One of the best VR titles of 2017, Arizona Sunshine is getting a LBVR spin-off

Vertigo Games has announced the he hit VR shooter Arizona Sunshine is coming to location-based VR (LBVR) with a spin-off version currently in development for VR arcades exclusively.

Arizona Sunshine for LBVR is playable this week at the HTC VIVE Expo at the Wynn’s Alsace Ballroom at CES 2018. Bringing together up to 4 VIVE users in the same physical play space, Arizona Sunshine for LBVR uses the power of real-world movement to bring unrivaled immersion to the virtual zombie apocalypse.

“Arizona Sunshine has consistently topped the list of most played games at VR arcades,” says Richard Stitselaar, Managing Director at Vertigo Games. “We strongly believe Arizona Sunshine will again be a must-play in this new, exciting LBVR space. Who doesn’t want to brave the zombie apocalypse alongside their friends in an even more immersive experience than home VR offers?”

“Vertigo’s forward-looking approach to the arcade business and implementing technology such as the Vive Tracker, have pushed the expectations for VR title forward,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM US, Vive. “We’re excited for this unveil to showcase all that’s possible on Vive.”

Recently unveiled as a Best of Virtual Reality 2017 title on Steam, Arizona Sunshine puts you in the midst of a zombie apocalypse – solo or with up to four survivors. Handle weapons with real-life movements, freely explore a post-apocalyptic world and put your survival skills to the test in VR. Putting the undead back to rest is more thrilling than ever before.

CES Innovation Award Honoree ‘Black Box VR’ Gym & Virtual eSport Unveils January 9th

Black Box VR, a pioneer in virtual reality fitness, has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its innovative resistance-based virtual reality fitness experience. The Black Box VR studio has developed the world’s first fully automated cable resistance machine that integrates virtual reality hardware and original virtual eSport software powered by HTC Vive.

The team confirmed today that the world will get its first chance to test out the upcoming gym system beginning January 9th-12th in Las Vegas during CES on the show floor at the Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #44722. Black Box VR users get an intense, time-dilated, custom workout while immersed in challenging, gamified and competitive virtual reality fitness experiences that redefine eSports into physically active vSports.

“In Black Box you will utilize strength, agility, balance and speed in a larger than life virtual world where we are able to harness the nature that is brought out in video games - dedication, determination, and longevity - and turn it into real, physical workouts that challenge both mind and body," said Preston Lewis, CCO and Co-Founder

Founded by fitness fanatics Ryan DeLuca and Preston Lewis, the Black Box VR team spent years building Bodybuilding.com into the largest online supplement retailer in the world with nearly $500m in annual sales. With the collaboration of many talented individuals, they created some of the world’s most recognized supplement brands, chart-topping fitness mobile applications, were honored for their award-winning health and fitness campaigns, and created the world’s largest online fitness social network with over 3m members while always holding true to the mission of changing people’s lives.

In 2016 Preston and Ryan decided to start their new venture, Black Box VR, with a mission to disrupt the fitness industry once again by creating innovative products and experiences that create lasting change in people’s lives. After trying virtual reality for the first time, Ryan and Preston knew they were experiencing a magically immersive technology that, if paired with resistance training, gaming principles and high intensity cardio, will be the winning combination for people trying to reach their health & fitness goals. Black Box VR is redefining fitness as we know it.

“For nearly two years, our team of veterans from both the fitness industry and the gaming industry have collaborated to harness the groundbreaking power of virtual reality to change the landscape of results-driven exercise and competitive eEports as we know it,” said Ryan DeLuca, CEO and Co-Founder. “We couldn’t be more excited to unveil our product in Las Vegas, and proud to have been honored with a CES Innovation Award.”

The prestigious CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, the owner and producer of CES 2018, the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

HTC VIVE enters CES2018 with new VIVE PRO Upgrade, Wireless VIVE Adaptor, and major upgrade to Viveport

Heading into CES2018 HTC VIVE announced the introduction of Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor.

In addition, the company debuted new improvements to Viveport VR and Vive Video. These improvements promise on VR   users higher resolution, improved audio, greater comfort, wireless freedom and immersive content discovery.

Vive Pro is a new HMD upgrade from Vive, built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users who want the best display and audio for their VR experiences. Vive Pro includes dual-OLED displays for a crisp picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD.

“There’s a clear need in the VR market for a premium VR experience with high resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S., VIVE. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for both VR enthusiasts and enterprises that want to utilize the best VR experience.”

More details on Vive Pro availability and price will be made available soon.

Vive Wireless Adaptor

Also unveiled today, the Vive Wireless Adaptor will be the first to market with a truly wireless VR headset integration for both Vive and Vive Pro.

The Vive Wireless Adaptor features Intel’s WiGig technology and offers a premium VR wireless experience that operates in the interference-free 60Ghz band, which means lower latency and better performance. The Vive Wireless Adaptor will ship in Q3 to customers worldwide. 

“Wireless VR has been on nearly every VR user’s wishlist since the technology was unveiled,” said Frank Soqui, General Manager Virtual Reality Group at Intel Corporation. “By collaborating with HTC to commercialize Intel’s WiGig technology, we will guarantee that wireless VR meets the most discerning quality bar for home users and business VR customers.”

