Ahead Of SXSW, TheWaveVR announces updated creation tools and exciting VR music experience partnership for "Ready Player One"

TheWaveVR, the creator of the world’s first social VR platform and community for VR music and visual arts experiences, has announced it will bring to life the amazing dance club scene from the upcoming theatrical release of Steven Spielberg’s new action adventure “Ready Player One” at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festival.

With special live VR DJ guest performance by Tye Sheridan, who stars in “Ready Player One,” in theaters March 29, the experience will allow anyone to virtually step inside a scene inspired by The Distracted Globe zero-gravity dance club in the film. In partnership with HTC Vive™, TheWaveVR designed the dance party as an immersive experience for SXSW, including specially designed avatars, iconic 80s visuals and music, plus the ability to fly to the music in zero-gravity. Sheridan will DJ his set virtually using the new Vive Pro VR headset.

“This is a big moment for VR. ‘Ready Player One’ is essentially taking VR performances and features we’ve been delivering to our community and propelling them into the mainstream for anyone to see just what VR is capable of,” said Adam Arrigo, TheWaveVR CEO and co-founder. “We were really inspired by the visuals of this scene, and wanted to let people experience this idea of a futuristic dance club first hand. It was such a natural fit, since we’ve been building the tech platform that already makes it possible.”

TheWaveVR activation will be live at the Ready Player One Experience with VIVE VR at SXSW on Friday, March 9, 2018 at 9:00 pm CT. The experience will be launching for anyone on TheWaveVR’s free app on Steam in the U.S. beginning Thursday, March 15 at 9:00 p.m. CT.

The team also announced updates to its Wave Builder tool, which allows anyone to create their own VR venues, parties and shows. Using an ever expanding library of content from Google’s Poly API and custom visual tools from TheWaveVR, users can upload any 3D model of a scene or venue, perform as the DJ at their own shows, and throw parties for any number of friends or others in the community.

Now users can easily search for specific 3D Poly objects and build a unique VR experience for their friends. For example, a user could host a concert in a French cathedral or throw a bachelorette party in a Las Vegas club. Users can also create tunnels and vortexes, while also utilizing user-interface improvements like easily traveling to different shows and parties from the main menu or checking out which party a friend is located at and easily transporting there.

“The Wave Builder breaks down any barriers between audience member and artist,” said Adam Arrigo, TheWaveVR CEO and co-founder. “It provides meaningful context for VR created art, either spatially, by letting users arrange it, or socially, by letting users share their creations or scenes with other people in real time. This is a major step for us as we build the platform for artists to create and share this new type of content which is native to VR.”

TheWaveVR also officially kicked off its Resident DJ program, which allows anyone to apply to throw regularly scheduled parties, using their own music, on TheWaveVR platform. The program will offer the TheWaveVR community frequent and unique events to attend virtually. The application to apply is available here.

For more information on TheWaveVR, visit http://thewavevr.com/. You can also follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.

Darren Aronofsky produced VR Experience lands a massive seven-figure deal at Sundance.

Executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, and Jessica Chastain, who also serves as the narrator and with an original score comes from Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon the minds behind the Stranger Things, Spheres just landed a massive seven-figure deal at Sundance.

VR financing and distribution venture CityLights announced today that it is acquiring Spheres-a virtual reality journey that transports viewers into the deepest pockets of the Universe to bring to life interactive visions of future worlds and explore our oneness with the cosmos. 

The first episode premiered last weekend as part of Sundance’s New Frontier programming  and Spheres will be coming to Oculus Rift this year.

Big news from @sundancefest: SPHERES acquired for seven figures. Huge congrats to Writer/Director @Eliza_McNitt + Exec Producer @DarrenAronofsky! https://t.co/n3xyg6pR4o

— Oculus (@oculus) January 24, 2018

BestMeta, the world’s first Blockchain based ecosystem for esports talent, launches today

BestMeta, the first cryptocurrency based platform designed for the esports community, is revealed today. BestMeta aims to give the freedom of creative control back to the talent by providing esports personalities, shoutcasters and professional gamers with an unrestricted platform to connect with fans. The pioneering ecosystem offers a sustainable and transparent network for talent and consumers by utilising the power of Blockchain.

BestMeta was born from a passion for esports and a desire to address the issues which threaten to limit the industry. Led by esports superstar TobiWan, the legendary Dota 2 shoutcaster with more than a decade of experience throughout the esports scene, this is a brand that understands esports and its community. Esports is the fastest growing digital industry in the world today, with over 385 million people watching esports events throughout 2016. For talent, including shoutcasters and professional gamers, though, it can be a different story as there is currently no control for the esports community and no transparency for donation and spending within the industry. Content creation for talent can be restricted by industry giants and sponsors, and the talent themselves have little to no financial independence, or the wiggle room to create their own content outside of stifling sponsorship guidelines.Meaning no sustainable income for talent and no rewards or incentives for fans.  

