As seen at VRLA Spring Expo: Tender Claws' Virtual Virtual Reality made me want to believe in Google Daydream.

During VRLA 2017 Spring Expo I ran into Jonathan Krusell, former Executive Producer at Mindshow and now Producer for Google Daydream. Last year Jonathan helped me skip the line to check out Mindshow so I appreciate talking to him any chance I get. I told Jonathan that the Google Daydream booth at GDC kind of bored me and I was not impressed by Ubisofts Rabbids VR game demo. I basically said that if this was my first time using Daydream it was not the best impression I would want. 

Just a tad bit bored with Google Daydream at GDC.

Jonathan took this in stride and vouched for the development team and explained somethings that made me want to take a second look at the Rabbids game in the future. I was then informed by him about a really rad Daydream experience that I missed at GDC and was tucked away at VRLA. That game happened to be Virtual Virtual Realty and blew me away as the best game on Daydream and one of my favorite VR experiences thus far.

Virtual Virtual Realty made me question what is my purpose? The best way to describe Virtual Virtual Reality is a Half Life 2 cinematic developed into its own experience with a dash of Twin Peaks mystery and Portal 2 aesthetic. The game mechanics keep you engaged with a narrative that is built with those fun interactive mechanics in mind as part of the whole. 

In Virtual Virtual Realty you put on VR headsets in a VRinception sort of way in order escape your manager and explore deeper realities of your purpose.  This two hour game provides a great value at $8.99 with an excellent art style and game play that will put an immediate smile on your face and then follow up with a sense of real uncertainty. 

Virtual Virtual Reality in a tongue in cheek way questions the very pedestal people like myself place on VR in showing both the beauty and bleakness of the escapism VR evangelists seek to make the current VR movement seem real.

A game about VR, AI, and our collective Sci-Fi hallucinations the developer Tender Claws has made a must play game that truly showcases VR for its immersive potential. Excellent voice work, beautiful settings, and once again 2 HOURS of gameplay make this a must experience VR experience. Since I have access to multiple VR devices I did not want to invest in a Pixel phone yet, however after playing a short demo at VRLA showcasing the modular nature of the game I ran to find someone with a Google Daydream so I could sit down and continue the immersive fever dream that is Virtual Virtual Reality.

So for me V-VR is the killer app for Daydream and one of my favorite VR experiences. I want to thank Jonathan for introducing me to the rad Tender Claws team, a team that truly highlights the level of creativity and passion coming out of the L.A. VR community. I do hope Tender Claws build on what they did with VVR and takes their charm, game mechanics, and overall love of VR to other platforms but for now they have helped to win me over to give Daydream a chance.

The V-VR Story: In the near future, most jobs have been automated. What is the purpose of humanity? Activitude, the Virtual Labor System, is here to help. Your artisanal human companionship is still highly sought by our A.I. clients. 

The Dev Team: 10 years ago, media artists Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman began collaborating on projects as diverse as webart of a medieval manuscript to virtual reality poetry. Recognized by the MacDowell Colony, they were given a residency to rethink how story and tech could meaningfully merge. This time spent in a cabin in the woods would eventually become PRY. Tender Claws has grown in size to take on new challenges and commissions, while remaining true to its origins in creating hybrid, interactive experiences.   Tender Claws' first release PRY (http://prynovella.com) was named by Apple as one of the top apps of 2015 and was a finalist for the "Excellence in Narrative" IGF Award and "The Future of Storytelling Prize" before touring film festivals including the New York Film Festival and Slamdance.

http://tenderclaws.com/

Arcade style drone fighting game DroneFightersVR Launches on Steam

Drone Fighters is an arcade style drone fighting game in virtual reality from SurrealVR Game Studios, an HTC ViveX company. Customize your fighter, arm your battle hungry drones with awesome weapons and dominate your opponents in epic cage fights set in futuristic arenas.  