“Viveport is moving to a VR first experience model, and with the all-new Viveport VR, we are changing the way consumers discover, experience and acquire VR content,” said Rikard Steiber, president, Viveport.  “Until now, there has not been a shopping and browsing experience that takes advantage of the full functionality of VR. Available in early access today, Viveport VR increases interaction with content and offers developers a preview that showcases the quality of their titles and experiences.”

Earlier this year, Viveport launched the world’s first VR subscription service to provide a whole new way to access the best VR experiences for a great price. With more than 1,000 titles available on Viveport today, and more than 325 available for subscription, Vive is changing the way users browse and discover content through Viveport VR.

Via Vive Blog

Tactical Haptics is debuting its VR haptic controllers at CES 2018

Tactical Haptics is debuting it's newly developed reconfigurable haptic controllers and new game content at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This new design adds the ability to reconfigure and mate the haptic controllers together on-the-fly to transform the user’s virtual reality (VR) interaction to match their hand/controller configuration (see controller images). The reconfigurable controller design builds on the repackaged controller design available with the VR experience, Justice League: An IMAX VR® Exclusive at the Los Angeles IMAX VR Centre since November 2017.

The reconfigurable controllers are designed to allow them to be used independently or to mate together in common interaction configurations, such as a steering wheel, game-pad, or machine-gun pose. Mechanical sockets on the controllers provide mate-points on each of the controllers to form semi-rigid couplings between the controllers that allow users to effortlessly maintain the mated poses. This allows users to transform interaction modes by acting out their intended action as opposed to clicking a button, so that they remain immersed in the VR experience.  That is, VR experiences transform to match the user’s controller configuration (mated or otherwise), so that when they mate the controllers to pantomime forming a steering wheel to drive a vehicle, the on-screen interaction and associated haptic feedback is programmed to reflect this transformation and feeling of turning a steering wheel. Significant effort was also put into the placement of the mating sockets to facilitate ergonomic hand poses when mated as well as facilitate mating/de-mating while in VR (i.e., when you cannot directly see the controllers).

As with their prior haptic controllers, the company’s unique brand of touch feedback is created by applying friction and shear forces through actuated plates on the surface of controller handle, which creates tactile illusions of inertia, elasticity, impact, etc, when these shear forces are applied in response to the user’s actions.

The company has also developed a new game experience called “Colony Defense” to highlight the capabilities of its new reconfigurable controllers. This game has the player defend a space colony against incoming waves of space insects. The game features both building and combat interaction as part of the game, similar in spirit to strategy games like Starcraft, but in contrast Colony Defense is first-person and hands-on.  For example, the CES game play begins only after the player mates their controllers to form a physics gun and assembles a gun turret.  And as expected with our haptic controllers, the player can feel the heft of each piece of the turret as well as the snap as the turret pieces are assembled into place (see image).  Once assembled, the player can reposition the turret with the physics gun using their right hand and/or use their left hand controls to fly through space with their jet pack.  Separating the player’s hands maintains the jet-pack controls in the player’s left hand, but the right hand now holds a blaster (see image). A heavy blaster can be formed by mating the controllers in the fore-aft configuration (see image). The CES Colony Defense demo is a “work in progress,” but nicely demonstrates the potential of the reconfigurable controllers.

In addition to Colony Defense and the company’s prior “Cyber Golf” mini-game shown at the 2017 Game Developers Conference, the company will also show a new “brick breaker” style VR game it calls “Cyber Smash” that allows the user to clear levels of blocks, while feeling the inertia of throwing smash-balls and the settling of the ball after it rebounds and is caught by the player (see image). The company will also be working on multiplayer versions of these games, as part of its near term refocusing on location-based entertainment (LBE).  The company is seeking partner opportunities with high-profile LBEs as well as manufacturing partners while at CES.

The controllers currently use 3rd party tracking while in the dev kit stage and has tracker mounts for both Oculus Touch and Vive Tracker currently (Oculus Touch mounting shown in the accompanying images, whereas IMAX VR is using the Vive Tracker version).

For more information on the company’s touch feedback, please visit:  http://tacticalhaptics.com/media/#NBCLearn

Link to press release: http://tacticalhaptics.com/ces-2018-reconfigurable-haptic-controllers/

Sumo Digital acquires CCP Games’ Newcastle studio, responsible for EVE Valkyrie

 Sumo Digital, part of the Sumo Group plc (AIM: SUMO) a leading independent game developer, today announced that it has taken on CCP Games’ Newcastle studio, responsible for EVE Valkyrie  

34 staff have transferred to Sumo Digital, with Owen O’Brien as Studio Director, and remain in Newcastle. As the fourth studio for the developer – the third in the UK alongside Sheffield and Nottingham – this addition further extends Sumo’s capacity and breadth of experience.

Sumo Digital has done work on Hitman, Forza Motorsport 7, and LittleBigPlanet 3.

Paul Porter, Managing Director of Sumo Digital said, “As we continue to expand this was a great opportunity to bring an experienced, talented and tight-knit team on board."

