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  • Vive Partners at SXSW 2018

    Vive Partners at SXSW 2018

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    As South by Southwest starts ramping up to celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries, we wanted to highlight our partners who will be onsite with some awesome VR activations. If you’re heading to SXSW and looking to try out some great content on Vive, make sure to check out these three activations:

    • Funny or Die and HBO® are giving South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals badge holders the chance to step into the world of Silicon Valley. Ball out in the Three Comma Club, take a meeting at Hooli, gram the Not Hot Dog room and preview a full-scale interactive virtual reality reproduction of Silicon Valley’s Hacker Hostel between March 9 (2pm-7pm) through March 10, 2018 (1pm-6pm) at 1102 East Cesar Chavez.
    • In anticipation of the March 29 release of Steven Spielberg’s new action adventure, “Ready Player One,” attendees at this year’s South by Southwest®(SXSW®) Conference and Festivals can step into the immersive Ready Player One Experience with VIVE VR. A two-story, city block takeover of Brazos Hall, the event runs from Friday, March 9, to Sunday, March 11, and will showcase the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the film, including exciting virtual reality (VR) content from HTC VIVE.
    • Step inside Harry’s lucid dream with AWAKE; the most comprehensive and visually impressive narrative VR experience to premiere at SXSW. Captured using the latest holographic performance capture, this visceral virtual experience will leave you questioning your perceptions of reality. AWAKE is coming to the new Vive Pro at the SXSW Virtual Cinema, March 13-15, Salon 5-6, JW Marriott,110 E 2nd St.

    Website: LINK

  • Tonight The Distracted Globe from Ready Player One Comes To Life On TheWaveVR

    Tonight The Distracted Globe from Ready Player One Comes To Life On TheWaveVR

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Tonight from 9:00pm CST, TheWaveVR will bring The Distracted Globe from Ready Player One to life, with a DJ set from the film’s Tye Sheridan, who will be mixing live in VR from Brazos Hall in Austin, Texas.

    Fans will be able to enter The Distracted Globe zero-gravity dance club & take in the experience with other guests. Guests will be able to interact with specifically designed avatars against a backdrop of 80’s visuals and music, all while flying in a zero-gravity environment.

    TheWaveVR activation will be live at the Ready Player One Experience with VIVE VR at SXSW on Friday, March 9th, 2018 at 9:00 pm CT. In addition, a host of participating VR arcades around the country will also be offering fans the chance to take in the experience:

    Spectrum Virtual Reality Arcade – Fort Wayne, IN

    Altered Realites VR Arcade – Indianapolis, IN

    Holotech – Slidell, LA

    Wormhole – Foley, AL

    All out Zone – Albuquerque, NM

    The Great Excape – Augustine, FL

    Hubneo – New York, NY

    Virtual Experience – Provo, UT

    Originator Studios – Austin, TX

    VR Junkies Jacksonville – Jacksonville, FL

    Anything Virtual LLC – Reno, NV

    Vegas VR – Las Vegas, NV

    The .VRXP.Rocks – Vinita, OK

    iSimuVR – https://isimuvr.com/

    Head Games VR – http://headgamesvr.net/

    Ekstasis – Washington DC

    Reality Check VR – Chandler, AZ

    Loft VR – Miami, FL

    VR Junkies Utah – Salt Lake City, UT

    Virtual Realtiy Arcade Inc. – St. Frances, MN

    Infinite Loop VR – La Vista, NE

    Rabbit Hole – Nashville, TN

    VR World NYC – New York, NY

    VR Junkies Orem – Orem, UT

    VR Junkies Chandler – Chandler, AZ

    Immersion House – Norman, OK

    Omniverse – Houston, TX

    VR Junkies Alberta – Medicine Hat, Alberta

    Level 8 VR – Bartlesville, OK

    Virtual World Arcade – San Jose, CA

    Rush Hour Gaming – Ellsworth, ME

    Portal Virtual Reality Arcade – Seattle, WA

    VR Junkies – Dallas, TX

    Stay tuned to our social channels as we bring you all the action from the Ready Player One experience from SXSW!

    HTC VIVE is excited to be the official VR partner of #ReadyPlayerOne – in theaters March 29.

    Website: LINK

  • The World Needs More Talented Women In Tech

    The World Needs More Talented Women In Tech

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    Today, on International Women’s Day, HTC VIVE is supporting the 5th Women In Tech (WIT) conference in Stockholm with 1,300 WIT participants and several thousand on the waiting list. There is clearly an appetite for this as the +1,000 ticket sold out in 100 seconds!

    The mission of WIT is to inspire talented women to consider a future in media and technology by providing a network and experienced of successful women and men from the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds.

    We are also proud supporter of WIT GIRLS, which is a new program aimed to inspire young women aged 8-15 access to learn about coding, game design, web and Virtual Reality during their summer break at a weekend tech camp that goes on through-out the year. We will provide them with a unique first insight into the world of VR and AR and let their minds embrace the new mediums. We believe this will program help inspire the next generation of female talent in the years to come.

    At HTC VIVE we are all technology “geeks” and hope that the next generation will share our passion for technology. Most technology companies today are male dominated, and those men need to take active part of changing the status quo or there will be no growth of women in tech. However, HTC VIVE is an exception as it is managed by an amazing Woman In Tech – CEO and Chairwoman Cher Wang – who started the company more than 20 year ago. She has had a significant impact on the mobile and VR industries and continuous to promote WIT and the next generation of female tech talent.

    To take the next step for WIT Globally we need more leaders and visionaries, we need thinkers and doers.  We need women and men, we need you to take action today, we need you to make a difference, without you there will be no Women In Tech.

    Join us today on International Women’s Day in celebrating all women and support initiatives that will inspire them to join us in our exciting industry.

    Website: LINK

  • Blasting back to old-school arcades, with Operation Warcade

    Blasting back to old-school arcades, with Operation Warcade

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    For a period in the 1980s mounted guns on arcade cabinets were hugely popular, with the feel of those guns and the rapid-fire feedback giving players a real sense of immersion through the machine’s CRT monitor. Today, Ivanovich Games is bringing back the arcade experience inside your HTC Vive – literally. We spoke with Ivan Cascales, CEO of Ivanovich Games, on the creation of Operation Warcade. 

    Can you tell us what Operation Warcade was mainly inspired by?

    Taito's Operation Wolf arcade cabinet

    Taito’s Operation Wolf arcade cabinet

    In Operation Warcade we wanted to pay tribute to the golden era of arcades that I was lucky enough to experience in the 80s and 90s. (I’m now 41 years old.) If I must choose a single game, it would certainly be Taito’s Operation Wolf as the title that most marked the inspiration.

    What made you decide to create a virtual arcade inside the game, so that you stand in front of an arcade cabinet as you would have ‘back in the day’? Most developers would probably have put players ‘in the action’ immediately.

    I was convinced I didn’t want to do “another wave shooter.” I also wanted to get away from the classic use of teleport and unfortunately free movement tends to make many people dizzy.

    In Operation Warcade we tried to mix up a lot of gameplay mechanics that don’t get people dizzy, and that all of them can be played sitting as well as in room scale.

    The best way we found to offer this repertoire of different mechanics materialized in an abbreviated time was to emulate the arcade from outside with the so called “immersion points”.

    As well as that way of playing it, you can also go ‘inside the machine’ in Operation Warcade. What’s different between the two modes?

    Operation Warcade offers 2 totally different game modes:

    1. CLASSIC MODE: For those particularly nostalgic. We try to recreate the original gaming experience of the classic arcade machines: You play on a flat screen, with limited lives and limited ammunition and 6 screens to overcome. Of course, there are no coins.
    2. IMMERSIVE EDITION: It’s hard to explain, the screen is not flat here. It’s huge and in real 3D. The feeling is totally different. Here you have endless ammunition and infinite lives, but you cannot relax because you must overcome a total of 108 missions divided into 36 levels that also allow you to improve your arsenal.

    The original arcade games often limited you to one gun, but within VR you’re not so limited, obviously. So what will you be using in Operation Warcade?

    The aim of Operation Warcade is to surprise the player with different game mechanics in very short periods of time. To do this we make many changes of contexts and take advantage of most of them to make changes in weapons that bring freshness to the game.

    We have many weapons: the usual ones: shotguns, missile launchers, snipers, explosive arrows like Rambo, etc. But we also have very funny experimental weapons like the antigravity grenades or grenades that cause tornadoes of fire.

    One of the unique weapons in Operation Warcade is the gravity gun… tell us what kind of crazy stuff you can pull off with that!

    Yes! The gravity gun is a piece of work! It is clearly inspired by one of my favorite games: Half Life and allows you to attract anything from the stage and throw it freely. The feeling of freedom and madness it offers was fun and surprising.

    Tell us about your physics. A soldier gets crushed by flying debris in your trailer! What have you implemented here?

    Operation Warcade offer a strange mix between seemingly realistic graphics and absurdly exaggerated physics with the aim that everything is very spectacular and fun. The result is that when you play, fun things like the one you mention happen.

    You’ve also got vehicles which is a big change from the arcades… what can you pilot?

    Yes! The game not only offers several types of “immersion points”. Some are static, others travel inside a vehicle by sea, air or land that you don’t drive. But you’re also driving in many immersion points.

    You can drive several military land vehicles with one hand while shooting with the other.

    You can also fly both airplanes and helicopters and do it by taking the controls with your hands. The helicopter flying spots are my favorite. You can fire missiles and take advantage of the height. It’s cool : -)

    What’s next for Operation Warcade?

