A River Resurrection Part One

In 2014, identifying the huge potential in VR, Mike Rothenberg decided to build the world's first startup accelerator focused on VR companies, and named it The River Accelerator Program. The program founded by Mike Rothenberg has evolved to now be part of a bigger vision called River Ecosystem.

Oh and yes it is THAT Mike Rothenberg, the one who earlier this year was described by many a media outlet as a VR Great Gatsby, a person with a Wolf of Wall Street personality, a man steering his VC fund Rothenberg Ventures like it was the Titanic. Come to think of if I think tech media really has a thing for Leonardo Dicaprio films.

Well perhaps those things about Mike are true, I don't know the guy personally but I can say he sure has some Steph Curry like attributes to him. First one up is vision. Just take a look at some of the companies Rothenberg Ventures has helped in some sort of fiduciary capacity. I mean come on this is just in the VR/AR space. I know the word ecosystem gets tossed around a lot but really how do you describe what the River/Rothenberg team were trying to pull together before a lot of news came out about a lot of alleged things.  We still have no true answers on those allegations so I can really only do one thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERm_WNxGs1U

River, Rothenberg, Frontier Tech, or whatever the team was using as its main identity for the past few months continued pushing for a goal of a true VR/AR future of growth not a constant stream of fads. In fact Mike threw a small intimate post AWE 2017 event in which he spoke about his vision of a VR/AR ecosystem and a future of content creators not just tech evangelists. Check that video at the top of the page. Robert Scoble was in attendance and you know if Scoble is jumping on the bandwagon the team must be doing something right at this time. That was a joke Scoble, lets grab a drink sometime. 

Oh back to Steph Curry, one of the biggest things about Steph Curry is his ability to understand the value of the players around him and maximize their potential. Just look at how Javale Mcgee is playing this year. Just look at how KD seems just happy to be able to work like a teammate with Steph. This brings me to the point of the people River has on the squad. VR/AR evangelist and all around good person Dulce Baerga was brought on to be the CEO of River Studios. That is that a major free agent acquisition for River Ecosystems that brings a lot of passion to the court. Dulce is a #WomenInVR #WomenInTech #PERSONINVR #PERSONINTECH to look out for as she helps grow the ecosystem. Check her talking about the future of River Studios including a new version of Quarteback Snap. QB Snap was one of the first if not the first football game for the HTC Vive.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/482210/Quarterback_SNAP/

Just like the Golden State Warriors, the River Ecosystem team has a solid lineup including Nick Canifax, Skye Jordan, and many more. Skye was on site and Dulce made sure to point out the value Skye is brining to the table with the events element of the River Eco equation. 

Check out just some of the interesting events and programs River Ecosystem have done in the last few months. 

All in all there has been a lot of negative press thrown at Rothenberg and by proxy the River team. I however am not getting paid to write negative press, in fact I am not getting paid for positive press either. I am however willing to give a team who is trying to grow VR/AR and actually understand what ecosystem means a chance. River may not be dead in the water. What that means exactly is for another day, thats why this is called A River Resurrection Part One. The Future Iz Meow!

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/ 

https://riverecosystem.com

The hey I got food poisoning and could not make it to Augmented World Expo today. Here is a list of the fun things going on.

AWE (Augmented World Expo), the largest and longest running conference and expo dedicated to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), officially opened its exhibition doors today to kick off the biggest event in the event’s 8-year history. With a record-breaking 212 exhibitors, 350 speakers, 300 journalists, 5,000 attendees and a mind-blowing 100,000-square-feet expo, AWE 2017 this year is showcasing the most cutting-edge AR and VR exhibits and demonstrations ever gathered in a single location.
 
Announcements today include innovations in entertainment, gaming and cinema, smart wearables, sensing toys, robotics and consumer electronics, cloud, enterprise and business technologies, human-computer interaction solutions, automotive, and high-performance APIs.
 
In addition, AWE is announcing AWEx, its strategy to partner with passionate experts and influencers around the world to further the growing worldwide demand for AR- and VR-centric events. The expansion takes AWE from the U.S., Europe and China to explore local candidates including Mexico City, Lisbon, Adelaide, Rome, Dubai and Tel Aviv.
 
“The growth of the industry is accelerating, and we are facing demand to bring AWE to multiple cities around the world,” explained AWE founder, Ori Inbar. “That’s why we are proud to announce AWEx. This program will support independent organizers who are passionate about our mission to address humanity’s growing pains, such as overpopulation, globalization challenges and inequality.  AR + VR can help drive economic growth, democratize access to knowledge and health, and increase empathy with sustainability.”
Highlights of today’s remarkable announcements include:
 
CieAR is unveiling its new AR film platform which enables a unique and immersive film
experience in real space and time with life-sized 3D virtual characters. www.ciear.ca.
 
Massless is unveiling the Massless Pen, a  high  accuracy,  responsive  and  intuitive  interface  device  that  enables designers  and  engineers  to  build,  edit,  manipulate,  review  and  collaborate  on  3D  models. www.massless.io
 
Deep Optics is unveiling and showing interactive demos of its tunable lens technology for the AR and VR markets. www.deepoptics.com.
 
