Snail Games updates ARK Park to bring players a better dinosaur VR expereience.

Snail Games, the developers of the VR dinosaur theme park simulation have been hard at work on movement systems – and the game has now been updated with free locomotion in its most recent patch. Some graphical issues from PSVR players have also been addressed and a patch that should hit around mid-May will make the graphics better according to the Snail Games team. The game has also has been discounted by 30% during the SteamVR Spring Sale :)

Standard Edition: $27.99
Deluxe Edition: $33.59

Also added is a tutorial that explains the free movement option – which is presented to players upon starting a new game. The fixes come after the Snail Games team assured press and VR fans that they would be making sure to continue improving the game in a post-GDC statement. 

“ARK Park – like the baby dinos in the game – is in its infancy. VR fans are now getting their first taste of this massive new addition to the ARK franchise. If you want more content in ARK Park, I can tell you one thing: It’s coming. This is an incredibly exciting time for us, and we can’t wait to show gamers what the future holds for them.”-Peter Kang (Director, Snail Games)

The game is not perfect by any means but still provides some magic moments in this early stage of VR. Encountering dinosaurs and my varied interactions from riding a Triceratops to encountering silly Giant Beavers brought a big smile to my face. Its hard to say the value of a game but I would say that ARK Park brought me closer to how I felt watching the original Jurassic Park than buying a $15 ticket to see Jurassic World. It is a pretty awesome game for anyone interested in both dinosaurs and VR. 

Check out the NBA ALL-STAR game in VR with the NBA on TNT VR app.

Starting on February 16th, NBA fans will be able to get their All-Star coverage live and in VR through the NBA on TNT VR app. Through a partnership with Intel, TNT is bringing live and on-demand VR coverage of NBA All-Star events to Gear VR and Daydream headsets. The coverage kicks off on Friday, Feb. 16 with the  2018 Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars at 9:00 p.m. ET followed by the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night (Taco Bell Skills Challenge, JBL Three-Point Contest and Verizon Slam Dunk) Saturday, Feb. 17, 8:00 p.m.

It all culminates on Sunday, Feb. 18 with the 67th NBA All-Star Game, 8:20 p.m. ET.

After the All-Star break, the NBA on TNT VR app will provide NBA coverage in VR through the 2018 Western Conference Finals starting with one game in VR a week. 

Thursday, Feb. 22 LA Clippers @ Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 1 Philadelphia @ Cleveland, 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 8 Boston @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Mar. 20 Houston @ Portland, 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 29 Oklahoma City @ San Antonio, 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, Apr. 5 Washington @ Cleveland, 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 10 Boston @ Washington, 8:00 p.m.

http://www.nba.com/vr/nbaontntvr

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. 

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather unveils VR workout program

At CES Floyd Mayweather unveiled his vision of the future of fitness with his Virtual Reality workout program, featuring the Champ himself.

Available at Mayweather Boxing + Fitness tech-enabled gym locations, the VR experience features a virtual Floyd coaching individual users through the workout routines that kept him at the top of his sport for more than 20 years. Mayweather Boxing + Fitness gyms offer group boxing and functional training workout classes for all levels of fitness, with the VR sessions available as supplemental one-on-one coaching. The flagship location, located on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, will open on January 27, 2018.

The Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Virtual Reality program provides high-intensity cardio and skill-based workouts through a virtual environment, with Floyd serving as coach. Spanning a 12-week program, the VR experience takes users through a series of workouts each week, getting progressively more challenging over time, as skill and fitness levels increase. The VR headset device and hand controls track speed, punch intensity and calories burned.

"Boxing gave me a platform to become a world-class athlete, and I'm using those skills to build a global fitness platform that will help people to train better and smarter," said Floyd Mayweather. "I've seen how the fitness industry has evolved; and now we're taking it to the next level, not only by incorporating the workouts that I used throughout my career, but also by investing in cutting-edge technology and making that a core part of our offering." 

