Oculus Connect 3 Developer Session Videos are now up to view.

If you were not able to make Oculus Connect 3 this year here is a Youtube playlist with 32 videos from the event included:

I was able to attend quite a few and some highlights for me include the sessions below. Check them out to really get a great understanding of not only what Oculus and Facebook are doing with VR but how the industry is developing as a whole. 

The proliferation of 360 content coupled with the new WebVR standard promises to bring a wave of fresh content to VR. Using familiar tools such as WebGL, three.js, and React, developers can easily create interactive 3D and 360 experiences.

Virtual reality has changed how we create. From games and movies, to experiences and tools-we're just beginning to see what's possible. But what happens when you take traditional artistic methods and transfer them to VR? Learn how Oculus is creating new tools, specifically for Touch, to help more people express themselves.

VR has become a powerful empathy machine. What is it about this new medium that's so effective at connecting humanity? This panel discusses how we can continue to harness the power of VR for positive social change.

What went under the radar (Other than Palmer Luckey) from Oculus Connect 3.

Well last week was Oculus Connect 3 and it was a pretty inspirational time for VR. Attending connect as both press and in a biz dev role had me in a position where most of the super exciting news had been reported on. Well I am still going to post about it but I am also going to mention some stuff that I felt fell under the radar. OC3 was actually a very big event for Oculus and Facebook in that they showed that this is not a fad for them and they were bringing the big guns to show. The keynote featured perhaps one of the biggest tech guns of them all, Mark Zuckerberg.

They did not hold back from showing how social Facebook want VR to be with Avatars and social interactivity rooms. I wonder if companies like AltSpaceVR  are pretty much f'd right now. How do you compete with Facebook on Social VR? They are bringing VR emojis that will use body language to show emotion in your virtual avatar. Just WOW!

Palmer Luckey was absent from the Oculus Connect 3 Keynote, perhaps due to the controversy surrounding the Oculus founder as a result of the revelation that he had supported a pro-Trump online campaign. In fact it was rumored that Luckey was the one that was originally going to do the Oculus state of the union that Zuckerberg ended up delivering. Despite the controversy I was a bit sad to not see him in his trademark Hawaiian Shirt and flip flops, especially during the reveal of Oculus's high end wireless prototype, Santa Cruz.

But enough about that,  if you want more info just check out the recorded Keynote bellow.

I want to talk about some things I felt did not get enough media coverage. Lets start with TheWaveVR. Not only was TheWaveVR crew in attendance, Grimecraft played the OC3 afterparty...with Oculus Touch controllers. This is news because every time I have seen TheWaveVR demoed or showed off it has always been on an HTC Vive. This was the first time I had seen the platform used with Oculus Touch controllers in a public setting. 

Something else that went under the radar was the first mass scale public demo of Kingspray VR Graffiti Simulator. I have been hyped for this since May but after releasing a few trailers the team pretty much went dark with no word about development. At OC3 I got a chance to not only try out the game but talk with one of the members of the Infectious Ape development team, Nolan Cunningham. Nolan was super cool but and said I could interview him but did not want to be recorded. Mostly because he is just a cool dev making cool content not frigging Kanye West. 

Funny enough publicity may have been what led the Infectious Ape team to go dark for a little bit. Nolan said the team put out some videos in May, had some congratulatory drinks, and then woke up to way more attention than they wanted at the time. The Infectious Ape dropped off the radar and surprisingly showed up at OC3 with a demo for Oculus Touch. Once again another company who started of with a HTC Vive focused product showing up on Rift before an official Vive launch. 

I also have to give a huge shoutout to High Voltage Software, a company I have followed and supported for years. https://www.destructoid.com/eric-stoll-of-high-voltage-software-reveals-conduit-3ds-196245.phtml

High Voltage was featured heavily during the Oculus Keynote and both the critically acclaimed Damaged Core and their new card battle game Dragon Front were given high praise during the keynote. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/damagedcore

I had a chance to speak with High Voltage Software's Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger who stated that between him going from the Keynote to the press area there was a significant increase in new users. I am very happy for the HVS team and look forward to seeing what VR excellence they will bring in the years to come. 

Lastly I have to point out the CatsAndVR 9/9 Lives Game Of The Show.  ARKTIKA.1 is a highly immersive, action-packed, first-person shooter designed exclusively for Oculus Touch. 