”Sumo Digital is a great home for the team in Newcastle,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “As we say goodbye to our former colleagues we know that they will do great things there, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Pop Culture Icon Hello Kitty comes to mobile game Super Phantom Cat 2

Veewo Games, the developer of the hit franchise Super Phantom Cat, is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Hello Kitty as a playable character in Super Phantom Cat 2.

Hello Kitty was born in the suburbs of London and lives with her parents and her twin sister Mimmy, who is also her best friend. Her hobbies include baking cookies and making new friends – or as Hello Kitty likes to say, "You can never have too many friends!" Being the helpful girl that she is, Hello Kitty will join Ari in the Phantom World as they take on an evil gang of robots in search of Ari’s missing sister, Ina :)

Super Phantom Cat 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed platformer released in 2016. Both Super Phantom Cat and Super Phantom Cat 2 have been downloaded by more than 16 million mobile fans on iOS and Android. Super Phantom Cat 2 innovates on the classic gameplay of the original game with five special abilities known as “Penta Phantom Powers” – which have replaced sprites. The game also features a whole new look with dozens of playable characters, huge enemy variety, and much-requested customization options including potions and base-building.

“We are thrilled to have Hello Kitty in Super Phantom Cat 2. Her charm and happy-go-lucky attitude will have a transformative effect on the Phantom World,” says Jason Yeung, CEO of Veewo Games. “We have worked hard in the past few months to ensure that Hello Kitty fans have the time of their lives playing as their favorite character in Super Phantom Cat 2.”

The first game in the Super Phantom Cat franchise has been featured on CNET’s “Best Mobile Games of 2016” and Mashable’s “5 Can’t-Miss Apps.” It also won the “Best of the App Store” and “Best of Google Play” awards in 2016. Super Phantom Cat 2 is available on both iOS and Android devices.

Key Features

• Immerse yourself in stunningly beautiful worlds with adorable characters.
• Explore 5 different chapters with 7 levels – and a whole new chapter on the way.
• Collect 15 unique playable characters.
• Unleash brand new “Penta Phantom Powers” – such as Plant, Blink, Ice, and Smash (Resize coming soon).
• Experience classic hardcore platforming gameplay on your mobile device with intuitive controls and a modern interface.

• Pricing & Availability

  Super Phantom Cat 2 is available on iOS and Android. The game is free to download and play – and it includes in-app purchases.

  App Store

  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/super-phantom-cat-2/id1153486225?mt=8

  Google Play

  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.veewo.supercat2&hl=en

Fallout 4 VR is out now for the HTC Vive and your PC with beefy specs.

Fallout 4, the legendary post-apocalyptic adventure from Bethesda Game Studios and winner of more than 200 ‘Best Of’ awards, is available now worldwide in virtual reality on the HTC VIVE. Fallout 4 VR is a true, full-length open-world game, offering an unparalleled amount of VR content for players, including the complete core game with all-new combat, crafting, and building systems fully reimagined for virtual reality.

"Fallout 4 VR is the most anticipated title for VR this holiday, and the game development team at Bethesda Game Studios is delivering on the promise with a full-length AAA open-world game that takes advantage of Vive's incredible room-scale immersion for a mind-blowing experience in the Wasteland," said Joel Breton, GM of Vive Studios. "The promise of a game with near endless content, including hundreds of locations, characters, and quests, fully playable in VR, is something that we have been focused on providing for the VR gaming community. We are now thrilled to provide this incredible game to new Vive owners and eagerly look forward to game's launch on Vive this December." 

As the sole survivor of Vault 111, players enter a world destroyed by nuclear war and must rebuild the Wasteland and determine the fate of its residents. Within the massive world, players can interact with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests, all while collecting, upgrading, and building thousands of items in the most advanced crafting system ever. In addition, an all-new graphics and lighting engine brings the Wasteland to life like never before. From the blasted forests of the Commonwealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail.

System Specs:

MINIMUM:

• OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions)

• Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better

• Memory: 8 GB RAM

• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD RX Vega 56 or better

• Storage: 30 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:

• OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions)

• Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X

• Memory: 16 GB RAM

• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64

• Storage: 30 GB available space

Accounting+ from some guys named William Pugh and Justin Roiland is coming to THE PSVR.

Accounting+ is the all-new NIGHTMARE ADVENTURE COMEDY form Crows Crows Crows and Squanch Games for PlayStation®VR.

In actuality, it is the PSVR version of the critically acclaimed game collaboration between The Stanley Parable designer William Pugh and Rick And Morty co-creator Justin Roiland but this time with even more Accounting. The game promises great classic reality experiences such as: clean up your office, take the battery out of the cooling machine, play the skeleton xylophone, and/or summon thousands upon thousands of demons.

The PSVR trailer was revealed during The Game Awards 2017 pre-show. When asked during the how about how the relationship with Roiland and Pugh got started, Pugh responded that he lied to Roiland that he was working at Epic Games.

FEATURES

• Designed by the co-creator of Rick and Morty and the designer of The Stanley Parable and Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist!
• Characters voiced by Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty), Rich Fulcher (The Mighty Boosh), Cassie Steele (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Arin Hanson (Game Grumps), and many more!
• Original soundtrack by Silkersoft!
• Hits a consistent 60 frames per second (WHILE RENDERING MULTIPLE CREATURES).
• Go into Virtual Reality inside Virtual Reality. Yes, just like Inception, but NO, time doesn't move slower in VR.
• Not for babies. If you're a baby and want to play Accounting+, you're going to have to be a very cool baby.