"The fitness industry is evolving quickly, and consumers are increasingly demanding more effective ways to train, many of which incorporate new forms of technology," said Williams. "With our flagship gym location set to open this month, we're creating a one-of-a-kind fitness experience that combines the most effective programming in the industry with fully immersive tech experiences – all tailored to the everyday fitness consumer."

Emblematic of Floyd's passion for family, fitness and community, his new global business venture is grounded in the philosophy that everyone should have access to, and benefit from, elite fitness resources. Through a unique and scalable business model with an enticing affiliate structure, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness will be in neighborhoods all over the world – including traditionally underserved communities – offering fitness programs for anyone looking to train more effectively. In addition, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness offers a community giveback program called "Gloves Over Guns," which will provide free mentoring and fitness training to inner-city youth.

In addition to the brick and mortar gyms and the VR program, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness will launch a mobile app – also featuring Floyd – which provides in-home workouts, heartrate measurement and tracking, community engagement, and class bookings for Mayweather Boxing + Fitness gyms.

For more information, please visit: https://www.mayweather.fit.

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

NextVR looks to bring a more realistic live event experience to VR with announcements heading into CES 2018

Ahead of CES 2018 live sporting event broadcasting specialists NextVR announced three big tech advancements to their platform: six degrees of freedom-enabled content, higher resolution output, and augmented reality support.  For sports fans six degrees of freedom, or “6DoF” will make NextVR events much more like a live sporting event with the ability to move forward, backward, left, right, up, and down. 

It's an #NBAinVR showdown in California! Grab your headset and tune in now for @Warriors vs @LAClippers, LIVE in NextVR. #DubNation #ItTakesEverything #GSWatLAC https://t.co/dFzO1Y0TcG pic.twitter.com/diUoyYfCm3

— NextVR (@nextvr) January 6, 2018

“VR is the most demanding visual medium ever created and we’re just beginning to deliver on its potential to convincingly create experiences that mimic reality. The ability to move naturally inside the experience and the increased ability to see detail add a critical level of presence and realism.”-David Cole, NextVR Co-Founder and CEO.

NextVR also plans to support AR devices in mid-2018 with plans to develop content to “transport NextVR experiences directly into the viewer’s physical world. 

CatsAndVR will keep you up to date with all the NextVR news and all you basketball fans make sure to check out NextVR's NBA offerings this week. 

Don't miss the pulse-pounding @cavs and @Timberwolves action this Monday with #NBAinVR, LIVE in the NextVR app. Also, don't forget to peep a FREE PREVIEW of the Jan. 16 @dallasmavs and @nuggets game. #CLEatMIN https://t.co/XzcKORqtN2 pic.twitter.com/8j4yZNx6AK

— NextVR (@nextvr) January 7, 2018

The Minnesota Vikings Become First NFL Franchise to Launch Virtual Reality Application for Oculus

The Minnesota Vikings are the first team to launch a virtual reality application for Oculus. Titled “Vikings VR” and available in the Oculus store, the app takes fans directly inside U.S. Bank Stadium to view 360 videos and photos from Vikings games and events.

“Virtual reality and 360 content is very important to our organization,” said Vikings Executive Director of Digital Media and Innovation Scott Kegley. “We understand only a small percentage of our large fan base is able to attend a Vikings game or event. We want to bring experiences to them, and immersive technology is allowing us to do that.”

Content from various phases of throughout the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, as well as from the first regular season game played at the Vikings new home in 2016 and every home game since, is viewable in “Vikings VR.”

The Vikings partnered with Zeality, a VR/360 company based in Silicon Valley, to create the one-of-a-kind application.

“We’re excited to partner with the Vikings to drive a new category of experiences for their fans and partners,” said Zeality Co-Founder and CEO Dipak M. Patel.

“The Vikings are not only innovating new ways of creating content using immersive media, they are also one of the leaders in delivering these experiences to their fans.”

Vikings VR is compatible with the Oculus Rift and Gear VR and will be available for Oculus Go, scheduled to launch in early 2018.

