Sacramento Kings new NBA arena wired for VR instant replay with mobile headsets.

This October, the Sacramento Kings will open up a brand new $507 million dollar arena boasting 84 ft long screen almost as long as the court itself. Of course since this arena is in the Bay Area/Northern California part of the world it will be jacked with a high-capacity Wi-Fi system intended to give fans mobile Internet access comparable to high speed home broadband. 

 So great so now we can Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook at the game faster than ever.  Yes,  but there are also bigger plans for all this investment. 

Paul Jacobs, vice chairman and co-owner of the team, and also executive chairman of mobile chipmaker Qualcomm says "Fans could be given an up-close experience of the action no matter where they’re sitting" 

The Kings are planing on allowing someone watching the game at the arena with access to a mobile VR headset such as GearVR be able to watch an instant reply call in full 360° view and in real time as the play is reviewed.

Another VR option the Kings are considering is having providing fan the ticket option to access high-end VR headsets rather than a conventional seat with a poor view.

 “They'd still be there to feel the roar of the crowd and be part of it but be watching in a  slightly different way,” Jacobs says.

The Sacramento Kings are heavily embracing Virtual Reality and recently invested in virtual reality video startup Voke. The team has also experimented with streaming action from the court to virtual-reality headsets outside the stadium as well as the recent uniform reveal via 360° video and Google Cardboard.

In 2015, a game against the Los Angeles Clippers was viewed by people at a school in India using headsets, something Jacobs feels could be common place in the future. Dan Gilbert, owner of NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers has also shown interest in using this as a way to generate additional revenue from games. 

Cats And VR

Review-UploadVR E3 Party

What can I say about the UploadVR party? Well not only was it the E3 party VR needed but also deserved. I have been attending E3 since 2011 and in 2013 I had my first experience with Rift DK 1. That seems like forever and a day looking at how important VR was to E3 2016. 

As VR grew in the past few years, so has UploadVR. UploadVR has helped create an awareness of VR in the San Francisco Bay Area and is now helping to evangelize globally. 

This real care about the growth of VR was very present at the party. Though they had Morgan Page as the musical headliner, this party was first and foremost about spreading the importance of Virtual Reality. 

Before the main festivities of the party started the UploadVR founders got on stage for a moment of silence for the recent Orlando tragedy. This followed up by them saying that ticket sales of the event would be going to help that cause. 

@UploadVR has come a long way. #UploadE3Party ticket sales go to help victims of the recent #orlando tragedy. pic.twitter.com/PtZxY7SDyG

— CatsAndVR (@CatsAndVR) June 15, 2016

This in reality is a reflection of how I view the UploadVR E3 party. Yes VR is now the hot girl at the dance that everyone wants to talk to. That does not mean she does not also have a great personality and still aware of her Kickstarter roots. For a party sponsored by Nokia and Hulu that represented the hottest thing, there was still an indie charm that felt real.

My favorite example of this was UploadVR Co-founder & EIC Will Mason legitimately coming across awestruck when introducing Co-creator of the Myst franchise, Rand Miller.

View fullsize

Miller seemed to be really enjoying himself while also spreading the word about his new game Obduction.  Obduction, which garnered several E3 Best Of Show nominations was available to be played in VR at the party. This was a perfect opportunity to showcase the game to people that may have missed it on the floor and showcased why this party was different than your general free drinks and swag E3 event. 

In fact several demos were available to play including one of my favorite VR games, Time Machine VR. This was also a great opportunity to showcase something that may have flew under the radar for people that were bombarded by all the E3 VR announcements.

Of course what is a party without the party aspect and UploadVR delivered. A variable who's who of the industry attended and one minute I found myself discussing 360° filmmaking with the award winning filmmaker Ando Shah to discussing Space VR with Ryan Holmes.  

On the music side, the event was headlined by Morgan Page but also featured the first ever live in real world venue use of The Wave VR. Bay Area DJ Grimecraft put on a fantastic performance using HTC Vive. This is yet another example of why the VR was the most important aspect of this party.

To be honest I really wanted to spend my entire evening at the UploadVR party but I had to head out to catch up with some old friends old school VIP style at the Twitch Event. 

