Oculus announces the Oculus Start program to help aspiring developers during their VR creation journey.

Oculus announced its new developer-focused program today to help grow the ecosystem. Oculus Start is a program created for VR application developers who are just getting started. It provides qualifying developers with access, support and savings so you can focus on what's really important - creating inspired VR applications. Oculus did a survey of its developers and found that 50 percent are self-funded so this program will go a long way to help the VR ecosystem.

Some of the highlights of the program include access early tech and networking opportunities ike Oculus Connect.

Oculus also offers dedicated technical support to troubleshoot and elevate your VR creations

In addition to access to developer kits for new and existing hardware participants will receive one year free Unity Plus license or a royalty-free Unreal license.

https://developer.oculus.com/oculus-start/

Oculus has been a big part of my VR journey and I am sure they will be part of the many participants in Oculus Start. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/oculusblog1

The Minnesota Vikings Become First NFL Franchise to Launch Virtual Reality Application for Oculus

The Minnesota Vikings are the first team to launch a virtual reality application for Oculus. Titled “Vikings VR” and available in the Oculus store, the app takes fans directly inside U.S. Bank Stadium to view 360 videos and photos from Vikings games and events.

“Virtual reality and 360 content is very important to our organization,” said Vikings Executive Director of Digital Media and Innovation Scott Kegley. “We understand only a small percentage of our large fan base is able to attend a Vikings game or event. We want to bring experiences to them, and immersive technology is allowing us to do that.”

Content from various phases of throughout the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, as well as from the first regular season game played at the Vikings new home in 2016 and every home game since, is viewable in “Vikings VR.”

The Vikings partnered with Zeality, a VR/360 company based in Silicon Valley, to create the one-of-a-kind application.

“We’re excited to partner with the Vikings to drive a new category of experiences for their fans and partners,” said Zeality Co-Founder and CEO Dipak M. Patel.

“The Vikings are not only innovating new ways of creating content using immersive media, they are also one of the leaders in delivering these experiences to their fans.”

Vikings VR is compatible with the Oculus Rift and Gear VR and will be available for Oculus Go, scheduled to launch in early 2018.

https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1663834653648968/

http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Become-First-NFL-Franchise-to-Launch-Virtual-Reality-Application-for-Oculus/ff72e6c6-89c9-4cf1-a53e-d38d727a3d30?sf177448252=1

The first of three Blade Runner VR experiences will be out on July 21st for Gear VR.

Blade Runner 2049: Replicant Pursuit will be making its premiere near Comic Con at the no pass necessary Blade Runner VR installation. If you cant make it to Comic Con no worries it will be available on Gear VR on July 21st, and is developed by Turtle Rock Studios, the team behind Face Your Fears. Oculus partnered with Alcon Interactive Group to bring Blade Runner into VR with a trio of experiences from three different developers. 

Replicant Pursuit is the first of the three Blade Runner VR games for both Rift and Gear leading up to the October release of the new Blade Runner film. 

In the first installment, you pilot the iconic spinner to track down and “retire” a rogue replicant. 

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

Intel, Oculus, and ESL come together for a $200,000+ VR Challenger League to promote VR eSports.

Intel, Oculus, and ESL come together for a $200,000+ VR Challenger League to promote VR eSports. This brand new competitive VR gaming league will feature two exciting VR titles - “The Unspoken” and “Echo Arena”. The competition will feature a prize pool of over $200,000 and includes multiple stops at key eSports events around the world, eventually concluding with the grand finals at the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice in 2018.

Potential Wizards and Space battlers will be able to qualify for the offline events by taking part in ESL's online competitions starting on July 12th on ESL Play.

On top of the VR Challenger League qualifiers, there will also be weekly ESL Play cups, where you can compete for weekly points and prize money. 

The competitive titles in the VR Challenger league are two of the best demos I played at Oculus Connect 3 last year. Lone Echo had one of the biggest lines there.  http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/oc3

Insomniac's The Unspoken will lead players into a world of spellcasting where they face up against opposing mages in dynamic 1v1 duels. Cast powerful spells and utilize the destructible environment to gain an advantage over your opponents on your way to becoming an unrivaled arch-mage. You can find more insights into the classes, spells and maps on the official website.