Digibit is showcasing the world’s first wearable gaming system that transforms your body into a mobile gaming controller. https://mydigibit.com/kickstarter/
 
Epson is introducing two new Moverio® products – the Epson Moverio BT-350 augmented reality (AR) smart glasses optimized for multi-user “fleet” environments, and the Epson Moverio Pro BT-2200 smart headset for industrial applications. https://epson.com
 
Livemap is unveiling the 3rd pre-serial prototype of its motorcycle smart helmet with HUD based on AR technology. Ride a bike like a fighter pilot! https://livemap.info/
 
Arloopa is showcasing its ““Take a Photo with the Leopard” environmental information campaign to  raise  public  awareness  on biodiversity  conservation and threatened species. http://arloopa.com/
 
AnotherWorld VR is previewing KOBOLD, a new kind of creative fiction that blurs the line between cinema and VR gaming. http://anotherworldvr.com
 
Augmania is announcing the launch of its latest release, an out of the box DIY augmented reality authoring tool and its innovative web AR viewer. www.augmania.com.
 
Arvizio is demonstrating its Mixed Reality Studio Suite, a mixed reality platform that extends HoloLens capabilities as a full-fledged collaboration and conferencing tool. https://www.arvizio.io
 
Catchoom, global innovator in AR and image recognition software solutions is debuting the full suite of its new Visual Shopping solutions. catchoom.com/.
 
EcoCarrier is launching PizzAR, a cost efficient way to promote wares and services through AR on the top surface of a Pizza Box. www.ara2z.com
 
Fraunhofer IGD is presenting VisionLib, an AR one-size-fits-all library tracking system designed specifically for enterprise. https://www.igd.fraunhofer.de/en
 
HDBT is showcasing HDBaseT, a one-cable solution for Virtual Reality, supporting high-def audio, video, USB, controls, Ethernet and power over a single cable. www.hdbaset.org/
 
ICAROS is demonstrating its Active AR product, a fitness device and a game controller that allows users to control their flight path with nothing but their movements. http://www.icaros.net
 
IdentiToy is demonstrating its “machine interface over a display surface” technology, a touch-less, optical triangulation interface completely independent of human touch. http://www.identitoy.com
 
InsiderNavigation is revealing its indoor augmented reality navigation 1.0 tool to enable recording, localization and navigation within buildings. http://insidernavigation.com
 
Joinpad is demoing its remote video streaming and collaboration tool that lets on-field technicians share data and receive support from a remote expert. www.joinpad.net.
 
Kodak is showing off its PIXPR0 Orbit360 4K VR Camera - a minimalist approach to an all-in-one 360° VR camera utilizing two fixed focus lenses in a futuristic body. www.kodakpixpro.com.
 
Kopin is unveiling a reference design with Goertek for a new lightweight, super high-res, OLED-powered head-mounted display. www.kopin.com
 
LC-Tec Displays AB and SKUGGA Technology AB are demonstrating prototypes of the next generation automatically dimmable sunglasses. www.lc-tec.se
 
ManoMotion is releasing a SDK that provides developers and content creators with the tools and know-how to incorporate hand gestures into VR, AR, MR and IoT products and applications. http://manomotion.com/
 
Meta is unveiling the Meta Workspace, its spatial AR operating environment designed for creativity and collaboration . https://www.metavision.com
 
Wikitude, with Lenovo New Vision, is announcing a collaboration to develop an Augmented human (AH) Cloud. https://www.wikitude.com
 
Moback is demonstrating Perplexigon, a new multiplayer VR physics building game recently released on Steam’s Early Access program and now available for purchase. http://perplexigon.com
 
Optinvent is debuting its new Ora-X smart headphones, blending audio and display for an unprecedented wearable entertainment experience. http://www.optinvent.com
 
Quantum Interface is introducing its groundbreaking, truly hands-free User Interface (UI) controls for headworn displays for industrial and enterprise applications. http://quantuminterface.com
 
Re’Flekt is unveiling the first platform to support simultaneous direct publication and model-based tracking for the Microsoft Hololens. https://www.re-flekt.com
 
Resonai will demonstrate Resonai Search, a visual search engine for VR/AR content. http://www.resonai.com
 
Scope AR is introducing significant updates to its live support video calling platform, Remote AR, making it the first remote assistance software to enable markerless tracking. http://www.scopear.com .
 