By creating the BestMeta platform, its founders believe they can provide a sustainable ecosystem for esports talents, providing an opportunity open to all talent to create content and the all-important esports community who can be rewarded through BestMeta Tokens. Through the platform’s token system, BestMeta aims to create a streamlined ecosystem where the talent and the fans are seamlessly connected. The platform gives full control back to talent, allowing them to create content how they want, when they want, whilst also allowing the esports community to benefit through their support. BestMeta utilises Blockchain technology which offers complete transparency and full accountability with all spending and donations between content creators and fans. BestMeta tokens can be purchased by the esports community allowing them to exchange funds for interaction with their favourite talents. A little like collecting your favourite sports cards only you actually get something back in return.

“Utilising Blockchain technology, we harness the power of mass community passion into a trusted, accountable and sustainable esports ecosystem”, says Amy Yu, Managing Director of BestMeta. “BestMeta is the first of its kind to be developed exclusively to support esports talent, born out of a passion to help content creators reach their true and fullest potential.”

Talent can launch their own personalised tokens representative of their brand value, the community is then able to purchase these talent tokens to financially support their favourite esports personalities. As the talents grow in popularity, they will generate greater support, adding to their brand value and rewarding fans for their loyalty and creating a system where the talents and the fans are constantly giving back to each other.

BestMeta’s system of constant cyclical support not only enables the esports talents to earn a regular sustainable income, it offers pay for entry into competitions, opens up funding to explore creative freedoms, and constantly gives back to the fans that are supporting them on their journey. For the community, alongside the value of their BestMeta tokens constantly increasing as their talents grow in popularity, the talent tokens completely break down the barriers between the talent and the fans, offering up unique collaborative opportunities and the option to interact with and support their favourite esports personalities.

“The esports community is one of the strongest in the world and we want to empower that community to achieve great things”, states BestMeta’s Esports Director, Toby ‘TobiWan’ Dawson. “Through BestMeta, we will enable talent the power to build their brand the way they want, their only limit will be their imagination.”

To coincide with the launch, BestMeta will also be producing a brand new 4 episode show called Well Played. Presented by TobiWan, Well Played is the first of its kind to bring together a host of esports pros, content creators, cosplayers, casters and streamers including SirActionSlacks, PyrionFlax, SingSing, Cyanide and OD Pixel for a fun, light hearted, comedy Never Mind the Buzzcocks-style panel show with a mini game storyline. Filmed in partnership with the Department of Theatre, Film and Television at the University of York, Well Played aims to bring the esports community together as an inspirational example to content creators of what they can achieve with their own brand through the BestMeta platform, and what the community can expect to see through the token purchases of their favourite talent. The first episode of Well Played will air at 8pm (GMT), Wednesday 24th January on the BestMeta YouTube channel. 

The BestMeta token pre-sale goes live on 15th February, giving the opportunity for talent and the community to snap up BMT at exclusively discounted prices.

https://www.bestmeta.gg/

WWE and NextVR to partner on bringing the action and drama of pro wrestling to VR.

NextVR, the leader in broadcasting live events in virtual reality, and WWE announced a new partnership to bring fans unique WWE experiences in virtual reality, featuring highlights from select 2018 WWE special events.

The virtual reality experiences will be approximately 10 minutes in length and available for free to fans globally on a new WWE channel within the NextVR app following each event. The content will provide fans with a completely new experience, featuring highlights from WWE’s biggest events including the excitement of the fans, athleticism of WWE’s larger-than-life Superstars, pivotal moments, epic showdowns and surprise appearances, giving them the opportunity to see the action as if they were there live.

“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 Triple H during a recent tech conference. “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.”

“WWE is amazing in VR, and we know fans are going to love it,” said David Cole, NextVR CEO. “Our patented VR broadcasting pipeline will bring fans ringside with WWE Superstars to experience the electrifying energy and spectacle firsthand.”

“We are always looking to create compelling content across platforms, and we are excited to partner with NextVR to bring our fans closer to the action than ever before," said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “As the technology behind virtual reality continues to evolve, this is a unique opportunity for us to partner with NextVR, a leader in this space, to provide new experiences to our passionate fans around the world."

For each production, NextVR will work alongside WWE’s award-winning TV and production team to position NextVR’s custom virtual reality cameras throughout each event to capture the most immersive views of WWE action.

Fans with a Samsung GearVR headset or Google Daydream View, along with a compatible smartphone, PlayStation VR, or Windows Mixed Reality can download the free NextVR app from the corresponding platform store to access the free highlights.

Bonus: Here is a link to the video that recently won me a WWE championship belt.

About NextVR
NextVR is the world’s best virtual reality platform for delivering live sports and music in VR to fans globally. Launched in 2009, the company has patented technology that delivers an unparalleled VR experience providing fans extraordinary access and profound immersion. NextVR has world-class partnerships with leaders in sports and entertainment including the NBA, NFL, FOX Sports, Live Nation, and the International Champions Cup. NextVR was founded by industry leaders with decades of experience in 3D stereoscopic imaging, compression technology and VR broadcasting. For more information, visit NextVR.com.

About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 20 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. 

The 2018 Marketing plan of the year- The buzzword filled BS that is KODAK's cryptocurrency

Shares of Kodak (KODK) have nearly tripled in value on Tuesday after the iconic photography company formed a partnership with Wenn Digital to enter the cryptocurrency and digital licensing markets. Though their initial coin offering won't open until January 31, 2018, Kodak and it's investors have already made real-world money through marketing itself as a forward-thinking blockchain company. 

