The legends of the ROCKY franchise now live in free CREED: Rise to Glory update

If you ever dreamed of fighting or putting on the gloves as the Italian Stallion himself, CREED: Rise to Glory brings some of the most legendary figures of the ROCKY franchise to the game’s Freeplay and PvP roster across all VR platforms in its latest free content update.

The list of new fighters include World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed, father of Adonis Creed and Rocky’s original rival-turned-friend; Rocky III’s streetwise Southside Slugger Clubber Lang; and, most notorious of all, Ivan Drago himself from Rocky IV.

PlayStation® VR players will also receive a new outdoor fighting ring, The Walcott Bowl, with this free update.

The ROCKY Legends update is now live on Steam, Oculus Home, and PlayStation VR.

Best Of VR at E32018: Best VR Shooter-EVASION on PSVR

My reactions to playing Evasion on the Playstation VR during E3- "A Phenomenal game, A PHENOMENAL GAME! I've played it on the Vive and Vive Pro and playing it with the Aim Controller on the PSVR is the most satisfying version I have played. 

These reactions along with other fans who played the game at E3 were captured and shared by the Evasion team at E3.

I have been ranting and raving about this n intense VR bullet hell game, designed to immerse players in high intensity co-op multiplayer combat for about a year and soo happy the team is getting the attention they deserve.  http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/evasion

Several things of note on the E3 Demo.

1. Heavily featured by Playstation at E3 and the only Aim controller game showed.

2. The game looks amazing on PSVR and not to big of a drop from the Vive version.

3. THIS IS A MUST HAVE GAME IF YOU HAVE AN AIM CONTROLLER!

Evasion on PSVR is on par with any AAA Aim controller game including Farpoint and Doom VFR and I would go as far as saying it may be better in the end. Having played this game in several versions this was my first time going through a mission alone and it made for a VERY intense experience. The aim controller also felt very comfortable and made for an amazing arcade like experience. Look for Evasion coming to Vive, Vive Pro, and PSVR very soon. 

STAR TREK: BRIDGE CREW BRINGS THE NEXT GENERATION TO LIFE IN NEW EXPANSION

Today, Ubisoft® announced that Star Trek™: Bridge Crew - The Next Generation, the new expansion for Star Trek: Bridge Crew, will be available for PlayStation®VR and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, playable both with and without VR, on May 22nd 2018 for £11.99. Star Trek: Bridge Crew - The Next Generation will be available on PC on July 21st 2018, for VR players, with HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality support, as well as for non-VR players. The expansion will be playable cross-platform across all devices.

Players can now continue their voyage in the Star Trek universe as they take the helm of the Galaxy Class starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Players will be forced to test their combat skills against cloaked Romulan fleets and the villainous Borg in the Ongoing Voyages mode.

The Next Generation Expansion enhances the Ongoing Missions mode and offers two additional mission types, Patrol and Resistance. Patrol Mode gives players the opportunity to free roam in space, while experiencing random encounters and objectives, for endless hours of adventure on-board the U.S.S. Aegis, U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 or the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. In Resistance Mode, players will get the chance to face a fan-favourite villain - the unstoppable Borg. Players will evade a pursuing Borg Cube and will be tasked with completing a series of objectives before battling the Borg in a final showdown.  

Additionally, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D will introduce a new command role, Operations, which will focus on Crew Management. Those in the role will need to plan ahead and assign the correct NPC teams to each location on the ship, as each position is crucial to the success of the varied missions and to the safety of the crew.

For more information about Star Trek: Bridge Crew, please visit startrekbridgecrew.com.

With Kinda Funny's Greg Miller to guide you, Island Time VR is a kinda funny physical survival comedy.

During GDC 2018 week I got a chance to demo Island Time VR , a humorous and challenging game in which you are shipwrecked on a deserted island and try to survive as long as possible.  Crafting tools and cooking food will help you to keep your health bar up and in turn survive your time on the island. Going in I really was like what ridiculous nonsense VR game is this. Turns out that ridiculous nonsense VR game is really fun. The mechanics are simple enough but is comprised of an event system that determines when and what amounts of resources are made available to players. Once the game gets going it does become some hectic fun that would be great physical comedy to on lookers.

Speaking of comedy, the development team over at Flight School cast Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller as the voice of Carl the Crab. Carl acts as your guide to the island, provides hints, and even gives you a claw or two to help build survival tools. 