Having played the original and being a fan of both Rick and Morty & The Stanley Parable I am very excited for fans of THE VR. 

Here is my post on the original ACCOUNTING http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/accounting

WarDucks announces Christmas launch of RollerCoaster Legends for PSVR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive

WarDucks, the Irish based Virtual Reality studio have announced the launch of their next title, RollerCoaster Legends. The title takes you back to Greece and its mythology, including the Minotaur, Kronos, and Hades. Players will speed through various mythical scenes and encounter enchanting characters, all while riding a fast paced rollercoaster with daring drops and turns.

Nikki Lannen, CEO of WarDucks, said of the new release, “We love rollercoasters here at WarDucks but felt what is out there is lacking in certain ways. Many of the rollercoasters available are not focused on your virtual environment and are simply a badly built replica of what is available in real life. We feel as though we have built something which gives the thrill of a rollercoaster but also provides an engaging interesting experience at the same time.”

While VR rollercoasters are not uncommon on Steam, there is a lack of coasters for PSVR; On the rails horror shooter Rush of Blood, and RollerCoaster Dreams are the only two titles on the store. RollerCoaster Legends will appeal to rollercoaster fans and those wanting an unique VR experience.

Roller Coaster Legends will be available for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PSVR in late December.

WarDucks, having released 3 Top Selling Virtual Reality titles previously including a rollercoaster, are well placed to build something solid in this genre. They have all the ingredients so it should make for an interesting ride.

Cat dating sim, Purrfect Date set to hit Steam and your cat loving hearts December 15th.

Drawing inspiration from the dating sim genre (Dream Daddy, Hatoful Boyfriend) and the overall unique world of indie games (Undertale, Pony Island), Purrfect Date is a cross between a visual novel, dating sim, and dark British comedy. You, a human, will get to date cats and uncover the secrets of the mysterious Cat Island.

The trailer says this is about love and not bestiality so I am pretty sure it is going to be a fun light-hearted ode to cat friendship. 

Throughout the game’s seven chapters, you’ll adopt the roles of multiple freshly employed research assistants on an island almost entirely populated by cats. Choose your own adventure as you romance talking cats, balance your stats and carry out your research into the dark and questionable history of the Island.

Developed by Bae Team, a duo of Oliver Hindle (aka YouTube’s Oliver Age 24) and Ruby-Mae Roberts, Purrfect Date’s origins are explained in the game’s new release date trailer.

Published by Bossa Studios (I Am Bread, Surgeon Simulator), Purrfect Date mixes dark British comedy influences with (decidedly furry) dating sim mechanics. Throughout the game, the player adopts the role of several freshly employed research assistants on an island almost entirely populated by cats, on a mission to uncover the location’s shady history.

Get ready for hijinks and hairballs by adding Purrfect Date to your Steam wishlist here. For more information, follow the game on YouTube, Twitter,  Facebook and Instagram.

The Exorcist: Legion VR Comes To Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on Black Friday

Fun Train and Wolf & Wood bring The Exorcist horror franchise to virtual reality with The Exorcist: Legion VR. Based on the events of The Exorcist III, players experience a stand-alone story untold in the movies across five chapters. Chapter 1: First Rites and Chapter 2: Idle Hands are expected out November 22nd, with the rest following soon after. First Rites will launch at $3.99 for the first week during Black Friday, making it a 20% discount off the normal experience, with Idle Hands available at $4.99.

A variety of demons have returned to our world just as Pazuzu (the main demon from The Exorcist franchise) promised. Follow in the shoes of a detective in Chapter 1 as they uncover strange details behind the grisly murder of a priest. Each subsequent Chapter takes the player further in the journey as they assume the role of a detective investigating the demonic entities lurking in the shadows, culminating in a satisfying ending for any fan of the franchise.

• Five stand-alone episodic chapters that come together for a truly cinematic end.
• Don’t just play the movies, live a whole new story experience in full VR!
• Step into the shoes of an exorcist to confront ancient forces of evil when everything is at stake!
• Discover an intricate story filled with mystery and peril.
• Choose between HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headsets via SteamVR or purchase directly from the Oculus Store for an experience unlike any other. 
• Switch between both free roam and teleport locomotion to have full control over your experience.
• Play using room scale, standing, or even seated.
• Utilize a menu consisting of a cellphone, an exorcism kit, among other important items found during the journey.
• Unique items found throughout the stories are collected in your evidence room to be evaluated at a later time.
• Chapters can be replayed at any time, enabling users to discover hidden story content, special achievements and easter eggs.
• Chapter 1 and 2 will be out for PCs concurrently on November 22nd on Oculus Store and SteamVR, with a later release on Viveport and Playstation Network Store.

“This franchise deserves to be done right and the only way to have a truly definitive experience for such a story is in virtual reality,” said Douglas Nabors, CEO of Fun Train. “Playing a non-VR horror game is one thing when you’re safely behind a monitor. But, when you’re living the horror up close and personal, The Exorcist: Legion VR will resonate with you for years to come.”