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1663834653648968/

http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Become-First-NFL-Franchise-to-Launch-Virtual-Reality-Application-for-Oculus/ff72e6c6-89c9-4cf1-a53e-d38d727a3d30?sf177448252=1

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.

Virtual reality haptics startup Contact CI announces equity crowdfunding campaign with SeedInvest

Cincinnati based startup Contact CI ,has announced that they have partnered with the equity crowdfunding online platform SeedInvest to help grow their vision of haptics and spatial computing. SeedInvest is a equity crowdfunding platform that allows access to venture capital and angel investing to everyone. 

Recently Contact CI sent their Maestro glove haptic technology to selected Alpha partners to begin the first in-market use their tech.  Using the feedback the received in the Alpha the team has reduced the size and improved tracking in their prototype haptic glove

"For VR to reach its ultimate potential as a computing platform, the limitless and immersive environments need to feel life like. Our work is focused on enabling virtual reality experiences to be as tangible as the natural world. To improve simulation training capabilities, enable physical feeling virtual handshakes, and create higher levels of presence in VR, we are seeking to raise a seed round with the equity crowdsourcing platform SeedInvest."

         -Craig Douglass, Co-Founder & CEO Contact CI

Related Links:

More info can be found follow this link to the fundraise profile: https://www.seedinvest.com/contact.ci/seed

Intel, Oculus, and ESL come together for a $200,000+ VR Challenger League to promote VR eSports.

Intel, Oculus, and ESL come together for a $200,000+ VR Challenger League to promote VR eSports. This brand new competitive VR gaming league will feature two exciting VR titles - “The Unspoken” and “Echo Arena”. The competition will feature a prize pool of over $200,000 and includes multiple stops at key eSports events around the world, eventually concluding with the grand finals at the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice in 2018.

Potential Wizards and Space battlers will be able to qualify for the offline events by taking part in ESL's online competitions starting on July 12th on ESL Play.

On top of the VR Challenger League qualifiers, there will also be weekly ESL Play cups, where you can compete for weekly points and prize money. 

The competitive titles in the VR Challenger league are two of the best demos I played at Oculus Connect 3 last year. Lone Echo had one of the biggest lines there.  http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/oc3

Insomniac's The Unspoken will lead players into a world of spellcasting where they face up against opposing mages in dynamic 1v1 duels. Cast powerful spells and utilize the destructible environment to gain an advantage over your opponents on your way to becoming an unrivaled arch-mage. You can find more insights into the classes, spells and maps on the official website.

The second title of the VR Challenger League will be Echo Arena, Ready At Dawn Studios’ face-paced multiplayer action title set in outer space. The game will be released on July 20th as a free download for all Oculus Rift owners and you can keep an eye on new gameplay reveals as they become available on their website.

catsandvr.com/blog/

Baskhead is a VR basketball game for Google Daydream in which you are in the role of the hoop!

Baskhead Training is pretty interesting take on VR Basketball.  In this game you will be able to to play basketball like never before: this time you’re not the player but the hoop! Your goal is to become the best hoop on earth! It sounds pretty ridiculous but it is actually quite fun. 

The game has two modes, a Story mode where you will have to face 20 entertaining levels with the help of hoopmaster, your coach. There is also an arcade mode, where you will be trained before going back with the coach and try to beat his levels.

The game is out now on Google Daydream, Gear VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and soon on PSVR.

Check out this pretty ridiculous commercial below for this ridiculous but pretty fun game. 

If you like VR and a basketball fan I highly recommend Baskhead. http://baskhead.com/

catsandvr.com/blog/

Touchdown: Armor League mixes Rocket League, Football, and Rocket Launching Robots for a potential eSport umm Touchdown.

Front Mission meets Rocket League with football, Touchdown: Armor League is football like you’ve never seen before! Players equip fully armored power suits and fight for control of the ball in this intense 6v6 arena shooter. 

“Fast-paced combat and balanced competitive gameplay is the core of Touchdown: Armor League. All of us at Ares Games are really excited to share this exhilarating style of mechanized combat with sports gameplay. We want to create a game with maximum creativity independently, and with your help we can bring this project to life!”