“I have no business being a voice actor, so I was blown away when Flight School reached out to have me voice Carl,” said Greg Miller, Co-Founder of Kinda Funny Games. “Then, imagine my surprise when the game turned out to actually be great! It's been an honor to be part of a game that's engaging, funny, and a great example of what VR can be."

Many non-VR game journalists have not been too friendly to VR so it is pretty refreshing to see Greg Miller not only support VR but jumping in voice first. Greg is a pretty interesting and popular figure in gaming so his support could not only help the Flight School team to promote Island Time VR but help in growing VR as a whole. Another interesting but perhaps not as popular figure in gaming is Adam Volker of  Flight School. Adam took the time to sit with me and tell me more about his team and the work on Island Time VR.

“Flight School is focused on pushing technology to entertain those wanting new virtual experiences, especially for VR and AR,” said Adam Volker, Creative Director at Flight School Studio. “Island Time VR provides players with fun survival challenges that push players to think creatively about ways to stay alive. We’re excited to see what solutions people come up with to survive in the game, and we'll fold all the things we learn into our next VR experience.”

VR survival game Island Time VR from Flight School Studio is launching April 3rd for PlayStation VR, Oculus, HTC Vive and Steam VR for $14.99.

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

Survios is quickly showing that they may be the heavyweight champ of VR game development

GDC 2018 was definitely not my first rodeo at a major gaming event and I have seen my fair share of the gaming dog and pony show.  Having been to several E3's and even having been present at the controversial THQ Homefront red balloon event I've been around the block. Part of the thrill of game journalism is the rumors and I have been waiting to see who would be the VR company that people would be gossiping about months before events like they do about the Bethesda's and Naughty Dog's of the PC and console world.

Sure Oculus and HTC get articles written about them but that is mostly for the hardware side. This year at GDC, Survios showed me that they are more than a flash in the pan VR contender. Garnering acclaim for Raw Data, a VR game that was the first make 1 million dollars in sales, the team got the attention of MGM and is now moving faster at making VR HITS than any other VR development company in the space. 

The team had their latest hit game Sprint Vector on display but also set a high bar for VR gaming at GDC with their super fun entry into the VR Music space, Electronauts, as well as their first game partnered with MGM, CREED: RISE TO GLORY.

Electronauts is a VR sonic experience where users can remix, compose, jam, and perform on uniquely designed electronic instruments. My hands on demo showed an intuitive and fun platform that was easy to pick up and easy to see how much sonic potential it had. There are people in the media that are quick to say that VR is dead, experiences like Electronauts show why they may be jumping the gun. The experience of mixing was satisfying and one that is shareable in many ways. During the Unity GDC party, Electronauts Audio Engineer showed the party potential of the VR software while mixed along side a scratch DJ. 

More hot fire from the @ElectronautsVR team @unity3d #GDC2018 #GDC party. I wanna take it to #dj at #burningman pic.twitter.com/r6JK87QUKd

— CatsAndVR@GDC (@CatsAndVR) March 22, 2018

Music is one of the most fundamental social languages that exist and many have tried to tap into that in VR to help grow the ecosystem. With Electronauts, Survios may have found a winning formula that can bring more celebrity endorsements to VR. During GDC noted WWE superstar and video game evangelist Xavier Woods tweeted that Electronauts was one of the coolest musical experiences he had in along time, not just for VR but for music as a whole.

One of the coolest musical experiences that I've had in a long time. Insanely satisfying #Electronauts @Survios #GDC pic.twitter.com/Gj4m3ugEH3

— Austin Creed (@XavierWoodsPhD) March 22, 2018

Since Xavier Woods used to go by the name Consequences Creed this is a good segue into the other new title Survios had on display. The companies fourth game and first collaborative project with MGM, CREED: Rise to Glory is cinematic boxing game inspired by the latest entry into the Rocky movie universe. 

“In all the VR experiences we build, we aim to make our players feel empowered, and REED: RISE TO GLORY™ accomplishes this in a very cinematic and active way," said James Iliff, Survios co-founder and Chief Creative Officer. “We’re throwing players into iconic boxing arenas, trading blows with the top fighters from the franchise, all while experiencing the thrills and showtime dramatics of the ultimate Hollywood-style boxing exhibition. With our new Phantom Melee Technology™, the game provides an authentic immersive experience that truly makes you feel like a boxing world champion." 