The second title of the VR Challenger League will be Echo Arena, Ready At Dawn Studios’ face-paced multiplayer action title set in outer space. The game will be released on July 20th as a free download for all Oculus Rift owners and you can keep an eye on new gameplay reveals as they become available on their website.

catsandvr.com/blog/

The CatsAndVR.com Oculus Launchpad Development Blog: Week 1 Day 1

First of all I want to thank everyone at Oculus and Facebook for allowing me to be part of an amazing opportunity. Words cannot describe how I feel on Week 1 Day 1...wait they can. Nervous, Anxiety Filled, Hopeful, and most importantly grateful for allowing me to be included among the 99 other talented individuals in the second Launch Pad class. So many individuals to thank but I will start with Ebony Peay Ramirez-Program Manager, Diversity & Inclusion at Oculus VR. Without her pushing how important Launchpad is the event may not have happened this weekend. She put together an excellent event with some amazing mentors and organizers including Robin Hunicke, Sarah Stumbo, Chris Pruett, Jason Rubin, Yelena Rachitsky, Jewel Lim, Bernard Yee, Dorian Dargan, Isabel Tewes, Trevor Dasch, Stephanie Vazquez and sooo many more including the awesome legal department who had a presentation FULL of Cats. I'm just going to say to Launch Pad Class 2 lets do the best we can so Launch Pad Class 3 gets the same opportunity.

One year ago I started CatsAndVR.com in order to not just be a spectator of VR but to be an active participant. However my Oculus story goes way back to E3 2013 when I stumbled across CCP's EVE VR demo and got to try DK1. Eventually I pre ordered a DK2....and then canceled it cause I needed to take care of some unfortunate financial moments. I regretted that for a long time until I started CatsAndVR.

When I woke up one morning and decided my two passions in life was to be cats and vr as well as the fact that URL was still available I decided this was my chance at VR redemption. It has been a very interesting journey. Around this time last year I took a Greyhound to LA to see if I could get into E3. They said my Alexa ranking was not high enough and I stood there for about 30 minutes expounding on my passion for VR. I eventualy won them over. I went to E3 that year for one singular reason, Virtual Reality. 

I was really excited to try the PS VR cause it looked like a way for me to finally afford high quality VR. Unfortunately the Playstation booth was a cluster. I was a bit down but decided to go to Oculus. It was there I met a momentary savior who kept my inspiration alive. While waiting in line to check out a demo I was approached by an Oculus rep who liked my look (lol) and asked if I wanted to play a game against Palmer Luckey who from now on shall be referred to as The Unspoken.  So in reality the first time I ever used the Touch controls was against Palm...The Unspoken on the E3 FB Live stream. I went from not getting into E3 to that! You can check me playing Dead And Buried with the Unspoken one in the video below at the 51 minute mark.

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/oculuse3

So its about a year later and I just finished the start of Oculus Launchpad and here is my next move.

An amazing friend of mine Alex Q Ryan was giving me a pass to go to E3....I just turned it down to start working on my Launchpad project right away so the next time I go to E3 I don't go as a spectator but I will go as an active participant. I am very nervous as though I have supported a team with Unity on both the product and business side enough to push them to the Super Bowl I have never had to be Lebron James. Well now is the time I have to be a witness for my own development. 

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

There were so many amazing people I met from those trying to show their parents that they made the right choice pursuing art to those daring to show the world that the time is right to use technology for the greater good of inclusion.  I am humbled to have been included in LaunchPad Class 2 and look forward to what these New Mutants of VR bring forward to the world.....and really hope I can bring to the world what I have in my crazy universe of a mind. 

So Mote It Be. 

Week 1 Day 1. 

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

PS Mad props to my new BFF David Solito who allowed me to crash out as his place for the weekend so I can use my Launchpad cash for development. Facebook is SUPER lucky to have you as part of the team. 