    The most immediate future is to release the PSVR version and a very special surprise: The augmented reality version of the game using ARKit for iPhone. It’s a blast!

    In the medium term we plan to launch something that many people are asking us to do: Cooperative multiplayer!

    Thanks for talking to us, Ivan!

    Operation Warcade is available on Viveport.

    Website: LINK

  • Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor to Present Two Virtual Reality Artworks at Art Basel in Hong Kong

    Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor to Present Two Virtual Reality Artworks at Art Basel in Hong Kong

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    HTC VIVE, Art Basel’s Official Virtual Reality Partner, is delighted to announce the first public presentation of two virtual reality artworks by Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor from 29-31 March 2018 at Art Basel in Hong Kong.

    Rising by Marina Abramović and Into Yourself, Fall by Anish Kapoor are produced in collaboration with Acute Art and will be shown on VR’s most immersive products, Vive Pro and Vive Focus in the HTC Vive Lounge, Level 3 Concourse at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre.

    Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor are two of the most acclaimed contemporary artists working today, recognised for their iconic works that have continually challenged and inspired audiences worldwide. These works mark the first time either artist has realised an artwork using virtual reality technology.

    Vive’s partnership with Art Basel in Hong Kong will bring a one-of-a-kind integrated VR experience to the fair’s visitors in Hong Kong. A first for Vive, visitors will be able to explore both artists’ works at the fair as well as experience it at home through VIVEPORT, the leading VR app store. HTC has a long-standing commitment to the arts, and created a global program, Vive Arts, to advance the world’s appreciation and creation of the arts through the latest technology.

    Marina Abramović, Rising

    Marina Abramović’s Rising addresses the effects of climate change by transporting viewers to witness rising sea levels. Wearing an immersive headset, viewers enter an intimate virtual space, where they come face-to-face with the artist, who beckons from within a glass tank that is slowly filling with water from her waist to her neck.

    Users are invited to make contact with the virtual Abramović, and then find themselves surrounded by a dramatic scene of melting polar ice caps. Abramović urges viewers to reconsider their impact on the world around them, asking them to choose whether or not to save her from drowning by pledging to support the environment, which lowers the water in the tank.

    Abramović’s pioneering performance career has centered around time-based work, which uses both hers and the public’s body as a canvas. She has continually pushed the boundaries with durational work that has defined contemporary performance. With Rising, the artist’s presence is brought into another dimension.

    To produce the artwork, Acute Art developers captured the artist’s unique facial expressions to create a realistic looking avatar of Abramović. Embracing new technology in an endeavor to transmit the presence of the artist virtually, Rising allows users to directly interact with the artist virtually from anywhere in the world.

    Anish Kapoor, Into Yourself, Fall

    Anish Kapoor’s first virtual reality work, Into Yourself, Fall, takes users on a journey through the human body, experiencing the sensation of falling into yourself via the immersive headset. Kapoor’s work seeks to simulate vertigo as a descent inside the human body, depicting a labyrinth of the inner workings of the self.

    Starting the journey in a forest scene, in a clearing surrounded by trees, viewers encounter a large black void in the ground. Users then travel through a complex series of tunnels with walls that appear to be made of sinewy flesh and muscle. With this work, Kapoor invites users to experience a surreal sensation of exploring the unknown, with viewers losing themselves in another realm.

    Working with Acute Art to design this custom made virtual space, Kapoor’s work was developed around the idea of creating a physical experience via a virtual journey, testing the limits of what is possible to experience through the technology. Into Yourself, Fall plays with the experience of wearing the headset, creating a disorientating sensation of radical introspection that is experienced physically by the viewer.

    Kapoor’s use of this new technology enables him to explore materiality in a virtual realm, drawing on his highly influential sculptural practice to evoke both tactility and transcendence. With a soundtrack created by the artist’s son Ishan Kapoor, Into Yourself, Fall directly transports the viewer into the artist’s own visceral virtual reality.

    Marina Abramović said: “In this moment of my career, I have been wondering how to transfer energy from body to body through the use of modern technology. This VR artwork raises questions about technology’s impact on human empathy through the lens of a pressing issue facing our world: climate change. Changes to the global climate threaten existing ways of living. Rising will offer people the chance to empathise and respond to the needs of others affected by this crisis. I am particularly interested in how audiences’ consciousness and energy will be affected by a virtual experience of helping others”

    Anish Kapoor said: “Into Yourself, Fall, takes us on a journey through the human body, experiencing the sensation of falling into yourself via this immersive medium. The work seeks to simulate vertigo as a descent inside the human body, depicting a labyrinth of the inner workings of the self.”

    Victoria Chang, Director of Vive Arts, said: “The discourse surrounding virtual reality as a fine art medium started more than 20 years ago, but it is only recently that groundbreaking VR artworks, including Rising and Into Yourself, Fall, have become accessible to a global audience. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this new development, encouraging more artists and cultural institutions to advance their visions using the latest technology to reach new audiences.”

    Jacob De Geer, CEO of Acute Art, said: “Acute Art collaborates with leading artists producing virtual reality art that push the limits of artistic practice and creates immersive experiences. Abramović and Kapoor are masters of their craft and two of the most visionary artists working today and it is extremely exciting to see them experimenting with new technology. Showing these innovative artworks through VR will allow viewers to experience a new side to the artists and their practice. Works produced by Acute Art are available through our VR Museum making these unique experiences accessible anywhere in the world.”

    Website: LINK

  • Announcing VDA2 Nominees

    Announcing VDA2 Nominees

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    We’re pleased to announce the nominees for the second annual Viveport Developer Awards! These 10 nominations represent some of the best and most innovative VR experiences. With a record number of entries from developers, it was incredibly difficult to shorten the list.

    In no particular order, here’s the 10 nominees, 2 for each category. All are available now on Viveport.

    Entertainment

    Education

    Arts & Culture

    Enterprise

    Arcade

    Congratulations to all our nominees and good luck! Winners will be announced at a special event on March 19 coinciding with the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

    Website: LINK

  • Enter the Stormlight Archive in VR, with Way of Kings

    Enter the Stormlight Archive in VR, with Way of Kings

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Part of Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy epic The Stormlight Archive has been translated from the printed page to VR with this VR experience from Arcturus. We spoke with Ewan Johnson, Chief Creative Officer at Arcturus, about re-creating the world of Roshar.

    Can you give us a brief overview of the world of The Stormlight Archive?

    For those that are new to Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series, The Way of Kings is the first book in an epic series set in Roshar, a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

    It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades; wars are fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, a medical apprentice, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

    It is the scale of the Shattered Plains, the creatures that roam them, and the power of stormlight, that all combine to create an amazing opportunity for VR and we have only taken a few steps with this interactive narrative.

    The Way of Kings

    How does the VR experience link up with The Way of Kings as a book?

    Our VR experience is a short form adaptation written by Joshua Rubin (known for his work on Destiny, Assassin’s Creed 2, and Telltale’s Game of Thrones). You experience the world of of Roshar through the eyes of Kaladin. You will walk on the Shattered Plains during a high storm, learn to harness the power of stormlight, battle the Parshendi, and encounter some surprises along the way. Throughout the experience, Syl — a playful, fairy-like Spren — will be there to guide and assist you in understanding your new powers.

    We wanted to provide an introduction to this world and we believed that by using Kaladin and his journey, as well as relying on Syl to be our mentor and guide, that we were able to stay true to the broad storyline in the book. The whole book is not in here of course, but we think this is a short, fun experience for new audiences as well as those familiar with the lore.

    Can you tell us about Syl? Is she a guide, a companion, a sidekick or something else?

    We feel that Syl is pretty unique. She is a guide, a companion, and a sidekick in the stories. What is unique and special for her is that in the books she becomes sentient, and we wanted to try to capture the feeling of that in the experience. So at times she helps you figure out how to complete the experience, but she also discovers and explores the world alongside you. This allows her to teach you about the world without coming across as expositional or just a tutor. We hope you’ll enjoy her company and that her guidance will serve you well. Pay close attention to her because you’ll learn some important lessons if you listen.

    The Way of Kings

    Concepts for Syl in The Way of Kings.

    What was the origin of the VR project (apart from the book)?

    We were all attracted to adapting Brandon’s world because of the breadth of the story and the magic systems, which seem uniquely suited to VR. From there, Kaladin’s hero journey was particularly appealing because it allowed us to put the viewer in the hero’s shoes.

    Production-wise, the project started with DMG who acquired rights to Sanderson’s novels for multi-platform development and asked us to explore a VR experience that would help executives quickly grasp the beauty and scale of the Cosmere. Because the scale of this world is so large, we felt that it would take more than a treatment and some concept art to awaken the imagination of just how powerful these worlds could be in a visual medium.

    The immersive nature of VR combined with interactivity and exploration allow a much deeper discovery of a story; we could literally allow studio execs to step into the world and experience the characters and environment. By creating a narrative thread to combine the moments within the experience we could provide a deeper sense of the characters at the same time. As we developed the concept and a narrative that tied it all together, it became clear that this was a standalone piece that we should share with the fans.

    The Way of Kings

    How much involvement did Brandon Sanderson have in the creation of the VR project?

    Brandon Sanderson was involved from the very beginning, providing feedback on scripts and artwork. We were thrilled that when Brandon saw it all he loved it and said it matched his vision.