SteamVR:http://store.steampowered.com/app/708580/The_Exorcist_Legion_VR/

Oculus Store: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1318587074930260/

About Fun Train

Fun Train is a virtual reality publisher that focuses on interactive narrative from established cinematic franchises. The Company is currently in development on a number of crowd-pleasing premium titles.

About Wolf & Wood

Wolf & Wood is a UK-based development team known for their atmospheric, standout hit, A Chair In A Room: Greenwater. Named “Best Horror Experience of 2016” by UploadVR and winner of the 2017 Viveport Community Choice Award, Wolf & Wood are expected to have their next success in The Exorcist: Legion VR.

More information can be found at www.exorcistlegion.com

The HTC VIVE Developer Conference brings a new platform and wireless HMD to the ecosystem.

HTC held its VIVE™ Developer Conference 2017 (VDC2017), where it announced VIVE WAVE™ (www.vive.com/cn/vive-wave-en), a VR open platform and toolset that will open up the path to easy mobile VR content development and high-performance device optimization for third-party partners. 12 hardware partners announced their support for the integration of Vive Wave as well as the VIVEPORT™ VR content platform into their future products. Vive Wave is a clear step forward in bringing together the highly fragmented mobile VR market that has growth up in China the last several years. It saves tremendous efforts by allowing developers to create content for a common platform and storefront across disparate hardware vendors. Over 35 Chinese and global content developershave already built VR content optimized for Vive Wave, with 14 showing live demos at the event. Vive also unveiled the VIVE FOCUS™ (www.vive.com/cn/product/vive-focus-en), its highly anticipated premium standalone VR headset for the China market that is also based on the Vive Wave VR open platform.

Specifically designed to appeal to a mass market audience, the Vive Focus offers enhanced comfort for extended use, easy on-off capabilities, and is the first commercial standalone device to deliver inside-out 6-degree-of-freedom tracking (6DoF) which Vive calls "world-scale". Without the need to be attached to a PC or a phone, the Vive Focus provides unlimited freedom of mobility while reducing the total cost for users to own a premium VR device. This type of device will certainly appeal to a much larger group of consumers. Furthermore, its high-resolution AMOLED screen realizes the best possible VR experience, with low latency and unmatched clarity. The Vive Focus is powered by the advanced features of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 VR Platform and utilizes the Vive Wave VR open platform, including the rich library of VR content available on the Viveport.

The Vive Wave VR SDK offers an open interface that enables interoperability between numerous mobile VR headsets and accessories, with Viveport as the content platform for compatible devices. This allows VR content developers to more efficiently and attentively develop content while offering them a much broader reach of potential customers across multiple vendors. Meanwhile, hardware partners are able to focus on true device innovation versus fundamental VR optimization, with access to much needed quality VR content through the Viveport platform. 500 reservation cards to get priority for receiving the Vive Wave Dev Kits (including a Vive Focus) were given out to qualified developers on-site. Interested Vive Wave developers who didn't come to the event can directly apply online at Vive's developer portal: hub.vive.com/zh-CN/developer-portal. Vive will select developers based on the quality of submitted applications.

"We're delighted that the Vive Wave VR open platform is receiving such strong industry support from both hardware partners and developers," said Alvin Wang Graylin, China Regional President of Vive, HTC. "As the VR industry leader in China, it is our duty to help reduce market fragmentation and provide content developers with more ways to make money. Vive Wave will assure a higher consistency in the user experience on a variety of mobile VR devices across various price points, making quality VR more accessible to the mass market. What's more, with the new Vive Focus, we are excited to bring high quality 6DoF VR experiences, which were previously only available on tethered devices, in a more convenient and portable form factor."

"As the world continues to become more mobile and connected, we've been working closely with Vive though our HMD Accelerator Program and advanced VR software features to enable immersive virtual reality experiences without the needs for wires or PCs," says Hugo Swart, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. "The combination of Snapdragon's ultra-low power, high performance VR coupled with the new Vive Wave VR open platform will help content developers deliver best-in-class mobile VR experiences to users."

Vive also announced a global strategic partnership with the leading VR development platform Unity Technologies to enable the one-click publishing of VR content on to Viveport for both PC and mobile developers. Unity will integrate Viveport into Unity's content platform and provide a more intuitive way for developers to utilize the new Vive Wave VR SDK. Additionally, Unity will also integrate Vive's in-app payment and VR advertisement functions into its development system, with an initial focus on the China market, opening up even more revenue opportunities for its VR developer community.

At the VDC this year, Vive also announced the launch of the annual Viveport Developer Awards (VDA2), which invites VR/AR developers from all over the world to participate and be recognized for their creativity and innovation. More information on the categories, selection process, and prizes will be released in December.

Via HTC Press Release https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/htc-vive-announces-the-vive-wave-vr-open-platform-with-support-from-chinas-leading-vr-device-and-content-partners-300555173.html

The Rogue Initiative to make it's debut into the location based VR market with STEEL COBRAS.