Oculus partners with the California State Library to continue their goal of making VR accessible

“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.” —Ray Bradbury

Access to information and knowledge opens the doors to new possibilities and let us experience worlds that would otherwise be beyond reach. Through a new partnership with the California State Library, Oculus is giving access to VR to people that may never have the chance. This pilot program will place 100 Rifts and Oculus Ready PCs in 90 libraries throughout the state.

“It’s pretty cool to imagine how many people will try VR for the very first time—and have that ‘wow’ moment—in their local libraries,” says Oculus Education Program Manager Cindy Ball. “We hope early access will cause many people to feel excited and empowered to move beyond just experiencing VR and open their minds to the possibility of one day joining the industry.”

The 90 participating locations span nearly half of the state’s 184 library jurisdictions—with the possibility for future expansion.

“If this pilot is successful, that shows that library patrons and librarians value the availability of VR equipment in libraries,” Ball said. “Next steps would include the California State Library expanding the program by allocating or raising additional funding to scale the presence of VR.”

The applications available for discover and explore include Google Earth, Apollo 11, Titans of Space 2.0, Everest, Ocean Rift, The Body VR, Guided Meditation VR and Star Chart. This program also gives some additional life to the excellent work of the now defunct Oculus Story Studio. Dear Angelica, Lost and Henry will also be available.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Zuckerberg may be working with OptiTrack for their new glove system. Check out video of how that may work.

Mark Zuckerberg has revealed a potential new Oculus Rift input system. These Oculus gloves bring to mind the future Nintendo predicted with the Power Glove. The pictures Mark shared on his Facebook wall look like they are using OptiTrack sensors. If that is the case I had the opportunity to try these out a while back in October.

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

Ela Darling-Political Activist, Feminist, and the face of Adult VR.

She has a Masters degree, she is the co-founder of a start-up, she plays Pokemon Go,and she drinks Soylent. Just your average modern day Face of Adult Virtual Reality. Ela Darling has taken the tech world by storm and in my opinion has become a Nina Hartley like figure for sex work in todays tech environment. 

Like Hartley, Ela Darling promotes the spread of positive information and education to help break through the sea of judgement and the lack of understanding of what people in the adult industry really deal with.

If you are not familiar with her, Ela Darling is the world’s first Virtual Reality cam girl and a pioneer of VR in the adult industry. She is the co-founder of VRTube.xxx as well as the face of Virtual Reality for Cam4. She has helped to grow VR live cams around the world and in turn helped performers around the world also understand how to monetize their work. 

Content Source: Cam4 http://www.cam4.com/vr

Just about 7 years ago Ela did her first hardcore porn scene right at the Kink.com facilities and just recently she was there to promote VR adult content. We got the chance to interview her about VR adult content. Check out Part 1

Here are some excerpts from Part 1

CatsAndVR- How did you become the face of Cam4 VR?

Ela Darling- I started doing VR adult content a little over 2 1/2 years ago. I did everything that I could do at the intersection of VR and Porn. 3d, 360* videos, and holographic content. We took that technology and created a dating simulator. You could date me in Virtual Reality. I am kind of a tough date. We realized that is great but it would be even better to date a live person in Virtual Reality. My business partner and I then created the first ever live VR web cam platform. 

Part 2 of the interview addresses some serious issues that performers in the adult industry have to deal with. California Condoms in Pornographic Films Initiative, Proposition 60.

"So many people want to make it a discussion about condoms and it's not. Thats not even the conversation at hand. The real conversation is that it puts our private information in the hands of the people that hate us the most or are so fanatical they will stop at nothing to gain access to us" Hear more about Ela's thought on the current battle adult stars are currently facing in part 2.

Ela continues to not only be an innovator in live 360° streaming and adult VR content but also showcasing that the adult industry has continued to be on the forefront of tech innovation and free speech.  I told Ela that it was great to see her at events such as SVVR where she was a guest speaker and shown as not just a Pornstar but also a tech innovator. Her response was that she in no way wants to distance herself from her identity as a Pornstar and embraces that. A figure helping to push both innovation and adult entertainment, Ela Darling in my opinion is the the face of Adult VR content. 