Nearly a century in the future, the world has fallen into a new ice age in the aftermath of a silent apocalypse. Only the equatorial regions are still habitable, yet pockets of humanity survive in small numbers all over the planet, hanging onto existence in the resource-rich territories to the north and south-- resources that everyone wants to control.

Cats And VR

The Simpsons teamed with Google to produce the virtual reality experience for their 600th episode Treehouse of Horror XXVII.

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) and THE SIMPSONS worked closely with the Google Spotlight Stories team to create a special Virtual Reality (VR) experience for THE SIMPSONS couch gag, “Planet of the Couches,” airing in the milestone 600th episode of the animated series, the all-new “Treehouse of Horror XXVII,” on Sunday, October 16, on FOX.

“At first we had concerns about working with Google because we didn't know who they were, but then we googled the company and were very impressed,” said Homer Simpson.

“It’s a thrill to be associated with Google and not only because they have perfected the quality of their cafeteria food, especially those little sausages,” said James L. Brooks.

“Spotlight Stories is all about pushing the boundaries of interactive, mobile storytelling. Having a chance to build an immersive story with one of the most iconic and beloved shows of our time was an honor and thrilling challenge,” said Jan Pinkava, Creative Director, Google Spotlight Stories.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with THE SIMPSONS and Google Spotlight Stories on this milestone virtual reality experience. This is another example of how FOX is able to leverage innovation to deepen fan engagement and strive to bring interesting opportunities to our production partners,” said Angela Courtin, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, FOX.

Produced with Google Spotlight Stories, “Planet of the Couches” will be available on October 16 through the Google Spotlight Stories app on Android and iOS. View it with any Google Cardboard viewer for the full VR experience. The couch gag will kick off the milestone 600th episode, and will be available as a VR experience via the app.

There will be 25,000 limited edition Google Cardboard viewers available for order on a first-come, first-served basis, featuring one of the five main characters from THE SIMPSONS – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie – with a customized 600th episode “Treehouse of Horror XXVII” slipcover, beginning today at simpsonscardboard.com in the U.S. only.

“Planet of the Couches” takes the viewer on a completely immersive VR experience. In this VR “couch gag,” the world of THE SIMPSONS is extended 360 degrees, an augmentation of THE SIMPSONS’ 600th episode, unprecedented in television history. The audience is able to enter and explore the universe of THE SIMPSONS with multiple viewings yielding different results. Truly a groundbreaking event.

“Planet of the Couches” in VR was developed by Google Spotlight Stories in conjunction with executive producers James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman and director David Silverman.

The cute follow up to Baobab's INVASION is here and its full of ASTEROIDS!

Announced today at OC3 and available in the Gear VR store is the continued story of the two menacing and bumbling aliens, Mac and Cheze, from INVASION! who are now on a dangerous mission, venturing into an asteroid field in outer space, with two playful robot sidekicks. 

This first look at ASTEROIDS! follows Mac and Cheze and their fun robot sidekicks into outer space on a dangerous mission. In between the daily chores of life on a spaceship, Mac shares a heartwarming moment with Peas, his robot sidekick, before the unexpected happens.

ASTEROIDS! like INVASION!, will show Baobab's approach to putting you in the story in a way that enables you to emotionally connect with the characters and story. ASTEROIDS! will have universal appeal as the story, which always comes first, will be intriguing and fun for all audiences.

VR at TwitchCon!

Seems like nowadays I can say "this will be a big week for VR" as it seems like everyday there is a major announcement of something or product that will help define the VR ecosystem. I mean yesterday Google gave us a better idea of their new phone and Daydream hmd, today starts the annual Oculus dev event Oculus Connect, and next week the Playstation VR launches. 

Those are all big names and they are trying all trying to show that VR is here to stay and not a passing fad...mostly cause they have money invested in it. Not long ago many people thought that Video Game streaming was a fad. Well last weekend the company that basically helped create an ecosystem of its own had their second annual TwitchCon. 

Funny enough that little site that was once considered a fad is where you can watch a live stream of Oculus Connect this week. https://www.twitch.tv/oculus

VR was limited but their was still enough out their to show that by maybe next years TwitchCon VR will also no longer be viewed as a fad. 