Drone Fighters is a community driven, cross platform title targeting the e-sports enthusiasts that are exploring virtual reality. Available now as an Early Access title for $9.99 with a 30% launch discount, Drone Fighters will explore the many exciting directions that the game offers, prioritizing player input from the very start.  The game will retail for $14.99 after the initial discount.

While the Early Access audience blasts away, Surreal VR is working on new drones, new weapons and features ranging from spectator mode and drone fighter team versus play and live tournaments with rating systems for fighter analysis, to building your own drones from scratch and co-op solo missions.

Drone Fighters is a challenging game, making full use of VR controllers for unique motion controls, and offering a hand-eye coordination fighting system that makes the game different than any other title out there. Solo missions and practice levels teach players how to master the controls in no time, and when you practice, you feel that you are learning something new and different. Your reflexes are getting sharper and you observe the game stage better and better. Almost like learning how to drive a car. Game elevates you to a new level and your drone becomes a part of you.

CatsAndVR.com/blog

Dungeons & Dragons-themed Dungeon Chess is out now for Oculus Rift and coming soon on Samsung Gear VR.

Virtual reality developer Experiment 7 announced that Dungeon Chess is out now for Oculus Rift and will come soon on Samsung Gear VR. 

Dungeon Chess, a Dungeons & Dragons-themed animated chess game, is the first title developed by Experiment 7 in its partnership with Wizards of the Coast.

From fire-breathing dragons to death ray-blasting beholder rooks and beyond, Dungeon Chess players command a lineup of iconic D&D creatures as they engage in classic chess matches against custom AI opponents, VR users from around the globe or their real-world friends. Each game is played in stunning and customizable rooms, like the Forgotten Realm’s legendary Yawning Portal Tavern or the Warm Study, where players compete in front of a crackling fire.  

“As huge D&D fans ourselves, it was a dream come true to be able to work on Dungeon Chess," said Co-founder and Creative Director of Experiment 7, Geoffrey Zatkin. "We've created what we believe is a killer VR game worthy of D&D enthusiasts, chess fans and the VR community’s attention. We can’t wait to do the same for our next VR project with Wizards of the Coast.”

“Combining the power of storytelling in Dungeons & Dragons with virtual reality is really fascinating, and we're excited to take this first step with Experiment 7 and Dungeon Chess,” said Nathan Stewart, Brand Director for D&D. “As with all of our partners, we've been working closely with their development team to make sure the beholders, dragons and mindflayers are all distinctly D&D-flavored and we think that hard work paid off. I can't wait to see the Yawning Portal come to life in virtual reality!”

CatsAndVR.com

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 puzzle game Solaright is the first HTC Vive title from a development team based out of India.

Solaright is the first HTC Vive title from a development team based out of India.  Solaright  is a zen-like VR puzzle game where the player has to illuminate a tree from a solar power source by solving a series of jigsaw puzzles from simple 3x3 virtual cubes to 4x4 and 5x5 complex cubes as you move ahead in the game.  The VR controller lets you rotate the cube, and understand the puzzle flowing through multiple faces

“We are very excited to launch Solaright, a never-seen-before puzzle solving experience with meditative music,”  stated  Manas Gajare , CEO, Zabuza Labs.“Our experience in mobile puzzle games was adamant, which inspired us to build this engaging title in virtual reality.”

With  the launch of Solaright perhaps many other gaming studios in India will also join the VR bandwagon soon.

Solaright is available for  HTC Vive on the  Steam Marketplace today March 13, 2017, for $9.99. Zabuza Labs is offering 15% discount for the first week.

CatsAndVR.com

Downward Spiral: Prologue is a 70's Sci Fi inspired VR game with a soundtrack from HIM frontman Ville Valo.

Featuring a soundtrack by lead singer and composer Ville Valo, of gothic rock band HIM, 3rd Eye Studios Downward Spiral: Prologue launches on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive  is now available on the Oculus store for Oculus Rift and Steam for HTC Vive.

Inspired by cult 1970’s science-fiction and devoid from the motion sickness that has plagued other zero-G virtual reality games, Downward Spiral: Prologue is the prologue to the ambitious saga Downward Spiral.