— Wei Gu , Producer and Director

Ares Games is a development studio that has been making free2play games for the Chinese market and is now trying to capitalize on this eSports thing the kids are raving about. 

The team has combined Rocket League style game mechanics, Football, and fucking god damn missile shooting mechs to create a game they think will be big.

Battle it out in a football arena in Touchdown’s blend of fast-paced sports action. Equip highly customizable power suits that challenge your teamwork and strategy. This game does look super fun and the Kickstarter is currently live.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aresgames/touchdown-football-meets-action-arena-shooter?token=9923a8ed

Clear the cat out the way cause SAT-BOX just launched its VR Sports title for the HTC Vive.

Japanese Developer SAT-BOX just launched its its  multi sport VR title for the HTC Vive.

VR Sports is designed to be a full-body VR experience for all ages and skill levels.

According to developer SAT-BOX

*This game is a full-body VR experience. Before playing make sure your surroundings are clear of all friends, furniture, children, spouses, cats, dogs, long-lost siblings, and important equipment entrusted to you by your clients."

Choose from a variety of sports

Bowling:Select from bowling balls that vary in weight, color and control; Bumper option for bowling beginners

Homerun Derby:Great stress reliever and work out!  Knock it out of the park and into the stars!
Soccer:Defend your goal from multiple opponents.  Beware of the gold ball...

Basketball:Using a classic 3-point contest format, rack up your score in the given time limit.  Hit the money ball shot for extra points of course!

Japanese Archery:Kyudo.  An ancient Japanese tradition.  Hold your breath for maximum accuracy and aim for the bulls-eye.

Clay Shooting:The classic Olympic sport now in VR!  Test your shot as you aim for the flying clay pigeons.  Easy to play but requires skill to master!

Boxing:Defeat 3 different opponents by dodging, throwing body shots, and landing blows to the face!  Shake the controllers to get up if you fall ;)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/593240

The game is currently 25% off on Steam.

CatsAndVR.com

Ahead of their May 9th Boxing match in Las Vegas, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Canelo Alvarez try out VR Boxing.

Ahead of their May 9th boxing match in Las Vegas, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Canelo Alvarez tried out  Knockout League, Grab Games VR Boxing title for the HTC Vive. Knockout League is a arcade style VR boxing game but its intuitive gameplay involves moving and dodging with your body and 1:1 punch movement that lets you attack how you want.

Alvarez and Chavez both took turns using the HTC Vive to take swings at a VR boxer on the Univision show Republica Deportiva. Canelo did seem a bit more comfortable while playing Knockout League, leading me to believe this is not his first time with an HTC Vive.

Real boxers using our VR boxing game to showoff their skills before the big fight - this is incredible https://t.co/IaWAUzcCE3

— Joel Breton (@naturlborngamer) March 2, 2017

Personally I think that VR can go beyond gaming and actually be a great training tool for Boxing. My belief is that it would be a complementary tool for an MMA fighter that may be more skilled in things other than boxing. I actually had an experience studying former UFC champ Luke Rockhold in VR. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/silvrthread

Grab Games, the studio that developed Knockout League, has hinted at using the Vive Tracker to add a real Boxing glove element to the game for added realism, 

CatsAndVR.com

San Jose Sharks and Zeality Team Up For Cutting Edge VR Fan engagment content.

The San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) and Zeality Inc. announced  the arrival of an innovative and unique 360-degree, VR fan experience that will allow fans to get a closer, in-depth look at the action, thus enhancing the fan experience. The two companies collaborated to design and implement an immersive and engaging experience for Sharks fans around the world. The Sharks Immersive media experience will be available in the Spring of 2017 through the San Jose Sharks app. The Sharks app is available for download now in the Apple and Google Play app stores by searching San Jose Sharks or visit sjsharks.com/app.

