THE UPRISING CREATIVE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE HULU VR APP.

The official music video for “Welcome” by Fort Minor, a project by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, created and produced by Los Angeles-based integrated creative + production company The Uprising Creative is now available in the Hulu VR app.

Shinoda and The Uprising Creative co-founder and director Jeff Nicholas joined forces to create an experience that would embody the spirit of “Welcome” – a song meant to offer a sense of connection and community to the outcasts and underdogs. Filmed in Venice, CA, the video immerses viewers into the famous boardwalk environment alongside Shinoda as he performs, parties with locals, and spray paints an 80-foot-long canvas mural.

One of the very first 360/VR music videos ever created, “Welcome” is a prime example of how VR can be expertly used as a tool to create much deeper visual, auditory and emotional experiences. The experimental approach resonated with fans, reaching an impressive view count of over 5 million on YouTube 360.

Fort Minor - "Welcome" [360 Version] This 360 Version requires Google Chrome or the YouTube App on Mobile.

Off the success of this VR project and others, The Uprising Creative developed its own virtual reality content studio, VEHICLEvr, to focus on original and branded VR content creation. With VEHICLEvr, the directors, producers, and makers at The Uprising Creative (and their partners) have a focused space to explore this new medium, and to create 360/VR content that doesn’t have to adhere to the rules and structure of traditional content development and production.

The Uprising Creative is amongst the first to provide Hulu with premium original content as they take their first steps into the VR landscape, and will continue to play an integral role in supporting Hulu in their ongoing mission to evolve the art and experience of storytelling.

Originally posted on VRandCats.com

Oculus Rift gets some upcoming high quality content from Insomniac Games.

Well it is late at night so what better time to write about Insomniac Games, the studio that brought you Spyro The Dragon, Ratchet And Clank, and one of my all time favorites Resistance: Fall Of Man.

Well Insomniac just revealed 2 additional Oculus Rift exclusive VR games to go with the already announced Edge Of Nowhere that will be set to launch on the Oculus Store on June 6th.

Looks like Oculus is really pushing to get some quality exclusives and pulling this much content from a AAA studio like Insomniac has really got me asking if Sony will be able to deliver measurable content with PSVR. Check out the trailers below.

Feral Rites: Avenge the death of your father by fighting your way through missions and quests in this VR adventure-brawler. Set on a mystical island, explore unique areas of the island from jungles to temples, while mastering new abilities including the power to transform into a feral beast. Feral Rites will be playable at E3 this year and will appear on the Oculus Store in Fall 2016.

The Unspoken: An Oculus Touch‐enabled VR action game that pulls players into a hidden world of spellcasting and magician’s duels. Manipulate the environment around you with the powerful arcane forces that flow through your fingertips, summon ghastly monstrosities with your bare hands, and rise up through the ranks of an urban magic fight club in supernatural PVP combat. The Unspoken will also be playable at E3 and will release in November 2016.

Check out the trailer for the previously announced Edge Of Nowhere that will be released on June 6th. 

Edge of Nowhere is a VR third-person action-adventure from acclaimed independent developer Insomniac Games. Travel to the far reaches of the Antarctic mountains in search of a missing expedition team. What appears to be a rescue mission takes a turn as you venture into the deep unknown, and discover a surreal world that will test your wits and sanity.

Cats And VR

So I pre-ordered a Vuze Camera...now what?

Yesterday I received an email that got me both excited and nervous about the potential future of CatsAndVR.com

Though I am super excited for VR, I am a filmmaker first and foremost. I can write about every thing from Oculus games to adult content on cardboard but eventually I am going to have to make some Cat VR videos. The site is called CatsAndVR.com at the end of the day.

One of the keys to consumer VR success will be stereoscopic panoramic cat videos.

— John Carmack (@ID_AA_Carmack) November 6, 2014

I spend most of my available cash being a loving husband and a good cat dad so my budget is currently very limited and VR is a very expensive hobby. 