With CREED, Survios had one of the only VR games to have a line at GDC and created a immersive spectacle with a boxing ring that reminded me of E3. The ring did add an extra level of immersion and offered a great view of the experience for spectators and people in line. The game was one of the best VR boxing experiences I have played and only the fact of my limited playtime kept it from being the best. The visuals are very well done and though not completely realistic they are also not cartoony. Lets just say if their was a realistic Rocky Balboa comic book this is what it would look like. In fact I swore that I heard Rocky grunt at me during the training portion only to find out that there was no audio for him yet. The game feels like a boxing training simulator and it was a pretty good workout as well. After playing a few rounds I got a chance to interview some of the team.

Since this is the fourth game from Survios I asked producer Kim Marlis about what lessons from the previous games did they apply to CREED: RISE TO GLORY.

"We utilized all the tech from previous games and made it work with what we are trying to accomplish with CREED. We also looked back at all the pain points of previous games so we don't have to go through them again. At Survios we like to learn from our past experiences and become better. We are taking all the useful data from our previous games and applying them to CREED."

The bell has rung for the final rounds of @MGM_Studios' CREED: Rise to Glory™ 🥊 Thanks #GDC18 for such an awesome #CreedRTG debut--we'll see you back in the #VR ring soon! pic.twitter.com/uGzGlnpyWu

— Survios (@Survios) March 23, 2018

Seeing how fast Survios has moved since having a hit with Raw Data, they seem very poised to keep getting better. If they continue at this rate they may very well be the VR company people associate with quality VR. I think there is a saying that goes like a rising tide floats all boats or something to that effect. My point is that the success of the Survios team is a success for VR as a whole. Once VR grows just a bit more Survios looks to be the team to get the name recognition like the  Naughty Dog's of the world. I wish the team the best and hope by writing this I can get an invite to that eventual Survios E3 party featuring Dr. Dre, Michael B. Jordan, and Wiz Khalifa. :)

The nostalgia filled VR game-within-a-game Pixel Ripped 1989 is launching in May.

Although there exists a multitude of ways to get your video game fix in today, often we reminisce over the "good ole days". Hell part of the charm in the novel and upcoming film Ready Player One is its super call back to retro gaming. The upcoming VR game Pixel Ripped 1989 draws on a similar ode to the retro and really looks to be a really fun trip down that road.

The player embarks on a journey into the screen of a classic video game and beyond. Set in the era of portable 8-bit consoles, this game-within-a-game follows the adventures of Dot, an in-game character who sees her world torn apart by the Cyblin Lord, a villain able to break through the video game screen and invade the real world.

In the game, the player inhabits Nicola, a second-grade student who must help Dot save both realities from this menace by facing challenges in the retro-gaming 2D world, all while distracting the cranky teacher and escaping from the furious headmaster in her own 3D world.

The trailer for the  game has a great art style that reminds me of something like Jimmy Neutron.  One of the things I am looking forward to is seeing the many gaming references that I am sure Pixel Ripped 1989 will be full of.

Started as a passion project by Ana Riberio back in 2014, when she was still a student in London. The development of the game has been a long journey for her, but one she refused to give up on. In 2017, Ribeiro joined ARVORE, Pixel Ripped's publisher and investor, as project director and game developer; she and completed the project with the team there.

"The most difficult part of development is over," says Ribeiro. "We are in the final steps to deliver Pixel Ripped 1989 very soon to all our fans. Being at GDC and showcasing our finished game to press is a dream come true. And we’re looking forward to the public’s reaction next month in Boston," she concluded.

If this first installment goes well the team has plans on making versions than span many eras of gaming. So far the game has been very well received and has received funding from Oculus as well as awards from Intel and the AMAZE Indie Festival.

Pixel Ripped 1989 is slated to launch on PS VR, Oculus and Vive on May 22, 2018.  For more information, visit http://www.pixelripped.com 

CatsAndVR will get a chance to go hands on with Pixel Ripped 1989 during GDC week and will bring you a preview soon.

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.

CatsAndVR interviews Konrad Kunze, the creator of Konrad The Kitten.

FusionPlay just released its creative pet raising sim “Konrad the Kitten” for PlayStation VR, Oculus and Steam. Konrad the Kitten puts players in a colorful world and makes them care about a cute little virtual kitten. The game features a unique “Plushy-Mode” that brings a plush toy into the virtual world by attaching a VR controller on its back.