KODAKCoin, a photo-centric cryptocurrency to empower photographers and agencies to take greater control of image rights management. 

“For many in the tech industry, ‘blockchain’ and ‘cryptocurrency’ are hot buzzwords, but for photographers who’ve long struggled to assert control over their work and how it’s used, these buzzwords are the keys to solving what felt like an unsolvable problem,” said Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke. “Kodak has always sought to democratize photography and make licensing fair to artists. These technologies give the photography community an innovative and easy way to do just that.”

In 1996, Kodak was the 5th most valuable brand in the world. In 2013 the company that went bankrupt. Kodak lost out in the digital photography revolution and is determined to be a player in future. However this a very interesting use of Crypto-marketing. In its own press release, Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke states "For many in the tech industry, 'blockchain' and 'cryptocurrency' are hot buzzwords". Kodak has created buzz and an actual rise in value through a simple well-timed press release without providing any info on the expense, revenues, or investments required regarding the newly announced image rights management system. 

Kodak also has plans to install rows of Bitcoin mining rigs at its headquarters in Rochester, New York. Customers will pay up-front to rent mining capacity from The Kodak KashMiner further creating a revenue stream for Kodak. 

Kodak is the latest in a series of companies to see its value jump after revealing plans for blockchain-related activity.

Many thought leaders in the blockchain/crypto world are calling BS on Kodak's great crypto plan.

"This is a phenomenon we saw back during the dot com days in the late 1990s where traditional companies would mention some kind of internet strategy and their stock price would jump- University of Cambridge Cryptocurrency & blockchain researcher Garrick Hilman

"it is unlikely that the cryptocurrency, which is simply a secure payment system for users, will generate revenues significant enough to be reported in its financial releases for years or ever"- Seeking Alpha

Update: 

According to Coindesk, the Vancouver-based Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. announced today that it is investing $2 million in KodakCoin, the initiative announced yesterday by Kodak and WENN Digital, which is licensing the former's branding. WENN Digital, which is developing the digital media rights platform that was unveiled yesterday, is managing the sale of the tokens.

CES Innovation Award Honoree ‘Black Box VR’ Gym & Virtual eSport Unveils January 9th

Black Box VR, a pioneer in virtual reality fitness, has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its innovative resistance-based virtual reality fitness experience. The Black Box VR studio has developed the world’s first fully automated cable resistance machine that integrates virtual reality hardware and original virtual eSport software powered by HTC Vive.

The team confirmed today that the world will get its first chance to test out the upcoming gym system beginning January 9th-12th in Las Vegas during CES on the show floor at the Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #44722. Black Box VR users get an intense, time-dilated, custom workout while immersed in challenging, gamified and competitive virtual reality fitness experiences that redefine eSports into physically active vSports.

“In Black Box you will utilize strength, agility, balance and speed in a larger than life virtual world where we are able to harness the nature that is brought out in video games - dedication, determination, and longevity - and turn it into real, physical workouts that challenge both mind and body," said Preston Lewis, CCO and Co-Founder

Founded by fitness fanatics Ryan DeLuca and Preston Lewis, the Black Box VR team spent years building Bodybuilding.com into the largest online supplement retailer in the world with nearly $500m in annual sales. With the collaboration of many talented individuals, they created some of the world’s most recognized supplement brands, chart-topping fitness mobile applications, were honored for their award-winning health and fitness campaigns, and created the world’s largest online fitness social network with over 3m members while always holding true to the mission of changing people’s lives.

In 2016 Preston and Ryan decided to start their new venture, Black Box VR, with a mission to disrupt the fitness industry once again by creating innovative products and experiences that create lasting change in people’s lives. After trying virtual reality for the first time, Ryan and Preston knew they were experiencing a magically immersive technology that, if paired with resistance training, gaming principles and high intensity cardio, will be the winning combination for people trying to reach their health & fitness goals. Black Box VR is redefining fitness as we know it.

“For nearly two years, our team of veterans from both the fitness industry and the gaming industry have collaborated to harness the groundbreaking power of virtual reality to change the landscape of results-driven exercise and competitive eEports as we know it,” said Ryan DeLuca, CEO and Co-Founder. “We couldn’t be more excited to unveil our product in Las Vegas, and proud to have been honored with a CES Innovation Award.”

The prestigious CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, the owner and producer of CES 2018, the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

HTC VIVE enters CES2018 with new VIVE PRO Upgrade, Wireless VIVE Adaptor, and major upgrade to Viveport

Heading into CES2018 HTC VIVE announced the introduction of Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor.

In addition, the company debuted new improvements to Viveport VR and Vive Video. These improvements promise on VR   users higher resolution, improved audio, greater comfort, wireless freedom and immersive content discovery.

Vive Pro is a new HMD upgrade from Vive, built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users who want the best display and audio for their VR experiences. Vive Pro includes dual-OLED displays for a crisp picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD.

“There’s a clear need in the VR market for a premium VR experience with high resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S., VIVE. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for both VR enthusiasts and enterprises that want to utilize the best VR experience.”