Currently there are several options available for a VR filmmaker but the best HD video camera for the average consumer is priced too high for the average consumer. The realm of professional grade setups, like the Nokia OZO or the Freedom360 GoPro Mount with six GoPros is out of my range. I also am not in the financial bracket to build a $30,000 Surround 360 camera, but I do give Facebook credit for making it open source.

Perhaps getting something lower end would work and I thought about a Ricoh Theta but at $350 it seems steep for something that may be obsolete at the end of the year.

Where does that leave me? Enter the Vuze Camera.

Vuze Camera, the world's first consumer 3D 360 VR camera by HumanEyes Technologies. Easy to use, light weight, awesome design and comes with a complete kit which is all you need to be able to relive your moments. 

When I first discovered Vuze Camera I turned to twitter. The social media manager was very engaging and provided some great information. I followed up with my own research and found out that people had some concerns about the product. Engadget ran a story on Vuze and to my surprise Anton the VP R&D of Vuze tried to quell those concerns in the comments of that story.

I am really putting my trust on Anton on this one as I said I already pre-ordered one.

So getting into that pre-order, since I signed up for pre-order information I was offered the launch price as well as a promo code that with the headset, tripod, and software package looked to be a really good deal. In comparison to the Ricoh Theta the price seemed pretty good. I am hoping I made the right choice. 

One thing of note on preordering, when I first tried to order my card was declined. When I asked the card company why they said I was making an international order and they wanted to verify it first. This is probably something the company should be aware of and any one who preorders should be aware of this possibility, but hey I could be an edge case.

I was able to get the pre order processed but now I have to wait until October. That is quite a bit away for someone who wants to go out and create some VR Cat videos right now. The only thing I can do now is hope that HumanEyes Technology does deliver on their promises as well as expected delivery time. I just put my VR filmmaking hopes as well as cash on a product I have yet to try. I hope my cat like intuition is steering me in the right direction.

I personally took the plunge to pre-order but go check out the product and do the research to see for your self.  http://vuze.camera/

For me the VUZE camera has the potential to do for VR filmmaking what the Panasonic DVX100a did for independent digital filmmaking. 

Cats And VR

CatsAndVR.com sat down with Ian Paul-CIO of Naughty America to discuss the future of VR & Adult Content.

Recently CatsAndVR.com had the opportunity to discuss VR with the CIO of Naughty America Ian Paul. Over some great beers and some rad 90's punk rock we found out we both had a mutual liking of the band Throbbing Gristle. We also decide to talk about how the adult industry just as it did with home video, DVD, and the internet, is helping to innovate the VR industry. I have decided to create some industry acronyms and will be using NA to refer to Naughty America, VRP for Virtual Reality Porn, and VR for Virtual Reality. Now to the interview. 

Disclaimer: This blog post is rated MA for mature audiences and is full of some great insights into both VR and adult content. There is no nudity on this page because people still have issues with sexual expression. Go figure.

Me: What Is bringing NA into VR and how long have you been thinking about it?

Ian: I think we all have been fantasizing about VR over drinks since the 80's and 90's. Every few years a film would come out glamorizing it. The 90's had a whole tech movement around it that fizzled due to the tech not being there yet as well as the expenses involved. When NA got their hands on an Oculus dev kit, suddenly the fantasy was within reach. VR was handed to us on a silver platter, we locked ourselves in a room, got as much equipment as we could, and spent the time figuring how can we do this.

We figured it out and published our first scene in July of 2015! 

We now have around 40 scenes!

We support Gear VR! We support Rift! We support every device out there!

Me: Why 180° videos over 360° videos?

Ian: Who wants to turn their neck around while watching porn?

Me: I Do and I think I could make some very visually interesting stuff.

Me: What is the difference between NA vs any other VRP provider? Lets say Pornhub. Cause you know people like VS. comparisons. I blame Street Fighter.