I got a chance to check out the upcoming multiplayer shooter World Wide Toons using a Playstation VR. World Wide Toons will be a PSVR launch title.   www.catsandvr.com/blog/worldwidetoons

That was followed up by finally getting to try a Virtuix Omni virtual reality motion platform. That was a very interesting experience that was a workout. I think this product will be big as VR develops. I am looking forward to seeing a future iteration as well as an Ice Hockey simulator that supports it. Virtuix has been very smart with their partnerships and have already created partnerships in China that will allow them to be an essential part in the development of mass scale VR arcades. www.catsandvr.com/blog/virtuixchina

Ubisoft also had a VR presence at TwitchCon, although I am surprised they did not bring Eagle Flight along, a game that has a competitive element to it and is super fun. They did bring Werewolves Within, a game I have questioned a few times as to who would play it. Well the game is fun and with the right group of people is a very interesting social game. In its current iteration it does feel a little bare bones but I do really like the mechanics of the game. 

Although it may not have looked that that VR was in full effect on the TwitchCon floor, it was still very present. LaserType was presented on the TwitchCon main stage and VReal, the VR streaming platform had a chance to discuss how to streamVR. VReal also held an event that showcased seveal upcoming VR games including Serious Sam VR.   http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/vreal

Watch live video from on www.twitch.tv

MSI announces VR game Jam with over $80,000 in prizes.

The game jam features some great prizes including a VR ready laptop that I have had experience with. I use the same laptop to demo VR around America.  This looks like an exciting opportunity for some up and coming game devs, but just make sure you read the fine print about who was the rights to the ip.

SUBMISSION SCHEDULE
Step 1- Registration & Pitch Submission: 31st October, 2016 

Step 2-Screenshot Submission: 20th November, 2016 

Step 3-Trailer Video: 10th December, 2016 

Step 4-Final Submission: 15th December, 2016 

Serious Sam VR Hits Steam Early Access on October 17

The virtual Croatians of Croteam and pseudo-real publisher Devolver Digital announce Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope is hitting Steam Early Access on October 17. The first-person virtual shooter is $39.99 and supports HTC Vive with support planned for the Oculus Rift upon release of the Oculus Touch controllers. ( http://store.steampowered.com/app/465240/).   

In Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope, players are transported to the first Mental War. Earth's defense forces are crumbling under the hordes of the vicious Mental. He managed to break the will of many nations by destroying the ancient shrines of the domestic people. A fearless EDF general, Sam 'Serious' Stone, is leading the resistance from the Battlecruiser Saratoga in a desperate attempt to save the galaxy.

For the first time, immerse yourself in the universe of Serious Sam – travel the galaxy, meet interesting aliens, and blow the shit out of them all in a mind-blowing, fast-paced, guns-blazin' virtual reality environment. Get into the action immediately after choosing one of several missions, drop in and start wreckin' faces. With new enemies and old favorites, players will pick up and master a variety of increasingly insane weaponry – this is serious business, after all. Use your power ups to navigate your skill tree to be the boldest, biggest and most virtual Sam you can be. Customize or upgrade your gear on the Saratoga battlecruiser in-between missions using in-game currency that has nothing to do with real-world currency.

Get ready to strap it on and get shooting.  

To keep up with the spacegun collecting devs at Croteam, follow @Croteam. For the best baking recipes and knitting patterns, follow @DevolverDigital.

Formula E and Virtually Live partner for VR highlight real in anticipation of the third season of the racing series.

According to the Virtually Live blog, the free app includes 20 minutes of Formula E ePrix content and focuses on the battle between racers Lucas Di Grassi & Sebastien Buemi in the fight for first place in the Championship. Users can virtually experience the Long Beach, Berlin and London ePrixs from the perspective of their driver of choice, or a variety of positions around the tracks. The app serves as a preview for the upcoming live experience, to be brought to fans during season 3.

The experience is available now for HTC Vive on the Steam Store and Viveport.

Virtually Live CEO Tom Impallomeni stated, “We’re delighted to help redefine the Formula E fan experience at home. Virtually Live is about putting the fan in the experience, and we are excited to launch, with our innovative partner FIA Formula E, a truly ground-breaking experience enabling fans around the world to re-live the excitement of last season’s climax and get a taste of the upcoming live experience.”