More details on Vive Pro availability and price will be made available soon.

Vive Wireless Adaptor

Also unveiled today, the Vive Wireless Adaptor will be the first to market with a truly wireless VR headset integration for both Vive and Vive Pro.

The Vive Wireless Adaptor features Intel’s WiGig technology and offers a premium VR wireless experience that operates in the interference-free 60Ghz band, which means lower latency and better performance. The Vive Wireless Adaptor will ship in Q3 to customers worldwide. 

“Wireless VR has been on nearly every VR user’s wishlist since the technology was unveiled,” said Frank Soqui, General Manager Virtual Reality Group at Intel Corporation. “By collaborating with HTC to commercialize Intel’s WiGig technology, we will guarantee that wireless VR meets the most discerning quality bar for home users and business VR customers.”

“Viveport is moving to a VR first experience model, and with the all-new Viveport VR, we are changing the way consumers discover, experience and acquire VR content,” said Rikard Steiber, president, Viveport.  “Until now, there has not been a shopping and browsing experience that takes advantage of the full functionality of VR. Available in early access today, Viveport VR increases interaction with content and offers developers a preview that showcases the quality of their titles and experiences.”

Earlier this year, Viveport launched the world’s first VR subscription service to provide a whole new way to access the best VR experiences for a great price. With more than 1,000 titles available on Viveport today, and more than 325 available for subscription, Vive is changing the way users browse and discover content through Viveport VR.

Via Vive Blog

Fashion Comes To Social VR As Sansar Launches User-Created Avatar Clothing Market

Sansar™, announced the launch of a fashion market for user-created avatar clothing, opening new creative and entrepreneurial opportunities for users. In addition, Sansar has launched a first-of-its-kind integration with Marvelous Designer, the fashion design software by CLO Virtual Fashion Inc. used by numerous mainstream brands and independent designers. Fashions created with Marvelous Designer can now be exported directly to Sansar, where users can take advantage of realistic cloth simulation as they customize the fit and style on their avatars.

Virtual fashions enable Sansar users to further customize their avatars, bringing a new level of individuality and personality to the rich social interactions held among VR and PC users on the platform every day. For designers, Sansar’s fashion market also represents a significant new business opportunity. In the popular virtual world Second Life, avatar fashions account for a major portion of the $500 million (USD) user-to-user economy, and some designers have earned millions of dollars from their virtual fashion businesses.

“Our experience operating Second Life has shown how important and valuable user-created avatar fashions are, and with Sansar, we’re taking it to an exciting new level,” said Ebbe Altberg, CEO of Linden Lab. “Our integration with Marvelous Designer means that not only can you change what you wear, you can customize the fit and style to adjust how you wear it in Sansar. For example, you can roll up your sleeves, loosen your collar, and arrange your scarf just as you like it.”

“Innovative fashion companies, world-leading film and gaming studios, and creative hobbyists around the world are already using Marvelous Designer to create incredible virtual clothing designs,” said  Jaden Oh, CEO & CTO at CLO Virtual Fashion Inc. “Our integration with Sansar is the first of its kind, and it makes it easy for our users to sell their creations in this new market.”

For a limited time, an extended 60-day free trial of Marvelous Designer will be available exclusively to Sansar users. New Sansar users must redeem free trial offer within 90 days of account creation. Existing users can view their offer expiration date by logging into their Sansar accounts.

https://www.sansar.com/

The surreal artwork of Juan Antonio Guirado is reborn in Virtual Reality

Durning Miami Art Week, I took some time to get away from the main paths and visited the Juan Antonio Guiardo VR experience that was put together by cutting-edge Los Angeles based virtual reality studio FLOAT.

FLOAT is a collaborative entity focusing on the intersection of art and interactivity. Founders Ben Vance and Kate Parsons work together to create evocative, nuanced art experiences with producer, author, and curator Daniel Lisi.

"No longer bound by the frame, Guirado’s palettes will surround the viewer, spatializing the materiality of rich textures on canvas. Paint strokes hang mid-air as tangible, touchable artifacts. Viewers will be able to pull at the surface of the painting, allowing them to glide through layered, evocative spaces suffused with the otherworldly. Music by Matt Cheadle provides an orchestral soundscape through which grand abstract landscapes and shifting figures, hallmarks of Guirado’s aesthetic, emerge." 

The VR experience has you fly through a dreamlike art gallery viewing three of Guirado's works. The ability to look closely at every inch of the paintings puts you into the eye of the artist himself. You then float further and notice what is my favorite piece by Guirado, Kali's Tunnel, an intricate expression of the wonders of life and death. As you fly through this piece you float into a world of paint and magic and must be experienced to understand. 

This exhibition has been curated by the artist’s daughter and president of the Guirado Estate, Catalina Guirado-Cheadle,

I interviewed Catalina and got some great insights on the work of her father. I also spent a lot of time in the experience as I tried it 3 times to see the many layers that make up the piece. One of my favorite aspects of the piece is how vibrant and alive the work of Juan Antonio Guirado was in VR. I would even say the paintings had a feel of just being finished and I was looking at them as the paint dried. This piece stood apart from many VR art pieces I have seen due to how alive it is. 