Ian: We get thousands of sign ups every day from a class of consumers that is different from Pornhub's. Our customers are the ultimate fan, they want to make sure they are supporting the performers that are enriching their lives. The ads on tube sites do not go back to the performer. With NA you are getting a high quality product that looks good on a 4K TV, a VR headset, and a mobile device. Plus you are giving back to the performers. Pornhub is sort of the default setting for people looking for adult content. Naughty America is looking to bring adult content out of the small box in your browser.

Me: How are the performers reaction to VR porn?

Ian: All of the performers we work with are ecstatic by VR. When you show them their own scenes they get to see how much the VR experience shows off their body in ways 2D just can't. They end up being enamored by it. Most of the performers are clamoring to get a VR scene done. We are looking to see how we can develop the methods to accommodate them.

Me: Will the AVN's have a VR award for their next show?

Ian: They should have had one this year! The show this year had VR everywhere, just not the awards.

Me: What techniques and innovations is NA bringing to the VRP world?

Ian: We were very conservative in our first videos and now that we have an understanding of the product we want to try some new things. We just put out Randy's Roadstop, this is our first experience in seeing if the avatar you are talks does it break the immersive experience. We want to see if this adds or detracts from the experience. The next step is seeing how we can bring 3rd person perspectives into it. 

The big innovation is here already with VR! Now it is down to who will take the creative and artistic challenge to push the medium to the best of it's ability. We want to constantly be innovating on shooting and delivering the content.

In reality VR brings us to a future retro situation. It brings us to almost a 70's era where the technicality, the execution, and the story suddenly become very important. You are not watching some amateur content in a 2x2 box, instead it is immersive and capturing you.

Me: I agree. I watched the Santa Claus scene and though I have seen something like this is 2D, it created a very different feeling and I had to giggle. Things that have been done before some how feel like they have not.

Ian then proceed to show me an assortment of VR adult content that Naughty America has available. One of the things that was very interesting was watching VR from the women's perspective. I have to say that was an experience I will never forget and opens up a lot of questions.

Me: How do you feel about VR's potential to humanize porn and create a more intimate perspective. (Disclaimer: CatsAndVR nor Ian look at the current state of adult content as inhumane, this just questions a perspective shift that could potentially be created towards the industry)

Ian: Look when your business model is based on people looking at your ads you are gonna try to produce the most extreme, attention getting content to get clicks on those ads. Content that might have a sensual erotic context is just not going to get the clicks on the ads.

With VR you see that the intimacy is very apparent, you feel the intimacy that you don't feel when you look at a little 2x2 screen. This is going to affect the nature of the content. It is very easy to depersonalize performers when you watch them abstractly. When you are viscerally felling a VR experience you may not be ready for the same things that you are for on a tube site. It may change what types of content you may want. 

Founder Of CatsAndVR.com with sex positive feminist, performer, director, author, and inspiration Nina Hartley.

While developing our own content we asked women how they felt while watching the women's perspective scene. Some of the feedback we received were woman wanting to make sure the performer was actually in pleasure during the scene. Being able to convey that feeling through VR content is something we are striving to create. We are taking into consideration feedback from all members of our community as we work on creating a real intimate and visceral VR experience. 

Me: I want to thank you for your time Ian. If anyone wants more information on Naughty America's VR offerings:  http://www.vrandcats.com/naughtyamerica/

Ghost In The Shell VR experience coming to Playstation VR.

Starting in May of 2016, Japan will be able to experience Ghost in the Shell: The Movie - Virtual Reality Diver, a 15 minute virtual reality movie based on the cyberpunk manga by Masamune Shirow. For those wanting to experience it in the states, it looks like it will also be released for Playstation VR. The PSVR release date is currently unknown . Originally developed as a mobile VR app it grew in scale considerable and is no longer coming to mobile devices . Hopefully that also means that it grew in quality of content and could be a great non-gaming coup for Playstation.  