CatsAndVR recently had the chance to interview Konrad Kunze, the creative mind behind Konrad the Kitten. 

Q1- There is Konrad the Developer and Konrad the Kitten, how similar are the two?

• I didn't like the game to have my name but because of several reasons it finally went that way. Finally I was convinced to stick with the name "Konrad the Kitten" because it's just a catchy name. We wanted the cat to have an identity. (The internal prototype name was just "virtu-real cat". This is surely not a catchy name ;) )

Q2- Why did you decided to create a Cat VR game?

• The very first prototype was a present for my girlfriend. She loves cats and that was my way to show my love to her. But then the basic concept worked that well that I decided to create a full game based on the idea. FusionPlay then gave me the chance to realize that.

Q3- Is this the teams first game?

• Yes and No. 
• I have been creating games since my childhood. Board games, card games, computer games, all kinds of stuff. But none of them ever has developed been beyond the prototype stage.
• in 2012 FusionPlay gave me the chance to make one of these prototypes a full game. "FusionPlay Heroes" as it is called, is my first game but it is something totally different. It is a physical card game with NFC radio chips in every playing card. Creating a physical game that will be released in stores is much more work than we expected. That is why our first game (FusionPlay Heroes) is already done with development but has not yet released. This will happen in a few weeks.
• Konrad the Kitten is the second full game I worked on. After the main game design work on FusionPlay Heroes was done, I had the time to focus on something additional what then became Konrad the Kitten.

Q4- What is the teams background and how large?

• We have a very uncommon structure. The company behind FusionPlay is called "IT Sonix custom development GmbH" and employs more than 100 people. IT Sonix focuses on Software projects of different kinds and has experts for design, app development, backend development, etc.
• So the core team of Konrad the Kitten is more or less just me being responsible for the game. But whenever I need additional help, I can easily request that internally. For example for creating the Title image or the icons, our design department was used. And when I need testers, I just send out a mail "Who wants to play PlayStation - counts as working time" ;) (Although testing is not nearly as fun as playing a game...)

Q5- When did your interest in VR begin and when did you decide to make a VR game?

• I started with the preorder of the DK2. The day the preorder became available, I preordered one. With the DK 2 I experimented a lot with the possibilities and limitations of VR. When the HTC Vive was announced, I immediately preordered that one because of the room-scale feature.
• Shortly after I received the Vive I experimented with tracking real-world objects by using the Vive Controller. This was the time that I decided to make a small game for my girlfriend - the very first prototype.

Q6- What cat research did the team do for the game?

• Mostly talking with people that own a cat.
• We needed to discuss and gauge very often, how realistic we wanted the cat to be. Unfortunately some really cool features, like the ears of the kitten symbolizing its mood, could not be realized with the resources we have. It's these tiny things that costs a lot of time and you always need to decide whether to do this or to do another feature that people maybe like more. 

Q7- How many cats are owned by the members of the team?

• As the team is a loose team, that's hard to count.
• Lot's of the testers that regularly help us have cats. My boss has multiple cats as well.
• Finally my girlfriend - a big help in discussing features - has 2 cats at work.

Q8- What has been the most difficult thing in developing Konrad the Kitten?

• The full-3d-UI was really hard although it might not look like that. Especially messing around with transparency issues, things being rendered in front of others although they are behind them.
• Also the calibration of the kitten was tricky. Although the algorithms inside are not that hard for a programmer, designing the calibration process for the player was hard. The biggest issue was to clearly guide the player through the process and explain the differences between real floor and virtual floor and why this needs to be calibrated. It took us endless iterations until we had what we finally release.

Q9- From early access to full release, what lessons has the team learned?

• 1. Do not release too early in Early Access. I think we should have waited some more months.
• 2. Assure that your game is understandable right from the start. We've waited much too long with integrating the tutorial. That was a bad decision as some people just did not understand how to play the game. (Especially when you do uncommon stuff like requesting the player to attach the controller on a plush toy.)
• 3. If you do a VR game, design it for VR from scratch! Don't do a "Something like existing game xy, just in VR.". Instead create new ideas that only work in VR.

Q10- What is the future of Konrad the kitten and Konrad the dev.