Soap Collective is debuting Atlas: Prologue, an interactive sci-fi adventure short highlighting episodic content and debuting on Oculus Rift + Touch. http://www.thesoapcollective.com
 
Stereolabs is announcing ZED Mini, a pass-through stereo camera accessory that gives VR developers a head-start on making mixed reality content. https://www.stereolabs.com
 
The Future Group is demonstrating its next-generation platform for creating immersive IMR, AR and VR content for TV production, mobile gaming and commercial solutions. https://www.futureuniverse.com
 
Tractica has released a new white paper assessing key use cases for augmented reality in smartphones and tablets, as well as new capabilities for smart glasses. https://www.tractica.com
 
twnkls is showcasing new mobile AR applications and solutions. http://twnkls.com
 
uSens is showing off its new, industry-first single-camera/dual-lens combined inside-out 6DOF (degrees of freedom) head-tracking and 26DOF hand-tracking technology. https://www.usens.com  
 
VividWorks is demonstrating its VividPlatform4, a Cloud-based 3D visual sales solution delivering photorealistic and user-friendly visualizations on-device and in-store. http://vividworks.com
 
Wrnch is demonstrating BodySLAM, a human pose estimation engine, enabling anyone with a smartphone to capture human motion. https://wrnch.com
 
Zappar is showcasing Zapbox, which does for mixed reality what Google Cardboard did for Virtual Reality. www.zappar.com
 
Zenko Games is unveiling its first gaming title, Diamonst Augmented Reality RPG, based on geolocalized narrative arcs, strategic gameplay and virtual pet features. http://zenkogames.com  
 
To see AWE 2017’s full agenda of more than 300 speakers, visit http://www.augmentedworldexpo.com/agenda.
 
More about Augmented World Expo
AWE (Augmented World Expo) is the largest AR+VR conference and expo showcasing technologies which are augmenting our human capabilities, turning ordinary experiences into the extraordinary and empowering people to be better at anything they do in work and life: Superpowers to the People. AWE USA 2017 will feature more than 300 speakers and 250 exhibitors leading the charge in augmented and virtual reality. 

Deep Optics will showcase the latest lens technology for visual focus control at AWE 2017

Deep Optics, the inventor and pioneer of proprietary and patent-pending liquid crystal (LC) electronic lens technology, will be unveiling its tunable lens technology for the AR and VR markets at AWE 2017 (booth #437).  The technology will be in action for the first time, with the company offering interactive demos of its customized lenses with leading HMD (head-mounted display) systems.

Deep Optics’ tunable lens transforms any AR/VR optics into an auto-focusing system by enabling the realization of a real dynamic focal plane. This unique technology creates a more vivid, comfortable and immersive 3D experience and alleviates negative side effects usually associated with augmented or virtual reality, such as blurred vision, headaches, or queasiness. Such discomfort is caused in current VR/AR devices, because virtual objects (e.g. holograms) are displayed at different virtual distances from the viewer and the device’s projecting system uses static optics that are unable to synchronize the optical signal with the varying distances.

Deep Optics’ adaptive lens is based on Liquid Crystal, a birefringent material that has a different refractive index for different light polarizations. Liquid Crystal molecules change their orientation under electric voltage. By applying different voltage profiles to a liquid crystal layer, it is possible to control the effective refractive index of different areas of this layer. In order to achieve high precision control over the liquid crystal layer,

Deep Optics has developed a unique Liquid Crystal panel, similar to an LCD, with a very high resolution, transparent electrode grid. This dense electrode grid enables the application of high precision voltage profiles over the liquid crystal layer, without sacrificing transparency, or other optical properties. The result is a single panel that can implement many lens prescriptions, dynamically – positive and negative prescriptions, at a large diopter range and unlimited accuracy (not limited to 0.25D steps). The center of the lens can also be controlled in real-time; it can be positioned anywhere in the panel, and moved across the panel dynamically.

Yariv Haddad, Co-founder and CEO of Deep Optics, said, “We’re excited to demonstrate our AR/VR auto-focus solution at the show. Our tunable lenses dynamically change their focal power and position, allowing us to effectively cover a large field-of-view, a critical requirement from AR/VR HMDs. Visitors will be able to try out the superior augmented reality experience for themselves in different headsets.”

Haddad continued, “Our aim is to continue our partnerships with tier-1 players in the AR/VR market and introduce products powered by our lenses in 2018.”

Yariv Haddad, Deep Optics’s Co-founder and CEO, will be speaking at the AWE Conference on Friday Jun 2 - Room 209/210, 10:30am - 11:00am, on “Foveal Adaptive Optics - Large Aperture Liquid Crystal Lenses”.

http://www.augmentedworldexpo.com/

The fastest-selling game for Oculus Touch, SUPERHOT VR, Comes to HTC VIVE

Winner of the D.I.C.E. award for Immersive Reality Game of the Year and the fastest-selling game for Oculus Touch, SUPERHOT VR is available today for VIVE.

SUPERHOT VR for VIVE comes complete with the recent FOREVER update, expanding the experience even further with new modes, challenges, and endgame content. Early-adopters save 20% with a launch week discount, with the option of bundling the original SUPERHOT for even more savings.No regenerating health bars. No conveniently placed ammo drops. It's just you, outnumbered and outgunned, grabbing the weapons of fallen enemies to shoot, slice, and maneuver through a hurricane of slow-motion bullets.