“Structured as a modern TV series, Downward Spiral: Prologue is the beginning of a space thriller, whose mystery will unravel over time as we release future episodes”, said Kari Koivistoinen, CEO of 3rd Eye Studios. “Built from the ground-up by our team of award-winning industry veterans, Downward Spiral: Prologue offers a space Zero-G experience like no other by allowing players to move freely in a VR environment without motion sickness.”

A prologue for the Downward Spiral anthology series, Downward Spiral: Prologue begins as the players find themselves in a capsule that has docked with a space station. On first exploration, the station appears empty and the players must use control panels to progress and begin unravelling a mystery that will span the Downward Spiral anthology. In Downward Spiral: Prologue’s Journey mode, play through the story solo or in Co-op mode with a friend or stranger.  Deathmatch, meanwhile, allows up to eight players to experience exhilarating zero gravity gunplay in environments familiar to the story.

About 3rd Eye Studios

Located in Helsinki, Finland, 3rd Eye Studios was founded in June 2016 by a group of game industry veterans, who previously worked in senior positions at Remedy Entertainment, Unity Technologies, Bugbear Entertainment, RedLynx and Moon Studios. The team develops innovative VR games and groundbreaking VR technology built specifically for developers. The company launched its first VR game Downward Spiral – The Prologue at the end of March 2017, with further episodes following later this year. The VR technology will be launched in 2018.

CatsAndVR.com/blog

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

The Invisible Hours coming to PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.

The Invisible Hours is a complex, murder mystery set in VR, which allows players to freely explore an intricate web of interwoven stories within a sprawling old mansion, in order to untangle a dark truth. Developed by Madrid-based Tequila Works in partnership with GameTrust, The Invisible Hours sets the stage for a deeply immersive theater VR experience.

The player is invisible to the cast of characters, giving them freedom to follow and observe anyone in the story - or to explore the mansion for hidden clues at their own pace. The game is a gripping mystery, and to find all its deepest secrets will require careful observation and exploration.

The story follows a group of strangers who receive a curious invitation from enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla, offering each of them the chance to make amends for their darkest wrongdoings. When the last guest arrives at Tesla’s isolated mansion laboratory, they find him dead – murdered. Disgraced Swedish detective, Gustaf Gustav, vows to find the killer amongst the other guests: a blind butler, a convicted murderer, the world’s most famous actress, Tesla’s former assistant, the son of a wealthy railroad magnate, and rival inventor Thomas Edison. But none of these people are what they seem

The Invisible Hours is inspired by classic murder mysteries, such as Agatha Christie's masterpiece And Then There Were None, as well as genre-busting period thrillers such as Christopher Nolan's The Prestige. It also draws influence from immersive theater, and the real-life rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Tequila Works, S.L. is an independent boutique studio founded in 2009 by Raúl Rubio Munárriz (founding member of MercurySteam Entertainment, developers of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow) and Luz M. Sancho. Tequila Works' first title, the BAFTA-nominated Deadlight, was published in 2012 by Microsoft Studios. The studio is currently working on several original IPs, including the highly-anticipated RiME. Tequila Works’ philosophy is to create games with gusto. The team consists of a healthy blend of talented veterans from Atari, Blizzard, Disney, Double Fine, Electronic Arts, LucasArts, SEGA and Pixar, as well as new blood from the animation and comic book industries, all of whom enjoy challenging their creative talents and seeing the world with amazement every day. www.tequilaworks.com

CatsAndVR.com

PSVR gets yet another quality VR title with the launch of FATED: The Silent Oath.

Independent Canadian developer Frima announced today that its Norse-themed storytelling experience and movie-length narrative adventure, FATED: The Silent Oath, is now available on PlayStation®VR (PS VR) across North America and Europe. FATED takes the player on one man’s harrowing quest to protect his family from the destruction of their world at the hands of the gods.