• We are already preparing a small content update that will bring some easter stuff into the game. Besides this it will address some minor things that did not made it into the release version.
• Then there will be the Release of FusionPlay Heroes, our NFC card game.
• After that we will sit together and discuss between different options: 
• Starting with a new VR game (we already have 2 great concept ideas) 
• or creating a DLC for Konrad the Kitten (new areas, objects, minigames and a new core feature)
• creating new Hero Packs for FusionPlay Heroes
• We already have very detailed ideas for these things but need to decide what to do first. 

Konrad the Kitten is out now on PlayStation VR, Oculus and Steam.

Website:             www.fusion-play.com/konrad-the-kitten/

Facebook:          www.facebook.com/KonradTheKitten/

Twitter:               @FusionPlayGames #KonradTheKitten

Throw Anything, a VR game where you throw everyday objects at zombies is out on Feb 28th.

THROW ANYTHING is launching February 28 on HTC Vive/SteamVR and looks to be a pretty funny take on both zombies and tower defense. As zombies  attempt to scale your high-rise apartment building its up to you to defend your sanctuary by throwing random objects that are available to you.  The game has 5 stages with "boss" battles included as well as fully destructible environments. The games weapons consist of what ever is available in the room and you can even throw your fellow humans. The game does give off a very Job Simulator ascetic that matches the zaniness shown in the gameplay trailer.   

Throw Anything will be available on HTC Vive/SteamVR on Wednesday, February 28 as an Early Access title for $16.99. A PSVR and Oculus Rift release are expected later in 2018.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/746660/Throw_Anything

The new Tomb Raider movie reboot gets a Gear VR tie in.

Tomb Raider VR: Lara's Escape is now available in the Oculus Gear VR Store. Tomb Raider VR: Lara's Escape is an interactive cinematic VR experience based on the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot, starring Academy-Award winner Alicia Vikander (Jason Bourne, The Danish Girl), coming to theaters March 2018.

Pursued by soldiers, Lara Croft must into an ancient tomb as only she can. Use Lara's flashlight to explore crumbling caverns in the dangerous, trap-filled cave. Wield Lara's bow and climbing axe to escape capture as you rappel, climb and zip-line to safety. The new movie seems to take its style from the recent Tomb Raider game reboot with the edgy Rise of the Tomb Raider being the most recent. 

You can download for free on Samsung Gear VR.

Celebrate the Year Of The Dog with a sale on Stunt Corgi VR

In Stunt Corgi you are the parent of one daring corgi that dreams of being the most famous stunt pet in the world! With your inventory of props, set up the course and choreograph your corgi's routine. Call “Action!” at any time to capture each moment as your corgi struts her stuff. 

To celebrate the Year Of The Dog the team is adding a new skin, a new feature, and some bug fixes. In addition, for the Steam Lunar New Year Sale, Stunt Corgi VR will be 34% off! 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/665080/Stunt_Corgi_VR/

Stunt Corgi VR is aimed at the casual and hardcore players alike.  It comes with tons of pre-made levels to inspire and show what the game is able to do.  It is very easy to learn but also allows for insane course construction that will satisfy the most demanding imaginations.

Catsandvr.com/blog/

Strap your PlayStation Move controller to a plushy toy and go pet crazy as Konrad the Kitten launches on PSVR on Feb 23rd.

Virtual pet simulator, Konrad the Kitten, will be launched on PlayStation VR on February 23rd.  Currently the game is on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive in Early Access. Konrad the Kitten is a virtual reality cat tamagotchi game in which you satisfy Konrad's needs and desires, play mini-games full of action, and unlock more than 50 accessories!

A particular highlight for all cat fans is the unique plush toy mode. This feature brings your favorite plush toy to life as a virtual cat, letting you feel like it’s really there. Hold it, cuddle it and play with it as though it were your real pet.

Play pawsome mini-games and win valuable coins. Hunt mice with Konrad, and catch as many of the nimble rodents as you can. Put your skills and reactions to the test in the fishing game. Or try out the obstacle course, guiding Konrad carefully and skilfully through rings. The more you care for him, the faster his experience increases and his love for you grows. Look after him daily and care for him as though he were a real furry friend.

WebVR pioneers look to turn Supermedium into the home for fresh and diverse VR experiences.

The creators of VR web framework ‘A-Frame have launched a new fully VR browser called Supermedium. The team behind the product have lots of experience in Web-based VR as they were part of the original Mozilla team behind the WebVR initiative. Now the team is part of the Y Combinator Winter batch with a goal of breathing freshness and diversity into the VR content ecosystem.