#E32016 #E3 #twitchparty #twitch @DavidTamargo @JonCarnage #wordlife #demboys #WWE2K17 pic.twitter.com/XsAgXgimos

— CatsAndVR (@CatsAndVR) June 15, 2016

The only thing left to say is that I truly loved every minute I was at the UploadVR E3 party and told people about it at the next event I went to. I do hope that CatsAndVR.com will be around to be able to attend another UploadVR E3 party in the future. Nothing but respect for an excellent E3 event put on by an excellent collective that made sure to show that VR is not a gimmick and worth every minute of celebration. 

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The Fathers Of Virtual Reality-a post about VR on Fathers Day.

It is hard to state with any assurance who the father of virtual reality is, as like any new creation it draws upon a wide range of sources and impacts, including several women innovators. 

More than one individual has been included in the improvement of this innovative framework yet in the event that we are discussing the domain of virtual experience then the answer is Morton Heilig. 

He delivered the principal intuitive film involvement in which viewers were welcome to watch a film which would utilize the majority of their faculties. For instance: he utilized a swaying fan so that the viewer could feel wind blowing all over. 

The Sensorama was not broadly embraced but rather the thoughts drove future exploration into virtual reality and the ensuing results. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Heilig

The term 'virtual reality' was begat by Jaron Lanier in 1987 amid a time of extraordinary movement into this type of innovation. In any case, before then, he had set up VPL Research – an organization which spearheaded research into virtual reality and 3D illustrations which likewise sold the intitail virtual reality apparatus, for example, virtual reality glasses, data gloves and later, the full data suit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaron_Lanier

The Sword of Damocles is widely considered to be the first virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) system. It was created in 1968 by computer scientist Ivan Sutherland with the help of his student Bob Sproull. Before he began working toward what he termed "the ultimate display"  Ivan Sutherland was already well respected for his accomplishments in computer graphics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Sutherland

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NBA All Star Kyrie Irving shows off Timbaland's new favorite state of the art audio technology, SubPac

Cavaliers All Star Point Guard Kyrie Irving was wearing one of the hottest accessories on the market today. No not a pair of Kanye West shoes or Dr Dre headphones but a very interesting black body harness.

When asked by a reporter what the black body harness was, Irving said, "It's a SubPac, you'll be hearing about it soon."

SubPac, a transformational technology brand, is pioneering a cultural shift across the music and technology industries by revolutionizing the traditional perception of sound. SubPac is immersive physical-sound technology that brings music to life, expanding beyond an audio concept to a full-body experience. The startup has attracted major investors and industry leaders who have joined forces to engineer this unprecedented sound movement.

I recently had a chance to watch the hella dope Run The Jewels 360° video in a Viewmaster headset while using a SubPac device. I feel it's the addition of accessories like SubPac that will make VR a real fully immersive experience that will keep you coming back. 

Here is my 360° video Demo and interview with SubPac. Use the Mouse to move around

 SubPac recently announced the close of $6M Series A financing with notable investors that include veteran DJ, Richie Hawtin, Dada Life, Azure Capital, NBA All Star Carmelo Anthony's M7 Tech Partners, and Andy Rubin of Playground Global and formerly Google Android. The funds are earmarked for development as the brand is positioned to significantly disrupt the music and tech industries.

"SubPac opened my eyes to the power of physical sound. It will absolutely change the way people experience music, VR and cinema." said Andy Rubin, founder & CEO, Playground Global.

SubPac is creating its own physical-sound category through two unique products; the SubPac M2, a wearable vest, and the SubPac S2, a seatback device. Both create a new form of expression for musicians and sound designers to connect with their fans on a deeper level by using innovative technology that allows consumers to physically feel sound. This tangible connectivity captivated GRAMMY-winning producer Timbaland to come on board as a partner and introduce the brand to the music industry.

"SubPac is a game changing experience for both artists and fans," said Timbaland. "It lets you feel the music like never before.  It's the feeling that's been missing, until now."

SubPac is a privately held technology company and was the brainchild of Co-Founders John Alexiou and Todd Chernecki. The startup's leadership team also includes Sean Leonard, Head of Strategic Development and Sarosh Khwaja, Head of R&D. SubPac is based in the heart of the entertainment industry, Los Angeles and has offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, London and Toronto.  