“We are delighted to bring FATED to PS VR,” says Antoinette Thibeault, Marketing Director at Frima. “The immersive, emotionally-charged storyline lends itself very well to virtual reality, and we feel that FATED is a perfect example of how PS VR can transport players into a movie-length story as never before.”

Developed with Unreal Engine 4, FATED is a first-person immersive adventure set in the mythical age of Vikings and built specifically for virtual reality. Written by Jill Murray, a writer on Assassin’s Creed, FATED tells the story of a man and his family during Ragnarök – the end times. As he travels with them, he comes across a mix of touching and terrifying events, learning about himself and his loved ones in the process, and taking the players on an emotional rollercoaster that unfolds all around them in total immersion.

FATED harnesses the capabilities of VR to make a great leap forward in immersive storytelling. Featuring high-quality writing, characterization and voice acting, FATED aims to transport players to a world of myth and legend, and make them feel a strong emotional connection with the story and its characters.

Priced at $9.99/£6.99/€9.99, FATED is a first-generation virtual reality game available on all three major VR platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR.

CatsAndVR.com

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

Faceware provided the awesome VR facial animations for Resident Evil 7 and Paranormal Activity VR, they also had dinosaurs and a tiny MR. T at their GDC booth.

Faceware is the leading facial animation solution provider for clients such as Double Negative, Digital Domain, Blur Studios, Activision-Blizzard, Rockstar Games, Microsoft, 2K Sports, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sega, Sony, Bethesda, Motion Theory and Moving Picture Company. Faceware’s product consists of the Faceware GoPro and Pro HD Headcam and Tripod Capture Systems; Faceware Analyzer, which allows clients to analyze and process their own performance videos; Faceware Retargeter, an Autodesk plugin which allows users to create facial motion capture data at a much faster rate than traditional methods; and Faceware Live, the real-time facial capture and animation solution

They also had a GDC booth filled with a tiny Mr T and Dinosaurs. Seriously It felt like I just walked into an acid trip. Check out my interview with the Faceware team at GDC and seriously check out the Faceware demo reel, this team is perhaps one of the most valuable resources in gaming today and very under the everyday gamer radar.

They are responsible for some of the best faces in gaming today including the "how the hell did they pull this off on this hardware" hit for PSVR, Resident Evil 7.

The team also recently worked on the facial animations for the upcoming Paranormal Activity VR game. 

"We were truly lucky to have Faceware as a partner on Paranormal Activity:The Lost Soul, especially as it was our first experience using the technology,” said Bradan Dotson, Production Manager on the new Paranormal Activity VR game. “The team came in and supported us throughout the mo-cap process, guiding us through exceptionally quick and seamless setup process. From that point on Faceware was always available to answer any questions we had – they were a wealth of knowledge.

Our FAV #PAVRGAME reaction video EVER!!! pic.twitter.com/KPAF3pMa4E

— PAVRGAME (@pavrgame) December 31, 2016

Faceware’s solutions have been used across a wide variety of digital entertainment products, from NBA 2K titles to the latest in the Call of Duty franchise, each time ensuring that the digital faces we see on screen feel completely convincing.
 

CatsAndVR.com

March is full of Power Rangers stuff including Qualcomm's VR Experience out March 8th, a Power Rangers mobile fighting game, and a CatsAndVR PR giveaway.

The much anticipated Power Rangers movie reboot hits theaters on March 24th and there are 2 VR experiences and one cool looking mobile brawler to get you ready for it.   

First up launching sometime on March 8th you will get a chance to immerse yourself in the world of Power Rangers with Qualcomm's experience created specifically for mobile VR, the 2 minute Power Rangers: Zords Rising.  

I had a chance to check it out at GDC and to be honest it is really short but really damn good looking for mobile VR. This marks production company Reel FX VR's third collaboration with Lionsgate, following the partnerships for Insurgent: Divergent Series VR and The Hunger Games VR. Legit I waited in line to get Power Rangers swag at GDC and really enjoyed the short but FREE experience.  I am sure it will only tease you for what I am hoping will be an awesome movie.