A made in Unity 3d project, the textures are based directly from high-resolution photos of Guirado's paintings, and a custom shader was developed for that glossy fresh paint feel. 

 The VR experience was available for private viewings during the week of Miami Art Basel.

The FLOAT team and the Guirado Estate is looking to bring this VR experience to more events soon.

For updates on the Guirado Estate/Float VR collaboration and art exhibitions please visit www.guiradoestate.com

Pop Culture Icon Hello Kitty comes to mobile game Super Phantom Cat 2

Veewo Games, the developer of the hit franchise Super Phantom Cat, is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Hello Kitty as a playable character in Super Phantom Cat 2.

Hello Kitty was born in the suburbs of London and lives with her parents and her twin sister Mimmy, who is also her best friend. Her hobbies include baking cookies and making new friends – or as Hello Kitty likes to say, "You can never have too many friends!" Being the helpful girl that she is, Hello Kitty will join Ari in the Phantom World as they take on an evil gang of robots in search of Ari’s missing sister, Ina :)

Super Phantom Cat 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed platformer released in 2016. Both Super Phantom Cat and Super Phantom Cat 2 have been downloaded by more than 16 million mobile fans on iOS and Android. Super Phantom Cat 2 innovates on the classic gameplay of the original game with five special abilities known as “Penta Phantom Powers” – which have replaced sprites. The game also features a whole new look with dozens of playable characters, huge enemy variety, and much-requested customization options including potions and base-building.

“We are thrilled to have Hello Kitty in Super Phantom Cat 2. Her charm and happy-go-lucky attitude will have a transformative effect on the Phantom World,” says Jason Yeung, CEO of Veewo Games. “We have worked hard in the past few months to ensure that Hello Kitty fans have the time of their lives playing as their favorite character in Super Phantom Cat 2.”

The first game in the Super Phantom Cat franchise has been featured on CNET’s “Best Mobile Games of 2016” and Mashable’s “5 Can’t-Miss Apps.” It also won the “Best of the App Store” and “Best of Google Play” awards in 2016. Super Phantom Cat 2 is available on both iOS and Android devices.

Key Features

• Immerse yourself in stunningly beautiful worlds with adorable characters.
• Explore 5 different chapters with 7 levels – and a whole new chapter on the way.
• Collect 15 unique playable characters.
• Unleash brand new “Penta Phantom Powers” – such as Plant, Blink, Ice, and Smash (Resize coming soon).
• Experience classic hardcore platforming gameplay on your mobile device with intuitive controls and a modern interface.

• Pricing & Availability

  Super Phantom Cat 2 is available on iOS and Android. The game is free to download and play – and it includes in-app purchases.

  App Store

  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/super-phantom-cat-2/id1153486225?mt=8

  Google Play

  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.veewo.supercat2&hl=en

Cat dating sim, Purrfect Date set to hit Steam and your cat loving hearts December 15th.

Drawing inspiration from the dating sim genre (Dream Daddy, Hatoful Boyfriend) and the overall unique world of indie games (Undertale, Pony Island), Purrfect Date is a cross between a visual novel, dating sim, and dark British comedy. You, a human, will get to date cats and uncover the secrets of the mysterious Cat Island.

The trailer says this is about love and not bestiality so I am pretty sure it is going to be a fun light-hearted ode to cat friendship. 

Throughout the game’s seven chapters, you’ll adopt the roles of multiple freshly employed research assistants on an island almost entirely populated by cats. Choose your own adventure as you romance talking cats, balance your stats and carry out your research into the dark and questionable history of the Island.

Developed by Bae Team, a duo of Oliver Hindle (aka YouTube’s Oliver Age 24) and Ruby-Mae Roberts, Purrfect Date’s origins are explained in the game’s new release date trailer.

Published by Bossa Studios (I Am Bread, Surgeon Simulator), Purrfect Date mixes dark British comedy influences with (decidedly furry) dating sim mechanics. Throughout the game, the player adopts the role of several freshly employed research assistants on an island almost entirely populated by cats, on a mission to uncover the location’s shady history.

Get ready for hijinks and hairballs by adding Purrfect Date to your Steam wishlist here. For more information, follow the game on YouTube, Twitter,  Facebook and Instagram.

HTC VIVE launches VIVE Arts, a new multi-million dollar global VR art program

HTC VIVE today announced VIVE Arts, a new multi-million dollar global VR program set to change the way the world creates and engages with the arts. Vive recognizes VR's potential to share and engage with the world's most valuable treasures in a new and exciting way, and the company's latest investment will support the content, creators and institutions that embrace this new medium.

Vive has been supporting and investing in the arts and culture space since its launch, creating ground-breaking partnerships with London's Royal Academy of Arts, Taipei's National Palace Museum, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (French National Museum of Natural History) in Paris, Washington D.C.'s Newseum, and St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum among others. Vive Arts' next project will be in London for Tate Modern's major upcoming exhibition, Modigliani, opening on November 23rd, where Vive will bring a one-of-a-kind integrated VR experience to gallery-goers. A first for both Vive and Tate, it will bring visitors to the exhibition closer into the artist's world while also being available as an experience at home through VIVEPORT, the leading VR app store.