“We are pleased to find in Zeality a partner that aligns with our core values and methodologies to undertake this unique opportunity,” stated Flavil Hampsten, Executive Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at the San Jose Sharks. “The mobile strategy of the Sharks is to provide fans with an app that not only delivers game-day functionality but also exclusive and innovative content. Zeality’s cutting-edge approach allows us to deliver an experience unlike any other in Sports.”

The San Jose Sharks virtual reality experience is designed with the Immersive Media Engine technology, spearheaded by Zeality. Zeality’s Immersive Media Engine (IME) is the industry’s most complete cloud based platform, offering a full suite of socially engaging and viral features for VR and 360° content.

This new functionality will give fans a unique insight into the San Jose Sharks, the SAP Center and more. Fans will be able to virtually walk through the Shark head and experience skating onto the ice before the home game; or get an in-depth look into the locker room and how the team prepares for a game. Fans will also be able to record and share their viewing experience within 360 and VR content by way of Zeality’s Re/Lives technology.

“The Immersive Media arena is evolving into an ecosystem that fans around the world can experience,” stated Dipak M. Patel, co-founder and CEO at Zeality. “Our capabilities combined with the content and deep fan base of the Sharks presents a fantastic opportunity to boost the overall experience Sharks fans can get. We are thrilled to work with the San Jose Sharks to make the vision of Immersive Media a reality.”

Info Via Business Wire

CatsAndVR.com

Former Activision Developer back with the action just in time for GDC with Gold Club SF VR

You may be familiar with former Activision dev Daniel DiLallo with his work on VixenVR. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/vixenvr 

Today he is back again being a super punk rock dev and kicking off his time at GDC in partnership with Gold Club San Francisco to launch Gold Club SF VR.

Gold Club SF VR is a virtual reality gaming experience that delivers an authentic adult-themed adventure to the privacy of your own home.  Utilizing the latest VR tools and technology for a first of its kind gameplay experience, gamers are placed in an immersive and interactive digital replica of the world-famous Gold Club San Francisco.  Gold Club SF VR is now available on Oculus, HTC Vive, and PC as a free download at VRClubz.com.
 

“The Gold Club SF VR is a truly unique gaming experience,” said VRClubz.com Creative Director Daniel DiLallo.  “By combining high definition film with game technology, we have created powerful new form of entertainment that takes advantage of both worlds.”
 

Gold Club SF VR is an immersive interactive experience that simulates the real thing.  The game features real dancers from the Gold Club SF, as well as several famed adult film stars such as Christy Mack, Alexis Monroe and Kendra Lust.  Players can take a front row seat to stage dances, or enjoy champagne room private shows which offer single, double, or triple girl action. Tipping the stage girls causes them to remove articles of clothing, while the club’s resident DJ plays tracks by highly anticipated up and coming music artists.
 

“Gold Club San Francisco is a world-renowned gentlemen’s club that has been a top destination in San Francisco for decades,” said Craig Bordeau, General Manager of Gold Club San Francisco. “With virtual reality, we recognized a golden opportunity to deliver our highly-rated entertainment experience to the comfort of your living room.”
 

VRClubz.com is comprised of award winning game designers who have worked on blockbuster games such as Transformers, Guitar Hero, and Spiderman. The creative director, Daniel DiLallo, is a former Activision game developer who has quickly established himself as an industry pioneer in virtual reality.  DiLallo is an authority in the  VR space, having directed a wide range of projects with top entertainment brands and various business ventures.

About VRClubz.com
VRClubz.com is a first-of-its-kind virtual reality interactive entertainment offering that you don’t play, you experience. From the moment you arrive to the club, you have full control over what you want to experience next. VRClubz.com converges immersive computer-based graphics with stunning HD video quality to deliver the ultimate VR gentlemen’s club experience from the comfort of your living room. VRClubz.com is part of the ModeVR LLC family, which includes VixenVR.com, a virtual reality site with additional immersive adult themed VR games and products like Temptation Towers.
 