Cats And VR

Partnering with companies like Capcom, Konami, and VRstudios, Hub Zone looks to be an amazing Video Game destination.

With the recently revealed details of Resident Evil: Bio Terror, CatsAndVR.com is very excited about Hub Zero. In the ever-evolving entertainment industry, Hub Zero introduces a new dimension of electronic gaming by inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a vibrant virtual environment and delve into a world of their favorite gaming characters and 'Live the Game'. Several rides will be powered by artificial intelligence and feature real-time engines to provide an unmatched interactive and non-predictive gaming experience. Hub Zero has made some great strategic partnerships with companies including Konami, Capcom, and VRstudios.

Not much is available about Resident Evil-Bio Terror but check out VRstudios for a great example of some total immersive zombie action. VRstudios out of Seattle, WA recently announced an exclusive partnership with Hub Zero.

“VRstudios is excited to be selected by Meraas for Hub Zero, a
monumental milestone for the VR industry and our company’s first installation in
the Middle East,” said Charles Herrick, chief executive officer and company founder.
“When many VR companies are only talking about the possibilities of VR, we are
delivering to enterprise customers around the world. It is rewarding to see how our
distinct capabilities are recognized and valued by world-class companies, such as
Meraas.”

Jean Marc Bled, general manager, Leisure & Entertainment at Meraas, said, “We are
proud to partner with such a revolutionary VR leader to provide the best interactive
and immersive VR experiences to our visitors of all ages for a fun-filled day out
where they can relive some of their most thrilling fantasies.”

Some of the additional photos that we have seen from the Middle East Film & Comic Con have left us excited about what additional experiences may be coming to Hub Zero.

Hopefully CatsAndVR.com can get an invite to Dubai to check out Hub Zero. 

Cats And VR

Excedrin Unveils "The Migraine Experience" - World's First Augmented Reality Migraine Simulator.

Excedrin unveils The Migraine Experience, the world's first augmented reality migraine simulator, to unlock a new level of understanding around migraines and the impact they have on the daily lives of the 36 million sufferers in the U.S.

"Migraines are more than bad headaches – the pulsing pain can be debilitating, and the associated symptoms like nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, really impact people's lives," said Dr. Elizabeth Seng, a New York based psychologist. "Migraines interfere with work, with people's social lives, emotional health and relationships. Unfortunately, migraines are largely misunderstood, often leaving sufferers feeling isolated and stigmatized."

Those around migraine sufferers often find themselves wondering what a migraine feels like. Excedrin® built the world's first migraine simulator, so sufferers can now receive the empathy they deserve. 

The Migraine Experience is the first simulator designed to give non-sufferers the chance to safely experience symptoms of a migraine including disorientation, aura, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. By using augmented reality, a non-sufferer experiences his or her everyday scenario while the migraine symptoms alter what they're actually seeing or trying to do.

"We created The Migraine Experience to foster a new level of understanding between migraineurs and non-sufferers," said Scott Yacovino, senior brand manager, U.S. Pain Category. "We're simulating the symptoms of a migraine – everything but the pain – because experiencing is believing. Using technology to drive human emotion to help migraineurs feel better understood – allowing non-sufferers, for the first time, to see what it's like to have a migraine."

As one of the first brands to leverage augmented reality technology to conceptualize a health condition, Excedrin® is proud to be driving the category toward fostering a more understanding, empathetic environment for sufferers.

Excedrin® is partnering with Andy Cohen, NY Times Best-Selling Author, TV personality, producer and expert in navigating relationships from housewives to reality stars, to help spread awareness and discuss the impact migraines can have on relationships with friends, spouses and co-workers.

"Growing up with migraines, I experienced firsthand how debilitating an episode can be and how much it can affect relationships with loved ones," said Andy Cohen. "In my experience, both personal and professional,I've seen how migraines can become a third party in relationships – creating tension in, sometimes, already murky waters."