Lionsgate and Starbreeze to showcase highly anticipated John Wick Chronicles VR game during New York Comic Con

Lionsgate and Starbreeze will showcase their highly anticipated, newly titled first-person action shooter VR game, John Wick Chronicles, during New York Comic Con, October 6–9, 2016. The first missions of the game will be released on Steam for HTC Vive in February 2017.

New York Comic Con attendees will be able to demo a 7-minute preview of the first mission of the VR game in HTC Vive, titled John Wick Chronicles: An Eye for an Eye, at the John Wick Chronicles booth at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, hall 1E, booth 1ECC6. Additionally, a bite sized version of the game John Wick Chronicles: Arcade Edition will premiere in the StarVR© HMD at the first location based IMAX VR Center, to be opened later this year in Los Angeles. Additional DLCs (downloadable content) that immerse players into the world of John Wick will be announced soon.

In John Wick Chronicles, players have the opportunity to explore the iconic Continental Hotel and are tasked with assassinating seemingly unbeatable targets that only John Wick himself could handle. The game was created by Lionsgate and Starbreeze in collaboration with Grab Games, Big Red Button and GameCo. It is inspired by Lionsgate’s hit movie John Wick starring Keanu Reeves and its sequel John Wick: Chapter 2, which hits theatres February 10, 2017.

Besides showcasing John Wick Chronicles: An Eye for an Eye, Lionsgate will also host a panel featuring Q&A with the stars and filmmakers of its upcoming feature films John Wick: Chapter 2 and Saban’s Power Rangers, as well as exclusive, never-before-seen footage from both films. The panel will be held Saturday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Those who cannot attend will be able to watch the panel LIVE on Twitch.

The acclaimed NeoFur 2.0 Unreal Plugin really brings it in the cuteness and adorable CATegories.

Neoglyphic Entertainment, a storytelling company built for the digital age,  has released a comprehensive feature updates to its award-winning, cross-platform, real-time fur and fiber technology, NeoFur. Now available, NeoFur 2.0 for Unreal Engine 4 enables developers to better tackle the creation of challenging fuzzy and fibrous characters, objects and surfaces such as furred creatures, carpets, blankets, mosses and other natural landscapes. NeoFur is an easy-to-use, in-editor tool focused on giving developers outstanding performance and a fidelity level never before possible in a real-time engine. The company will provide NeoFur 2.0 as a free upgrade for all existing licensees.
 
“NeoFur 2.0 offers significant performance and feature improvements, giving developers even more options and control to implement visually stunning and realistic fur and fiber graphics. We’re seeing it used in PC and mobile games across multiple game platforms as well as animation, VR and film,” said Carlos Montero, VP, Graphics Technology. “We are thrilled with the development community’s positive feedback and quick adoption of NeoFur. To date NeoFur has been sold to developers and artists in 44 countries for individual passion projects all the way up to AAA productions. Perhaps most excitingly, the influence of real-time is broadening quickly, which we see reflected in our customer base that spans game studios, VFX houses, architectural visualization firms as well as digital agencies.”
 
NeoFur 2.0’s new features and performance improvements include:
·         Global Features

o    Tutorial videos and over 30 included materials

o    Motion blur now fully supported

o    Significantly faster CPU simulation for Mobile, HTML5 and other CPU-only platforms

o    Support for Nurbs curves via FBX (works w/ Maya hair systems)

o    Support for Unreal Engine 4.13

o    Support for Mac OSX Sierra

·         Shader features

o    4.11 Hair Shading model fully utilized

o    Per-strand features: size, length, coloring, roughness, scattering

o    Simulated Undercoat and Overcoat systems

·         Experimental features

o    Variable hair clumping via vector maps

o    Variable hair curling via UV offsets

 
NeoFur 2.0 creates a beautiful illusion of millions of strands of fur, now with realistic anisotropic reflections, light scattering and shadowing. Neoglyphic’s advances have allowed the use of compute shaders and other advanced shading strategies to take that technique to the next level, bringing fast simulation, realistic physics, and unique Level-Of-Detail systems designed to combat fill-rate.
 