Rogue Initiative's vision is to bring together Hollywood storytelling with frontier technology.   Their current projects include the VR Game Experience CROWE: THE DROWNED ARMORY and the VR Film AGENT EMERSON, the pilot of the Identity Experience series, which stars Lyndsy Fonseca(Kick-Ass) and Tony Denison (Major Crimes). Now the team makes it's debut into the location based entertainment market with STEEL COBRAS.

The Rogue Initiative partners with MediaMation to unveil STEEL COBRAS at the International Association of Amusement Parks Attractions Expo 2017 (IAAPA Expo) in Orlando, Florida. 

Pete Blumel, Co-Founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer said, "The Rogue Initiative and MediaMation are proud to announce our first co-op location-based 4D VR experience, Steel Cobras! The experience will put you in the gunner's seat of the feared Steel Cobra gunship on a high-speed trench run in high, fist-pumping style. We took the latest technology in interactive VR and blended it with a 80s nostalgia to create a fun-filled co-op experience that thrills your senses."
 
Cathy Twigg, Co-Founder and Chief Production Officer said, “I’m very excited for The Rogue Initiative to debut its first location based entertainment multi-player experience, Steel Cobras, with our wonderful partners MediaMation at IAAPA. We are looking forward to seeing it at the event.”
 
Hrish Lotlikar, Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer said, “The Rogue Initiative is proud to partner with MediaMation, a leader in the field of 4D/5D Motion EFX seats, to bring our signature premium AAA level immersive entertainment content to our fans in amusement parks, location based entertainment centers, and arcades globally.”

Women In VR spotlight: Lee and Jordan Brighton talk about Run Dorothy Run.

Lee and Jordan Brighton are the female founding duo behind Virtro Entertainment.  An Australian couple with 2 kids, they’ve travelled to 35 countries, developed a love of VR while discovering North America in their RV, and have just announced the studio’s first VR title “Run Dorothy Run” – the world’s first endless runner rhythm game through Oz. We had a chance to talk to them about Run Dorothy Run launching on PSVR on Dec 12th.

https://blog.us.playstation.com/2017/11/08/run-dorothy-run-out-dec-17-race-through-oz-in-playstation-vr/

Special thanks to Allison Berg for making it happen. 

1. What is the history and backgrounds of the team?

Jordan. It may not be “cool,” but we like to refer to ourselves as an indie game company with an enterprise attitude.  We’re proud of our systemized approach to leveraging new technologies.  We built one of the first content management systems in Australia; we were also one of the early application service providers (before it was known as SaaS), and we’re again bringing a platform or “engine” approach to how we build games.  We also ran an animation and television production business and travelled extensively before landing in Vancouver, Canada. Somehow, our technical background – combined with our love of storytelling – led us to VR.  We’re building a wonderful team; our first hire was a user experience guru; we’ve got QA from an AAA gaming company, and scriptwriters and designers… and like most companies tackling VR, we’re developing our skillsets in VR as we develop the game.

2. What drew the founders to VR and to make a game?

Lee. We’re in our forties now and we’ve done a wide variety of businesses – probably a lot less fun than VR!  I really do think there’s so much potential with VR, AR and MR for viable businesses to develop over the next 10 years.  Whether its advances in medicine, manufacturing, retail, or education, so many industries stand to benefit from these new technologies.  But the logical starting point is the gaming and entertainment world.  Hence, our focus on games at Virtro.

3. Knowing that Wizard Of Oz is in the public domain, did the team look into other public domain options? What drew the team to the Wizard Of OZ?

Jordan. We did look at other public domain options, but kept coming back to Oz.  It’s just such an interesting tale that’s got – in our opinion – a cross-generational appeal.  It taps into our imaginations, it’s incredibly visual, and it’s got such a sense of whimsy.  The attraction of running down the yellow brick road kept growing in our mind, until it seemed that an endless runner game was inevitable.  Add in wonderful music, some fantastical storytelling and images, and you’ve got a natural VR experience.  We’re planning to have all sorts of Oz downloadable content following the release date.

4. As women founders do you feel that VR has offered new opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups to find a place in tech?  And how has it?

Jordan. Although VR as a technology isn’t actually “new,” most of the major hardware players didn’t introduce VR consoles until last year, so it does feel like the industry is still pretty greenfield, with opportunities for everyone to make a mark.  VR, AR and mixed reality are domains ripe for equal representation of women and other diversity groups. We’re a female-led company, and we believe that we can build an amazing game with an amazing team that really reflects the diversity of society we live in.  I’d be lying if I said we hadn’t met some female applicants who didn’t have the same confidence level as some of their male counterparts; I’d say their skills were the same, but the confidence wasn’t, and as an employer, I want to address that.

5. How does the VR community in Vancouver compare to the many places that you traveled to in order to do your initial research? How are you as a team helping to grow it?

Lee. Vancouver has just been an awesome city to grow our company.  It’s got a unique combination of the technology know-how from Silicon Valley and the entertainment skillset of LA, but in Vancouver – which, if you haven’t been, is just a beautiful city.  We, along with our kids, came to Vancouver from Australia on the Canadian government start-up Visa program.  We are hiring a lot of young employees who are developing VR expertise on the job.