To bring The Migraine Experience to life, Excedrin® brought together real sufferers in different types of relationships with non-sufferers – mother/daughter, girlfriend/boyfriend, co-workers and friends.

Each migraine sufferer explained the symptoms they most often experience during an episode, including aura, disorientation, and blurred vision. The symptoms were then replicated for their non-sufferer counterpart, conducted in a controlled environment, using augmented reality technology to alter their experience of everyday life – from riding the subway to going to a restaurant.

Cats And VR.

VideoStitch believes their Orah 4i camera will make 360° live streaming of Cats easier.

“Until today, a live VR video production workflow relied on an array of small cameras put together on a holder. Videographers then dealt with multiple cables, power supplies and a variety of small hardware components,” said Nicolas Burtey, CEO and founder of VideoStitch. “We have developed a solution that streams 4K resolution live virtual reality video to headsets–all with the push of a button.”

VR is a platform gaining a momentum thanks to the delivery of head­mounted displays to the end users. Yet it will only become a sustainable industry with massive, high quality cat videos. This not only the opinion of CatsAndVR.com but also Oculus CTO John Carmack.

One of the keys to consumer VR success will be stereoscopic panoramic cat videos.

— John Carmack (@ID_AA_Carmack) November 6, 2014

.More information can be found at Orah.co

Orah 4i is the first all-­in-­one VR camera designed to simplify the real­-time production of full spherical 360 video Pre-order now at http://www.orah.co/

We do hope that the Orah 4i delivers so we can start producing amazing Cat streams very soon.

We are CatsAndVR.com after all.

Cats And VR. 

Bandai Namco announces VR Zone -a safe place to rescue cats from heights

Bandai Namco  will open a virtual reality “experience center” in Tokyo next month. One of the featured VR experiences involves saving a cat.

The company will offer six games to try out:

• Fear of Heights Show: Rescue a cat located on a thin wooden plank 650ft above the ground.
• Ski Rodeo: A ski simulation with high cliffs
• Real Drive: Drive a sports car on a circuit
• Escape Ward Omega: A horror game in a giant abandoned hospital
• Train Meister: A simulation that puts you in control of a train on the Yamanote Line
• Argyle Shift: A mecha battle simulation where you and your co-pilot take on another giant robot.

Bandai Namco is streaming a teaser of users trying out the Fear of Heights/Love of cats simulation.

Oculus, Sony, HTC, and Microsoft can all go to hell because Google just changed the game up. Introducing Google Cardboard Plastic!

#GAMECHANGER #THUGLIFE Upstart Startup Google just changed the game up son! The first ever 100% fully immersive experience. CatsAndVR.com got some hands on experience and not since the advent of credit card debt has a piece of plastic felt this real. But hey we are pay to play bloggers so check out what VR evangelist Lil Wayne had to say after getting some hands on time with Google Cardboard Plastic. 

Sources at VrAndCats.com  have told us Lil Wayne is trying hard to get out of his deal with Samsung and is actually said to be trying his hardest to be in commercials for Google Cardboard Plastic now that Google has a product that can withstand the harsh conditions of Champaign. Lil Wayne had previously been enamored by the anti-champagne tech Samsung had developed.

Even though Google respects Mr. Wayne, sources at VrAndCats.com say that Google is looking to upstart rapper Drake as a potential celebrity endorser. Drake's recent song about a cell phone has gotten the educated Canadian mad respect in the undergrown hip hop community. One may remember Drake due to his struggle being real and thus being the inspiration to the global television hit Wheels Ontario. 

When asked about the potential release date of the new product Google responded with "Who the hell is CatsAndVR.com and who let them into the building"

Cats And VR 

Check out the Spectator Mode for Job Simulator!