The beauty of web-based VR is that content loads fast and has an easier barrier to entry. This allows for quicker experiences for the user and more experimentation opportunities for creators.  A VR Gif, a low fidelity game, a VR journalism page dedicated to Cats And VR, the possibilities are endless. If you want to spend 2 or 20 minutes on those experiences you don't have to worry about installing an app since you can travel just like you would the classic web. 

To start the team is featuring a few dozen curated VR sites. Traditional URL input will be supported later on as more VR sites appear and also adhere to best practices for WebVR. The platform also currently supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.

We witnessed first-hand how slow the Web was to react to the rise of
smartphones and app store ecosystems. We're not going to let that happen again
with VR. We want to ensure the Web is a first-class citizen for VR and for
immersive platforms going forward. For the next big personal computing shifts,
we think we're right on time. - Kevin Ngo, Diego Marcos, Diego Goberna

https://www.supermedium.com/

Tencent invests in film and VR maker Skydance Media, the company behind Archangel

Skydance Media, LLC (“Skydance”), a diversified media company that creates elevated, event-level entertainment for global audiences across multiple platforms, and Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”, SEHK: 00700), a leading provider of Internet value-added services in China, announced today that they have entered into a partnership, with Tencent making a strategic investment in Skydance Media.

The investment is part of a broader strategic partnership, which provides a global platform for project-level collaboration and will also allow Skydance to access Tencent’s expertise in Asia and gaming to further build out its presence in these markets. 

Partnership initiatives will include the opportunity for Tencent to co-finance Skydance films, as well as to market, distribute and merchandise in China. The partnership also supports collaboration on other media initiatives, including television, interactive and virtual reality.

“We are thrilled and honored to be entering into a strategic partnership with Tencent, whose global reach and position within the Chinese marketplace is truly unmatched”, said David Ellison, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skydance Media.  “Skydance has experienced a tremendous amount of growth since our inception in 2010, and we're excited that our next phase of expansion will be in partnership with a company that shares our vision for where entertainment is heading.”

“Skydance is nurturing successful entertainment franchises, especially in the action and science fiction genres, which are particularly popular in China. We believe this partnership will support Skydance’s expansion internationally, across media and into television production, and provide Tencent with attractive content that we can share with China consumers,” said James Mitchell, Chief Strategy Officer at Tencent.

Skydance has developed valuable brands across its four pillars of Film, Television, Animation and Interactive entertainment. They are currently in production on the new Mission: Impossible film starring Tom Cruise, directed by Christopher McQuarrie; Gemini Man starring Will Smith, directed by Ang Lee; the next Terminator film produced by James Cameron, directed by Tim Miller; and two animated films – Luck, written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, directed by Alessandro Carloni and Split written by Linda Woolverton, directed by Vicky Jenson. 

In addition, Skydance produces and retains the rights to several of the most-successful action, adventure and science fiction franchises of all time, including Star Trek, G.I. Joe, World War Z and Top Gun contributing to nearly $5 billion in worldwide box office.

Furthermore, Skydance TV has become one of the most prolific independent TV studios, creating and financing 8 premium series to date, including the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated hit Grace and Frankie and the upcoming Altered Carbon on Netflix, Jack Ryan on Amazon, Dietland on AMC, andCondor on Audience Network. The Company also has produced and released multiple AAA virtual reality games through Skydance Interactive, including the critically acclaimed Archangel VR and the upcoming Walking Dead VR game.

Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Every day, hundreds of millions of people communicate, share experiences, consume information and seek entertainment through its integrated platforms. Tencent’s diversified services include QQ, Weixin / WeChat for communications, Qzone for social networking, QQ Game Platform for online games, QQ.com and Tencent News for information and Tencent Video for video content. In addition, Tencent Pictures was founded in 2015 as a production company that creates films based on books, comic books, animated series, and video games. In September 2017, the Company announced 43 upcoming projects, which cover movies, TV series and online series, as well as pan-entertainment projects based on IP collaboration.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal advisor to Skydance. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal advisor to Tencent.