The Vive Arts program will help cultural institutions fund and develop VR installations that furthers education of the arts across the globe, as well as content that will be made available on Viveport. Vive will work with museums and content developers to bring their works to life in a whole new way.

"With the launch of Vive Arts, we are driving Virtual Reality's influence in art and providing access to our world's cultural heritage. We are empowering artists to create, and consumers to experience and interpret, art and culture in new ways," said Joel Breton, vice president, VIVE Studios. "We are thrilled for the next Vive Arts' project with Tate Modern, and support their mission to increase the public's enjoyment and understanding of international modern and contemporary art."

More than a dozen pieces of Vive Arts content will be available on Viveport starting today. Interested museums and content creators can visit arts.vive.com for more information.

Info via Vive Press Release

Microsoft acquires AltspaceVR to bolster their VR positioning.

In July AltspaceVR announced that it was closing its doors, stating that a funding deal fell through at the last minute. The following month, the company would go on to release the following statement “We are now in discussions with third parties to develop a sustainable solution to continue development and growth for the future,” Well it looks like we may now have an idea of who one of those third parties were as Microsoft has acquired the popular Social VR platform.

Announced at Microsoft’s Mixed Reality event in San Francisco Tuesday, Microsoft’s mixed reality lead Alex Kipman, went on to call Altspace “a pioneer in social mixed reality. 

AltspaceVR CEO Eric Romo said Tuesday that the company will continue to embrace the many platforms Altspace currently caters to and it unclear how the AltspaceVR brand and apps will continue under the Microsoft umbrella. 

When AltspaceVR was announced as shutting down in July and official "closed" in August it was met with much sadness in the community.

Though the terms of the acquisition by Microsoft has not been fully revealed and it is unknown of the status of the many employees of AltspaceVR this is a good sign for them. This is also a sign Microsoft wants to take on Facebook in the Social VR plane.

Update: After posting the AltspaceVR team reached out with a quote from AltspaceVR CEO Eric Romo as well as some answers to pending questions about the acquisition.

Quote from Eric:

"When we announced our closing, a common sentiment was that we were pioneers, if not ahead of our time. People were sad that they wouldn't be able to see what we could have built together with our community. I'm grateful that we get a chance to follow through on the story we started five years ago and see how much farther we can take this technology."

What events lead up to Microsoft's acquisition of AltspaceVR?

AltspaceVR announced their closure back in August. Many members of the AltspaceVR team worked hard in the following days and weeks to make sure the technology lived on. They connected with Alex Kipman and found a natural overlap between his goals for mixed reality and their hopes for the future of AltspaceVR. 

Why did Microsoft acquire AltspaceVR?

Microsoft is excited to incorporate communications technology into our mixed reality ecosystem. Today’s social experiences can be one sided: text, photos, and videos are posted by a single person, to be consumed by others later. But AltspaceVR takes social networks, combines them with real-time experiences, and leverages immersive presence to transcend beyond sharing posts to sharing situations. Situations of people, places, and things have deeper meaning and in turn, are more memorable. We’re excited to see how far this technology can go. 

What about AltspaceVR the company?

AltspaceVR will stay AltspaceVR. Microsoft is most interested in preserving the current community that uses AltspaceVR to connect and interact with new and old friends. These first few months will focus on fostering our community and making sure AltspaceVR remains a friendly, welcoming and vibrant place to hang out in virtual reality.  

What about AltspaceVR users?

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for AltspaceVR users and their team. The team will be spending a lot of the next few weeks talking to the AltspaceVR community and finding out how they can build an even better place to hang out in virtual reality. Their new partnership with Microsoft will be an adrenaline shot for AltspaceVR and they hope to bring new events, features and activities for their community to enjoy soon.

Will AltspaceVR stay cross-platform?

Yes. AltspaceVR will continue to work on PC and Mac in 2D mode, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Daydream by Google, and Samsung Gear VR. 

What does this mean for the AltspaceVR community? 

AltspaceVR will stay AltspaceVR. Microsoft is committed to being the best place in VR to hang out with a diverse community of people. 

Will AltspaceVR work on HoloLens?

The team is excited to see how AltspaceVR can be a part of Microsoft’s MR ecosystem but there aren’t plans to bring AltspaceVR to HoloLens now.  

CatsAndVR.com

Check out this 360 VR experience for Stephen King’s It.

Before the frightening remake of the Stephen King classic IT opens September 8th  check out IT: FLOAT - A Cinematic VR Experience.  a 3D 360 video that introduces you to meet Pennywise and enter the sewers of Derry. What begins as something of a tribute to a classic scene in the original film quickly descends into anarchy as you enter a nightmarish world.

Meet Pennywise and enter the sewers of Derry in this nightmarish VR preview for the upcoming film.

There will be more VR content on the way later this year for Gear VR and Daydream.

CatsAndVR.com/blog

2017 Disney Accelerator company The VOID to work with Lucasfilm’s Immersive Entertainment division to create Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire hyper-reality experience.

Lucasfilm, ILMxLAB and The VOID today announced the new Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire hyper-reality experience. This ground-breaking experience will open to the public at two new VOID Experience Centers at Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort beginning this holiday season, giving Star Wars fans the opportunity to step beyond reality and into a galaxy far, far away.