Next up Lionsgate will be holding a virtual reality Q&A session with the cast on March 9 at 1:30 PM PT to promote the new Power Rangers. This session will take place in the High Fidelity VR platform and will require either an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. There is only room for a total of 100 HTC Vive and Oculus Rift users wil who in turn be able to join the live Q&A virtually. A few VR attendees will be able to hang out and play VR games with their favorite Ranger. For non VR fans the event will be live streamed on Youtube.

 Event Details 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfD0AbBIlzKTKQX6OYOeezyJ3TXok0j8COaVTFTnkDsn7Hf1A/viewform

We also will be getting a pretty rad mobile fighting game launching the week of the movie release. Seriously the old Power Rangers fighting games for the Genesis and Game Gear were some of my favs growing up. I have not been this excited for a mobile game in a while.

Lastly the biggest Zord of them all, Power Rangers will be coming to theaters on March 24th.

In celebration I am giving away a classic Megazord T-Shirt & Pink Ranger Funko Pop to those who follow @CatsAndVR on Twitter and share this post. Make sure to tweet @CatsAndVR when you share. 

A look at Montana 17, a licensed VR Football experience for Google Daydream from small town Florida kid done good Damon Grow.

So last week was a pretty busy week for me with GDC17, Stanford Sports Innovation Expo, Starters VR In Sports, and general work week things. That all being said I decided to make one more trek into the world of VR networking to check out the VR Gaming Summit put on by SF Beta. As much as I like VR networking it was not what I wanted to do with both Resident Evil VR and Breath Of The Wild at home. 

Well I am glad I went because Damon Grow CEO of Superstar Games really delivered one of the best gaming presentations I have seen from a smaller scale VR event.

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In about 30 minutes Damon went through the transition from console to mobile to VR, the value and caution of working with "Valuable" intellectual property, the importance of branding and finding the right partners, and the future of VR monetization including his own strategy for the upcoming Montana 17. Originally a GearVR title, Montana 17 will now be an important title for Google's Daydream VR platform. I am actually hoping Google supports the team as Superstar Games have done some excellent biz dev to get to this point. 

Damon said it was very difficult to get a full NFL license due to the relationship with EA and the NFL due to a up and coming game called Madden. I know these issues first hand from my own experiences working on a VR Football Fan Experience in the past. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/catsandvrsuperbowl

However Damon and his co-founder Joe "F'N Legend" Montana, were able to make some very biz savvy moves and get get Montana 17 to be the first VR game to be licensed by the NFL Players Association. This is a big deal and allows for  NFL superstars like Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Odell Beckham Jr, and one of my my favs Carson Wentz to be involved. In the video above you can see some of the players who got to try out Montana 17 and the great reaction it got from them.

I have a little expereience myself demoing VR to NFL stars and from first hand expereience I know they are very excited to see where the tech goes. 

My point is I have a vested interest in VR and Football from a business and a gamer perspective and Damon's presentation made me believe in his company and product vision.  No wonder Superstar Games has raised $2.3 million from investors like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former Electronic Arts CFO Stan McKee, and several ex-Zynga executives in order to be first to market with a full featured VR Football game. 

“We are happy to team up with Superstar Games and Joe Montana to license this game so that a new generation of gamers can connect with their favorite players in a unique and authentic way,” -NFLPA VP of Licensing and Business Development Steve Scebelo

That is some strong hustle from the Superstar Games team, even the way Damon Grow and Joe Montana started working together is a bit funny and lucky. Damon tells a little of it in the video at the top of the post. 

From a press side I have heard that Superstar Games did not get the best press out of GDC16 but I was very surprised to not see them at the Daydream booth during GDC17 given the fact that having strong product with a great potential would have helped a Google Daydream booth I felt was lacking a Killer App. I'm not saying that DaydreamVR will not succeed I am just saying you may need something stronger that Rabbids to hold my attention. I am not a Stanford MBA or anything but I do think the millions of people who enjoy the Super Bowl would probably be more open to Montana 17 as a first time VR experience. I know this from experience.  I hope Google is helping the Superstar Games team out quite a bit. 