    For anyone who might not have read The Way of Kings, are there any spoilers in the VR experience?

    Not spoilers per se, because this is an adaptation and not a translation of a given scene from the book. For people new to the story they will find things that they might need to read the whole book to understand, but I don’t see them as a spoiler. Instead we think of it as an inspiration to read this amazing series.

    Do you plan to return to The Stormlight Archive for future projects? Will The Way of Kings be updated with new features?

    We certainly hope so! As with anything, demand will drive the development of more, but we’ve already been thinking about what the next one might be, and how might further immerse you in Roshar.

    Finally… what scene(s) would you like to see created in VR from The Stormlight Archive?

    The Stormlight Archive is a rich and deep world that we would love to continue to allow Brandon’s readers to experience in VR. In particular, I would love to develop some experiences around Dalinar’s visions. Having the Radiant’s approach him in his vision and paint a picture of the world and the landscape would be an incredible visual journey.

    I would also love to focus some more of the experience on Shallan, her sketchbooks and her abilities. It would be an amazing VR experience to visit the sea of beads with it’s floating flames and distant sun in a black, black sky, that would be breathtaking to experience in VR. And can you imagine how cool it would be to allow you to be a shardbearer and have to wield these amazing swords in actual combat. That is still just scratching the surface of what these books can do!

    Thanks for talking with us, Ewan!

    The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains is available on Viveport.

    Website: LINK

  • Viveport Subscription Member Deals are here!

    Viveport Subscription Member Deals are here!

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Are you a Viveport Subscription member? You can save this weekend on Prison Boss VR plus The Gallery Parts 1 and 2!

    Subscribe to Viveport Subscription before March 22nd for best value

    With over 375 titles now available in Viveport Subscription, the monthly price is increasing on March 22nd. (If you’re an existing subscriber, or subscribe before March 22nd, you’ll continue to pay your current rate until at least the end of 2018. More details here.)

    As well as getting you access to hundreds of VR titles, Viveport Subscription members now enjoy exclusive access to our Weekend Deals, and also will regularly receive free game and app codes with the first one coming to your inbox this weekend, so look out for it!

    Those weekend deals start now, so we thought we’d show you what’s on offer. (Not a subscriber? Sign up now for free and yep, you’ll get access to these deals immediately.)

    Prison Boss VR – 70% off for Viveport Subscription members

    Prison is no joke – but Prison Boss VR at least makes it bearable! In this frantic crafting game by Trebuchet, you’ll start your own ‘cell business’ right under the eye of the watchful guards. Keep your crafting going at night, but watch out for the patrols and make sure you’re not seen running your business. With true room-scale gameplay, 4 prisons and over 80 jobs to complete, you’ll be ‘doing serious time’ when playing Prison Boss VR.

    Get Prison Boss VR for 70% off right now!

    The Gallery: Episode 1 – Call of the Starseed – 60% off for Viveport Subscription members

    If you’ve missed out on The Gallery, you’ve missed out on the special experience delivered by Cloudhead Games. Inspired by 80s dark fantasy movies, this is a groundbreaking VR adventure where you’ll journey to a forgotten world to find your missing sister.

    Truly a made-for-VR experience, The Gallery will have you moving all around your play space as you explore and solve puzzles in your quest. Hours of adventure await!

    Get The Gallery: Episode 1 for 60% off right now!

    The Gallery – Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone – 20% off for Viveport Subscription members

    Picking up right where Call of the Starseed left off, Heart of the Emberstone ups the stakes to make the adventure truly intergalactic! Without spoiling the story let’s just say you’ll travel a long, long way to complete another set of fiendish puzzles in this celebrated sequel that truly cements Cloudhead Games as masters of their craft. 

    Get The Gallery – Episode 2 for 20% off right now!

    Remember – these individual discounts are Member Perks, so you’ll need to be a Viveport Subscription member to get them. Not already subscribed? Sign up now and get access to these deals, as well as getting to choose 5 titles a month from over 375 VR titles!

    Website: LINK

  • Konrad the Kitten is ready for all your love in VR

    Konrad the Kitten is ready for all your love in VR

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    With cute-sim Konrad the Kitten launching officially this week, we caught up with Konrad Kunze, Lead Game Designer at FusionPlay, to ask him all about the love, care and attention needed to own a virtual feline.

    Hello! Please introduce yourself to everyone.

    Hi, I am Konrad Kunze, the Lead Game Designer at FusionPlay. FusionPlay is the brand of IT Sonix custom development GmbH that cares about innovative gaming concepts which merge the digital and the real world. Besides Konrad the Kitten, we are also working on FusionPlay Heroes, a physical card game with NFC radio chips contained in each playing card.

    Both games are more or less my babies. I am primarily in charge of the Game Design but also care about a lot of things around the game development itself. For Konrad the Kitten I also coded the game.

    Konrad the Kitten

    Tell us the origin story of Konrad the Kitten – why was it originally created?

    The first prototype was created 2016 as a gift for my girlfriend. As she loves cats and I was experimenting with the new possibilities of the just released HTC Vive, I decided to create a little cat game for her. At the same time I was reading a lot about people that were trying to track their arms and feet with the HTC Vive Controllers to bring them into the virtual world. This gave me the idea of having a real world item representing the cat, to make it possible to physically touch and lift the kitten.

    It did not take long until I saw a plush-covered children’s hotwater bottle (in the shape of a cow). This seemed to be perfect to simulate the cat because of the weight, size and feel.

    So on our anniversary day I ran my program, told my girlfriend to put on the Vive and look down. In VR she saw the little kitten and immediately liked it. Then I told her to lift the little kitten, and at first she was confused as she had no controller in her hands. I told her just to try lifting the kitten, so she reached down and gave a big “aww” when she realized she could really hold this little furball in VR, and it felt real.

    What happened after that? (Apart from a happy girlfriend.)

    She loved the little game, although it wasn’t much more than a demo. We both agreed that this idea was so incredible, it needed to become more than just a cute demo. Fortunately, I was already working for FusionPlay on FusionPlay Heroes. I showcased the cat demo to my boss as a proof of concept and luckily could convince him to set up a separate project to let me make this little concept into a full game.

    Konrad the Kitten

    You’re a Konrad, the kitten is a Konrad; is this a coincidence?

    More or less. In the beginning the cat had no name. The first internal version was just called “virtu-real cat”. I wasn’t happy with that name but I am not good in thinking up names, honestly. Then a friend of mine tried out the game and asked “Is that called Conrad the Cat?”. I immediately liked this idea. First of all, because it is a really catchy name and second, because it does not directly involve my own name (cause it was written with a ‘c’).

    But then we found out that ‘Conrad the Cat’ is a registered trademark, so this was no longer an option. Finally the name became ‘Konrad the Kitten’ which works nicely but unfortunately now includes my name. I didn’t like that much but as I could not provide any better idea it became the name of the game!

    Konrad is a virtual kitten. What can you do with him?

    Mainly you do two things with him: introducing him to objects he likes and playing games with him. Playing with him is done with mini-games. You can help Konrad catch mice or fish, guide him through a set of rings or let him throw dishes from the table.

    Helping him to interact with stuff is more passive. So, if Konrad is hungry, you move him to the food bowl (or the pizza slice) to let him eat. If he needs to poop afterwards, you put him in his litter box. You need to care about his wishes and needs to make him a well-behaved cat that also likes you.

    Konrad the Kitten

    You can put him in his litter box… but do you have to clean it? (As a cat owner, not my favorite task.)

    No, you don’t have to! All objects reset themselves when Konrad leaves them. Even the water bowl fills up automatically after Konrad has stopped drinking. Isn’t that something you need in the real world?

    Yes, I do. So, Konrad seems similar to the old ‘Tamagotchi’ games – we have to ask. Can he… die?

    The game mechanics are comparable to a Tamagotchi. The game wants you to care for the kitten each day for about 20 minutes. Completing actions drains Konrad’s energy. If he runs out of energy, you need to come back later. Over the time his energy replenishes but his love and behavior decrease, so you should check back regularly if you want his love (and good behavior!).

    Don’t worry though, no matter what you do, Konrad can’t die. The worst thing that can happen is that the attributes ‘love’ and ‘behavior’ reset to their default values.

    Tell us about the ‘Plushy Mode’. Is it easy to use?

    Plushy Mode is so special! When you activate this in the options menu the game shows a video that tells you how to attach the Vive Controller to the back of a plush toy. This is the most unique thing in the game, as it raises the immersion a lot. Instead of holding a Controller, you then hold a plushy in your hands. In the virtual world, the plushy is replaced by the cute little kitten. So your brain is tricked and thinks that you are really holding a fluffy kitten. It sounds totally strange but needs to be tried out to understand how well it works.

    You’ve got a lot of accessories for Konrad to wear. Tell us about your favorites! It also looks like you can change Konrad’s fur, making him look more realistic?

    Konrad the Kitten

    In total, there are 50 unlockable accessories you can buy plus some hidden accessories that pop up automatically during specific seasons. We carefully designed the set of accessories to have some items that are funny, some that are cute and some that are realistic.

    As for his fur, we added different fur patterns and colors so that players can recreate their own cat or match the fur with the cat they always wanted. My favorite one is definitely the bobble cap combined with the scarf. That just looks so cute!

    Are there any plans to add more features to Konrad, now you’re out of Early Access?