Ela Darling is currently serving her second year on the board of directors for the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee and is on the committee for the Performer Availability Scheduling Service.

#VOTENO on #PROP60

https://vrtube.xxx/

Cats And VR

Oculus Connect 3 will be in October.

Save the date for Oculus Connect 3, coming to San Jose, California, October 5-7! more than 50 technical talks and opportunities to experience new Oculus hardware and content. Featuring signature keynotes from Brendan Iribe, John Carmack, and Michael Abrash.

Oculus Connect is  the Oculus annual developer conference where engineers, designers, and creatives from around the world come together to learn about the future of the Oculus platform and push virtual reality forward. https://www3.oculus.com/en-us/blog/announcing-oculus-connect-3-and-rift-availability-update/

 Applications open to attend OC3 at 9am PST, August 2. Visit the Connect site to learn more about the conference and to register.

Check out the Keynotes from 2015.

Jerrys Place VR looks to be a safe space for Jerry and Jerry fanatics.

JerrysPlaceVR is coming to the Oculus Rift CV1 and the HTC Vive very soon. It gets more exciting, JerrysPlace will be integrating with VRChat! This means you can now discuss a show about nothing or do absolutely nothing at all with a whole VR community. VRChat lets you create, publish, and explore virtual worlds with other people from around the world. This means that you will be able to create your own abstract as F episode of Seinfeld. Just check out some of these community created avatars VRChat has to offer. http://www.vrchat.net/marketplace

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Check out JerrysPlaceVr.com , the new version for CV 1 and Vive should be coming 07/05/2016 - the 17th anniversary of the Seinfeld Pilot air date.

I already know what I will be doing with the new update, creating a safe space for Jerrys with no Ricks invited.

Here is what the creator of Jerry's place had to say about his creation. 

 "I've been a fan of Seinfeld for a long time. After purchasing the Oculus rift I started imagining what my first project might be. I decided to pick a project that would gradually introduce me to Unity without being overly complex. I was not new to 3D modeling, however this would be my first project in Unity. I came up with the idea of recreating Jerry's apartment, in it's entirety for virtual reality. Television is virtual reality in some ways. We make believe that Jerry's place is actually a Manhattan studio and Monks Cafe is just down the street. We suspend the reality that his apartment is just a set in Hollywood, with tons of cameras and lighting dangling overhead. I thought it would be a novel virtual reality experience to take a place that only exists in Hollywood magic, and make it for the Oculus Rift as if it were real. Virtual Reality Virtual Reality. 

Cats And VR

Despite more players entering the VR gaming arena this year at E3, Oculus still guides the future.

Despite more players entering the VR gaming arena this year at E3, Oculus still guides the future. This was my reaction after attending E3 2016. 3 years ago I tried Rift DK1 and a prototype for EVE Valkyrie at E3 and thought it stole the show despite it being in a small room and not on the main floor. 

http://glasshome.tv/2013/06/ccp-evr-oculus-rift-stole-the-show-at-e3/

3 years later we now have Playstation bringing some power house AAA licenses to Playstation VR, HTC Vive showcasing fully immersive motion controlled experiences, and Microsoft playing the future game. Where does this leave Oculus? Well based on my experience at E3, I say it leaves them unafraid, constantly pushing, and the ones that set the bar.

First of all, the Oculus E3 booth had a level of professionalism that differentiated it from the pomp and circumstance of many video game booths that are set up at E3. The level of organization and customer service at the booth was outstanding. The lines were organized, demos were controlled so many people could have them, and the showcases ranged from several GearVR games to trying Oculus Touch. I personally think that Oculus does not get enough credit for what they are bringing to the mobile VR table since the focus of press has been drawn away from GearVR. The thing is for many people GearVR will be a doorway to help spread VR to the masses and Oculus delivers in the now. 

Despite Playstation having several recognizable properties backing the Playstation VR lineup, Oculus looks to help developers create brand new experiences and build from there. 