NeoFur for Unreal Engine 4 has been met with acclaim from developers and Epic Games themselves, as the company was awarded Epic Games Unreal Dev Grant Award for their work on NeoFur in May 2016. NeoFur’s licensing options are aimed at providing access to the technology for individuals, indie developers and AAA studios.  For pricing and sales information, please visit http://www.neoglyphic.com/neofur. To celebrate the launch, any license of NeoFur 2.0 for Unreal Engine 4 can be purchased for 20% off until October 6, 2016 by using code NEOFURPR20 at checkout.

Best Of VR at TechCrunch Disrupt SF....did not include anything using an Oculus Rift.

One of the big issues with working for a VR startup in Biz Dev while also running a VR blog is that your bandwidth ends up at some pre cable modem levels. Well I was at TechCrunch Disrupt SF recently and I am only now getting the chance to post. I mean outside of a little small time Oculus news yesterday. www.catsandvr.com/blog/palmer

Ironically Oculus does not make any best of TechCrunch Disrupt SF list cause the only presence was a giveaway. Well I think devs have been making a choice on their VR platform of choice before the recent Palmer Luckey news. 

I decided to set up the post as the Best Of VR from TechCrunch Disrupt SF and even got Kent Bye to give CatsAndVR his VR impressions. If the reactions of people at the event are any indicator it looks like music will be big. Projects like SoundSpaceVR and The WaveVR are getting lots of attention.

Best Of Best Of VR at TechCrunch Disrupt SF-MUSIC

This is the SoundSpaceVR prototype that was shown at TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016. 

Kent Bye of Voices OF VR checks out the WaveVR

Best Of VR at TechCrunch Disrupt SF- Television Tie-ins

Who says $3X does not sell anymore? Well HBO knows that is a lie and was able to have people salivating at a chance to check out their Westworld VR experience. I guess HBO never got the booth babe memo. All in All it was actually pretty darn good and perhaps one of the best instances I have seen where gameplay and 360° video have meshed perfectly. 

Best Of VR at TechCrunch Disrupt SF- Marketing...I mean thats what its all about for major companies....right.

Well Toyota did a great job of doing that with its Tilt Brush-esq experience matched with a driving experience that made their Prius prime look pretty darn cool. The staff on hand was super helpful and Toyota left a great impression with me.

The one thing all of these had in common is that they were on HTC VIVE. So hey Oculus and Palmer....looks like you have some issues on your hand right now. 

Palmer Luckey releases statement about recent pro-Trump smear campaign controversy.

Daily Beast Recently broke the news that Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey is funding Nimble America, a group that supports Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump. The story also goes on to say that Palmer was the avid Pro Trump Redditor NimbleRichMan. After the story went viral many developers said they could not support the Oculus platform any longer including the developers of SuperHyperCube as well as Insomniac Games. 

""In a political climate as fragile and horrifying as this one, we cannot tacitly endorse these actions by supporting Luckey or his platform," Fez and Superhypercube developer Polytron said.

"Insomniac Games condemns all forms of hate speech," Insomniac Games, makers of big-budget console games like Ratchet & Clank and one of the biggest developers making games for Oculus" via

Alex Schwartz of Owlchemy Labs, whose game Job Simulator is a launch title on the Oculus Touch motion controllers tweeted this out today. 

On a scale from 1 to LITERAL GARBAGE, today is firmly in garbage territory. #humansWhy

— Owlchemy Labs (@OwlchemyLabs) September 23, 2016

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/oculus-devs-ponder-support-of-platform-over-founders-funding-of-political-troll-group

Here is Palmer's statement in full via Facebook. 

“I am deeply sorry that my actions are negatively impacting the perception of Oculus and its partners.The recent news stories about me do not accurately represent my views,” Luckey said

“Here’s more background: I contributed $10,000 to Nimble America because I thought the organization had fresh ideas on how to communicate with young voters through the use of several billboards. I am a libertarian who has publicly supported Ron Paul and Gary Johnson in the past, and I plan on voting for Gary in this election as well.

“I am committed to the principles of fair play and equal treatment. I did not write the “NimbleRichMan” posts, nor did I delete the account. Reports that I am a founder or employee of Nimble America are false. I don’t have any plans to donate beyond what I have already given to Nimble America.

“Still, my actions were my own and do not represent Oculus. I’m sorry for the impact my actions are having on the community.”

