Sony and Grammy Award winning Selfie fanatics The Chainsmokers colab for FREE Playstation VR interactive musical experience.

Grammy winning dance music duo, The Chainsmokers have a free Playstation VR app out now. A collaboration between Sony and The Chainsmokers, the free Paris.VR Virtual Reality Music experience is currently only available in North America and getting some good reviews on Reddit with user feedback being one Reddit user saying, “Whether you’re a fan of EDM or not, I highly recommend checking this thing out!”
 

You can Influence new remixes of the hit song ‘Paris’ based on the choices you make throughout the experience. Structures and objects activate new audio elements simply by looking around. Choose a new path each time you enter the experience, and let the music engulf you as you lean into the experience, or simply lean back and enjoy the ‘Paris’ daydream.

The Chainsmokers came to my attention with their tonuge in check video for their song "Selfie" and have come quite a way to now be considered established creative talents. I look forward to checking out Paris VR.

CatsAndVR.com

Events like VRLA Spring Expo are helping to shape the universe of VR for the dreamers of the future.

“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” -Carl Sagan

In a world where both tech industry insiders and consumers seem to flip flop on VR as both the next big thing and just a fad, VRLA is a place that solidifies what VR is to me.  VR is growth, VR is creative freedom, VR is the future. One can simply look at the growth of VRLA and see that the team behind this event will not just leave this new industry to chance but rather push it forward to the promises of the Sci-Fi novels that shaped our visions.

Look at the growth of #vrla2017 @vrlosangeles That small #redbox was the first. #vr #growth. pic.twitter.com/Imz5b13uu4

— CatsAndVR (@CatsAndVR) April 15, 2017

I started CatsAndVR.com last year in order to throw myself full force into the VR ecosystem. During the VRLA Summer Expo last year I was actually able to use my VR experience to get a job in VR. For me the VRLA events are a bit different than VR events in the Bay Area as there is a more dream like quality in presentation and outlook. For me VRLA is a refresher to remind me why exactly I want to be involved in this industry.

For me one of the best thing about VRLA events are the people and I recenlty got to chat with one of my favorite in the industry, Jonathan Krusell. Last year Jonathan helped me skip the line to check out Mindshow and this year I returned the favor and made sure I checked out some great stuff on Daydream from L.A. Devs.

"Whats amazing about VRLA and VR in L.A. is that there are so many amazing developers here in town. There are so many folks coming from different mediums converging in VR bringing their strengths and experiences."- Jonathan Krusell, Google Daydream

Cofounder of VRLA Cosmo Scharf killed it with his opening VRLA remarks showcasing an almost Steve Jobs level of charm in telling the tale of why VR is important to him. 

Wow @cosmoscharf dropping knowledge #VRLA2017 Dystopia @vrlosangeles #world view shift. #TaxMarch #vr pic.twitter.com/QvSzosF5x1

— CatsAndVR (@CatsAndVR) April 15, 2017

The VRLA Saturday keynote by Justin Roiland of Squanchtendo and Rick And Morty fame was also riveting and added to the unique charm of the VRLA events not found elsewhere. 

VRLA showcases that the future of VR is bright and its events like these as well as groups such as VRLA and Upload provide the pickaxes and shovels for the true seekers of VR Gold.

The Future Of VR is bright!

Of course I can't do VRLA post without a dash of Mindshow. Check a little Mindshow sketch I did at VRLA

CatsAndVR.com/blog

Happy 420! The Rick And Morty VR game is out I am celebrating by NOT writing about it...check out this Justin Roiland/Squanchtendo Keynote.

Today is the launch of the brand spanking new Rick And Morty VR game and I wont be getting high and playing it today since I am on a work trip for my day job http://store.steampowered.com/app/469610/

Everyone should go out and buy this game and support this excellent work of Owlchemy Labs (Job Simulator).

Since I can't play the game and really write about it cause I did not get review copy I will give you some highlights from Justin Roiland's VRLA Squanchtendo Keynote. I escaped to a Starbucks long enough to write this.

 Happy 420 everyone...smoke weed erryday and stuff. Check out some highlights of Justin's excellent VRLA keynote where he talks about the state of VR, the future of VR,and some of the exclusive games coming from Squanchtendo including Miyamote's Toes.

