funny story about Cyan – back in 2014 at PAX Prime we had a few people come up to our booth and exclaim “Oh, a Myst-like game”. Our friends who were hanging out with us there from Cyan turned to the attendees and told them that XING stands alone as something very different from Myst. I felt a great sense of validation hearing that from them, and while the similarities in genre are there, our approach to design, world building, and gameplay is very different from Obduction.
UploadVR: How does VR enhance a game genre like this and make it even more immersive for players?
Kruer: Virtual Reality is an exciting and incredible new medium that will surely bring about a multitude of changes in how we design and play games. For the first-person puzzle-adventure genre, it allows us to focus even more on atmosphere and mood within the game world, because the payoff seems to be even larger in VR versus playing on a standard screen. To truly feel like you are transported to another place, you need to feel the consistency in rules, design and visuals of the new world you are in. With XING, we have tried to make sure that we’ve added enough detail (and tested enough for consistency) to make the game as immersive as possible.
As far as the puzzle aspect, it’s been an interesting challenge to not have things like timed puzzles as part of our design language, to make it more open to wider audiences, and more playable for new-to-VR players. There are extra puzzles things put in the game for more hard-core fans too. It’s just been a matter of figuring out that balance.
Then there’s the adventure aspect, which I find to be the most appealing part in terms of VR. I believe most people naturally like to explore, especially when their exploration is rewarded with amazing new places they can run through, or fun little secrets they’ve discovered. This is something we’ve definitely put a lot of thought and effort into
UploadVR: What were the biggest challenges you faced when making a game like this?
Kruer: This biggest challenges have mostly had to deal with Scope, Time Management and Living Situations.
Scope because even though we have a vision, we have to constantly remember that we are just a 3 person team, and that we can only get so much done in the time we’ve given ourselves. Continually testing and then adding layers of depth, or adding/fixing mechanics to make the game better, or designing for VR and non-VR at the same time – all of these things have cost us a lot of extra time, and will hopefully show when the game comes out.
Time Management goes hand in hand with scope. For us, we started this game in a sort of crunch mode, and have tried over the years to get into a more “normal” schedule. Still, for the majority of making this game, our hours have been Sunday–Friday, 10/11 AM – 10 PM at night (Fridays till 4 PM). All in the name of getting the game out as fast as we can. Haha. It’s a rigorous schedule that I personally wouldn’t want to maintain again in my life for any longer than a month or 2, due to how time-consuming it is. I think that has taken a toll on us. The plus side of the situation is being able to take time off when we want to for some day or weekend events. Owning your own company can mean flexible hours for things like going to friends’ birthday parties and not having to “ask for time off”. Still, it’s important to maintain a certain level of discipline, because it’s easy to start sliding down that slippery slope.
Living Situations primarily have to do with us not having jobs that make us money. We all moved back in with our parents after college so we could devote ourselves more than the average “full-time” to working on XING. Of course, we never intended for it to be this long. Over time, our parents have become more and more skeptical about our release time tables and calendars we’ve made, and we can’t blame them. That backlash is of the reasons why, for the last year, we haven’t put anything out like that until today. Our inexperience has clearly been shown in the past through our public estimates of how long things would take, and even now we are still nervous about hitting all our goals. Living at home has benefits like not paying as much in rent as we might somewhere else, and having people around to take care of us. It also has the downside of us not being independent, and therefore not having the freedom (and responsibility) that that independence would bring.
UploadVR: Are there are any particular lessons or takeaways that you want players to have after playing XING?
Kruer: Perhaps the best takeaway we could hope for would be that people who play: enjoy themselves, are entertained, are challenged to think in new ways, and come away with the feeling that they want to show their friends or family this game too. There are a lot of little lessons in XING, similar to Aesop’s Fables, and we hope that people will enjoy that aspect of the game, and maybe even think about how those things might be relevant to their own struggles or experiences. Of course, we are just people who wrote this game, so it’s not like there are any divine revelations in the game about people or the afterlife (haha), but rather ways in which we try to relate to and understand one another, as human beings. For many people, gameplay is king, so we’ve also spent a lot of time making sure that the gameplay is interwoven with the narratives in ways that make sense and feel rewarding. Ultimately, everyone will have their own ideas about, experiences with, and interpretations of the game, so we are just excited (and maybe a little nervous) to see and read what people think.
For more details on Xing: The Land Beyond as we build up to the game’s release next month on September 18th for Rift, Vive, and PC, check back at UploadVR for the latest. Let us know what you think about Xing and any questions you have down in the comments below!
Tagged with: myst, obduction, xing: the land beyond
With Oculus’ Summer of Rift promotion still going on developers have got an issue. The new package now comes with the Oculus Touch controllers as standard – which is great – but the Xbox One gamepad is no longer supplied, so new headset owners won’t be able to play any of Oculus Rift’s early titles unless they payout for a compatible controller. This means studios will need to ensure their videogames are Oculus Touch compatible so they don’t miss out on potential sales. CCP Games’ multiplayer EVE: Valkyrie was a launch title, ideally suited to gamepads, recently however the studio has released beta support for Oculus Touch.
As you might expect, controlling a spaceship with motion controls isn’t going to be the most accurate or intuitive solution – especially in the heat of combat – and CCP Games agrees, saying in a blog post: “here’s the problem with using Oculus Touch: motion controls simply don’t give you the precision you need in Valkyrie. It’s not at all easy to turn your Wraith on a sixpence and line up a devastating salvo when you’re trying to fly it while waving your hands in the air; it actually feels less, not more responsive.”
The studio however realised that it still needed to support Oculus Touch in some way, so its come up with a beta release to test things out. So there are no motion controls, instead Oculus Touch behaves just like a normal gamepad in the following layout:
CCP Games does note that the setup isn’t perfect – hence why it’s in beta – as there’s no way to cancel a missile lock, however its working with Oculus to try and resolve the issue. At least it means that those who’ve recently bought the headset can still play one of the most popular cross-platform videogames available.
As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.
Welcome to the future, where monitors are so fast we can’t actually show you how fast they are. During our Acer Predator XB272 review, we were constantly struggling to find ways to put its impossibly fast 240Hz refresh rate into words.
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