    We have plenty of ideas that we may add in the future but we haven’t decided anything specific for now. There are ideas for new areas like a garden, a desert and a snow capped mountain. Also ideas for new minigames like riding on a magic carpet or catching symbolic dreams that float around a bedroom. We are also thinking about whole new features like having the second controller becoming a camera that takes photos of your kitten or having a playroom where you can start the minigames directly and see their high-scores. We’re even thinking about beauty contests for the cat!

    One thing is for sure: there will be a first small update in late March that adds some cute stuff for the Easter season.

    Finally we have to ask. Are you a cat owner? If so, can we see pics?

    No I don’t have a cat but my girlfriend has a cat (sometimes even two) at her work. She is the crazy cat lady!

    This is the cat all her love belongs to – named Morle.

    Konrad the Kitten's inspiration - Morle

    Thank you very much for talking to us, Konrad!

    Konrad the Kitten is available on Viveport.

    Website: LINK

  • Viveport Subscription update: get the best rate for 2018

    Viveport Subscription update: get the best rate for 2018

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    If you haven’t tried Viveport Subscription yet, there’s never been a better time! Over 375 VR titles are waiting for you, with more being added every week.

    Subscribe to Viveport Subscription before March 22nd for best value

    In less than a year, Viveport Subscription has grown enormously, starting with a little over 50 titles available to over 375 now. As a member you can check out five titles a month – which means it would take you over five years of subscription to experience everything that’s currently available!

    We believe Viveport Subscription is the absolute best value offering in VR today, and we want to make sure you get the best value. That’s why we’re letting you know that the monthly price of Viveport Subscription will increase from $6.99 to $8.99 on March 22nd.

    New Viveport Subscription members who sign up before March 22nd will enjoy a 14-day free trial, then pay the current price of $6.99 per month. (If you are a returning member, you are not eligible for a free trial, but you’ll still only pay $6.99 a month if you sign up before March 22nd.)

    Members who join us after March 22nd will also get a 14-day free trial, then pay the new price of $8.99 a month.

    (And if you’re a developer? Yes, you’ll be getting more – 28% more per member subscribed to your title, per month.)

    First, if you sign up before March 22nd, we guarantee your Viveport Subscription will continue at the original price of $6.99 until at least the end of 2018.

    Second, we’re rolling out new perks for all Viveport Subscription members.

    • All members will receive exclusive FREE codes for games and apps, starting in February and then regularly during the year
    • All Weekend Deals on Viveport – offering discounts on apps and games you’ll want to add permanently to your Viveport library – will now only be available to members

    Viveport Subscription members will be seeing their first members-only Weekend Deal soon. More membership perks will be announced in future, so stay tuned!

    Whether you’re joining Viveport Subscription as a new member, or locking in your pricing through 2018, we’re excited to have you with us!

    With over 375 titles to choose from, it can be tricky to figure out what to choose for your Viveport Subscription’s first month! If you’re in that position, allow us to make some suggestions.

    Fantastic Contraption

    A superb puzzle game, Fantastic Contraption has just been updated with over 50 new levels and other new features. Devilishly simple, all you need to do is move an object in virtual space… but what kind of machine will you build to make that happen?

    Overkill VR

    The name might give you a clue: Overkill VR is all about shooting stuff, in an appropriately over the top way. With a massive range of customizable weapons and a horde of killer robots out for your blood, Overkill VR has kept many Viveport Subscription members on their toes since it first released.

    The Wizards

    As one of our reviewers said, “If you want to throw fire balls and shoot ice arrows at some orcs this is the game for you!” And who doesn’t? Master magical forces, explore an entire campaign and, well, throw fire balls and shoot ice arrows at orcs!

    Earthlight: Spacewalk

    Quite simply, the closest you’ll get to being on the International Space Station without being an astronaut (or, we suppose, a very rich tourist!). Earthlight: Spacewalk will astound you with a simulated spacewalk and some of the most amazing views you can imagine. (Read our review here.)

    theBlu

    Arguably still the best introduction to anyone first experiencing virtual reality, theBlu takes you below the ocean waves to stare into the eye of a whale, reach out to touch giant jellyfish or perhaps discover even more terrifying beasties in the dark.

    Sign up for Viveport Subscription now for your FREE 14-day trial. Experience these five titles and lock in the monthly rate for 2018!

    Website: LINK

  • Knockout League is the First Vive Studios Title to Come to All Three Major VR Platforms

    Knockout League is the First Vive Studios Title to Come to All Three Major VR Platforms

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    By Joel Breton, GM of Vive Studios

    Today, the full release of Knockout League – Vive Studios and Grab Games’ arcade-style boxing game built from the ground up for VR – is launching on Vive, Oculus and PlayStation VR. Now the greater VR community can step into the ring and face off against a cast of fierce competitors in a game that will test their reflexes while offering a brisk workout.

    Vive Studios is HTC Vive’s development and publishing initiative for VR content, focused on supporting developers who are creating excellent games, entertainment, and educational content. Our mission is to discover and empower development talent and give everyone access to content that pushes the boundaries of VR. Vive Studios content is intended for all major VR platforms, making the decision to publish Knockout League on PSVR, Oculus, and Vive a no-brainer. Our goal is to support the developer ecosystem and push them to generate revenue and build a community around their game. This will be Vive Studios’ first title available for PlayStation VR and with PSVR’s enthusiastic and engaged community, we knew Knockout League would be a perfect fit.

    Knockout League is the ultimate game for virtual reality with its arcade-style, full-body boxing experience. The single-player boxing game pits you against nine competitors, ranging from classic boxers to fantastic creatures, each with their own fighting styles and behaviors. With each win, players unlock the ability to challenge stronger, faster and tougher versions of each opponent in Grudge Match mode.

    Your opponents may be wacky, but the physicality of the game is real. With true 1:1 tracking, you’ll soon find yourself ducking, dodging and throwing punches with vigor! A real workout, Knockout League has even added a Fitness mode that includes a calories tracker for every activity (3.5 million calories have already been burned in Early Access!) As you go toe-to-toe in the ring, you’ll be ranked against your friends and the community in your pursuit to dominate the leaderboards and unlock trophies. With a tutorial training mode to teach you key strategies along with mini-games such as speed bag and focus mitts, you’ll be warmed up and ready to take on the fight.

    Knockout League is now available for download on Viveport, PSVR, Oculus and Steam stores for $29.99.

    Website: LINK

  • Yee-haw! Saddle up with Hopalong: The Badlands

    Yee-haw! Saddle up with Hopalong: The Badlands

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    If you’ve ever played at being a cowboy or pretended a broom was a horse (Wait, just us?) then you’ll be right at home in the wild, weird west of Hopalong: The Badlands. With Hopalong now available as part of Viveport Subscription, we talked to (appropriately enough) Texas-based developers From the Future about their rootin’ tootin’ shootin’ VR experience.

    Well howdy there, partner. What’s yer name and what brings you to these parts… or in other words, what gave you the idea for Hopalong: The Badlands?

    Howdy! My name is Mike Christian and I’m the CEO and one of four founders of From the Future (here we are on Twitter). The idea for Hopalong: The Badlands fell out of my head one Labor Day weekend and resulted in a prototype. The rest of the Future crew couldn’t help but laugh when they saw the idea, not to mention me hopping around the room in VR gear. The idea quickly evolved from everyone else’s input, and became much, much more than the original concept. My role on the team has mostly been the executive designer, with the occasional bit of programming.

    Is it fair to say that Hopalong … doesn’t take the history of the American West that seriously?

    Them there is fightin’ words, hombre! Hopalong takes American West history very seriously and we faithfully created that history… if it had been all stick-horses and wooden villains.

    Hopalong: The Badlands

    After your initial idea, what brought Hopalong to fruition?

    Hopalong was an idea that bubbled up from the horse watering trough of desire – a desire to introduce a fun and novel way to traverse large landscapes in VR without teleporting. We figured since people look a little silly playing VR already, why not go the full silly?! People told us ‘never go the full silly’, but we thought that advice was, well, silly.

    The original idea was to not only prance around on a stick horse, but to also wave a lasso over your head as you tried to rope in stray bossies. (For you non-Texan types, bossies are cattle.) However, we lost several interns during testing due to CLS, AKA Carpal Lasso Syndrome, so that got cut.

    Visually Hopalong is quite unique! Were you inspired mostly by kids and their play, or something else? (I keep flashing to the coconut hooves of Monty Python’s Holy Grail, myself.)

    Monty Python's Holy Grail

    One of these things…

    Thanks! Actually, we were inspired by Kid ‘n Play, the famous 80’s hip-hopalong duo. Monty Python’s infamous fish slapping dance was also a HUGE inspiration.

    Kid 'n' Play

    … is not like the other.

    Tell us how the Oscillot system works. What makes it different from other locomotion systems in VR?

    At first actually, fully hopping in place was mandatory. However, being game developers we were not in the best shape, so we quickly resorted to shaking our fists…which came much more naturally. Oscillot, also known as O.S.C.I.L.L.O.T.,  is the science of moving like a bouncy cat. The cat that inspired the name, is known for its sinusoidal-like motion as it pounces on its prey. These cat facts are all well documented on the internet and are assuredly not made up by us.

    We found that physical movement helps reduce motion sickness because it allows people to make more of a connection to motion in the game versus motion in the real world. By limiting all the movement to one hand, both velocity and direction, that frees the other hand to wield weapons.

    What kind of cool moves can people pull off in Hopalong?