If you are a UE4 developer Squanchtendo wants you.

Actual 3D model of a Squchtendo Fan.

CatsAndVR.com/blog

VR creation application Mindshow gets date for open beta, a new website, and a new trailer at VRLA.

The Mindshow team announced today at VRLA that the Mindshow Open Beta will be available for the HTC Vive Q3 2017. The team celebrated with a brand spanking new website and official Mindshow trailer.  http://mindshow.com/

Mindshow lets you make animated movies in VR with your body and voice! Become 3D cartoon characters and act out all the parts. Create with your friends by passing scenes back and forth, then share your shows in VR and on social media. 

I tried Mindshow for the first time at VRLA Summer Expo and it was my favorite demo, I would eventually join the closed beta community and these are my thoughts. 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. 

CatsAndVR.com

Dick Wilde from the makers of Kittypocalypse will be a launch title for the PSVR Aim Controller in May 2017, it is available now for Vive and Oculus Touch.

London-based publisher, PlayStack announced the global release of their first VR game,  Dick Wilde. Take to the swamps of Mississippi as Dick Wilde, the ultimate outdoorsman and “Exterminator Extraordinaire”, armed to the teeth with an arsenal of saw-blade rifles, nail guns and an electrified bow and arrow. Your job is to exterminate the infestation of ‘gators, crocs, piranhas and out-of-control birds before they exterminate you.

Dick Wilde is the latest madcap VR title from Danish development studio Bolverk Games, developers of ‘Kittypocalypse’. Set in the swamplands of Mississippi and the surrounding area, players can pit themselves against exterminators from all over the world with the online global leaderboard. Compete for the biggest killstreaks and top scores across three variable difficulty levels in each environment, the Swamp, the Lagoon and the North.

Not quite ready to show the world your extermination skills? Play with friends in a local Party Mode. Monitor your vitals and accuracy to perfect your technique and experiment with your arsenal of weapons. Each environment offers different deadly critters ranging from electric eels, piranhas and more, to Dick’s nemesis, a giant turtle. Pick the right weapons to become the most effective exterminator in town and avoid getting devoured by alligators.

Bo Bennekov, CEO at Bolverk Games said: “Each of our titles focuses on certain genres that really work for VR. We want our games to be immersive, replayable and just plain weird. Dick Wilde delivers exactly that. After six months in development who’d have thought we’d have a game where the aim is to make sure you're not fish-bait and we’re able to get this to market!”

“Dick Wilde is a great example of what we are looking for in a game and studio partner,” said Harvey Elliott, Founder and CEO of PlayStack. “Bolverk Games is an amazing studio from a creative point of view, they've pinpointed a genre in VR that consumers can really get behind, they're not afraid to push boundaries and they have a clear plan in terms of where they want to be in the future. Whilst we acknowledge that VR still has a way to go in terms of becoming a household gaming platform we know that there is still an opportunity for up and coming projects, and we’re keen to work with developers who want to be as involved in the long term as we do. We wanted our first VR game to stand out and Dick Wilde does exactly that.”

Dick Wilde is available to purchase today on  Steam and the  Oculus Store for $19.99/£17.99 and a 15% discount will be applied for one week only.

Dick Wilde will be a launch title for the PSVR Aim Controller in May 2017.

CATSANDVR.com

Today is the one year anniversary of CatsAndVR.com and also Respect Your Cat day. Here are the best Cat moments of Year One.

Today is the one year anniversary of CatsAndVR.com and also Respect Your Cat day.  Here are the best Cat moments of year one.  Check out the videos and links to some of my favorite cat related things I have covered during that year. Shoutout to all the people who have helped me this year and also too my very own cats, Vampire Bill Poopton and Donut "Knute" Hartman.

http://www.catsandvr.com/contact/

 

Chocolate VR

The experience is called Chocolate, named after the Giraffage song that it is actually a VR music video for. Chocolate is being called the definitive Cats And VR experience. Executively produced by Viacom NEXT, Chocolate made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival and is following that up with being a major part of SXSW VR Selections. https://www.sxsw.com/film/2017/sxsw-film-festival-reveals-midnighters-shorts-inaugural-vr-program/

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

Tracking Cats in VR.