At E3 Feral Rites, the action brawler from Insomniac was playable for the first time; Ubisoft’s Eagle Flight super impressed me with soaring gameplay and control mechanics; and High Voltage Software’s previewed all-new levels of Damaged Core. I recently spoke with High Voltage Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger about working with Oculus Studios and he had nothing but praise for the level of support Oculus offers developers. 

One of the biggest things HTC Vive has going for it is it's motion controls and I was intrigued to see how Oculus Touch would compare. Oculus Touch controls felt more natural to me on the get go than my first time with Vive's and I am excited to see where they go with it. That brings me to the point of a gaming community. While Playstation's VR offering had an air of exclusivity with their appointment system, Oculus brought VR to the masses and even did several live stream with people at E3. I ended up streaming a few session of the fantastic western themed shooter Dead And Buried with the man himself, Palmer Luckey which you can see at the :51 min mark of this video. 

Palmer Luckey was also a very great person to talk to, interact with, and also really seemed to care about VR fans. The Oculus team grabbed random people to stream with Palmer and it was fun. This fun, loose, and informative demeanor was present with everyone at the Oculus booth. The felling of comfort was very present at the booth and I returned quite often to get away from the cluster craziness and bright lights generally associated with the E3 expo floor. I would come back to play Ubisoft's Eagle Flight as a form of soaring guided meditation. I am the bird!

The thing about VR is I truly believe it is not a gimmick and is here to stay. That Oculus kickstarter from not to long ago started this hoopla and it looks like they will continue to not treat it like a gimmick but more like the future and meow.

Cats And VR

Gold Winner of the Oculus Moblie Jam bringing VR camping game to Google Daydream.

RalphVR  announced that their award winning multiplayer VR game Daydream Blue is coming to Google Daydream.

“Our mission is to connect people together and help foster smiles in virtual reality. We are thrilled to be achieving a major milestone on our journey by bringing Daydream Blue to Google’s Daydream.” - Richie Hoagland, CEO and Game Designer

Daydream Blue is like a camping simulator for VR…if the simulation was run by an eight year old. Enter the simulation to find a magical valley full of mystery, surprise, and an AWESOME ROBOT buddy. But you don’t have to do it alone! Connect with your friends from around the world online in Daydream Blue multiplay. Daydream Blue is a virtual world, a place where you can customize yourself and your place in it. It’s a space to be explored and discovered either alone or with friends. A place to build a fire and catch some fish. Or play some golf. Play fetch with your robot. Or just wish the clouds out of the sky. 

http://daydreamblue.com/

Daydream Blue is available on GearVR but will be coming to Google Daydream,

CatsAndVR will also be going camping in the woods...see ya...off the grid.

Cats And VR

Released games for Oculus Rift and GearVR for the week of May25th-28th.

Here are the recently released games for Oculus Rift and GearVR for the week of May 25th-28th. Not sure how I feel about Kittypocalypse since it is basically a kitten kill simulator but since the site is CatsAndVR.com and it is Caturday I figured I had to post it. 

Kittypocalypse is an in-depth, strategic tower defense game built exclusively for VR. Across a diverse range of environments, defeat the hordes of evil alien kitties and salvage what's left of your home planet. Purchase your copy on the Oculus store today! Release Date: 05/25/16 Price $29.99 (Oculus Rift)

Official Selection - IndieCade Showcase @ E3 2016 Floor Plan is a puzzle adventure game that takes place entirely inside an elevator. Go floor to floor, find items, and meet a bizarre cast of characters. Discover relationships between different things in the building and unlock its secrets...all from the comfort of your elevator. Release Date: 05/25/16 Price: $6.99 (Oculus Rift, Gear VR)

vrAMP is the definitive music visualizer and player for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Motes of dust and light surround you while they dance to the included catalog or using any program or web browser to play your music.Release Date: 05/27/16 Price: $12.99 (Oculus Rift)

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

Take the role as master and commander of a planet in a universe that wraps around you in full 360 degrees. Send your fleet out to explore uncharted planets or turn their power against your enemies - it is all up to you! Release Date: 05/25/16 Price: $1.99 (Gear VR)