    You can shoot dynamite out of the air and back to the enemy that threw it. You can also use your grit to slow down time and multiply the mayhem exponentially. Once you defeat Boss Boomity you earn his flying pig, Pigasus, and hover one meter in the air!!! Oh the places you’ll go! Assuming those places are about three feet above you.

    Why is an Eight Shooter inherently better than someone’s trusty six-shooter?

    Six plus two times more fun! ™

    What weapons did you invent for Hopalong?

    The Brimstone Gun for when it’s dark, or when you need to light a bandit on fire. Whichever comes first.

    The Iron Falcon is an 1880’s style hand-mortar that you can use to blast a bushel of Boomity’s out of the bushes.

    What kind of environments can people expect to see in Hopalong?

    Hopalong takes players both high and low through an expansive cliffside chock full of narrow paths, perilous edges, and more than a handful of hazardous outhouses. Aside from the wide-open spaces, the Badlands also hosts a number of caverns, rivers and other vistas.

    Hopalong: The Badlands

    Ahem. What do stick horses eat? Are they easier to train than a normal horse?

    The only fuel your stuffed companion craves is the fear of your enemies. It’s like sugar cubes to them. They are much more difficult to train than a four legged horse. Good luck.

    Have you any plans for further development of Hopalong? Additional features you’d like to include?

    Heck yeah, buckaroo! Multiplayer and VR arcade features are in the planning stages. We have also explored a medieval theme where you are a horse riding wizard that storms all the castles.

    What’s next for you guys? I expect you already know considering your studio name.

    We have more ideas than you can shake a stick horse at. A couple of ideas in the works are: Flying Blades, a martial arts and sword fighting game that takes place in the air, and a Roman-inspired giant robot game. In Flying Blades, the Oscillot system is used to propel you through the air by flicking a magic sword and using another sword for direction as you battle giant demons. The Romanesque robot game has you commanding a giant mech-like contraption to defend a Rome that never fell…thanks to the robot!

    The mean hombres of Form the Future. Wanted: dead or alive.

    Speaking of that, what is the future like? Are there jetpacks? We were promised jetpacks.

    Well, it’s not all flying cars and musical toilets. Jetpacks ARE a thing but they are only in fanny pack form. Bell bottoms are back but the bells are reversed. Walt Disney has been resurrected…and man is he angry! Those are the highlights.

    Thanks for talking to us, Mike. We’ll let you return to the future now!

    Hopalong: The Badlands is available in Viveport Subscription.

    Website: LINK

  • OrthoVR rebuilds lives in virtual reality

    OrthoVR rebuilds lives in virtual reality

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Millions of people around the world suffer amputation and disability due to war, accident, and congenital conditions. Yet relatively few of them have access to mobility aids that would allow them to walk, a freedom most people take for granted. Without prosthetic limbs, it can be incredibly difficult to participate in education, work or even social activities, especially in the developing world. Beyond the tremendous impact this has on individuals, there are economic and social costs to families and even communities.

    With the advent of low-cost 3D printing, the production of suitable prostheses is now possible almost anywhere. Organizations like Canadian non-profit Nia Technologies are helping clinics in low and middle-income countries to manufacture prosthetic and orthotic devices faster than ever before. From digital scanning through design and 3D print production, Nia is helping clinics across the developing world to serve people affected by missing limbs.

    There’s one problem: the complexity of 3D design. The solution? It might be adding virtual reality to the process.

    Traditionally, clinicians who work with prosthetic limbs are trained in manual practices, such as plaster casting, sanding and shaping of prostheses. While clinicians can see the benefits of using 3D printing to create materials, often they have difficulty in adapting to the other part of the design process: digital modeling.

    With 3D printing solutions, clinicians are no longer working with their hands – they are working with a mouse. While some can adapt, for many it’s a difficult process. They’re used to touching, shaping and examining their creations, like so many craftspeople before them. While 3D printing makes the production process faster, ironically the challenge of visual design can make the overall process slower.

    The solution could be virtual reality: making the design process truly three-dimensional, and putting creativity directly back into the hands of those creating these prostheses. This is exactly what OrthoVR aims to do.

    With the help of VR for Impact, Nia Technologies has partnered with VR startup Gradient Space, the Critical Making Lab at the University of Toronto and CBM Canada to make OrthoVR possible.

    Rather than forcing prosthetic clinicians to re-learn their skills via a mouse and flat screen, OrthoVR uses the Vive controllers and the immersion of VR itself to leverage existing skills with 3D printing. Clinicians can examine, shape and refine prostheses in a virtual space, allowing them to prototype and finalize much faster. When ready, they can then output to a 3D printer and see their work in the real world.

    Clinical trials of OrthoVR will soon begin in Tanzania, with others to follow in other developing world clinics. If these are successful, hopefully OrthoVR will be used in more locations across the world, helping people overcome their amputation or disability with prostheses.

    By combining two high-tech solutions – 3D printing and virtual reality – OrthoVR could revolutionize prosthetic production across the world.

    For more information on OrthoVR, visit the project’s website. Find out more about the VR for Impact initiative at VRforImpact.com, or visit our community forums.

    Website: LINK

  • Step Inside the Unabomber Investigation with HTC Vive and Newseum

    Step Inside the Unabomber Investigation with HTC Vive and Newseum

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    This is a guest blog post by Lukasz Biernacki, Communications Associate at Immersion.

    If you’re one of the many that spent the Christmas break binging on Netflix then you may be familiar with Manhunt: Unabomber, the eight-part docudrama outlining the FBI investigation that led to the arrest of Ted Kaczynski. For those of you not familiar with the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski was an active domestic terrorist between 1978 and 1995, during which time he murdered three people and injured a further 23 through a ruthless campaign of mail-delivery bombs, which he made and sent from his secluded cabin in the Montana woods. Kaczynski is currently incarcerated for life in a maximum security institution in Colorado following a lengthy FBI investigation into his crimes.

    There’s no doubting that the story of the Unabomber and his capture was and still is an international spectacle, which is why we teamed up with The Newseum and HTC’s Vive Studios to produce a VR experience that immerses users in the story of the Unabomber – from the FBI investigation to the capture of Kaczynski at his primitive cabin. In the Unabomber experience, visitors will not only get to enter the same cabin that officials found in 1996, but actively participate in the case and get a front row seat to the process that led to Kaczynski’s arrest. Insight from FBI agents Terry Turchie (Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the UNABOM investigation from 1994 to 1998) and Max Noel (FBI agent during the investigation) adds to the narrative experience that reflects in many ways the reality of the investigation, over 20 years later.

    The Unabomber experience marks a cornerstone in the use of VR technology to enhance visitor’s experiences in museums and similar environments. Interacting through activity-based and learning-enabled environments helps us create the memory anchors that cements what we learned.

    The launch also highlights the potential for VR technology in the criminal justice system, as it may become a tool in the courtroom in years to come. Paul Armstrong at Forbes, recently spoke to FBI Special Agent Terry Turchie about the sense of ‘presence’ that VR provides and its potential to be a ‘game changer’ in the practice of law. Turchie explains that he can see the benefits of using VR in the courtroom but is concerned about a couple of areas such as how will it impact conviction rates. Ultimately, as with any demonstrative evidence presented in a courtroom, the judge is the final gatekeeper for what is admissible and how it is used. As the technology refines, transforms and becomes more common, expect to see it to become a staple in the courtroom.

    The Unabomber experience marks the first in a series of similar educational experiences that we will develop with The Newseum and HTC’s Vive Studios, such as Nellie Bly’s trip around the world. All of the VR experiences will be selectively showcased to Newseum visitors in Washington and available for download on Viveport.

    Together with Vive Studios, we understand that educational experiences such as this add an additional story-telling platform to museums’ arsenal, and enable children all over the world to experience the most exciting exhibits as virtual models. For many children, currently deprived of the opportunity to travel, these kits will give them the chance to learn about human history directly, and interact with key artifacts and artwork from their selected period. In many ways, it’s about bringing children closer to history, and letting them learn about it through the very natural need to explore our surroundings.

    The Unabomber app is available now on Viveport and will be made available for Steam at a later time.

    Website: LINK

  • Enter your VR app for the second Viveport Developer Awards

    Enter your VR app for the second Viveport Developer Awards

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Viveport Developer Awards trophy mock-up

    Last year, in the inaugural VDAs, we awarded prizes to apps across the spectrum of what’s possible in VR – from recreating history with Apollo 11 VR, to witnessing a piece of art in motion with Firebird – La Péri. With another year of experience and experimentation, we’re hoping to see the bar raised, if not completely surpassed, by your VR creations!

    Well, the aforementioned $50,000 for our first prize winner for starters. You’ll also be featured in a studio profile video produced by us, get priority access to new developer hardware and, naturally, a trophy to place right next to your development kit. If you don’t manage to snag first place and come second, you’ll still get everything here plus a massive $20,000 as well.

    Almost anything! Whether your title is already live on Viveport or it’s submitted before the end of February 9th, you’ll be eligible for consideration. (There are some exceptions; check out our FAQ for exact details.) The five categories we’re considering titles in are as follows:

    Entertainment: An app that captivates the player in an engaging world and story. Features interactivity that is satisfying and rewarding. Leaves a lasting impression. Encourages the player to revisit the title again and again.

    Education: An app that offers immersive and interactive learning experiences for the classroom or outside of it. Sparks curiosity, imagination and passion for intriguing subject matter.

    Arts & Culture: An app that enables, preserves, and democratizes creation in the arts. Addresses a diverse, global audience and contributes to the knowledge and enjoyment of cultural heritage.