Me being really bored with the Google Daydream selections. 

The team may be taking an under the radar approach but I respect them with the lead that they are taking to take on the EA cartel (inside joke) and the strangle hold on American Football in gaming that they have. The gaming press might say what they want about the final Montana 17 game when they get it but from first hand experience I tell you NFL players, young kids, and those just getting into VR will find it as a palatable first step. I wish the Superstar Games team well with Montana 17 and know that 18 and 19 just like the future of VR will continue to innovate and impress as time goes on. To be buzz wordy with my paradigm shifting, Montana 17 is actually something disruptive in VR as a first to market full featured VR Football game featuring players.

Disclaimer: Superstar Games CEO Damon Grow is from Port St. Lucie, Florida. I went to High School there, no way would I not want his game to succeed. #HustleHard 

catsandvr.com/blog/

Ubisoft announces that Virtual Rabbids: The Big Plan available on Daydream this spring.

Today, Ubisoft ® announced that Virtual Rabbids ®: The Big Plan, the first VR Rabbids experience on mobile, will be released this spring on Daydream, Google’s platform for high-quality mobile VR. Developed by Ubisoft Montpellier in collaboration with Bucharest, specifically for virtual reality, the mobile game is based on the Rabbids franchise, which has sold more than 14 million video games worldwide, and are regularly featured in a television show that airs in more than 110 countries.

In Virtual Rabbids, a few irreverent Rabbids have stolen and scrambled a top-secret nuclear safety password. Players are called upon by a classified government agency to travel through different locations in a hilarious adventure to recover the missing digits. Players will find themselves in some of the most precarious situations as they race to save the planet.  

Daydream gives players the opportunity to get even closer to the Rabbids than ever before. Using the headset and controller, players will be plunged into the crazy world of the Rabbids, which includes various levels that are full of hidden toys, an arsenal of tools and nutty gadgets. The Daydream controller lets you interact with the virtual world in the same way you do in the real world, making the gameplay experiences richer and more immersive.

“ Ubisoft is committed to exploring new technologies and platforms that deliver more immersive and interactive gaming experiences,” said Dominique Tardieu, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Ubisoft’s mobile business. “ We’re happy to bring Rabbids to Daydream as it enables us to offer players a high fidelity game in a mobile VR environment and we’re looking forward to explore the gameplay ideas and interactive opportunities on this new device for developers.”

For more information about the game, please visit www.rabbids.com

Experiment 7 to bring the world of Dungeons & Dragons to VR...in Chess form.

Wizards Of The Coast recently announced their partnership with Experiment 7 to bring games to VR. 

Founded in 2015, Experiment 7 started as a collaboration between founders Geoffrey "GZ" Zatkin and Demetri Detsaridis, who had previously worked together on DC Universe Online. In 2016, Experiment 7 launched Magic Table Chess, the first game in the Magic Table™ series of games.

The Magic Table community has now added the world of Dungeons and Dragons to it. 

Dungeon Chess™, a D&D-themed animated chess game, is the first title developed by Experiment 7 in this partnership and will release on Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR later this year.

"As huge D&D fans, we're excited to work with Wizards of the Coast on Dungeon Chess," said Experiment 7 Co-founder and Creative Director, Geoffrey Zatkin. "We're using iconic D&D creatures to bring fantasy and wonder to the classic strategy game of chess, while taking great care to stay true to D&D lore, implement robust chess gameplay, and provide a high-quality user experience. We believe this commitment will make Dungeon Chess enjoyable for chess fans, D&D enthusiasts, and the VR community in general."

In Dungeon Chess, players move fire-breathing dragon queens, death-ray blasting beholder rooks and other popular D&D creatures across the board as they engage in classic chess matches. New creatures will be revealed weekly on Experiment 7's social media channels leading up to Dungeon Chess's release.