To be honest the first time I actually thought of the possibility of a Vive Tracker attached to a cat is when I was crawling on the floor playing Unseen Diplomacy at the opening of the new Unity office in SF.  The advancement of Cat VR tech could not be in better hands. At Triangular Pixels, all the employees have cats!

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

SUPER FURRY NEON CAT HEADS!

Well thanks to my super RADD day job I only got to spend one day on the GDC floor this year. Knowing how amazing GDC has been for me in the past and now finally going in with some development experience it made me a bit sad to only be at GDC for one day. Much Sad, Very SMH...until I saw my true reason to be at GDC was to cover SUPER FURRY NEON CAT HEADS. If there is one VR game this year that obviously speaks to a site called CatsAndVR.com it would be SUPER FURRY NEON CAT HEADS! http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/superfurry

LIFE OF LON

Life of Lon has no lives, no experience points, no health bar, no pointless quests, no grinding. Instead, your journey will take you through brainy and involving environment puzzles as you find your way back to the stars.  Life of Lon is being developed by a small team of passionate people and I really want to see their vision come to fruition. I really hope they get the funding and if you read this and believe games and interactive stories can be art please support them.

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/2016/lifeoflon

CatsAndVR.com

Bobby Throne Saves The World may be the next killer disruptive VR app, eSport, and social networking platform people in highly populated tech sectors of America are looking for.

"Games are about learning, you learn muscle memory, history, communication, stories, and so much more. If games are about learning then I’m here to teach. So what better place to share my ministry with than at the wonderful PAX East show where everyone is learning. I look forward to introducing myself to all these new minds and see them transform right before my eyes… forever."- Bobby Throne

I first took notice of Bobby Throne Ministries when my former roommate at the House Of Dtoid SF and my favorite MTV reality show personality Jonathan Holmes did a post about it on Destructioid. My first thoughts were wow this guy is still writing, my second was hey my name is Bobby too, I should write about this upcoming VR expereience.

Bobby Throne Ministries is a show (Twitch Stream?) that will be part of the vision of SnowRunner Productions new game Bobby Throne Saves The World. You keep contact with the audience and perform a sermon for a crowd. You can even unlock sermons!? The killer VR app we are looking for? The next eSport?

William Brierly of SnowRunner Productions describes the gameplay mechanics as very similar to Rock Band VR and other stuff he has never seen before.

The game is inspired by Will's fascination with Televangalists and also his time as a proffesional magician. 

Will and his brother have been working on this game ever since their big time indie hit Soda Drinker Pro recived critical and financial success. https://www.destructoid.com/review-soda-drinker-pro-358097.phtml

It does look like the SnowRunner Productions team has invested a lot of the money they received from the success of Soda Drinker Pro into Bobby Throne. They had a huge gaming booth at PAX East where they gave out coins. As you may have heard precious metal prices have gone up since the election of President Bannondorf. As you know silver bullets have great power against dark forces. 

Though they are indie darlings the SnowRunner Productions team has taken a page out of the books of major brands like Wal-Mart and Circuit City and used their new found gaming wealth to hire social media influences and strategic brand managers to brand their manage.

Boy ~ "Are you gay?" @BobbyThrone ~ "That doesn't even matter."

True story.https://t.co/qMz0GCZCq0

— Jonathan Holmes (@TronKnotts) March 15, 2017

The true goal of Bobby Throne Saves The World is to teach us to see the multiple realities around us and see how someone can influence us with words and shinny things.

VR.............?

CatsAndVR.com/blog

Capcom is making me feel like a kid again with the launch of The Disney Afternoon Collection ft my all time fav NES game Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers.

Funny story this one time at science camp I told the teacher I love video games. She asked me which one, I said Chip And Dale. She lost her mind, I would not realize that she thought I meant Chippendales till later on in life. At the time I thought she was just a Disney hating commie. Well any way. WOW! Capcom you just made my day.

Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced  The   Disney Afternoon Collection, a compilation of six games that feature beloved Disney TV characters from the 80s and 90s in fun-filled adventures. The beautifully restored classic games feature crisp 1080p HD support and include all-new modes that can be enjoyed by first-time players and long-time fans.  The   Disney Afternoon Collection will be available as a digital download across North America and Europe for $19.99 / £15.99/ €19.99 starting on April 18, 2017 on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Players will be able to relive their childhood afternoons with Disney and explore these pieces of gaming history with classics including:

Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers  – This classic lets players team up with a friend in co-op play as they assume the roles of the mischievous Chip and Dale as they take on memorable villain Fat Cat and attempt to solve the mystery of a missing kitten.
Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2  – Fat Cat has escaped and his plans are even more dastardly this time. The titular heroes and supporting cast Monterey Jack, Gadget, and Zipper must stop Fat Cat from his evil dream of world domination!

Darkwing Duck  – Play as the original caped crusader and fight a city full of criminals from the infamous F.O.W.L. organization in this action-packed platforming epic.

DuckTales  – In this iconic platforming adventure, players help Scrooge McDuck fill his feathery pockets with vast riches from across the world.
DuckTales 2  – The sequel to the original game comes jam-packed with more action and an even bigger caper set in new locations like the Bermuda Triangle and Niagara Falls!

TaleSpin  – Take to the skies as Baloo the bear navigates his plane through exotic and dangerous locations in this side-scrolling shoot-em-up.
 

All six games are new and improved HD versions of the originals and feature a number of filtering options that replicate a classic retro look and feel. This collection also offers new ways to play with Boss Rush and Time Attack modes for each game. In Boss Rush mode, players battle through challenging boss encounters consecutively, while Time Attack mode encourages time-based gameplay and provides online leaderboards that track the fastest times for each game. A new “Rewind” feature makes these challenging titles more accessible for newcomers, with the option to rewind time and enjoy a swift recovery from blunders. Additionally, the in-game Disney Museum will provide history buffs with a wealth of content to celebrate the era of the original releases, such as concept art, advertisements, character art, and music – all preserved in their original glory.

Thanks Capcom for making me feel like a kid again.

Explore Underwater Depths in Musical VR Experience “Seabed Prelude”, Now Available on Oculus and HTC Vive

MythicOwl today announced that its musical VR adventure, Seabed Prelude , is now available for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Featuring a beautifully immersive underwater world, Seabed Prelude takes you on a journey through a post-apocalyptic seascape where you must clear ancient tracks by playing a powerful pipe organ, or alternatively, a system of tesla coils. While traversing the depths you will have control of an RC drone that you can maneuver from within the bathyscaphe to explore stations.

“After launching Note Fighter on mobile last year we are excited to bring our passion for music games to VR with Seabed prelude”, said Tomasz Mularczyk, CEO of MythicOwl. “It’s a unique take on the music game genre that will have players floating through an ethereal environment, surrounded by music”.

Seabed Prelude utilizes VR technology to provide the realistic feeling of being underwater, captaining a bathyscaphe through a post-apocalyptic deep sea landscape. Featuring tangential learning, Seabed Prelude progresses as you play notes on a pipe organ or a system of tesla coils correctly, allowing you to advance from station to station and uncover the dark plot hatched by the Constructors. In Campaign Mode you can progress to various stations by playing color-coded notes successfully as they float through an immersive aquatic environment.

Cats And VR

Google has made some neat tech that makes VR headsets "transparent" for MR use.

Mixed reality can help others see what VR feels like, and #DaydreamLabs' headset removal can show a person's identity, focus and full face. pic.twitter.com/L4tln5SM8I

— Google VR (@googlevr) February 22, 2017

Google has made some neat technology that makes VR headsets "transparent" for Mixed Reality use. 

According to a recent post from the Google VR blog Daydream Labs and Google Research teamed up to start exploring how to solve for the problem of seeing facial expressions when watching a person use VR without an avatar representation.

Above is artist Steve Teeple in Tilt Brush, shown in traditional mixed reality on the left and with headset removal on the right, which reveals the face and eyes for a more engaging experience.

According to Avneesh Sud- SOFTWARE ENGINEER at GOOGLE RESEARCH

"The first step to removing the VR headset is to construct a dynamic 3D model of the person’s face, capturing facial variations as they blink or look in different directions. This model allows us to mimic where the person is looking, even though it's hidden under the headset.