SUPERHOT VR is a title reimagined and redesigned from the ground up for VR and hand-tracking controllers. Since releasing last December, SUPERHOT VR has been named VR Game of the Year by the New York Game Awards, Unity Vision Summit, and nominated for additional awards at GDCA, Digital Dragons, and many more.

SUPERHOT VR is available now for VIVE on Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/617830

Daedalus, a VR game inspired by Escher and Dali is now available on Gear VR.

The Spanish indie studio Vertical Robot has just launched their first VR title: Daedalus, a part platformer, part exploration game set in a spectacular oneiric and surreal world developed for Samsung Gear VR.

Daedalus, architect and creator of fantastic mechanical artifacts, was imprisoned by the king Minos to prevent him from sharing his knowledge of Creta’s Labyrinth with others. Every night, in his dreams, Daedalus explores the intricate labyrinths aboard his own winged creations, trying to relive every step, each leap, each flight to freedom, in an attempt to escape his own tragedy.

In Daedalus, the player will have to discover the labyrinth's exit by finding the platforms that unlock the next level, while exploring mysterious, dream-like environments. As the levels progress, both architecture and difficulty grow increasingly complex. The player will boost, glide, ride wind shafts, use trampolines and activate mechanisms.

Thanks to the impressive graphics, the well thought out environments and carefully designed mechanics, the player will enjoy complete immersion in the game, he will truly feel as if he were inside this dream-like labyrinth that he has to escape.

The Development process

Daedalus began as a prototype VR locomotion system for one of the games the studio is currently developing. The challenge was to create a sort of jetpack locomotion system that would permit freedom of movement and was comfortable using just the Gear VR’s Touchpad. To achieve this, we developed a system that gives the player a helping hand when navigating the environments that proved to be a success.

Later on, when the Samsung Gear VR Controller was announced, they saw it as a perfect match. They were able to decouple the direction of your movement from that of the headset allowing for even more precise control and freedom.

The art side has let itself be influenced by brutalism, surrealism and the likes of Escher and Dali. They feature realistic lighting and a strong emphasis on color.

Additionally, one of the features that makes Daedalus stand out as an authentic virtual reality experience is the fact that the team has managed to include a great deal of high-end graphical features. Notably HDR Lightmaps, Filmic Tonemapper, GPU Particles, specular roughness and even Pre-calculated fluid simulations. Samsung S8 phones even feature Parallax Corrected Cubemaps and Normal Maps,

Since the game relies on creating a dream-like atmosphere, music played a very important role in the development. The team was lucky enough to enlist the help of award-winning composer & sound designer Eduardo de la Iglesia to create the sound FX and compose its unique soundtrack.

http://verticalrobot.com/daedalus/

Interestingly named VR swamp shooter Dick Wilde launches on PSVR with Aim Support

“Exterminator Extraordinaire” Dick Wilde blasts onto PSVR today after his initial launch on Oculus and Vive last month. The madcap shooter will be compatible with both the PlayStation Aim and Move controllers.

New London-based publisher, PlayStack, is pleased to announce the PSVR launch of their first VR game, Dick Wilde, after it’s launch on Oculus and vive on April 30th. 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: “We’re thrilled to introduce PlayStation gamers to Dick Wilde. It’s really exciting for us to have worked on one of the first titles to be Aim controller compatible and we think it really compliments the Dick Wilde gameplay.”

“The response to Dick Wilde so far has been great, we wanted our first VR game to capture everyone’s attention and Dick Wilde really delivered.” said Harvey Elliott, Founder and CEO of PlayStack. “Bolverk are a really innovative studio and we’re really pleased to be partnered with them. Their games have captured the funnest elements of VR in a genre that can often be overly serious.”

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/

VR Chair Games' For Oculus Rift & HTC-Vive Offers Seven Mesmerizing VR Experiences From The Comfort Of Your Chair!

Award-winning game developer and publisher EnsenaSoft has announced the worldwide release of VR Chair Games for HTC-Vive and Oculus Rift, a fantastic collection of seven challenging VR games suitable to VR enthusiasts of all experience levels. Each game within collection has a duration of four minutes with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest possible score for each gameplay session.

FEATURED GAMES

• Zombie Apocalypse: You are the last survivor of a zombie apocalypse and your task is to slay as many zombies as you can using your axe-wielding skills. Chop off their heads and destroy the zombies before they destroy you!
• Alien Attack: Prepare to battle aliens in a fight for humanity. Tripod aliens are wreaking havoc on the world and only a true hero can save the world from eternal devastation. Prepare your lasers!
• Colony Outpost: Evil bugs have infiltrated a colony outpost and it is your objective to destroy them. Are you up for the challenge?
• Leprechaun's Gold: Enjoy a night in the spooky Irish woods. Catch the Leprechaun in your gaze to snatch his Gold. Will you get away with it?
• Blacksmith's Forge: Your kingdom is in a desperate need of swords. You must enter the blacksmith and use the anvil to create weaponry before cooling your swords in the wooden barrel.
• Championship Tennis: Show off your skills as a Tennis pro! Serve the ball and gain points for solid returns.
• Soaring Eagle: Soar like an eagle as you make your way through checkpoints looking for missing feathers.