Developer:
Owlchemy Labs
Based in Austin, TX

Job Simulator will be a launch title for HTC Vive, Oculus Touch, and PlayStation VR. A tongue-in-cheek virtual reality experience for motion controlled VR platforms. In a world where robots have replaced all human jobs, step into the "Job Simulator" to learn what it was like 'to job'.

About Job Simulator

The year is 2050.

Robots cook, clean, service, and rule organize the world with precision and speed. Human occupations are now memories of the past; long gone are the blue collar jobs that ran the old world. Humans raised in our perfect automated society must not forget their useless ancient ancestors and history. 

This is why JobBot was born. JobBot created Job Simulator to teach humans what it is 'to job'. All praise to JobBot, for he is the keeper of human history. 

Google Introduces VR View to allow you to embed immersive content into your apps and websites!

Move around using a mouse on a desktop or using your phone. 

SO EASY EVEN A CAT CAN EMBED A VR VIDEO! Also it is super mobile friendly. I tested on an old iPhone 4s and it views and loads great! This will allow for some really good Cardboard acceptance from the blogging community. 

Excerpt from Google Developers Blog

VR views take 360 VR images or videos and transform them into interactive experiences that users can view on their phone, with a Cardboard viewer, or on their desktop computer. For native apps, you can embed a VR view by grabbing the latest Cardboard SDK for Android or iOS* and adding a few lines of code. On the web, embedding a VR view is as simple as adding an iframe on your site. We’re open-sourcing the HTML and JavaScript for web developers on github, so you can self-host and modify it to match your needs.

From travel and real estate to news and entertainment, we hope embeddable VR views make it quick and easy to share your story and build immersive and engaging visual experiences your users will love. We're excited to see what you create.

*Yes, you read that right! Starting today, there’ll be a native Cardboard SDK for iOS. Provided in idiomatic Objective C, and packaged as a single, easy-to-use CocoaPod, this new SDK includes all of the features already available in the Cardboard SDK for Android.

Read More of this fantastic post by Google Product Manager-Nathan Martz

Cats and VR

VICELAND partners with Samsung to create exclusive VR content.

As part of a larger ad deal that will make some of its primetime programming commercial-free Viceland is creating virtual reality content for Samsung. 

Instead of ad breaks in a show, some content will run commercial-free with a Viceland doc running before. 

The first documentary will take a look at VR pioneer Chris Milk, founder and CEO of VR tech company Vrse  providing a look at his journey and body of work in VR.

Watch March Madness Basketball in VR!

Via NCAA

NCAA March Madness Live VR App Sponsored by Capital One to Provide Virtual Reality Experience via Samsung Gear VR Powered by Oculus

March Madness Live to Offer 2D, 180-Degree Stream on Desktop

NCAA March Madness Live, managed by Turner Sports – in partnership with CBS, NCAA Corporate Champion Capital One and Oculus – will provide live game coverage of the NCAA Final Four Semifinals and National Championship in virtual reality for the first time.  The 180-degree live stream – produced in collaboration with VOKE and available via a new virtual reality version of the NCAA March Madness Live app in the Oculus Store – will allow fans to follow the live game action while using Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus.  The NCAA March Madness Live VR App is available to download for free through the Oculus store.

Along with the live game presentation from a courtside perspective, fans will also have the opportunity to view a virtual scoreboard with live stats.   Audio will include game commentary from Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson during the telecast airing on TBS, along with sounds from the arena.  Additionally, the full tournament bracket will also be presented in the app, complete with video highlights from each game.

NCAA March Madness Live will also offer a 2D, 180-degree live stream on desktop for the Final Four Semifinals and National Championship game, along with 360-degree highlights posted to the NCAA March Madness Facebook page. Complete details to access the experience are available atwww.ncaa.com/marchmadnesslive.

This year’s Final Four Semifinals and National Championship will be televised on TBS, marking the first time in the 78-year history of the event that the title game is airing on cable television.  The Semifinals will be held Saturday, April 2, with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET, with the National Championship taking place on Monday, April 4, starting at 7 p.m. ET.  In addition to the traditional coverage on TBS, “Team Stream by Bleacher Report” or team-specific productions will be available on TNT and truTV.