“At The VOID, we combine the magic of illusions, advanced technology and virtual reality to create fully immersive social experiences that take guests to new worlds,” said Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID. “A truly transformative experience is so much more than what you see with your eyes; it's what you hear, feel, touch, and even smell. Through the power of The VOID, guests who step into Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire won’t just see this world, they’ll know that they are part of this amazing story.”

ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s Immersive Entertainment division, created this first of its kind experience, in collaboration with The VOID. Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will plunge guests directly into the iconic Star Wars galaxy. Guests will move freely throughout the untethered, social, and multi-sensory experience as they interact and engage with friends, family and Star Wars characters.

“At ILMxLAB, we want people to step inside the worlds of our stories,” explained Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge of the division. “Through our collaboration with The VOID, we can make this happen as guests become active participants in an unfolding Star Wars adventure. By combining Lucasfilm's storytelling expertise with cutting-edge imagery, and immersive sound from the team at Skywalker Sound, while invoking all the senses, we hope to truly transport all those who experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire to a galaxy far, far away.”

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire marks an important milestone in the continued expansion of The VOID, which also joined the 2017 Disney Accelerator earlier this year.

About The VOID

The VOID is a destination that inspires the exploration of fully immersive worlds with friends and family, creating memorable experiences together. By combining physical sets with real-time interactive effects, The VOID allows you to step beyond reality, engaging all your senses, transporting you to new and unimaginable worlds. In July 2016, The VOID opened its first public experience at Madame Tussauds New York. In 2017, The VOID expanded with locations at The Rec Room in Toronto and the company’s headquarters in the greater Salt Lake City area with additional locations planned for the second half of the year. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.thevoid.com and join @VOIDVR on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About ILMxLAB

Founded in 2015, ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s Immersive Entertainment division, combines compelling storytelling, technological innovation and world-class production to create truly impactful, immersive entertainment experiences. ILMxLAB develops experiences for virtual reality, augmented/mixed reality, real-time cinema, theme park entertainment and narrative-based experiences for future platforms. For more information visit ilmxlab.com or follow @ILMxLAB on Twitter.

New Micro Machines styled PSVR game Tiny Trax gets update to encourage new players to join in on the fun.

FuturLab has issued a patch for Tiny Trax, the innovative slot car drift racing experience described as ‘Micro Machines meets Scalextrix. Based on user and journalist feedback the team is adjusting the AI to ensure it’s more accessible for newcomers to enjoy. Though the multiplayer aspect of the game is great due to many having the same learning curve, the single player mode came equipped with a pretty hardcore AI in early levels of the PSVR race. 

FuturLab is rolling out the patch today to make difficulty level on the first cup lowered to ensure that new players can achieve a medal more fairly.

The game, from Award-winning Brighton-based studio FuturLab (Velocity 2X), immerses players in stunning virtual worlds surrounded by a variety of epic toy racing tracks, allowing them to control tiny cars from a child’s perspective, and watch them boost around their body, jump overhead and drift around bends.

The game has a robust online multiplayer mode for up to four players, with 12 tracks across three environments. The game already has a growing community and its good to see FuturLab listening closely to continue its growth. Just look at some of these fans of the game.

Tiny Trax is downloadable via the PlayStation Store in the US and Europe 

https://www.futurlab.co.uk/games/tiny-trax

RoVR is a super cute Doggo simulator that is part of an MIT accelerator program for playful stuff.

RoVR is a realistic VR doggo simulator from Ridgeline Labs. As part of a the first class of MIT's Play Labs summer accelerator focused on playful tech, Ridgeline Labs looks to bring tummy rubs and woofs to the VR ecosystem.  The name RoVR is also one of the best uses of using VR in a title. RoVR is Ridgeline Labs' first title, as a VR dog simulator players can raise, pet, customize, and do so much more with their new virtual best friend. 

Doggie treats and tummy rubs are the way into every dog's heart! 🐶❤️#madeWithUnity #VR #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/GEA6fxmK5M

— Ridgeline Labs (@ridgelinelabs) July 16, 2017

As you may know CatsAndVR loves Caits but we have a special place for Doggos. Being in the SF Bay area it is a little hard to have a dog due to lack of space and pet rent so perhaps this can fill the void a bit...just don't tell the cats. 

The game looks to be pretty robust with fetch and dress up elements to be included in the game with numerous costumes. We should probably get more information later in the summer after the MIT accelerator concludes. 

Apparently dinosaurs like to play fetch too! #madeWithUnity #VR #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/mdGbMrz6b4

— Ridgeline Labs (@ridgelinelabs) July 8, 2017

Ridgeline Labs, an American independent VR game studio made up of Henry Zhou and Jeremy Slavitz . 

 

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Cloudbase Prime is basically the modern day Jumping Flash reboot I have been waiting years for.

Cloudbase Prime has officially gotten a full release on PC, Mac, and Linux with a 10% launch discount available to gamers who buy the game during its launch week.  