 Download VR Chair Games today:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/605110/VR_Chair_Games/

Ubisoft launches Hungry Shark ® VR for Google Daydream.

Today, Ubisoft ® announced that Hungry Shark ® VR, the seventh installment in the successful mobile franchise developed by Future Games of London, is available on Google Daydream.

With five different shark species boasting unique characteristics, Hungry Shark VR takes players to the Mediterranean setting made famous by the Hungry Shark series. Players will complete three missions in total: Eat, Checkpoint Race and Rescue. In Eat, players must eat a number of specific edibles within a given time, Checkpoint Race challenges players to swim to checkpoints before the timer runs out, and in Rescue, players must find three keys and rescue jailed sharks.

Hungry Shark VR offers two new exciting game modes, allowing players to test their abilities and explore the vast landscape. Sandbox mode allows players to freely explore the colourful ocean world with no health drain or danger. Players can focus on swimming around the ocean and experiencing the beautiful underwater world. In the Play mode, players will face dangerous marine creatures while attempting to save four other sharks.

“Future Games of London is incredibly excited to announce that we’re working with Daydream to bring the Hungry Shark experience to VR,” said Ian Harper, Managing Director, Future Games of London, a Ubisoft Studio. “The Daydream platform enables us to create high quality VR visuals and bring innovative motion based controls to Hungry Shark fans.”

Built using the Unity 3D mobile game engine, Hungry Shark VR boasts striking 3D models, lighting and beautifully rich environments. Each in-game model has been meticulously designed and animated for accurate design and movement. Offering players a unique opportunity on Daydream with its new virtual reality gameplay, Hungry Shark VR gives players a fun, intuitive and more immersive experience than ever before. With the addition of the Daydream View controller, players can control functions such as navigating, boosting speed, performing flips and chomping fish. This advanced platform allows players to interact with the virtual world in the same way that they would in the real world.

Ubisoft continues its commitment to players by bringing highly innovative mobile games to VR. Built for high quality mobile VR, Daydream ensures easy and intuitive controls. Daydream-ready phones are equipped with high-resolution graphics and high-fidelity sensors for precise head-movement tracking.

Hungry Shark World ® and Hungry Shark Evolution ® is also available on iOS and Android.

For more information about the game, please visit https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubisoft.vrhungryshark

Owlchemy Labs the award winning creators of Job SImulator, Jack Lumber, and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality get acquired by Google.

Google has made an interesting play to solidify it's VR lineup for the future. Welcome Owlchemy Labs to Google. They've created award-winning games like Job Simulator and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. They have won multiple awards for their gameplay and interaction in Job Simulator, and became one of the most popular VR titles across the many platforms. They’ve helped set a high bar for what engagement can be like in virtual worlds, and do it all with a great sense of humor! 

With several great moves Owlchemy did great job establishing themelves as a hit VR developer and right around their recent 6 year anniversary had turned that into a  $5 million series A investment from Qualcomm Ventures, HTC, The VR Fund, Colopl Next, Capital Factory, and several Austin area investors. Now the team takes a huge leap by possibly becoming Google's go to VR dev team for some interesting IP. They already showed they can handle it with the excellent Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality.

They team also pioneered a new way to show VR footage with a Spectator Mode for their games and built out a new depth-based mixed reality technique. From a small team in a bedroom in Boston to a 16 person industry respected game development company Owlchemy Labs has a bright future. Take a look at one of their early Pre VR games. 

Cats And VR

New Gear VR hidden object game based on Lionsgate's Now You See Me franchise out today.

Now You See Me: Back to Macau is the first major hidden object game in VR and features 6 challenging, adventurous missions. The game is based on the global blockbuster Now You See Me film franchise from Lionsgate. The player assumes the role of Special Agent Price, assigned to find the whereabouts of the “Four Horsemen” band of magicians depicted in the film, who have disappeared yet again after another narrow escape. Players will dynamically integrate themselves into the world of Now You See Me. Each mission has 50-100 possible items to uncover, with new puzzles and 20-30 items that reveal themselves each time you play. The game is available now on Gear VR. It is free for the first two missions and $4.99 to unlock the full game.

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1213715582017059/

The game was developed by Side-Kick VR.  Side-Kick VR specializes in bringing worldwide entertainment IP from top Hollywood studios into mobile virtual reality with unique, high quality experiences, and is the first to bring major hidden object games to VR, starting with Now You See Me: Back to Macau. We had a chance to chat with Side-Kick VR's CEO Guy Bendov who has more than 14 years’ experience as the founder, president and CEO of hi-tech companies in the interactive entertainment technologies market. 

http://sidekickvr.com/

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

Will Tekken 7 Playstation VR mode be fun? Here are Tekken 7 producer Katsuhiro Harada's thoughts.