This year marks the sixth year of the partnership between CBS Sports and Turner Sports to provide live coverage of all 67 games from the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – with all games streamed on NCAA March Madness Live.

Cats and VR

Playstation VR Core pre-order! Plus check out our Bro site for a semi comprehensive list of PS VR Trailers

PlayStation VR

Sony Computer Entertainment

Buy on Amazon

Click on the blocks to open up list of games.

From EVR to Eve: Valkyrie! CCP made a killer VR game.

Back at E3 2013 CCP's EVR demo left me awestruck and totally a VR fanboy. Now as Oculus RIft releases and EVR has now become EVE: Valkyrie I want to share this moment in time that introduced me to Oculus Rift for the first time. 3 years later and EVE: Valkyrie is live check out the gameplay footage. 

Bobby Venomous takes a look at CCP's EVR Demo at E3 2013 and talks with developer David Gundry about his work on the project. 

Experience the future of space combat in the EVE: Valkyrie VR gameplay launch trailer. The most intuitive, intense, and immersive dogfighting game ever made is here, developed by CCP Newcastle and powered by Oculus Rift. Read the launch day blog here: http://bit.ly/1SqZlCg Oculus Rift pre-orders include the EVE: Valkyrie Founder's Pack. 
 

EVE: Valkyrie is also coming to PlayStation VR in October 2016

Oculus Rift Review Round UP

March 28th has been filled with tons of news about VR. Since today is when Oculus Rift consumer Preorders would be arriving much media coverage has been put out today.

Now here is the wrap up for the day.

• "It’s very hard to convey with words, pictures, or videos just how different this experience is from looking at a standard 2D monitor. You’ll find yourself instinctively flinching away from objects as they fly at your face or doing a double-take when you see something surprising in the corner of your eye. The virtual reality illusion can give a real sense of vertigo when looking over a cliff or an overwhelming sense of awe looking across a vast vista." Going from a monitor to the Rift’s VR is like going from looking at nothing but moving paintings in a dark cave to looking at the real world in sunlight for the first time." - Kyle Orland, Ars Technica

• "You simply must try the Oculus Rift. It’s breathtaking. I just wouldn’t buy one right now -- and there’s no reason you should feel the need to, either (especially with its archrival, the HTC Vive, also just days away). The longer you wait to buy, the better it will get. This is just day one for Oculus -- and for the future of virtual reality." - Scott Stein and Sean Hollister, CNet

• "Over the course of a week using the Rift, I found that experience beguiling and thrilling at times, uncomfortable and awkward at others. Overall, entering the Rift is expensive, unnatural, and utterly addicting. Virtual reality is often talked about as a revolution, a paradigm shift, a really, really big deal. Using Oculus Rift proves this kind of talk isn’t hype." - Lisa Eadicicco, Time

• "This is an astonishingly well-made device. It delivers rock-solid, comfortable VR, and it does so easily. You’ll be able to put this thing on anyone and show them the magic. You’ll have friends coming over just to go through the Dreamdeck. (Seriously, you will.) But you’ll have to make your peace with the idea that your $600—or realistically, $1,500 or more, if you need a PC to go with it—is an investment. It’s an investment in the things you’ll be able to do in the Rift, the places you’ll be able to go." - Peter Rubin, Wired

• "Over the past week, I tested the Rift and many pieces of content for the system to see how true Mr. Zuckerberg’s words might ring. I can report that while the Rift is a well-built hardware system brimming with potential, the first wave of apps and games available for it narrows the device’s likely users to hard-core gamers. It is also rougher to set up and get accustomed to than products like smartphones and tablets." - Brian Chen, the New York Times