NEON BULLET HELL "BLASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE" COMING TO PS VR ON FEB. 27

Primetime Emmy® Award-winning developer Secret Location and publisher Archiact have joined forces to bring the unabashed bullet hell mayhem of Blasters of the Universe to PlayStation®VR. Available on Feb. 27, 2018, nimbleness will be key in Blasters of the Universe as players duck, dodge and deflect their way through increasingly challenging levels in a neon-bathed world inspired by the outrageous cover art of 90s VHS tapes.

Praised by critics and players alike on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, Secret Location’s arcade shooter Blasters of the Universe pulls PS VR gamers into a searing technicolor VR battle against nerd-turned-evil-genius Grand Master Alwyn. His endless waves of spiraling projectiles and hordes of minions encapsulate the player in an onslaught of danger that’s core to the notorious bullet hell genre. But even those who master the game’s physical challenges will struggle to maintain their composure against Grand Master Alwyn’s embarrassing attempts at hurling terribly outdated insults towards the player.

“We made Blasters of the Universe with Archiact to inject the pure intensity of classic bullet hell games with modern VR’s innate ability to immerse and impress gamers. This game also really takes advantage of VR’s accessibility, making the infamous bullet hell genre a cinch to pick-up-and-play while still honoring its challenging roots,” said Josh Manricks, Technical Director and Project Lead at Secret Location. “I just have one piece of advice for those new to our game: careful not to eye-roll yourself to death – Grand Master Alwyn is seriously ridiculous!”

Blasters of the Universe requires two PlayStation MoveTM controllers, one for shield-wielding and one for brandishing a weapon with over 130,000 ways to customize it to match the player’s style. Those preferring an easier experience can tone down the action with the all-new Casual mode that brings down the difficulty of enemies’ attacks. On the flip side, those seeking a true test of endurance and adrenaline can engage with the Endless mode that’s tailormade for high score junkies.

Blasters of the Universe was developed with the support of the Canadian Media Fund and Ontario Media Development Corporation.

StarDrone, a hyper-kinetic action puzzle game is the first PlayStation VR game of 2018.

StarDrone, a hyper-kinetic race across the Galaxy is the first PlayStation VR game of 2018.

StarDrone VR is a furiously entertaining high-kinetic action puzzle with a mix of arcade action, pinball, breakout, physics, and collect-the-objects. Cause your attackers to crash with rapid speed while collecting gems and power-up enhancements. Explore the levels to find key power-ups and earn more bonus points that will ultimately let you compete against the world on the StarDrone scoreboards.

You may remember StarDrone as a launch title for the PlayStation Move Motion controller and PlayStation Vita, and now it’s in virtual reality.

StarDrone VR already available on US PSN stores and coming to Europe on January 24th. 

You can get more information on http://www.beatshapers.com/stardrone and make sure to follow us on Twitter @beatshapers and Facebook Page. 

Overwatch League has no women competitors, can we not make this mistake with VR eSports.

This morning I was shocked to find out that Blizzard's ambitious new esports league Overwatch League had absolutely no women competing.  This news came a little late to me and I had to do some research. Personally, I am not a big fan of Overwatch but I had read some recent stats about Overwatch League.

Overwatch League launched recently with over 400,000 views on the first day. It has been reported that Twitch paid 90 million for the streaming rights. A has a quarter of the Twitch fanbase is women and Overwatch has a very diverse player audience, however, none of the 12 teams in Overwatch League have any women on the teams. Seeing that this is a big-time league with both Blizzard and Twitch behind this it is an outright shame to see this happen.

Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon is one of the top Overwatch players in the world and went on to become the first woman ever to play for a team in South Korea’s top league. Blizzard has tried to push both its Overwatch game and community as one of diversity, yet the pro scene’s most accomplished woman player is nowhere to be found in what is Overwatch's biggest moment. 

I don't play Overwatch but I do play VR games and see VR as the future of eSports. If a problem of inclusion and diversity exists in one of the biggest games being streamed on one of the biggest platforms I do not want to see this passed over to VR. 

Dan Fiden, president of Cloud9, the esports organization that sponsors one of the Overwatch League teams said in a statement to Kotaku that organizations need to play a role in making esports more welcoming and less toxic for players who aren’t men. He believes that involves starting from “the beginning.” 

If it's not “the beginning.” of eSports well it is the beginning of VR eSports and this should not be repeated as that ecosystem grows. Esports, more than traditional sports, have a unique opportunity to really diversify the kind of competitors we get to see. 