At an event last week, Tekken 7 producer Katsuhiro Harada spoke a little about Tekken 7's exclusive PlayStation VR (PSVR) content adding he does not think it will be fun in the traditional sense for Tekken players but will still have some value.

"If you could imagine that you have some kind of a martial artist or pro boxer or something come and do shadowboxing right in front of your face, you can then probably begin to see how that’s not a very entertaining or enjoyable experience. Added to that, you’d be knocked into the air for, like, an aerial juggle or whatever – it’s really jarring and not very fun."

Harada went on to detail what we can expect from Tekken 7's VR mode. 

We ended up focusing more on the character elements of it, where you can customize your character and look at it from various angles, or with a fight against a CPU opponent slow down the match, and change the camera angles so you can see the game like you’ve never seen it before. These are the kind of things that make Tekken a more enjoyable experience in VR.

Personally I am looking forward to Tekken 7 in VR as the Tekken franchise is my favorite fighting game series. I am also looking forward to customizing King into to a cuddly cats.

catsandvr.com/blog/

Star Wars HoloChess inspired Augmented Reality Game HOLOGRID: MONSTER BATTLE now has a VR version launching for Gear VR and a tournament to celebrate May the 4th.

Award-winning independent game studio HappyGiant and Tippett Studio today announced their ground-breaking augmented reality game HoloGrid: Monster Battle has made the transition to virtual reality, and is coming out on the next-generation Samsung Gear VR. In celebration of the upcoming “Star Wars Day” (May the Fourth), the game is now available for download on the Gear VR website and App, and will be available at a limited-time discounted price of $2.99 USD (regularly $4.99 USD).

In addition, HappyGiant will mark the occasion with a three-day HoloGrid virtual “tournament”, in which participating players have a chance to win prizes such as t-shirts and vintage prints signed by famed VFX artist Phil Tippett. Beginning at 12:01 AM EST, May 4, and ending Midnight EST Sunday, May 7, players who accumulate the most multiplayer match victories will be placed into a pool to receive prizes. Contestants must fill out the tournament form HERE.

Launched in December as a physical goods mobile AR game, HoloGrid: Monster Battle VR is one of the first Gear VR games to incorporate the use of the platform’s new GearVR Controller and add Oculus Gear VR Avatar support with VOIP so players can talk to their opponents during games. The tactical strategy game, which combines elements of board games, collectible card games, and digital games, has been reimagined for VR and set inside a deep space game arena.

Built in Unity, the title has added a new single-player AI mode and supports multiplayer matches. With gameplay similar to that of games like HearthStone or Magic: The Gathering, HoloGrid: Monster Battle isthe first augmented and virtual reality cross-platform game . VR players will be able to challenge players of the AR mobile version and vice versa.

Inspired by the Star Wars HoloChess scene, created by Phil Tippett for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope forty years ago, and then recreated for 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens,HoloGrid: Monster Battle brings the monsters of Tippett to life for the first time in a game. Captured through a process known as photogrammetry, where actual hand-crafted 3D models are filmed from all angles and then used to build digital models used in the game, the creatures literally roar to life and into the digital game.

“It’s been a dream come true to work with Phil Tippett, who inspired myself and so many others,” said HappyGiant CEO and Creative Director Michael Levine. “AR and VR tech has given us a whole new playground in which we can interact and create our own vision and worlds that previously only existed in fiction. We can’t wait to see what people think of HoloGrid in VR!”

HoloGrid: Monster Battle VR is available today on the Gear VR site and app for $2.99 USD (regular price $4.99). The mobile AR version is available for iOS and Android on both Amazon and the HappyGiantwebsite for $24.99 USD. Next gen AR and VR platforms, including but not limited to Microsoft HoloLensand Google Tango are also being explored.

For additional information, please visit www.hologridmonsterbattle.com .

Bundle Stars launches a $4.99 Virtual Reality games bundle just in time for the weekend.

Are you the proud owner of a HTC Vive or Oculus Rift ? Are you looking for enjoyable new games to play, without breaking the bank?

Immerse yourself in 10 great Steam games for your Windows PC, with the first ever virtual reality bundle from Bundle Stars ( https://www.bundlestars.com ). The Pure VR Bundle ( https://www.bundlestars.com/en/bundle/pure-vr-bundle ) is available now, with 10 VR-compatible Steam games for just $4.99. That’s a discount of more than 90% off the normal retail price of the games.

All the games are officially licensed from their respective developers, and have racked up a highly respectable combined Steam user review score of 87%.

That’s not all. Everyone who buys the Pure VR Bundle receives a Bundle Stars discount voucher, granting an extra 20% off selected VR games in store. Eligible games include the brand new Batman Arkham VR,which is already discounted, making this an absolute steal!

So what’s in the brand new bundle? Get ready to become an archer defending your tower from incoming waves of skeletons and demons, in God of Arrows VR. Or become the monster in King Kaiju, throwing cars through the air, eating pedestrians and breathing fire at helicopters. Take being evil to the next level!

Pure VR Bundle includes the following 10 Steam games. 