Next, we use an HTC Vive, modified by SMI to include eye-tracking, to capture the person’s eye-gaze from inside the headset. From there, we create the illusion of the person’s face by aligning and blending the 3D face model with a camera’s video stream. A translucent "scuba mask" look helps avoid an "uncanny valley" effect.

Finally, we composite the person into the virtual world, which requires calibrating between the Vive tracking system and the external camera. We’re able to automate this and make it highly accurate so movement looks natural. The end result is a complete view of both the virtual world and the person in it, including their entire face and where they’re looking."

Cats And VR

Samsung to release new mixed reality glasses and Gear VR aid for the visually impaired at Mobile World Congress.

Samsung’s is set to release a set of mixed reality glasses at Mobile World Congress 2017 that appear to use Microsoft’s Windows Holographic Shell for PC and  while on the phone it would have a multi-window shell for Android.

On the right of the device is a  CPU, Wi-Fi chip, and projector, while the left incorporates a battery and speaker. Content is capable of being streamed over Wi-Fi Direct or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi.

"Monitorless addresses the fact that there isn't enough AR and VR content currently available and also enables users to play high-capacity PC games on a mobile device,"- Samsung

This could be the holy grail for all the "second-screen experience" talk during the recent years.

An application to consider would be it's functionality for Twitch streamers, allowing for chat control, multiple games, and social aspects.  

Monitorless is a remote-control VR/AR solution that enables consumers to use devices such as smartphones and PCs without a monitor. The solution consists of a special pair of glasses that resemble regular sunglasses. They are used to view content from other devices such as smartphones and PCs and can be used for both Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality functionality thanks to the electro chromic glass featured on the glasses.

Samsung has also developed a  visual aid application for Gear VR to help near-blind and visually-impaired read books and watch TV more easily.

This is part of a big push by Samsung at next weeks Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Cats And VR

Mike Rothenberg drops the mic on the media!

Seems like everyday my tech news feeds are hit with a new Rothenberg Ventures has f'ed up posts. 

It's almost like tech journalism has always been looking for someone to make a tabloid martyr out of and Mike Rothenberg fits the bill with almost Kanye West like precision. 

Young, brash, Cinderella story. It almost comes across as a hip hop lyric about loving you on top but hating you when they can. From Rothenberg facing zoning issues to employee lawsuits there is always something to read about about Mike.  I felt I too should also do a post since I am a blog and all.  

Well actually Mike Rothenberg himself decided to finally address some of these media issues via a Facebook post yesterday. 

In the video Mike says he has not taken any money improperly as well as stating that Rothenberg Ventures never made any investments without investor permission.

Those are two of the major (among others) claims that the media has put out. Mike specifically calls out the media including one of the biggest outlets to push the story, TECH CRUNCH.  Mike goes onto say some of these stories have been liable and slander. Mike even goes on to say that Tech Crunch lives for Drama and even has a section dedicated to this. 

Look I am barely a member of the press so I am going to let the man speak for himself like he wants to in the video below. I am going to say this guy has balls of steel for recently changing Frontier Tech Ventures back to Rothenberg Ventures. Thug Life.

What the media has had to say in the past...INCLUDING yesterday.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/16/transcend-vr-sues-investor-mike-rothenberg-for-fraud-and-breach-of-contract/

https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/17/rothenberg-ventures-could-face-fines-over-setting-up-its-office-in-a-building-zoned-for-residential-use/

http://thehustle.co/rothenberg-ventures

https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/04/a-former-rothenberg-employee-is-now-suing-over-breach-of-contract-and-more-than-100k-in-amex-charges/

https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/18/at-rothenberg-ventures-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-virtual-gatsby/

and here is a list of WILD spending that Rothenberg allegedly did

• Hired a racecar driver and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to maintain and transport her car to events
• Sponsored actor Chace Crawford’s birthday party and produced a video for Coldplay
• Spent $200k on a suite at the Super Bowl and $2k a month on private jets
• Launched an annual Founders Field Day at AT&T Park that was extremely over the top (and inspired the scene in “Silicon Valley”)

The Questions that CatsAndVR.com has about all this. 