    Enterprise: An app that aims to transform businesses with digital innovation. Accelerates the way teams create, cooperate and execute. Impacts key areas such as visualization, design, collaboration, marketing/sales and simulation/training.

    Arcade: An app that will delight customers new to virtual reality. Designed for location-based entertainment considering ease of learning and playtime. A great choice for venues and businesses offering virtual reality experiences.

    If you don’t think your app fits into any of these categories, great! Submit it anyway. We love to see original work!

    To be considered for the VDAs, all you have to do is submit your title for publication on Viveport via our Developer Console. (Your title does not have to be published – i.e. live – to be considered for the awards, but it must be submitted for publishing.) More information on how to enter is in our FAQ.

    February 9th. As long as your title is submitted for publication by then, it’s eligible for consideration. We’re looking forward to seeing your VR creativity in action!

    PS! Don’t forget to check out our FAQ!

    Website: LINK

  • HTC VIVE and World Economic Forum Partner For The Future Of The “VR/AR For Impact” Initiative

    HTC VIVE and World Economic Forum Partner For The Future Of The “VR/AR For Impact” Initiative

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Today, HTC VIVE announced a partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to drive the VR/AR for Impact initiative forward, and to showcase its latest content at the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Impact Hub at the WEF 2018 in Davos.

    Originally launched by HTC at WEF in 2017, VR/AR For Impact is a more than $10 Million program to drive VR and AR content and technologies that will create positive impact and change in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.  In collaboration with a core group of VR/AR leaders and the UN, WEF will drive the “VR/AR for Impact” initiative going forward, and as a core member of the group, HTC Vive will continue to design and create experiences as part of their collaborative, ongoing commitment to foster and champion the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality to educate and empower humanity. 

    “The challenges our world faces today have never been greater, and humanity needs a clearer understanding and guidance to help solve global issues,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO, HTC. “Unlike any other medium, Virtual Reality is able to immerse the global audience in literally any experience, and can help us learn, empathize and transform the world. VR/AR for Impact is a unique way of driving critical awareness toward problems and solutions facing mankind.” 

    “We see so much untapped potential with VR/AR to drive positive outcomes for society in areas such as health and education, and we are looking forward to working with leaders in this space to build up this initiative in the coming years,” says Lauren Joseph, leader of the Electronics Industry Program at World Economic Forum.

               

    VR/AR for Impact experiences shown this week at WEF 2018 include:

    • OrthoVR aims to increase the availability of well-fitting prosthetics in low-income countries by using Virtual Reality and 3D rapid prototyping tools to increase the capacity of clinical staff without reducing quality. VR allows current prosthetists and orthosists to leverage their hands-on and embodied skills within a digital environment.
    • The Extraordinary Honey Bee is designed to help deepen our understanding of the honey bee’s struggle and learn what is at stake for humanity due to the dying global population of the honey bee. Told from a bee’s perspective, The Extraordinary Honey Bee harnesses VR to inspire change in the next generation of honey bee conservationists.
    • The Blank Canvas: Hacking Nature is an episodic exploration of the frontiers of bioengineering as taught by the leading researchers within the field. Using advanced scientific visualization techniques, the Blank Canvas will demystify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are being exploited to drive substantial leaps such as gene therapy.
    • LIFE (Life-saving Instruction For Emergencies) is a new mobile and VR platform developed by the University of Oxford that enables all types of health worker to manage medical emergencies. Through the use of personalized simulation training and advanced learning analytics, the LIFE platform offers the potential to dramatically extend access to life-saving knowledge in low-income countries.
    • Tree is a critically acclaimed virtual reality experience to immerse viewers in the tragic fate that befalls a rainforest tree. The experience brings to light the harrowing realities of deforestation, one of the largest contributors to global warming.
    • For the Amazonian Yawanawa, ‘medicine’ has the power to travel you in a vision to a place you have never been. Hushuhu, the first woman shaman of the Yawanawa, uses VR like medicine to open a portal to another way of knowing. AWAVENA is a collaboration between a community and an artist, melding technology and transcendent experience so that a vision can be shared, and a story told of a people ascending from the edge of extinction.

    These experiences will be made available for all attendees at the World Economic Forum at the UN’s Sustainable Impact Hub on January 23rd, 2018 on Promenade 72, Davos Platz in Switzerland. Awavena can be experienced in the main congress hall, Portals exhibition.

    For more information on VR for Impact visit: https://vrforimpact.com/.

    Website: LINK

  • Vive Partners With the Best in VR at CES 2018

    Vive Partners With the Best in VR at CES 2018

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    Yesterday at CES, Vive raised the bar for premium VR with the new Vive Pro upgrade and Wireless Vive adaptor while dramatically improving the way we discover and consume VR content with Viveport VR and Vive Video. Today, we’re proud to highlight the exceptional partners sharing our booth and those showing Vive out on the floor.

    Starting today, the following partners will be demoing their content at Vive’s expo at the Wynn’s Alsace Ballroom:

    • Evasion by Archiact–

     

    Developed by Archiact, Evasion is an intense VR shooter game, designed to immerse players in high-intensity co-op multiplayer combat. Experience the next generation in VR locomotion designed from the ground up for an authentic FPS action game. Choose a hero class and join up to three friends or go on alone in an extinction-level battle for survival. Evasion will deliver cinematic destructible environments and intense bullet hell action. Players will team up and fight their way through maelstroms of bullets while diving for cover. The ‘Swarm A.I’ enemy behavior system adds a new level of tension, making tactical movement and teamwork critical to your squad’s survival. Experience the charge of heroism as you and your team run and gun to complete vital objectives, rescue one another and overcome deadly ambushes.

    • Arizona Sunshine by Vertigo Games and Jaywalkers Interactive –

    Virtual reality meets the zombie apocalypse! Arizona Sunshine is a first-person shooter built exclusively for VR that immerses you in a post-apocalyptic southwestern America overrun by zombies. Developed from the ground up for HTC Vive and Oculus, Arizona Sunshine puts you in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. 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.

    •  CXC Simulations –

    The CXC Simulations Motion Pro II was developed as a professional-level racing simulator capable of serving as a training tool for professional drivers. Designed by a team with a background in professional auto racing, the Motion Pro II is set apart by:

    • Proprietary full-motion and car control systems
    • A dedicated carbon fiber and steel chassis
    • Highly realistic software systems

    These systems which work together to accurately replicate the sensation of driving on the race track. The proof is in the number of Indy Car and sports car drivers who use the Motion Pro II to practice and train.

    Realistic driving starts with accurate data. However, an accurate simulation is not just an assembly of data. Thanks to a high-tech physics engine and tire modeling system, this data is transformed into feeling when you’re behind the wheel. The final piece of the puzzle is VR. By adding the HTC VIVE to the Motion Pro II, it completes the immersive feeling of actually being on the track.

    • Doom VFR by Bethesda Softworks® –

    Available for PlayStation VR and VIVE platforms, this DOOM adventure will bathe you in virtual carnage. Developed by id Software, the studio that pioneered the first-person shooter genre and modern VR, DOOM® VFR brings the fast-paced, brutal gameplay fans of the series love to virtual reality. Immerse yourself in the UAC facility on Mars and the depths of Hell, as your skills are put to the test through intense combat. Play as a cybernetic survivor who is activated by the UAC to fight the demon invasion, maintain order, and prevent catastrophic failure at the Mars facility. Lay waste to an army of demonic foes as you explore and interact with the outlandish world of DOOM from an entirely new perspective.

    • Fallout 4 VR by Bethesda Softworks® –

     

    Fallout 4, the legendary post-apocalyptic adventure from Bethesda Game Studios and winner of more than 200 ‘Best Of’ awards, including the DICE and BAFTA Game of the Year, finally comes in its entirety to VR. Fallout 4 VR includes the complete core game with all-new combat, crafting, and building systems fully reimagined for virtual reality. The freedom of exploring the wasteland comes alive like never before.

    • Front Defense: Heroes by Fantahorn Studio –

     

     

    Front Defense: Heroes, the latest installment to Fantahorn’s smash hit Front Defense, brings you the intensity and dangers of World War II. Front Defense: Heroes is a 5v5 online multiplayer VR game set during World War II. Front Defense: Heroes delivers the most immersive war experience, using classic World War II weapons in life-like battlefield atmospheres. The development team, Fantahorn Studio, has come up with the best VR war experience to-date. Between the detailed graphics and intuitive control experience, players can explore the battlefield freely, make strategic movements, and engage in realistic combat. The most immersive World War II military shooting game on HTC VIVE currently includes 2 different online multiplayer modes across 5 exciting maps: Team Deathmatch and Defense. Through the submillimeter tracking and room scale VR of HTC VIVE, experience the classic battles of World War II, experience the European climate during wartime in an immersive online multiplayer first-person shooter. Engage in this great war in VR and fight shoulder to shoulder with heroes and friends.

    • Microdose VR by Vision Agency –

    The Microdose VR platform is a fully customizable creative experience for gamers, artists, musicians, and dancers. Microdose VR puts the creative power in the player’s hands to do real time audio/visual performances, create custom content and build shareable worlds in which to host networked multiplayer collaborations and competitions.

    Microdose VR is designed from the ground up as a native VR app, based on a core mechanic which is only possible within virtual reality. Designed to viscerally engage gamers, artists, musicians and dancers of all ages, players can tune the experience to their preference, from an auto-tuned therapeutic experience to highly customized skill-based gameplay.