God Of Arrows VR, VR Ping Pong, King Kaiju, Thirst VR, Hoops VR, VRNinja, Bomb U!, Tower Island: Explore, Discover and Disassemble, Sky Jac, and Felt Tip Circus. All games are VR-only, except Felt Tip Circus.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Explore new worlds, play 3D table tennis, protect a train from marauding gun runners, throw bombs at opponents in online multiplayer mayhem, and much, much more.

Be sure to grab your Pure VR Bundle now. You only have 2 weeks before this treasure trove of VR games is gone forever: https://www.bundlestars.com/en/bundle/pure-vr-bundle

CatsAndVR.com

Starbreeze releases info on upcoming immersive Virtual Reality experiences for StarVR

Starbreeze AB today presented its next in line Virtual Reality experience shorts produced under its Publishing arm to be produced for future Location Based Initiatives (LBE) in the StarVR Virtual Reality HMD. Each experience aims to push the bar beyond what’s possible in home use setups. You can watch the presentation at the 1:03:30 mark in the above video. 

Bo Andersson-Klint, StarVR Chairman of the Board and Starbreeze CEO, as well as Brooks Brown, Starbreeze Global Director of VR, presented the following solutions and upcoming titles on stage during Next@Acer in New York:

PRESENZ is a revolutionary technology for immersive VR cinema made by Belgian company Nozon. PresenZ allows for interactive parallax in virtual reality and delivers high quality blockbuster computer graphics (CG) with true immersive feeling. Interactive parallax is a technique to enhance viewers’ perception of perspective and view depth, adding to the immersive feeling.

THE RAFT takes players on a thrilling cinematic adventure and comes from RED Interactive Agency. Lured by an ancient treasure, a brave band of explorers make their way down an ominous river. Players must work together to navigate and protect their raft, but keeping it afloat is the least of their worries. As they venture deeper into the mysterious jungle, various creatures will be attacking them and wreaking havoc to the raft.  Only resourceful, coordinated teams will reach the prize, while others will be lost forever to realities unknown. The experience aims to leverage larger than normal playing space tuned towards LBE setups.

HERO – From the award winning studio that brought us 1979 REVOLUTION: Black Friday, iNK Stories creates an electrifying first-person rescue experience that throws players into the volatile streets of the civilian warzone in Syria — where survival is secondary to saving the lives of others. An idyllic day is split open as the sound of sirens fill the sky as the F16s above you continue their bombing campaign on your home town. Suddenly a bomb hits the side of an apartment building. As a volunteer rescue worker, alongside your trusted canine companion, you are called upon your own journey. Put on the headset and ask yourself - What does it really mean to be a Hero?

APE-X - From Lucky Hammers, Fight for your survival and freedom atop a towering building. Feel the rush of hanging 500 meters above City Street as a 12-ton cyber APE named, Big Mike. Forced to disconnect from his virtual “Happy Place” to take action. Big Mike has nothing but a ledge beneath his feet and an antenna to grab onto. Witness the breath-taking view of the city below and the sounds of the metropolis coming from all angles...and how quickly it’s interrupted by the all too familiar buzz of the laboratory guard drones. Listen closely to the Doctor’s instructions in order to survive this ordeal and finally gain your freedom. With 360 degrees of mobility around the peak of the high rise, the player has to shuffle around the building ledge in order to avoid being spotted. The inevitable confrontation lets the player discover the extent of their capabilities in Big Mike’s cyber body as you blast and swat guard drones out of the sky.

PROJECT GOLEM lets users take control of a giant robot mech to fight off an alien invasion threatening the world. Desert Owl games will be creating a fresh new way to bring the fight to the alien hordes, Golem uses the extensive technology of the STARVR platform to finally give players a very physical, 1:1 way to fight. Be prepared to defend the Earth!

ELEMENTERRA is a social VR world-building puzzle game, that takes place amidst a cosmic event of the cataclysmic sort. The player will be able to take on the role as a god-like deity and assist the population of the universe to rebuild the planets.

CatsAndVR.com

As Seen At VRLA Spring Expo: Archangel for Rift, Vive, and PSVR

Archangel, the first original title by Skydance Interactive, is an action-packed, story-driven shooter that was created exclusively for virtual reality. In the game, players are dropped into the cockpit of a six-story-high war-machine, a one-of-a-kind weapon that must stop a tyrannical corporation from taking over a post-apocalyptic America. Through stunningly detailed graphics, engaging storytelling techniques, and explosive action, Archangel delivers state-of-the-art VR gameplay like no other. The title will be made available on the leading VR platforms, including Oculus, Steam, Viveport, and Playstation this summer.

This is the EXO SQUAD game I always wanted- Bobby Venom CatsAndVR.com

“Our goal is to deliver on the promise of VR by giving not only aficionados and fans but even newcomers compelling and cutting-edge content that they can experience through a headset,” said Skydance Interactive President Peter Akemann. 