About the Gold Club
The Gold Club is located in the heart of downtown San Francisco, close to the Financial District and Union Square, and just one half block from the Moscone Convention Center.
Featuring over 200 of the most beautiful exotic entertainers, a fine dining restaurant, five fully stocked bars, and four-star service in a warm and welcoming environment, the Gold Club is San Francisco’s premier adult entertainment destination.

CCP Games, makers of EVE: Valkyrie announce new projectile based VR sport Sparc coming to Vive, Rift, and PSVR.

 CCP Games today announced Sparc, a unique virtual sport only possible in virtual reality. In Sparc, players connect online to compete with each other in fast and fun full-body VR gameplay.

Currently in development for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, Sparc will be the first wholly original IP to be shipped by CCP outside of the EVE universe when it releases in 2017.

Sparc's skill-based, full-body gameplay makes for a fast-paced and fun physical sport. Players use their motion controllers to throw projectiles at their opponents from a distance, and in turn defend themselves by dodging, blocking, or deflecting the incoming attacks. Players can join one-on-one matches with friends online or find opponents via matchmaking.

Sparc enables players to connect and compete in an online community. Players can watch matches in-person and queue for the next match in VR through Courtside, a freeform social area for spectating in VR or on screen. Sparc includes multiple two-player game modes as well as single-player challenges and training modes, plus a range of customization and personalization options for competitors.

"After our early experiments with standing VR gameplay, we were excited by the idea of building an original sport designed for the current generation of VR hardware. We've designed Sparc so that players can express and improve their skill through their physical actions." said Morgan Godat, Executive Producer at CCP Atlanta. "Ultimately, we want players to think of Sparc as a virtual court in their living room where they can meet and compete with other players from around the world."

"At CCP games, our goal is to harness our passion for virtual reality as a new medium and create the killer apps for the first generation of VR technology," said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. "We set out to achieve that in mobile VR with Gunjack and in seated VR with EVE: Valkyrie, both released in the first year of VR becoming publicly available. With Sparc, we want to capitalize on the unique strengths of standing VR and deliver a game with all the depth and excitement to keep players returning long into the future."

Today's announcement is only the beginning for Sparc and CCP Games plans to reveal further information about Sparc's gameplay and feature-set ahead of release later this year.

For more details about the game, please visit www.playSparc.com . You can also find Sparc on Facebook via facebook.com/PlaySparc , or follow the game on Twitter via @PlaySparc .

CatsAndVR.com

The CatsAndVR.com top 5 VR compaines in 2016 (for Us). Have a Great NYE! Have a Great 2017

First of all I would like to thank all the people who supported CatsAndVR.com this year. This started of as a pet project so I could learn and immerse my self in the world of Virtual Reality. 

As 2016 started I was in a job I hated but thanks to CatsAndVR.com I was able to get a job in VR that allows me to travel, be plugged in, and also follow my passion. I have learned a lot and due to that job I have I have not been able to put as much time into CatsAndVR.com over the last month. Since the end of 2016 falls on Caturday, I am closing 2016 out with a post. 

So Happy Caturday, Happy NYE, and Happy 2017 to all of you. Here we go.

The Top 5 VR Companies for me in 2016 (in no particular order I think they are all awesome)

Number One

Unity Technologies announced a host of new partnerships and exciting updates in 2016.The dev team I work with uses Unity as our bread and butter. There is a reason it is the game engine helping to push VR into a consumer product.  

With nearly 5 billion downloads of made with Unity mobile games in Q3 alone including  Super Mario Run, Unity continues to enable developers to create content and are now using that for VR and AR.

At the end of the year they released their EditorVR for constructing environments for VR in VR. For now, if you’re building VR games and experiences, EditorVR will likely help you with laying out a scene in VR and building your own custom VR tools

Unity has helped the VR ecosystem with innovation and has made some great hires this year to help chart them into 2017 including hiring innovators such as Tony Parisi and Danny Lange.

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

Number Two

As VR grew in the past few years, so has UploadVR. UploadVR has helped create an awareness of VR in the San Francisco Bay Area and is now helping to evangelize globally.  This growing set of influencers in the VR community known for their events and ability to connect the VR world.. Upload VR is not just a blog but a group helping to shape VR not only as a consumer product but through connecting VR to the world of art, cinema, as well as using these connections for good. 