    With the complexity of engineering and development required to create VR software, it feels unattainable and out of reach to most digital artists and musicians, and there is currently no clear platform for artists and musicians to make their own truly unique creative splash into the VR space. Microdose VR paves the way for creatives to get involved and make their mark in Virtual Reality, and offers a social multiplayer gaming platform unlike anything that has come

    before.

    • Muse by Interaxon –

     

     

    Interaxon introduces Muse VR – the world’s first neuroadaptive interface for VR and mixed reality. Muse VR brings Interaxon’s robust brain sensing system and cardiac physiology sensors into the HTC Vive, creating new ways (like MicroDose VR) for users to interact with responsive virtual environments.

    • Raymond Forklift by Raymond –

    The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator allows the user to enter a simulated warehousing environment utilizing an existing Raymond® forklift truck by plugging into the company’s patent-pending sPort, or Simulation Port. The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator allows operators to become familiar and comfortable with the forklift and its controls prior to operating within the physical warehousing environment, thus building confidence. This platform affords operators the ability to learn within a controlled simulated environment, avoiding potential product and warehouse incidents.

    • Ready Player One by Sansar Studios –

    VR recreation of Aech’s Garage from Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One

    Interpreted by Sansar Studios from the original ILM design for Ready Player One from

    Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Village Roadshow

    Pictures, opening on March 30, 2018.

    Check out the Ready Player One Trailer here.

    • Rumii by Doghead Simulations –

    Currently, the only way for remote workers to communicate is through VoIP software that focuses on telephones and joining a pre-planned meeting online. By using rumii, teams distributed all over the world can communicate, participate, and interact with each other as though they are all in the same room.

    Collaborate without traveling and gain real-time visibility into your team’s dynamics with rumii for distributed business teams. Our solutions will help you optimize your entire business team, from agile planning, sprint Development, project management and scheduling – while shrinking total travel costs.

    rumii can be used across virtual reality headsets, desktops, browsers, tablets, and phones. Built-in audio means no more dial-in numbers and access codes. Do more than share presentations. Teams can manipulate objects for 3D product design and innovation.

    • SimforHealth –

    SimforHealth is a leading provider of innovative digital solutions for improving the training of healthcare professionals. The company works alongside faculties, medical schools, and training organizations to design immersive, interactive and collaborative solutions for medical education and medical training. Continuously monitoring new technologies, SimforHealth’s medical teams and simulation experts have already trained more than 30,000 healthcare professionals worldwide and are committed to the ethical principle of “Never the First Time with the Patient”.

    • Vive Video –

    Today HTC Creative Labs also rolled out an upgrade to its native VR video player, Vive Video. Vive Video solves the discovery and acquisition problem for VR video content by delivering a large catalog of high-quality streaming video directly to VR headsets. In addition to new features and UI upgrades, Vive Video has integrated content from Vimeo, the world’s largest ad-free open video platform, and home to millions of creators worldwide.

    • Viveport VR –

     

    Available today, Viveport VR is the biggest upgrade to the Viveport customer experience since launch. Viveport VR will change the way consumers browse and discover new content. Viveport VR is the biggest update to the Viveport customer experience since launch. Viveport VR is an all-new way to browse, discover and purchase VR content. Instead of being locked to a 2D plane on a PC or phone, consumers can browse and discover content in a deep and immersive experience that stays true to bringing VR content to life. VR Previews offer a new opportunity for developers to present their titles to potential customers and a new way for customers to try the content before downloading.

    In addition to showcasing this exciting content in our booth, read here for new Vive Demos and hardware all around the CES Floor.

    Website: LINK

  • HTC VIVE Raises The Bar For Premium VR With New VIVE PRO Upgrade And Wireless VIVE Adaptor

    HTC VIVE Raises The Bar For Premium VR With New VIVE PRO Upgrade And Wireless VIVE Adaptor

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    New Hardware Raises the Bar for High-End VR Market, While All-New Viveport VR and Vive Video Dramatically Improves the way You Browse, Discover and Acquire VR Content.

    Today in Las Vegas, HTC VIVE™, the leader in room-scale Virtual Reality (VR) announced new hardware upgrades that deliver premium VR experiences to consumers and enterprises with the introduction of Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor. In addition, the company debuted new improvements in how VR users discover, experience and acquire VR content through a radical redesign of Viveport VR and Vive Video. These advancements deliver on VR users’ desire for higher resolution, improved audio, greater comfort, wireless freedom and immersive content discovery.

    Vive Pro

    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.

    This premium resolution enhances immersion for VR enthusiasts, and the improved clarity means text, graphics and overall experience all come into sharper view. Vive Pro also features integrated, high-performance headphones with a built-in amplifier to offer a heightened sense of presence and an overall richer sound. Vive Pro’s new headstrap was built with enhanced ergonomics and comfort, including a sizing dial for a more balanced headset that decreases weight on the front of the headset. Additional improvements include dual microphones with active noise cancellation and dual front-facing cameras designed to empower developer creativity.

    “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 VR

    In the largest upgrade to the Viveport customer experience since launch, Viveport VR redefines how users, discover, experience and acquire VR content. Instead of a traditional 2D catalog, Viveport VR content is delivered in fully immersive interactive previews. Viveport is embracing a VR first approach by including VR enabled “VR Previews,” which are interactive glimpses of content that give customers a room-scale preview of an experience and the opportunity to interact with content before purchasing or subscribing.

    “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.

     Vive Video Includes Vimeo

    Today HTC Creative Labs also rolled out an upgrade to its native VR video player, Vive Video. Vive Video solves the discovery and acquisition problem for VR video content by delivering a large catalog of high quality streaming video directly to VR headsets. In addition to new features and UI upgrades, Vive Video has integrated content from Vimeo, the world’s largest ad-free open video platform home to millions of creators worldwide.

    In the new Vive Video experience, a curated selection of Vimeo content will be made available to browse and view in a highly optimized native VR experiences within Vive Video-compatible headsets.

    “Whether we’re building our own tools in-house or partnering with other innovative platforms, Vimeo is committed to the future of storytelling and finding new ways to support our creators,” said Christophe Gillet, GM of Vimeo’s Creator Platform. “Not only does the integration with Vive Video showcase some of Vimeo’s highest quality, human-curated content within the VR experience, but it also gives those creators an exciting new way to expose their work and engage with audiences.”

    Vive Video has consistently been one of the most-downloaded and highest-rated apps on the SteamVR platform, enabling users to view 180 and 360-degree video content. Vive Video is available today for both Vive and Google Daydream platforms, and will arrive on Vive Wave in the near future.

    Website: LINK

  • Zayden’s Wish: Making the Impossible Mission Possible – in VR

    Zayden’s Wish: Making the Impossible Mission Possible – in VR

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    **This is a guest post from the team at Trick3D

    The tarmac at Dobbins Air Force Base is clear – no jet engine roars – it’s calm enough to hear the American flag flapping in the breeze. And yet, the air’s electric with excitement. More than 50 airmen are aligned in formation. They are awaiting the arrival of a very special astronaut for a very special mission.

    Astronaut Zayden Wright was born with a rare heart condition. In his seven years of life, the young explorer endured 38 echocardiograms, six heart cauterizations and four open heart surgeries. Yet, none of these challenges have stopped his appetite for adventure. When Make-A-Wish Georgia asked Zayden Wright what he wished for in all of the world, Zayden wished to go to Saturn in a red rocket ship, so his mother, Shonda Wright, said “Let’s see what we can do!”

    From there, Zayden’s family, Make-A-Wish Georgia, immersive content studio TRICK 3D, and a squadron of local wish-granting volunteers banded together to make the seemingly impossible mission possible for the young airman. The group turned to the power of virtual reality to make the space expedition come to fruition.

    The creative vision for the virtual reality wish was set by Zayden himself. Zayden described what his space expedition would be like with his mom and, in vivid detail, he shared how his rocket ship will be red, how he’ll meet a little green alien, and how he’ll see countless stars along his journey.

    With Zayden’s creative brief in-hand, director and TRICK 3D founder, Chad Eikhoff, and his team set to work crafting the VR experience.

    “When Make-A-Wish Georgia shared the wish with me, I immediately said ‘yes! We are doing this!’ Virtual reality is a medium that’s inherently built for wishes and dreams, and this is a great example of VR making something possible that was previously unattainable,” said Eikhoff. “For us at TRICK 3D, building a world and experience for such a meaningful use at such a high level of production is 100 percent why we create, so saying ‘yes’ to Zayden was a no-brainer.”

    The ‘yes’ was easy. The task of crafting an experience that transported Zayden to the destination of his dreams was tricky – just the kind of challenge the artists of TRICK 3D love to tackle. Early on, the team turned to the HTC Vive headset, affectionately dubbed “astronaut goggles,” to achieve the most immersive virtual reality experience possible for Zayden.

    “It was imperative for this experience that we make Zayden feel as though he was really experiencing the Saturn of his dreams,” remarked TRICK 3D lead technical artist, Warren Drones. “To achieve this, our team iterated in the Vive constantly – taking the headset on and off repeatedly – checking and re-checking the experience in order to refine the virtual world we were creating in real-time. The result – Zayden’s reaction – made it all worth it and confirmed to us the power of the technology.”

    Zayden donned the HTC Vive (his astronaut goggles) and “blasted off” to Saturn on May 1st from Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, Ga. alongside NASA astronaut, LeRoy Chiao, to the fanfare of more than 50 airmen.