6. What resources and groups helped you to get to where the team is today?

Lee. The VR community seems to be pretty collaborative; it’s in all of our best interests to see VR technology take off, so we’re all rooting for each other.  We’re part of the global association for VR/AR, the Vancouver VR Community, and the awesome tech accelerator program SFU VentureLabs that has hooked us up with a ton of connections. Plus, the local universities and design programs are full of great co-op programs and graduates with solid design skills.

7. What issues did you face in developing Run Dorothy Run?

Jordan. VR is still relatively new, so there’s a lot to be learned – and most of it without a manual!  We worked incredibly hard to overcome the motion sickness challenges some experience with VR.  Almost no one has years of experience doing VR yet – so whether our team is students or seasoned developers, we’re all learning together, and what really matters is the belief that you can do what you haven’t seen done before.

8. Monetizing has been an issue facing early VR developers, how do you feel about this and does this worry you?

Lee. For us, like all VR developers, monetization is a real concern. But I truly believe we’re at a tipping point; with announcements from the likes of Mark Zuckerberg committing to bringing a billion people to VR, or Sony’s intent to sell 2 million more PlayStation VR’s this upcoming holiday season, the monetization is coming. We’ve got skin in the game, and we’ll be around for the long haul.

9. Zombie Donuts sounds great! My cat named Donut would love to play it. Can you tell me a little about this upcoming game?

Jordan. Unless you’re annoyed with your cat, I’m pretty sure you don’t want her playing the game!  It involves a marshmallow shooter.  Zombie Donuts will first be released as a mobile VR experience on Samsung gear; you get to use that marshmallow shooter to blow away the zombified Donuts.  It’s super fun, and, as you can tell from the title, pretty silly.  It’s a great first VR game.

10. Why should people check out Run Dorothy Run?

It’s a great experience!  Electro-swing music, dance moves, humour, and hours of great content; it's engaging entertainment; our play-testers ALL come back for more.  Plus, we’ve got a few cross-fit nuts in the office who swear they are getting a good workout when they get slip on Dorothy’s shoes!

Check out Run Dorothy Run for Playstation VR on December 12th 2017

PlayStation VR Demo Collection 2 is available for free in the US Playstation Store.

The new PlayStation VR Demo Collection 2 is currently available for free in several online Playstation store including the US. 

Here’s what you get:
• Battlezone (Rebellion)
• Dino Frontier* (Uber Entertainment)
• Eve: Valkyrie (CCP Games) 
• Fantastic Contraption* (Radial Games)
• Job Simulator* (Owlchemy Labs) 
• Moss (Polyarc)
• Raw Data* (Survios)
• Rez Infinite* (Enhance Games)
• Star Child (GameTrust)
• The Persistence (Firesprite)
• Thumper (Drool)
• Tiny Trax (FuturLab)

• StarBlood Arena (Whitemoon Dreams)

I am personally very excited to try out the super cute Moss. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/moss

Moss is a single player action-adventure puzzle game for all ages. Built for virtual reality from the ground up, Moss reimagines classic action-adventure gameplay in a first-of-its-kind fully immersive environment. When I first watched the E3 trailer for Moss I was filled with awes. 

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/playstation-vr-demo-disc-2/cid=UP9000-CUSA09142_00-PSVRDEMODISC0002

HTC VIVE launches VIVE Arts, a new multi-million dollar global VR art program

HTC VIVE today announced VIVE Arts, a new multi-million dollar global VR program set to change the way the world creates and engages with the arts. Vive recognizes VR's potential to share and engage with the world's most valuable treasures in a new and exciting way, and the company's latest investment will support the content, creators and institutions that embrace this new medium.

Vive has been supporting and investing in the arts and culture space since its launch, creating ground-breaking partnerships with London's Royal Academy of Arts, Taipei's National Palace Museum, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (French National Museum of Natural History) in Paris, Washington D.C.'s Newseum, and St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum among others. Vive Arts' next project will be in London for Tate Modern's major upcoming exhibition, Modigliani, opening on November 23rd, where Vive will bring a one-of-a-kind integrated VR experience to gallery-goers. A first for both Vive and Tate, it will bring visitors to the exhibition closer into the artist's world while also being available as an experience at home through VIVEPORT, the leading VR app store.

The Vive Arts program will help cultural institutions fund and develop VR installations that furthers education of the arts across the globe, as well as content that will be made available on Viveport. Vive will work with museums and content developers to bring their works to life in a whole new way.

"With the launch of Vive Arts, we are driving Virtual Reality's influence in art and providing access to our world's cultural heritage. We are empowering artists to create, and consumers to experience and interpret, art and culture in new ways," said Joel Breton, vice president, VIVE Studios. "We are thrilled for the next Vive Arts' project with Tate Modern, and support their mission to increase the public's enjoyment and understanding of international modern and contemporary art."

More than a dozen pieces of Vive Arts content will be available on Viveport starting today. Interested museums and content creators can visit arts.vive.com for more information.

Info via Vive Press Release

Turtle Rock Studios, the developer of Left 4 Dead just released a FREE Stranger Things edition of Face Your Fears for Gear VR

Here is a surprise Halloween treat Turtle Rock Studios, the developer of Left 4 Dead and Face Your Fears for Gear VR have just launched a Stranger Things door of Face Your Fears for free on Gear VR. 