• Was most of the extravagant expenditures listed actually sponsored....Founders Field Day was almost entirely covered by sponsors and did not come out of Rothenberg's pockets.
•  Why was Rothenberg Ventures corporate counsel terminated for cause in July, before all this news came out?
• How does CFO David Hasse let all of this go under his nose and says he is owed around 100,000 in company expenses he supposedly paid for?
• How is Mike Rothenberg still the CEO of the company?
• How come the feds have yet to find anything illegal that he did yet?
• Where are David Hasse, Geoffrey Rapoport, Brandon Farwell, and Justin Grooms now? And did they try to unravel the company from within in a skunkworks kind of operation.
• Why am I asking these questions?

The last one is because I am a contrarian and don't like to believe what I am told in the tabloids. Really in the end I am wondering how did this all fall apart and who killed Rothenberg Ventures.

Was Mike destined to fall or be the fall guy? I am way too low in all of this to really make a clear answer but I do look at the information and have lots of questions.

Really what will happen to River and the IP and investments that they made? This in the end may be an early warning for the VR community to not necessarily buy something for face value no matter how luxurious and hyped it is. 

Mike Rothenberg this one is dedicated to you!

Cats And VR

Paranormal Activity VR looks to tap into the bloody vein of VR Horror fans.

Following the well received Virtual Reality debut of the Resident Evil franchise on Playstation VR horror fans are clamoring for more VR scares. Enter Paranormal Activity VR, a VR title developed by LA-based VRWERX in partnership with Paramount and based on the HIGHLY profitable movie franchise of the same name. The team recently released a teaser trailer to go along with a short gameplay video release on Twitter last month. 

Here you go! A VERY VERY small @PAVRGAME gameplay clip. more to come. @UnrealEngine @htcvive @PlayStation @oculus @AMD @nvidia pic.twitter.com/FiyLQgc7dv

— PAVRGAME (@pavrgame) January 10, 2017

Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul will be launching as a Early Access release  on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on March 14th 2017. A Playstation VR version is to be followed up in either demo form or full fledged product, this may put a PSVR out for a little. 

This Paranormal Activity VR Game from VRWERX is truly terrifying,” said LeeAnne Stables, President of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships & Licensing for Paramount Pictures. “This is a groundbreaking way to experience the actual thrill of ‘Paranormal Activity’ and we are excited to give fans of the movie franchise a first look at what’s coming this spring.”

For more VR Horror check: http://www.catsandvr.com/vrhorror/

Attention Cat fans: You will love the Hololens Hello Kitty Collaboration.

Yesterday Sanrio launched Hello Kitty on Actiongram, the HoloLens video creation app. Created by Vine animator Alicia Herber; you can see some examples of the 14 animations included in the Hello Kitty pack in the above video. 

Though AR and the Hololens are still very niche and used more as a development tool than for consumer use Sanrio is looking to be ahead of the curve. 

"Sanrio is always looking for the newest trends and collaborations, including augmented reality," says Egita Di Filippo, a member of Sanrio's digital team. "Mixed reality storytelling is an interesting new medium for expressing creativity which allows the many Hello Kitty fans to engage with and experience her in an entirely new way."

The Hello Kitty video is just one of several that has been created from a collaboration with Microsoft and several social media video influencers. 

Oculus, ZeniMax, NDA's, & a bunch of money.

Oculus left 2016 with troubles and has entered 2017 with even more. A Texas jury awarded half a billion dollars to ZeniMax. ZeniMax accused  Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey to failing to comply with a non-disclosure agreement he signed.

Of the $500 million, Palmer Luckey and Brendan Iribe have to pay $50 million for false designation and Iribe has to pay an additional $150 million. Oculus as a company is responsible for the additional $200 million. 

While we wait to see how this all plays out for Iribe who recently stepped down as Oculus CEO and Luckey who has been silent and missing from the VR community ever since his support of Donald Trump vilified him to many who were early Oculus supporters. 

To the end of CatsAndVR.com, I have been a fan of Oculus for years and was an early user of their dev kits.