Here is a picture with me and Palmer....should I trust him? 

ANNOUNCING: ACCOUNTING FOR THE HTC VIVE the first game from Justin Roiland's Squanchtendo studio.

ANNOUNCING: ACCOUNTING FOR THE HTC VIVE
A complimentary VR game by award winning indie darling Crows Crows Crows  and newly announced VR studio Squanchtendo, available this month. This unholy collaboration brings The Stanley Parable designer William Pugh, Rick And Morty creator Justin Roiland, and Epic Games veteran Tanya Watson together for what seems like a game developed on lies and love. 

Polygon wrote a piece about how William Pugh got together with Justin Roiland. 

"Last month, Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland announced that he was partnering with Epic Games veteran Tanya Watson to launch a games studio focused on high-quality VR experiences. Today, Squanchtendo (yes, that’s their actual name) announces their first project: a game called Accounting, which Roiland is designing in collaboration with The Stanley Parable designer William Pugh.

http://www.polygon.com/2016/9/13/12900168/squanchtendo-accounting-rick-and-morty-creator-justin-roiland-the-stanley-parable-william-pugh

So how did a notoriously funny Los Angeles-based writer and TV producer get tied up with a notoriously funny West Yorkshire-based game designer?

The answer is simple: Pugh lied to him.

"William lied to me and said he worked at [Titanfall 2 developer] Respawn," Roiland told Polygon at PAX West earlier this month. "I was in the building where Respawn's offices were, and I wanted a tour. I was like, ‘Oh my god, maybe if I tweet, somebody [at Respawn] will see it and give me a tour.’"

Justin Roiland and Tanya Watson from Squanchtendo and William Pugh of Crows Crows Crows discuss their first VR collaboration via our friends at Road To VR.

AR shopping tool PointShop wins TechCrunch Disrupt SF Hackathon

The Hackathon was part of the start of this years TechCrunch Disrupt SF and was won by  PointShop.space. The app utilizes augmented reality with the aim of helping consumers better understand what they’re looking at before a purchase by simply lining up a phone camera with a real world product. 

The two person team of Yosun Chang and Anuj Agrawal, demoed the hack working on an iPhone during Disrupt.

Chang told TechCrunch "“People like to buy random things that they see, We were thinking originally what if you can use reality as your primary key — usually a primary key is a string or an integer somewhere but what if it’s the objects? And every object is made by a company that’s probably in CrunchBase.”

https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/11/disrupt-hackathon-winner/

Humble Bundle is offering a great end of Summer deal on VR games, Catlateral Damage leads the way!

Humble Bundle is offering a great end of Summer deal on VR games, Catlateral Damage leads the way!

Catlateral Damage is a first-person destructive cat simulator where you play as a cat on a rampage, knocking as much stuff onto the ground as possible. See the world through the eyes of a cat! Like other first-person games, you can walk and look around, jump, and crouch. Unlike other first-person games, your primary weapons are your two cat paws, which you can use to swipe at and knock objects onto the floor. 

Check out some of the awesome VR deals in the Humble Bundle store including Project Cars and the amazing space adventure ADR1FT.

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/adr1ft

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/project-cars?hmb_source=search_bar

More VR deals:

Yon Paradox

Stealth Labyrinth

Bazaar

Albino Lullaby: Episode 1

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

DiRT Rally

Oculus Story Studio wins Emmy for VR animated short Henry.

Henry, the charming VR film from Oculus Story Studio, has won an Emmy® for Outstanding Original Interactive Program! This award recognizes creative achievement in interactive media and comes from the juried Emmy categories, where winning entries must earn unanimous approval from a panel of Interactive Media Peer Group professionals. Henry is the first VR original narrative movie to ever win an Emmy.

“When we set out to make Henry, it was a step into the unknown world of making an emotional VR movie. While we didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, we were excited about the possibilities. We never anticipated that one of our first projects would be given such a distinction and this recognition is not only a testament to our team’s creative and technical achievements, but also a validation for the VR storytelling community as a whole. While Henry is just one step in the long journey ahead, we hope this moment inspires storytellers to bring their ideas to this new medium and help shape the future of VR storytelling.” - Ramiro Lopez Dau, director of Henry

SYFY and AltspaceVR partner for the International Premiere of ​​Halcyon, a groundbreaking hybrid VR scripted episodic show.