"Players will be able to experience Dungeon Chess on our Magic Table™ platform," said Experiment 7's Co-founder and Managing Director, Demetri Detsaridis. "Magic Table players can play against real-world friends, other VR users from around the world, or face our custom AI opponents in Dungeon Chess, or other tabletop games. Each game is played in stunning and customizable rooms, like the legendary Yawning Portal tavern. Eventually, they'll even be able to play and chat with users on completely different VR hardware." 

"Continuing in our tradition of exploring new platforms and technologies, we are excited to partner with Experiment 7 to bring the brand to life in the virtual game room," said Nathan Stewart, Brand Director for D&D. "Being able to personalize your own space and invite your friends over to enjoy a game of Dungeon Chess is just plain cool. Spicing it up with fantastic animations that bring iconic D&D monsters to life is a bonus."

CatAndVR.com

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

New Fire Pro Wrestling game on the horizon, possible GDC reveal.

So it appears that the long-running Fire Pro Wrestling franchise will be getting its first installment since 2012. Spike Chunsoft has launched a teaser site and video titled "Pro Wrestling. They also added 3/2(GDC?) to the Japanese twitter page. This matches up with the petition that they put out 10 months ago to gauge interest in a new game.

I'm getting bodyslammed by Fire Pro Wrestling fans! Let me hear the crowd: Do you want a revival? https://t.co/nqhy6mur2p

— Spike Chunsoft (En) (@SpikeChunsoft_e) April 21, 2016

The first games in the series to be localized were Fire Pro Wrestling A localized as Fire Pro Wrestling, and Fire Pro Wrestling 2 for the Game Boy Advance.

https://t.co/TeU06h8B5Y pic.twitter.com/kzyI41SueD

— 3/2 in San Francisco (@sc_prowrestling) February 24, 2017

CatsAndVR.com

Oasis Games, publishers of PSVR launch title Ace Banana back at it on Feb 28th with PSVR horror title.

Oasis Games Ltd, a leading independent Chinese publisher, today announced that its room escape horror game, DYING: Reborn , will launch on February 28 for the PlayStation ® VR and PlayStation ® 4 computer entertainment system. The release date for the PlayStation ® Vita handheld entertainment system will be announced at a later time.

If you have been reading CatsAndVR.com you know that I love the PSVR game Ace Banana also published by Oasis Games. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/psvrbanana

I am excited that Oasis continues to bring quality weirdness at a decent price for the Playstation VR.  The upcoming DYING: Reborn for PSVR may be short and not compare with Resident Evil VR but at $9.99 it may be a good deal and a creepily weird little stop gap between the next big Horror VR title. 

DYING: Reborn is a dark, horror-themed puzzle game that creates a unique first-person room escape experience. Players will play as Mathew, a distraught young man on a mission to find his missing sister. After receiving a mysterious note from his sister, Mathew finds himself trapped in a strange and eerie hostel with no recollection of how he landed there. To escape the hostel and solve the mystery, Mathew must solve a variety of creative puzzles while exploring each spooky room in the building for clues. Scattered throughout the environment are items he will collect and use to piece together what happened while trying to find his sister.

The PlayStation ® 4 and PlayStation ® Vita games consists of six chapters of riveting gameplay, while PlayStation ® VR has three immersive chapters for a shorter but even more intense experience . Developed by NEKCOM Entertainment and published by Oasis Games for PlayStation ® VR, PS4 TM and “PS Vita” system, DYING: Reborn will be available on February 28 for the PS VR and PS4 TM on the PlayStation ® Store. The titles are available on PS VR for $9.99 and PS4 TM for $19.99. This game has been rated “M for Mature” by the ESRB.

Stay up to date on all of the PS VR titles from Oasis Games by liking us on Facebook at fb.me/OasisGamesConsole and following on Twitter at OAS_Games and Instagram at @OasisGamesOfficial. Get more information on all Oasis Games titles here: http://en.console.oasgames.com.

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

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