The latest Face Your Fears door takes you to the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana, where you'll encounter a series of spine-tingling events in the everyday world and its uncanny reflection, the Upside Down.

Following the Season 2 premiere—and just in time for Halloween—you can step inside the Upside Down today on Samsung Gear VR!

Here is a description of the free experience. 

Just another day in Hawkins, Indiana. October 31st. Getting ready to hand out candy. What could happen, in such an idyllic town? Certainly there’s no chance of you getting sucked into the Upside Down, fighting off Demogorgons, and desperately trying to get back to the real world. There’s a very slim chance you’ll make it through the night! Face Your Fears will scare you, creep you out, or cause your jaw to drop in awe and amazement. Some of these experiences are terrifying, some fun and spooky, some are simply mysterious! Robots and ghosts and femme fatales can all be found within! Try looking around, looking up, looking behind you. You never know what’s lurking in the dark. Share the experience with your friends! It’s even more fun to watch them scream and jump!

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1168200286607832/?source=marketing&medium=email

CCP makers of EVE Valkyrie, Sparc, and Gunjack to move away from VR and close down several studios.

Today there was a significant restructuring to CCP games, known in the VR world for the excellent EVE Valkyrie and Gunjack games. Recently we reported on how EVE Valkyrie was transitioning away from just the VR elements and into cross platform gaming. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/evewarzone

This transition may have been a look at things to come. CCP is stepping back from VR and has closed it Atlanta office responsible for Sparc and is selling its Newcastle office responsible for Eve Valkyrie. I have been a fan of the VR work of CCP for a while and EVE VR was my first Oculus experience all the way in 2013. EVE VR would eventually become EVE Valkyrie, one of the first must have VR games. 

CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson released a statement to the Iceland Monitor today

“Despite the success of the VR games we have released we will be shifting our focus to our PC and mobile initiatives,” says Pétursson. “We will continue to support our VR games but will not be making material VR investments until we see market conditions that justify further investments beyond what we have already made.” 

No word on what will happen to CCP Shanghai, the team responsible for Gunjack, a game that has sold over 500,000 copies.

My heart goes out to the team and thank you for being VR pioneers. 

Resolution Games developers of the hit game Bait! announce a VR swashbuckling pirate adventure for Daydream

Resolution Games today revealed the details of their next project called Narrows, a game of swashbuckling pirate adventure. Coming soon on Daydream, Google's platform for high quality, mobile VR, Narrows will follow the studio's wildly successful VR fishing game Bait!.

"We've been ecstatic about how our first games have been received, but Narrows will be our biggest game yet," said Tommy Palm, co-founder and CEO of Resolution Games. "Pirate adventures have long been a part of our culture, from literature classics like Treasure Island to historical villains like Blackbeard and his contemporaries, the golden age of piracy is rife with legend and lore."

The highly successful Bait! has seen over 2 million players and the team is bringing a version of it to the Facebook Spaces social VR platform to capitalize on that success. 

Though the team will support their previous hit they are looking to utilize the $6 million dollars they raised in 2015 to grow into a trusted name in VR games. 

"While the idea of action and adventure may skew to a slightly different audience than our earlier games, we're confident that the intuitive controls and welcoming design will make Narrows an experience that the whole family can enjoy," added Palm. "With Bait! and Wonderglade, we managed to create fun and accessible games that appeal to the widest possible audience. In that same vein, Narrows is very much a product of the Resolution Games design philosophy. We're making VR games for everyone."

Narrows will offer players a unique, unmatched view of a pirate's life that they can step in and out of with a simple slip of the headset, while allowing players to explore numerous voyages on the sea, creating their own mariner myths in the process.

"While the idea of action and adventure may skew to a slightly different audience than our earlier games, we're confident that the intuitive controls and welcoming design will make Narrows an experience that the whole family can enjoy," added Palm. "With Bait! and Wonderglade, we managed to create fun and accessible games that appeal to the widest possible audience. In that same vein, Narrows is very much a product of the Resolution Games design philosophy. We're making VR games for everyone."

Resolution Games is anticipating a 2018 release for Narrows. For more information, be sure to follow Resolution Games on Twitter and Facebook, and visit www.resolutiongames.com .

Reality Reflection is looking to tap into the Rocket League audience with its VR Hoverbike game, Snatchers.

Snatchers,  launches on 26th October on PC for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, via digital download on Steam Store for 9.99 USD.

Developed by a South-Korean based VR content production studio Reality Reflection, Snatchers is a multiplayer VR game where players holding hook guns pilot hoverbikes to score goals in a virtual stadium.

Snatchers has two players assigned to each of the two teams, using two Vive or Oculus Touch motion controllers to control a hoverbike and a hook gun to snatch and throw a ball into the opponent’s goal, in a way that resembles a football game and also Rocket League. 

“We’re thrilled to launch Snatchers after so many prototypes and readjustments. Snatchers is a game designed for hardcore gamers who’ve longed for a true challenge in the VR world. We are sure that Snatchers will give players a totally futuristic experience," said Wooram Son, CEO of Reality Reflection.

The online pool of players will be from both Rift and Vive to maximize the VR eSport potential. 

Visit Snatchers page on Steam Store: store.steampowered.com/app/566380/Snatchers/