Syfy, the home of provocative and inspiring science fiction entertainment, announced the September 22 launch date for Halcyon – the groundbreaking hybrid VR scripted series. Beginning with that date, the series will premiere across Syfy channels and companion websites outside the U.S.; it will also be viewable in VR on the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR.

However AltspaceVR users have a chance to check it out early on September 15th. 

Fans from around the world can watch the first episode of Halcyon via AltspaceVR. And, as part of the international premiere experience, participants can meet special guests,including Benjamin Arfmann (Director, Halcyon) and Stefan Grambart (Creative Director,Secret Location) who will participate in a Q&A – all in VR. Whether early adopters of virtual reality or curious Syfy fans, enthusiasts who wish to attend can RSVP by visiting altvr.com/halcyon

These joint initiatives are further innovations for both Syfy and AltspaceVR as they push the boundaries of entertainment and live events in virtual reality. AltspaceVR’s FrontRow technology will provide each person with an up­close and personal experience with the special guests during the Q&A sessions in VR.

Created and produced by Secret Location, the multi­ Emmy® and Cannes Lion Award­winning content studio who specialize in emerging platforms, Halcyon is a short­form scripted series.

Directed by BAFTA ­nominated Benjamin Arfmann ( Random Stop), Halcyon’s 5 ­episode police procedural will alternate between 10 episodes on Syfy linear channels and their accompanying Syfy websites, as well as five VR episodes exclusively available on VR platforms. For viewers who are only watching linear episodes, short recaps of each of the five VR episodes will ensure that all fans are able to follow the complete storyline. Set in the year 2040, the series is centred on Blake Creighton (Michael Therriault) the CEO of the world’s leading Virtual Reality company: Halcyon. Having cornered the market on VR, Halcyon has discarded the VR headset and allowed users to access the virtual space using neurological implants that manipulate the senses to create a virtual world. When Creighton is found dead, presumed murdered, Detective Jules Dover (Lisa Marcos) and her partner, Asha (Harveen Sandhu), must consider if this could be the world’s first virtual crime.

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

MyDream Launches LightVR, A Customizable and Interactive Virtual Reality Desktop

Virtual Reality company and development studio MyDream Interactive Inc. today announced the early access release of LightVR  a multi-window computer interface for VR that lets users interface the Windows desktop, web apps, and games all from a fully customizable 360 VR space with multiple screens, 3D props, and environments. MyDream Interactive will be showcasing at booth VR3 during PAXWest.

LightVR is an experiment in creativity and functionality in VR, with a vision to be a virtual room simulator. This allows anyone to create the room of their dreams, with pre-made props and “technology posters” allowing users to decorate their rooms to their liking. For example, LightVR users could build a cozy and intimate environment, an enchanted forest, or a futuristic spaceship-style room. Part of a dream room is allowing infinite TVs and monitors, which is supported through LightVR’s functionality, allowing users to create as many web apps as they like, whether that means watching YouTube videos and playing a video game or Skyping with friends.  With LightVR, the screens can be either familiar computer monitor screens, web apps (such as YouTube, Facebook, and Skype), or games. They can be freely positioned, oriented, curved or sized with the VR headset motion controllers.

Interaction with the Virtual Reality content can be either through a traditional mouse and keyboard input or directly with the controllers, where intuitive gestures are implemented. 3D applications are captured and presented in the VR space at 90 frames per second, providing seamless presence. The controllers can also be used to configure the LightVR space and to interact with other applications. 

With LightVR, MyDream has pioneered the concept of enabling the forward-facing camera on the VR headset for users to see their keyboard, grab a drink off the desk, or engage with people around them without the need to remove the VR headset. The camera is blended with the virtual world and is activated based on a set of configurable gestures, such as the user looking down at the keyboard. This “blended reality” allows for ease of typing and maintaining awareness of the physical world. 

The product is geared towards everyone from the casual VR user to those who want a fully-immersive VR experience with their headset on throughout. LightVR offers quality graphics which are realistically lit by the screen, and props which personalize the VR space. Window orientation, backgrounds, and additional features can also be customized and automatically saved so that when you exit and restart the application, it restores the same VR state. LightVR will be released on Steam on September 2, 2016. 