I don't disagree with the Zenimax Verdict but I do think this verdict will hurt a company I felt pushed for the refinement of VR. Everything from the headstrap to the design of the touch controllers are amazing. But alas this blow will hurt

I feel bad for Palmer Luckey and hope this fires him up to go out and create something better on his own and prove the world wrong. I also wonder how Brendan Iribe got so much of this verdict against him. 

ZeniMax in the meanwhile has made some move to acquire Escalation Studios. Escalation is responsible for the VR port of Please, Don’t Touch Anything! and the Oculus-published Herobound: Gladiators.

If ZeniMax goes forward with what they told Polygon this story may not be over. 

 Polygon was told  that ZeniMax  may seek an injunction to stop the sale of Oculus Rift headsets.

 ZeniMax’s Chairman and CEO, stated that “technology is the foundation of our business and we consider the theft of our intellectual property to be a serious matter. We appreciate the jury’s finding against the defendants, and the award of half a billion dollars in damages for those serious violations.”

John Carmack went on Facebook obviously and stated "I disagreed with their characterization, misdirection, and selective omissions."I never tried to hide or wipe any evidence, and all of my data is accounted for, contrary to some stories being spread," he continued.

Carmak takes issue with the accusations made by ZeniMax's legal counsel that he erased data after learning of ZeniMax's lawsuit.

“This is a really important step toward VR legitimacy: a legal case of this size substantiates the potential of VR technology,” said Stephanie Llamas, an analyst at SuperData Research

HTC Vive and Viveport are bringing some of my favorite VR experiences to Sundance.

HTC Vive and Viveport is heading to Park City, Utah during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival to exhibit at “VR on the Mountain,” a virtual reality hub for festival attendees taking place January 20-22. HTC Vive and Viveport are bringing a lineup of apps including two of my favorites of 2016, Mindshow and The Price Of Freedom.

I'm actually in a promotional video for The Price Of Freedom but that is because it is super rad.

I am also a huge fan of Mindshow and have been hanging in the Alpha for a bit.

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. 

Vive is also highlighting new content from Baobab Studios, a studio that brought its impressive animation pedigree to VR last year with “Invasion!,” an award-winning title launched last year.  Headed by veterans from Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, including “Madagascar” writer-director Eric Darnell.

The Viveport exhibit is part of HTC Vive’s sponsorship of “VR on the Mountain” during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. “VR on the Mountain” will be held January 20-22 at Firewood, one of newest venues located on Main Street in Park City, Utah. Attendees will be able to experience all of the titles listed for the duration of the exhibit with the exception of “Asteroids,” which will debut on January 21.

HTC is already killing it in 2017 with a rad showing at CES including the Vive Tracker. Also who in the hell is dotdotdash?

HTC has kicked off 2017 by showcasing new Vive accessories and services at CES that will lay the foundation for VR in 2017 and beyond.  

First up: The Vive Tracker

The Vive Tracker will ship in the Q2 of this year. The company showed off a video featuring Portland, Oregon VR design studio dotdotdash, one of the first developers to use the Vive Tracker. The company developed a camera accessory called D3-U for its VR experience called Exoplanet. I would describe Exoplanet as Pokemon Snap on Acid.

Second Up: Vive Deluxe Audio Strap.

I love my HTC Vive but I have always thought that Oculus had them beat with the way they integrated audio into the headset. HTC has finally addresses it with the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap.

The Vive Deluxe Audio Strap is designed with adjustable integrated headphones and a new customizable sizing dial for quickly adjusting the fit of the headstrap ala the Playstation VR headset. The Deluxe Audio Strap will also be available in Q2. Pricing for both the Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap will be announced soon.

HTC also announced a collaboration with Intel to jointly bring to market a commercial-grade wireless VR adaptor. TPCast is a wireless adaptor  incubated through the Vive X accelerator program. It includes a one and a half hour battery, and latency as low as 2ms. TPCast will be shipping in Q2 2017 and will retail for $249 USD.

Lastly: Viveport & Chill?

In early 2017, Viveport will be launching a subscription service to help you navigate and find the best VR apps in the world, as well as introduce a new channel through which VR developers can monetize their content. There are currently thousands of apps available on Vive globally. Viveport’s subscription service will help people navigate this growing marketplace and discover new apps, providing access to an ever-growing library of content for a low monthly fee. 