• "The high cost of buying and running high-end VR headsets makes them inaccessible to many people, and the Rift in particular is relentlessly focused on gaming. Within these limitations, though, the Rift makes a good case for seated VR, and it lays a solid foundation for what’s to come. The headset you can buy today is not Oculus’ most ambitious vision for virtual reality — but it’s a vision that Oculus has successfully delivered on." Adi Robertson, The Verge

• "After spending a week with the Oculus Rift, I have no doubt that its approach to virtual reality is indeed the real deal. It's well built and easy to set up, and there are already a few games and apps that'll make VR believers out of the most ardent naysayer. The only problem: It's $600 and requires a powerful gaming PC. Just as with every new technological milestone, it has the potential to change the world. But at this early stage, only a few can afford it."  - Devindra Hardawar, Engadget

• "Oculus Rift is the 2016 product you hope your neighbor buys. You’ll definitely want to try it, but there’s little reason to own one unless you’re a serious gamer. I’m not talking about Candy Crush addicts, or even most of us with a PlayStation at home. Oculus Rift only works with high-end gaming PCs—the recommended Asus model I tested costs $1,449 and requires not one but two power plugs. No Macs will do." Geoffrey Fowler, The Wall Street Journal

• "The Oculus Rift is a crazy device that is more than the sum of its parts. As the first consumer high-powered virtual reality headset, it deserves props for just existing, but incredibly it manages to kick ass as well. Whether you should buy now, just try it out or wait until Oculus Touch arrives depends mostly on your patience and cashflow." - Lucas Matney, TechCrunch

• "What Oculus has accomplished is remarkable. There’s plenty that even the completely uninitiated user can enjoy. More importantly, the Rift is truly immersive in most cases. The image quality is mostly excellent, and the head-tracking is nearly flawless. Indeed, perhaps what’s most significant is that there are moments when I can say unreservedly and without caveats that I am enjoying the Rift right in the moment—not as a device indicative of some desirable future, but as a device to own right now. I still can’t afford the future of virtual reality, but for the first time, I actually want to." - Mario Aguilar, Gizmodo

New Pokemon Go Details and Video!

Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices! With Pokémon GO, you'll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO will use real locations to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.

The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!

Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you're near a Pokémon. Once you've encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone's touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items.

In Pokémon GO, you will gain levels as a Trainer, and at higher levels you will be able to catch more powerful Pokémon to complete your Pokédex. You'll also have access to more powerful items, such as Great Balls, to give you a better shot at catching Pokémon. Keep exploring and encountering Pokémon to raise your level!

There are other ways to add Pokémon to your roster, too. If you catch the same species of Pokémon enough times, you'll get the opportunity to evolve one of them. And as you explore, you may find Pokémon Eggs at PokéStops, which will hatch after you've walked a certain distance. When they hatch, you may find Pokémon you've never seen before!

Some wild Pokémon will appear only in certain places near where you live or around the world. For example, some Water-type Pokémon may appear only near lakes and oceans. If you're away from home, be sure to stay alert for Pokémon you wouldn't normally encounter!

At a certain point in the game, you'll be asked to join one of three teams. Once you join a team, you'll gain the ability to assign Pokémon you've caught to empty Gym locations or to a location where a team member has placed one of his or her Pokémon. Like PokéStops, Gyms can be found at real locations in the world. Each player can place only one Pokémon at a particular Gym, so you're encouraged to work with others on the team to build up a strong defense.

If a Gym is already claimed by another team, you can challenge that Gym using your own Pokémon. Using the Pokémon you've caught, engage in battle with the defending Pokémon at the Gym to claim control.

A wide variety of challenges are available that highlight many different categories, such as catching Pokémon and exploration. By completing these challenges, you'll unlock achievement medals that will appear in your player profile. Try your best to unlock as many medals as you can!

A portable device called the Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even while they’re not looking at their smartphones. The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Pokémon GO Plus will be available soon. Check back for more details.