“LightVR’s advantages over competing virtual desktops are freely customizable position, orientation, curvature and size of the virtual screens, gesture activated pass-through vision and lighting fast performance,” said Rouslan Dimitrov, lead developer of LightVR. “The ability to customize your VR preferences and to visually tap into the physical world are what make LightVR so groundbreaking.” 

Pricing and availability
LightVR is an early-access product, available for $13.99. It will be on sale for $6.99 during the launch period, from September 2 to September 16.  http://www.lightvr.co/

Guerrilla Cambridge breaks down Single Player Mode for RIGS Mechanized Combat League.

Guerrilla Cambridge breaks down Single Player Mode for RIGS Mechanized Combat League. 

Coming exclusively to PlayStation VR, RIGS Mechanized Combat League puts you in the pilot seat of an athletic fighting machine, battling for supremacy in the adrenaline-fuelled sport of the future. Though pushed as a multi player potential VR esport the game has a very in-depth career mode. 

Guerrilla's Samrat Sharma gave an overview of the Career Mode

"In Career Mode, you and your team of AI pilots rise through the leagues as you defeat other teams, earn fame and fortune, and gain access to new Rigs and pilots," "In total, there are 24 unique Rigs to unlock, each with their own style of play. While climbing the ranks in Career Mode you will also impress sponsors and obtain exclusive sponsorship deals, liveries, and pilot outfits."

Oakland based VR studio Steel Wool raises $5 million from HTC.

Steel Wool Studios – an independent VR development studio formed by creative veterans of Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, and Telltale Games – today announced that it has raised $5 million in Series A funding from HTC Corporation. The funding will support development of multiple medium-pushing VR projects already underway, which span game, simulation, and narrative-based concepts. The first of these upcoming projects, interactive simulation Mars Odyssey, will launch on Steam on September 9. In April, the studio launched Quar: Battle for Gate 18, an action strategy title, on Steam for the HTC Vive.

“The Steel Wool Studios team carries an impressive pedigree of creative talent that has already proven its ability to build cutting-edge content for the nascent VR category,” said Cher Wang, CEO, HTC Corporation. “Taking a look at Mars Odyssey and Steel Wool’s other projects under development, it’s immediately clear that this studio will drive VR adoption with great content that balances amazing visual fidelity with strong storytelling.”

Formed in 2011 by creative veterans with more than 50 years of film and storytelling experience at Pixar Animation Studios and Lucasfilm, Steel Wool Studios experimented with narrative-driven gameplay experiences on mobile with the debut of 2D platformer Flyhunter Origins. In 2014, the studio shifted its focus to virtual reality, developing Quar: Battle for Gate 18 in time to debut as a HTC Vive launch title in April 2016. Quar received critical praise and high ratings on Steam for its tight, turn-based strategy gameplay that transformed players into an army commander operating high above his troops or down on the ground fighting in the ranks.

“After earning our stripes with Quar, we went all-in on creating content for VR, a medium we’ve been waiting for our whole lives,” said Andrew Dayton, co-founder, Steel Wool Studios. “HTC’s investment gives us the ability to explore and push the limits of VR through the completion of projects we hope will excite everyone as much as we’ve enjoyed building them.”

The company also received early investment from Charles Huang, an angel investor and serial entrepreneur who co-founded RedOctane and invented the multi-billion dollar video game franchise Guitar Hero. Huang currently oversees a portfolio of companies and brands that span video games, connected home technology, children’s entertainment, fashion technology, and health and wellness, among others. Huang is a board member at Steel Wool Studios.

Mars Odyssey
Mars Odyssey is an interactive simulation that challenges players to repair NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers — including Viking, Pathfinder, Spirit, and Opportunity — which have fallen under disrepair after years of resting dormant. Recreated with exacting NASA engineering schematics, the rovers can be found in precise locations on the Red planet based on their actual positions today. The surface of Mars was also developed using NASA’s publicly-available terrain and height map information. As players progress through the simulation, they will learn about exploration of the planet. Mars Odyssey is a passion project of Steel Wool Studios Co-Founder Joshua Qualtieri, who studied physics at Clemson University.

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Steel Wool Studios is planning to showcase more projects under development in the coming months. For more information about the studio, please visit: www.steelwoolstudios.com