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

Construct Studio are on the cutting edge of VR storytelling with The Price Of Freedom. Update: The Price Of Freedom is now free on Steam.

UPDATE: The Price of Freedom is available for free on Steam. 

Link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/561080/

ABOUT THIS GAME

Ask not what this country can do for you
January, 1960. The US is deep in Cold War with Russia, and nuclear war seems eminent, when Benjamin Miller breaks into CIA research facilities, stealing valuable Chemical Weapons research. Your mission: assassinate Miller and protect this information from falling into enemy hands. What seems like a straight forward mission soon takes a dark turn as you learn the truth behind Miller's motives. 
Become part of the story in this thrilling interactive Room-Scale VR narrative, inspired by true events.

Recently CatsAndVR.com had the opportunity to check out a preview of Construct Studios upcoming interactive VR experience "The Price Of Freedom". The Price Of Freedom is Construct's first interactive room-scale VR storytelling experience. The experience is inspired by Project MKUltra, a Cold War era mind control experiment which has been the inspiration for the recent Netflix hit "Stranger Things". 

You may be familiar with the previous work of two of the founders of Construct Studio "Imago" from my post on how that 360° experience made me cry.

 http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/imago

Guests in attendance were able to check out IMAGO as well as The Price Of Freedom and both were well received. Being a huge fan of IMAGO it was great to see how both Chuck, Tsung-Han Lee and Joel Ogden were able to build on their experience on that product as well as their own personal journey in VR to build Construct Studio into a team to watch for the future of VR story telling. Personally I like to look at both Chuck and Joel as the Tarantino and Rodriguez of a new medium, blazing a trail through hard work, guerrilla filmmaking techniques, and pure DIY punk rock determination. 

Tony Parisi, Head of AR/VR at Unity was in attendance and not only gave me his impressions on Construct Studios latest but also a great story on Chuck's determination to learn and grow in the VR space. 

Chuck, Tsung-Han Lee

Anyone who meets Chuck will tell you he is a humble dude and is one of the people to watch for in VR Storytelling. I had met Chuck before but this time around I also met one of his collaborators on IMAGO and now CEO of Construct Studio, Joel Ogden. 

Speaking with Joel I understand a bit on how Chuck and Joel work so well together and making an assumption that the whole Construct Studio team is just as bright, enthusiastic, and cutting edge with their perspectives on VR. Everyone in the room seemed taken back by The Price Of Freedom in which Joel was the Director. I was able to get some interview time with Joel who happens to be a very funny dude. 

Below is a video from Construct Studio highlighting the experience people had with The Price Of Freedom. 

The Price Of Freedom is just the latest project from Construct Studio and it is a great first step for them.  Dealing with subject matter like MK Ultra brings to question many of the same questions in VR of What is reality? What is real? My experience with The Price Of Freedom has wet my appetite and I am looking forward to the official release to this amazing episodic series and this up and coming VR storytelling team. 

Happy Thanksgiving! Also help out Planned Parenthood and ACLU by buying video games like Catlateral Damage! Here is how.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the people who have helped me out and supported me this year in life, especially on the gaming and VR side. Lets take this time to think about how we can give back and give thanks. 

A bunch of indie video game creators have done that and are sharing their works to combat some of the ugliness in our world. For between $2-$20 dollars you can get up 151 indie video games with 100% of the proceeds from this bundle will be split 50-50 between the ACLU ( American Civil Liberties Union) and Planned Parenthood. 

https://itch.io/b/149/a-good-bundle

 $2 will get you 89 video games, like Zoe Quinn’s Depression Quest.  At $8, you will get 36 additional titles, such as Vectorpark’s Metamorphabet. At $20 you get access to everything in the bundle, including some top titles and also some of my personal favorites like Catlateral Damage, Gone Home, and the super excellent cyber punk adventure Read Only Memories.  

Keep in mind these are not VR games and more than 25 of the titles are browser-based. However the games are all high quality and made by developers who not only care about the medium but how they can use it to help the world. The games are playable on Linux, Mac and/or WIndows PC.

The bundle will be available until 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 29. So if you feel the need to buy something on Black Friday A Good Bundle is a good deal for a good cause.