They are also helping to push Unity by hosting Learn Unity events. I hope to take one of these in 2017 so I can better my own skill set. On a personal level I owe something to Upload VR due to the fact that they gave me tickets to their E3 Upload Party. If I had not received those tickets I may have not went to LA to try to get in to E3 as press. I was successful in getting press for CatsAndVR and thus my 2016 VR year actually seemed like a reality. 

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

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/uploadvre3

Number Three

Mindshow is a product built from a passion for VR. Not just because VR is cool but because we were promised the future when we were kids and still seeking it. 

Mindshow is Walt Disney. Mindshow is Jim Henson. Mindshow is Steve Jobs. Mindshow is the spark in humanity that made them create characters out of the stars. Mindshow are the muppet babies playing make believe come to life. 

It was hard to try to write something about Mindshow after I first tried it at VRLA because everyone who tried it in the media loved it to some degree and has been able to post before me. What do you write to be different. CatsAndVR.com can't compete with UploadVR, Techcrunch, VRScout , and the other cool kids in resources, turnaround time, etc.

Mindshow reminded me I did not start the site to do that at all but instead I started it to learn and to grow. In the end maybe this post did not fully explain what Mindshow really is or do the experience justice, but neither did the trailer. You have to experience it to really know that this is what we have been seeking in VR the whole time. You see in the end what Mindshow really is can just be described as inspiration captured and then shared for the sake of shared inspiration itself. Inspiration is what I walked away with from VRLA. Inspiration is what I walked away with from Mindshow.

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

Number Four

As you may know, TheWaveVR recently made headlines for raising $2.5 million to create a VR music ecosystem. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/thewavevrfunding

TheWaveVR is a VR platform for people who love music, enabling them to view, host and socialize in live and recorded shows worldwide, anytime, anywhere.  TheWave creates a VR venue where artists can perform live music by simply importing their tracks, customizing the visuals of the venue, and sharing virtual shows. Fans can attend via most major VR head mounted displays, interact with performers, socialize with friends, dance, paint and more.

One of the major highlights of the VRLA Summer Expo was the VR Rave presented by Skullcandy, Subpac, WeLens, and TheWaveVR. Attendees like comedian Reggie Watts got to experience a next level audio visual experience that incorporated 3D visuals as well as the ability to experience it all in VR.

Number Five

Thank you everyone this year. I started this year just wanting to be part of the VR world and now I have an HTC Vive, Playstation VR, and Gear VR I can call my own. I used CatsAndVR.com to get me a paying job in VR. I have traveled all over America evangelizing VR for my day job and got to meet a bunch of pro Football players.

I watched two Warriors games from a private suite because of VR and got to travel to 3 new states due to VR. All in all I think CatsAndVR.com was a worthwhile investment. I look forward to growing, writing more, learning Unity, going to VR meetups, and being a member of the VR community. Have a safe NYE and great 2017. 

-

Bobby Venom

Oculus Connect 3 Developer Session Videos are now up to view.

If you were not able to make Oculus Connect 3 this year here is a Youtube playlist with 32 videos from the event included:

I was able to attend quite a few and some highlights for me include the sessions below. Check them out to really get a great understanding of not only what Oculus and Facebook are doing with VR but how the industry is developing as a whole. 

The proliferation of 360 content coupled with the new WebVR standard promises to bring a wave of fresh content to VR. Using familiar tools such as WebGL, three.js, and React, developers can easily create interactive 3D and 360 experiences.

Virtual reality has changed how we create. From games and movies, to experiences and tools-we're just beginning to see what's possible. But what happens when you take traditional artistic methods and transfer them to VR? Learn how Oculus is creating new tools, specifically for Touch, to help more people express themselves.

VR has become a powerful empathy machine. What is it about this new medium that's so effective at connecting humanity? This panel discusses how we can continue to harness the power of VR for positive social change.