    “Zayden’s Wish” represented the first-ever VR wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the seven-year-old’s reaction showcases the potential virtual reality has to transport kids (and adults) to places and experiences that were previously impossible or unimaginable.

    “Zayden’s wish inspires us all to imagine what’s possible – he set a high bar for using VR to instill hope and joy,” said Eikhoff. “We’re excited by the innovative pathways this wish paved that will grant future wishes not yet imagined.”

    Most recently, the Make-A-Wish Foundation honored the Georgia chapter and “Zayden’s Wish” with the Most Innovative Wish of the Year award.

    “We have seen, time and again, that when we can make seemingly impossible wishes come true for these families, they experience an improved sense of overall hope and an improved outlook,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Zayden’s Wish represents a remarkable achievement in harnessing creativity and technology to make that hope happen in a whole new way.”

    To learn more about Make-A-Wish America, visit Wish.org. For more on TRICK 3D, visit TRICK3D.com.

    Website: LINK

  • Savings galore in our Viveport Holiday Sale

    Savings galore in our Viveport Holiday Sale

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    ‘Tis the season to be in VR, as they say, and we’ve got plenty of great incentives to get you there. Whether you’ll be unwrapping a Vive on the 25th or have already taken your first step into a virtual world, we have dozens of VR titles for sale this holiday. Here’s what we have, as our gift to you!

    Spend $29.99 and get a 3-month subscription!

    Whatever you buy during this sale, it will count towards you getting three months of Viveport Subscription. As soon as you’ve spent $29.99 or more (or local equivalent) you’ll be eligible to receive a three month subscription code, which will be sent to you in early 2018. That way you can spend the first quarter of 2018 exploring up to 15 different VR titles!

    Want some hints on where to spend your money to get to $29.99? Well, you might start with one or more of our Viveport Staff Picks. Then there’s the newly-arrived L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, Tilt Brush by Google, The Gallery- Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone (and Episode 1‘s on sale too), Knockout League or perhaps Fantastic Contraption.

    Please note, this offer is only available in the following Viveport territories: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and China.

    Save on Viveport Subscription

    Want to keep experiencing Viveport titles until next holiday season? Then save yourself some money with discounts on our Viveport Subscription bundles. Here’s what you can save:

    • Save 40% on a 12-month subscription bundle (Access 60 titles in total!)
    • Save 30% on a 6-month subscription (Access 30 titles in total!)
    • Save 25% on a 3-month subscription (Access 15 titles in total!)

    If you already have a Viveport Subscription, good news – these bundles add-on to your existing sub, so you can extend your subscription and save.

    To pick up a Viveport Subscription bundle, click here.

    Up to 65% off Viveport titles

    Save up to 80% on selected Viveport titles

    Last but not least, we’ve got discounts of up to 80% on a huge range of titles. There’s truly something for everyone here, from the gamer to the history buff. Show your family what VR has to offer with one or more from this list (sorted alphabetically by title).

    Remember, we’re giving 100% of revenue share for every title on Viveport until December 31st to developers – so you’ll be giving them an extra boost with every purchase, too. Support your favorite developers and get a gift for yourself this holiday!

    However you spend the holidays, in VR or out, everyone here at Viveport hopes you have a fantastic time!

    Website: LINK

  • The Ochre Atelier Comes To Viveport

    The Ochre Atelier Comes To Viveport

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The next stage of Vive’s partnership with Tate comes to life as Modigliani VR experience ‘The Ochre Atelier’ is now available to download at home

    In 1919 Amedeo Modigliani returned to Paris from the south of France. The war was over; his health had improved. His art dealer, Léopold Zborowski found a studio and living space for Modigliani and his partner, Jeanne Hébuterne, on the rue de la Grande Chaumière, near the cafés and meeting places of Montparnasse. Thanks to Vive’s VR technology, you can now be transported from the comfort of your own home to a recreation of the place where one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century lived and worked in the final months of his life.

    While the studio still exists, almost 100 years after the artist’s death, its appearance has changed significantly. There are no photographs of the studio from the 1910s.  Yet by using the actual space as a template, as well as study of first-hand accounts, historical research and new technical information about Modigliani’s paintings, the studio was reconstructed by teams at Tate and Preloaded to accurately reflect the artist’s living environment. Each object included in the experience was carefully researched, validated by art historians and authentically modelled.

    This incredible and unprecedented look into the life and work of one of the early 20th century’s most innovative artists is currently installed within Tate Modern’s exhibition Modigliani.

    Available now on Viveport, the experience has been expanded and will be more immersive than ever before by utilising the Vive controllers and Vive’s unique room-scale functionality to allow you to walk around Modigliani’s studio. You can check out the experience and how it was made by watching the video here:

    You can from today download the The Ochre Atelier on Viveport here for $2.99.

    This latest release sees Vive continue its work with the arts world, the partnership with Tate Modern being the latest project in the Vive Arts program. Vive has been previously centre stage at leading art venues and events around the world, including Tribeca Film Festival, The Venice Biennale and Somerset House.

    Stay tuned to the Vive blog for even more exciting art projects in 2018.

    Website: LINK

  • Operation Apex and the Motivations Behind It

    Operation Apex and the Motivations Behind It

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    With the launch of Operation Apex today on the HTC VIVE, we asked the CEO of Curiscope, Ed Barton, to give us some in depth insight into the virtual experience surrounding one of the most expansive, diverse places on the planet: our ocean.

    It’s hard to imagine a world without plastics. For most of us, it’s only the world we’ve ever known. Plastic became a mainstream material in the 70s with invention of the plastic bag  and now, in less than 50 years, we’ve reached a stage where our oceans contain over 50 trillion microplastic particles, 500 times more than the stars in our Galaxy. If we continue at our current rate, by 2050 our oceans will contain more plastic than fish by mass.

    The underwater world makes up considerably more of the Earth than the areas we inhabit, yet to most of us the ocean is completely alien, scary even. It is an environment where still, countless species still exist that we’ve never even laid eyes on. The wonder of this world runs contrary to the impact we as a species are having on it. Our impact is something that’s out of sight and out of mind.

    So there’s a huge problem here but we wanted to try to tackle it a little differently. Virtual Reality is often so immersive that most experiences focused on a social mission leave you drained or overwhelmed and can often do more to disconnect you from the issue at hand. Learning about something doesn’t need to feel like a lecture.

    With Operation Apex we wanted to lead with the wonder of the ocean, creating a product that stands up on its own right. It’s not only a game that you’ll learn from but something that you’ll enjoy and want to go back into time and time again to interact with the creatures and to explore the things hidden around the levels.

    So, what was important to make that happen? We started the project with extensive communication with our contacts at Oceans Research, looking into what messages were important to communicate and how we could best represent the environment. The development team then scoured through research papers to learn as much as we could about the food chain and the way the animals move in this environment so that we’d be able to make it feel as realistic as possible. In particular, we spent months honing an algorithm for the sharks that represented them in a lifelike manner. This provided the user with an ability to interact with them, feed them, chase them and swim with them, all as though you were in their environment alongside them.


    This code-driven animation was something we were particularly keen to work on. Ben and myself started Curiscope at the start of 2016 with an animation, Great White Sharks 360, that went on to be watched by over 25m people. Most people watch it not even knowing that it’s animated and assume it to be filmed footage. Animation and CGI were the tools we chose at the time with the objective of reaching as many people as possible but we always built it with a view to it becoming something more.

    Operation Apex is the product that is something more, the spiritual sequel. We transitioned the company from CGI to real-time, code-driven animation, creating a fully interactive, explorable world where the inhabitants react to your presence. It’s maybe bigger than we ever envisioned it would be and we’re just getting started. One of the most exciting aspects about working in this new medium is world creation and the subsequent exploration and discovery this offers. The opportunity to create dynamic creatures that then live there and react to you is a sensation that’s unique to VR and that’s unparalleled by anything else.

    The food chain is the core point of progression in Operation Apex. As you progress through the game you work your way up, learning more and more about the different species and how pollutants, plastics and overfishing have an impact across them all. We’ve also introduced a couple of interesting game mechanics, the lure and the mimic. Together you can use these to control and interact with the creatures in your environment. As you progress through the game, you unlock more and more mimics (even a Whale Shark which is…interesting) and interact your way up to the predators at the top of the food chain.

    So it’s a bit of an experience, a game and a virtual world, all rolled into one. We designed it to be open ended so that, whilst there’s a narrative arc, you can go off script and explore the environment. We hate experiences that are on rails and think the most exciting part about an ocean environment is the freedom that it offers. It’s an interesting space in which to create; and we want to continue opening up possibilities as we develop it further.

    We’d hope that users spend as much time exploring the environment as they do progressing through the tasks. We’ve spent a lot of time crafting it to have its own character with deep crevices, caves, tunnels and the slowly wafting kelp, loosely modelled on one of our favorite places on the planet, Monterey. We’ve also hidden some pretty interesting discoveries around the levels, some hinting at future expansion ideas and others being creatures that are as elusive in the game as they are in real life.

    Ultimately we’d love to hear how you all get on. We’re a small team with around 6 members of staff working on Operation Apex over 2017. We’d love for this to be the start of development and of transforming the idea of what immersive learning really could be. And, of course, we’d love to hear how Operation Apex has impacted you and how, together, we can protect the most important ecosystem on our planet.

    • Ed Barton, CEO, Curiscope

    Website: LINK