In the final episode of Defining Moments, host @JeffCanata sits down with @missharvey to talk VR, and @Hot_Bid, @blucasts, @iNcontroLTV, @WillChobra, @nathaniastv, @pancakepow, @ultradavid, @Jump_, @MonteCristo and more share their thoughts on the future of esports, on @hulu pic.twitter.com/wcu6qtI6NC

— ESL (@ESL) January 5, 2018

There are some that are pushing for more diversity in eSports and those heading the pro NBA2K eSports community have made this a core goal.

"Diversity is one of the most exciting parts to us. You know, you have to have some very serious level of athletic prowess to compete in the NBA. There's a different level of prowess with this. So, males, females, 18-year-olds, 27-year-olds, 80-year-olds, you know, that's the cool part about this for us. Everyone can participate, assuming they have the prowess of being able to play the game at that professional level. For us, it expands our video game audience, and I'm assuming that with the NBA it expands their audience as well, so that's one of the biggest, exciting parts of it for us." -2K's SVP of Basketball Operations Jason Argent

As we grow the VR community I want us all to be aware of not making the same mistakes. As VR eSports grow I want it to grow with diversity and inclusion in mind. To do this it will have to start awareness. Oculus has an amazing diversity program and as the future of VR grows I expect a push into eSport diversity.

Putting VR into the hands of more people will help diversify the demographics of users but VR evangelists need to be responsible for helping to shape a better future. Seeing first hand how much work Oculus has put into their diversity program has made me not want to see the VR industry repeat the past mistakes of the gaming world. At OC4 the best Echo Arena players had a chance to show us that VR eSports can be the future. Going forward I just want all of us involved in the growth of VR to show that the world of VR is best through diversity and opportunity. 

I really don't have an answer on how to address the future of diversity in VR eSports but I would like to get the conversation started so the future of VR is as bright as we want it to be. 

WEARVR LAUNCHES $10,000 VIRTUAL REALITY REMASTERED COMPETITION

WEARVR.com, the web's leading independent virtual reality app store, is launching a brand new competition aimed at seasoned virtual reality developers, which challenges them with updating their original Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2 demos, games and experiences and bringing them back for the latest Oculus headset.

"These early demos are what compelled us to launch WEARVR and give the experiences the dedicated audience they deserved," says WEARVR COO, Andrew Douthwaite. "Having tried and tested nearly every DK1 and DK2 demo out there, it's sad to see that some of them haven't made it to the consumer headsets. However, it's understandable when you consider that these were largely created by one-person teams."

The WEARVR Remastered Competition sets VR developers the challenge of enhancing, updating and re-engineering their original Oculus DK content to make it contemporary with new releases and fully functional on the latest headsets, including the Oculus Rift CV1.

"What we're trying to do with Remastered is give new VR users an opportunity to try these short experiences that helped the new VR industry grow so fast, as well as creating a bit of nostalgia for the VR veterans," Douthwaite continues.

Cash prizes totalling $10,000 are on offer to the best Remastered virtual reality content submitted to the WEARVR app store before 1st May, 2018. Rules, terms and conditions of entering the Remastered Competition are available now on the WEARVR blog.

The competition will also help to generate new revenue streams for VR developers who take part in Remastered, and have potentially never found a way to monetize their early, pioneering content.

"There are many developers who, perhaps, created a demo with no intention of selling it. This gives them an opportunity to monetize their demos, through WEARVR, whilst having the added bonus of prize money for best in class," concludes Douthwaite.

Software developers interested in bringing their original VR code back to life can enter the WEARVR Remastered Competition right here:

https://news.wearvr.com/2018/01/17/remastered-competition-bringing-back-the-vr-experiences-that-started-it-all/548

• Original content must have been made available for the Oculus DK1 and/or DK2.
• Your Remastered Competition entry must work on the Oculus Rift CV1.
• Your entry can also be remastered for the HTC Vive or other contemporary VR platforms as well, but must include the CV1.
• The entry must include some manner of enhancement over the original (visuals, audio, controls, content, etc) that makes it contemporary with new releases on the Oculus platform.

About WEARVR:

Since launching in 2015, the independent virtual and augmented reality WEARVR app store has seen over 2 million downloads of VR games, apps and experiences across all platforms including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream and Android, iOS, OSVR and more. The WEARVR smartphone app has been installed on over 250,000 Android and iOS devices.

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.