Cloudbase Prime  is a goofy, cartoonish game where you jump a lot and shoot things, but it's also an ode to how the first-person games of my youth could make me feel real emotion with simple graphics, simple stories, and heart," commented creator Tyrus Peace.

I first heard about Cloudbase Prime at the Oculus Launchpad weekend workshop where I met the games creator. We chatted a bit about his current VR project he was working on and then he told me about this game. I was intrigued right away as the game reminds me of one of my all time favorite Playstation games of all time, Jumping Flash. 

Every E3 Sony Press conference I ever went to I hoped for a current gen Jumping Flash and surely this would be a PERFECT game for the PSVR. Of course I have not gotten that yet but I do now get a game that fills that void a little. I personally think Cloudbase Prime would be perfect for VR so maybe that happens in the future.

Cloudbase Prime  boasts levels built of modular terrain that you can move to solve puzzles, block missiles, and launch enemies to their doom. Find new weapons, special ammunition, and powers to upgrade your robot suit. You'll find ample use for them in fast, bouncy combat and a variety of massive boss fights. . Explore varied levels,  plumbing the weird depths of a gas giant's robotic wilderness. Climb huge robotic trees, swim inside giant jellyfish, and find lost cities in the clouds! The game has a clean, cartoony polygonal style. Players will discover why robots are mutating and acting all murdery via fully animated and voiced in-game story bits.

The game is currently available on Steam and Humble Store for the value price of a decent burrito ($8.99)

See the latest trailer here:  http://cloudbaseprime.com/latest-video

To find out more, visit:  http://store.steampowered.com/app/511250/Cloudbase_Prime/

Website:  http://cloudbaseprime.com/

Facebook:  Facebook/CloudbasePrime

Twitter: @TyrusPeace

About Floating Island Games

Floating Island Games is a small dev team composed of Tyrus Peace. Its goal is to make modern games that remind of old feelings while allowing Tyrus to stay home and help raise his family.

Winner of numerous "Best VR Game” Awards at E3 2017, Archangel is now out for Playstation VR.

Skydance Interactive debuted its first virtual reality game, the award-winning first-person shooter Archangel – exclusively on PlayStation VR.

Players will step into the cockpit to pilot a six-story high war machine and lead their squad mates in an incredible VR battle across the scarred landscapes of a post-apocalyptic America. Archangel is now available at the official PlayStation Store for $39.99.
 
Set in a post-apocalyptic America during the year 2089, players choose to play the role of Gabby or Gabriel Walker, codename “Guardian,” who has been selected by the United States Free Forces to lead the resistance against the tyrannical corporation HUMNX, a private conglomerate that governs what is left of our ravaged nation. Players must use strategy and skill to fire upon enemies with a wide array of high-powered weapons while protecting their allies from onslaught.
 

“How better to introduce players to Skydance Interactive’s vision for the future of virtual reality gaming than to give them hands-on control of a giant mech in a way that no other medium can deliver,” said Peter Akemann, President of Skydance Interactive. “Now is the time to join the resistance, protect your friends and countrymen, and become the beacon of hope that America needs – the Archangel!”
 
Archangel garnered “Best VR Game” Awards at E3 2017 from Geek Citadel, MMOGames, and MEUPS4. On August 2, 2017 it will be available on other leading virtual reality platforms, including HTC Vive and Oculus. A location-based version of the game will also be made available in IMAX VR Centres in August.
 
To learn more about Archangel visit www.archangelgame.com and follow @archangelgame on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

Ahead of Comic Con Disney’s D23 Expo announced Marvel VR for Oculus, A Star Wars AR HEADSET!, and a Star Wars theme park..oh AND reveled the Kingdom Hearts 3 Toy Story Trailer!!!

I consider my self a Disney fan, I love Tron and Darkwing Duck, also since I am a big Star Wars and Marvel fan over the past few years I have to say I have become a bigger Disney fan. All that being said Disney’s D23 Expo was not on my radar and its a damn shame because they just announced some major things for its entertainment empire including big VR and AR news.

 First up is Marvel Powers United VR  being made by Oculus and Sanzaru Games. Though the full lineup details is being held out for Comic Con we do know  The Hulk, Captain Marvel, and Rocket Raccoon are playable. The announcement came during the “Level Up” gaming panel, which also includedDisney reveal of a Star Wars AR headset in development with Lenovo.  The collection of games reveled is called Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, includes holochess  a lightsaber game of course. Check out the reveal video .

No word yet on when the release date for headset will but the website is currently live. 

Speaking about Star Wars, Disney also offered several new details about its Star Wars Galaxy expansion confirming rumors that the company was working on an Westworld-esq set in George Lucas’ universe.

According to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Bob Chapek, the project amounts to almost exactly that. “We are working on our most experiential concept ever,” he told the crowd during a Saturday panel. “It combines a luxury resort with immersion in an authentic environment.”

At D23 today, Disney announced that it's making an augmented reality headset with help from hardware manufacturer Lenovo. It's designed specifically with Star Wars experiences in mind.

And last but not least Disney keyblade dropped a new Kingdom Heart 3 Toy Story trailer for good measure. This is some crazy stuff and Im blown away at what the media empire has in store for the future. I think I may skip E3 next year and focus on D23. 

http://arkittens.com/