About Skydance Interactive

Skydance Interactive creates and publishes original and IP-based virtual reality experiences and video games. Skydance Media launched the division following its acquisition of The Workshop Entertainment, a leading game developer and outsource studio. Its successful franchise and genre-defining work includes "Gears of War 4’s” motorcycle chase, “XCOM 2” for PS4 and Xbox One, next-gen graphics for “Fallout 4,” “The Evil Within” for PS4 and Xbox One, “Borderlands 2: Mr. Torgue’s,” and "Sorcery” for PS3, among others.

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Omnigames announces VR MMORPG Age of Heroes VR for Vive and Rift.

Have you ever faced down World of Warcraft's Lich King and wished you could be in the action yourself? Now you can with Age of Heroes VR, an all new multiplayer action RPG focused on taking on MMORPG style raids in virtual reality. Set in a fantasy world, Age Of Heroes pits players against challenging enemies in multiplayer raids. Utilizing actual body movement, players can sling fireballs, summon creatures and heal allies in an engrossing multiplayer virtual reality experience.

In development by Omnigames who are avid fans the MMORPG genre, Age of Heroes looks to capture the raid combat experience in a VR setting allowing players to experience adrenaline-pumping combat in VR alongside their friends. "With Age of Heroes, we integrated the traditional role-playing features and first person boss battles into the VR genre to create an immersive and refreshing game experience. We look forward to receiving player feedback in the upcoming closed beta and then sharing the game with the world upon full launch.” Said YongMing Wang, the senior producer at Omnigames.

Closed beta dates will be announced soon with registration sign-ups beginning shortly.

Introducing Actual Body Movement...

 Age Of Heroes VR is set to include life-like body movement for combat to help the combat experience feel more natural, reduce motion sickness and increase immersion into the game world. "We were thinking about how to make the combat more immersive and thrilling in VR. One of the answers is Actual Body Movements: you are not only playing the game with VR controllers but also using your own body." Said Omnigames. "In Age of Heroes, you need actually move your body like squatting or quickly side-stepping to avoid attacks and boss abilities. If you worried about room size or other problems, you can set different game configurations to finish all these movements in a slight body reaction. It will be fun and feel real!"

CatsAndVR.com/blog

Twisted Pixel's dark and very well casted Oculus Touch game Wilson's Heart now available.

Twisted Pixel has always been a favorite for me with really vibrant fun games with great mechanincs like The Gunstringer and LocoCycle. The team now has a very dark VR game out exclusively for Oculus Touch. 

Wilson's Heart is an immersive first-person psychological thriller set in a 1940's hospital that has undergone a haunting transformation. In this original VR adventure, you become Robert Wilson, a patient who awakens to the shocking discovery that his heart has been replaced with a mysterious device.

As the hospital hauntings intensify, you and your fellow patients must traverse increasingly maddening corridors, overcome frightening environmental hazards and work together to defeat the sinister inhabitants in your pursuit to reveal who stole your heart… and why.

Wilson's Heart leverages an eccentric cast of characters, compelling narrative, striking visuals, and the immersive nature of Touch to bring you into an interactive adventure of mystery unlike any other game.

Add in award-worthy performances from Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Top Five), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Raiders of the Lost Ark), and Peter Weller (RoboCop, Star Trek Into Darkness)—plus even more high-caliber performances to share at launch—and Wilson’s Heart is destined to raise the psychological thriller genre to terrifying new heights.

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1225484597472435/

Zen VR Puzzler Symphony of the Machine Available Now on PlayStation VR, HTC Vive

 Symphony of the Machine , a VR puzzle game where players revitalize a post-apocalyptic world by influencing the weather with a mysterious tower, is now available for PlayStation VR and HTC Vive in North America. It will launch across Europe and Oceania on April 26 and in Asia on April 27.

Set in a desolate landscape ravaged by an unknown catastrophe, Symphony of the Machine is centered around the scattered remnants of a lost civilization and an enigmatic tower. There, at the spire’s summit, awaits a series of tranquil puzzles that players can solve utilizing intuitive motion controls by bending, splitting or filtering light emanating from the arcane device.

This light can be redirected to symbols in the surrounding area which allow the player to summon the elements. Only with the correct mixture of precipitation, sunlight, wind and other effects can fauna atop the tower and the planet as a whole be restored and spring to life once more.

Symphony of the Machine provides an environment of discovery where players are unburdened by exposition and traditional cinematic storytelling. Without heavy-handed narrative dictating the experience, players can freely explore Story Mode, learning what happened to this world and how to fix it, or enter Sandbox Mode, where players are free to construct and expand upon their will, shaping and discovering new features and content long after the initial story has concluded.

“ Symphony of the Machine provides a soothing atmosphere to encourage discovery, creativity and experimentation,” said Vee Pendergrast, managing director, Stirfire Studios. “Players are free to set their own pace when uncovering the mystery behind the apocalyptic catastrophe and how to reverse the disastrous effects it’s had on the environment.”

Symphony of the Machine supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese. The game is priced at $19.99 USD and €19.99.

CatsAndVR.com