"Andy Rubin and Timbaland are two of the finest creative minds on the planet," said John Alexiou, Co-Founder and CEO of SubPac. "They have both moved culture in significant ways, and will play leading roles in SubPac's mission to bring the feeling of music & sound to the world."  

SubPac is currently available on thesubpac.com with the SubPac M2 retailing for $349 and SubPac S2 for $299.

 thesubpac.com

EVE VALKYRIE gets Carrier Assault update on June 20

In Carrier Assault CCP are delivering that hallowed trench run moment that has been etched into the minds of many a Sci-Fi fan. 

Experience the next level of space dogfighting with Carrier Assault, part of the first free content update for the multiplayer virtual reality game EVE: Valkyrie. Take down the enemy team's fighters and cripple their defenses to infiltrate and destroy their Carrier.

Check  out more about Carrier Assault here.

https://www.evevalkyrie.com/articles/devblogs/carrier-assault-update-coming-june-20

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

Godzilla VR announced for Playstation VR in Japan

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia and Toho have announced, a Godzilla virtual reality experience that will launch on October 13 in Japan as a free for a limited time download on the PlayStation Store. 

The actual 3D CG data utilized for the movie will also be used for the game in order to created the best possible VR Gojira. No word on if this will launch in other regions. 

Shin Godzilla Special Demo Contents for PlayStation VR (title tentative), a virtual reality experience that will launch on October 13 in Japan as a free for a limited time download on the PlayStation Store.

Info provided by Game Watch.

Michael Bae and The Rogue Initiative Partner to Create Entertainment Properties with a Focus on Virtual Reality

The Rogue Initiative and Michael Bae announced a partnership to develop original entertainment properties with a focus on virtual reality and interactive hardware. 

This is Bae’s first foray into interactive entertainment; he will direct and The Rogue
Initiative will produce and develop original content in cinematic-style VR.

Pete Blumel, co-founder and CEO of The Rogue Initiative, said: “I’ve enjoyed a longstanding
relationship with Mr. Bay and couldn’t be more excited to work with him and
truly leverage his unique vision and incredible depth of experience to this amazing new
medium. We’re all absolutely thrilled to be working with such a cinematic powerhouse in
the field of action entertainment.”

Bae said: “I’ve known Pete for a long time, and he’s put together a great team. I’m
excited about building new visual worlds for this innovative medium with them.”

Cathy Twigg, co-founder and Chief Production Officer of The Rogue Initiative, said:
“We take a comprehensive approach in producing our IP for the entertainment landscape,
specializing in film, television and interactive experiences with a focus on virtual reality. This enables The Rogue Initiative to align with our partners in expanding our IP to
various other platforms and media. We’ll be bringing this approach to the properties we
co-create with Mr. Bay as well.”

The Rogue Initiative officially launched earlier this year with several projects in
development.

The company will seek further investment and strategic partnerships to develop its slate
of upcoming cinematic, interactive VR, film and television projects for platforms and
distribution channels, including Sony Playstation, Oculus, HTC Vive, Samsung GearVR,
Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, feature film, network and cable television.

CatsAndVR.com

Capcom picks up with Resident Evil 7(in VR!) where Konami dropped the ball with Silent Hills.

Seems like it was just yesterday we were treated to the potential hellish wonder that would have been the Silent Hill collaboration between Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro. Then Konami decided to pull a Freddy Kruger and pull the plug, in turn also distancing itself from prolific game visionary Hideo Kojima. While Kojima has bounced back and taken his talents to Sony Beach, Konami really did not have much to offer at E3.

Resident Evil 7 in VR made me realize that Capcom noticed that Konami dropped the ball big time with Silent Hill. During the Playstation E3 the shock and awe of the audience was reminiscent of when fans first realized that P.T. was a trailer for Silent Hills. Capcom's own Resident Evil franchise has lost some of its's horror luster and has not really taken a major step to reclaim the survival horror throne it once held with a grip of fear. Capcom took notice of the fan response to thing such as Amnesia, Outlast, and P.T. and has redesigned Resident Evil in that light. 

Fear comes home again when Resident Evil 7 biohazard releases on PlayStation 4 (fully compatible with PlayStation VR Mode) on January 24, 2017. 

The Playstation VR demo begins in an old farmhouse with the goal of ESCAPE! This in away is very similar to the set up to P.T, the Kojima/Del Toro Silent Film trailer. The uneasiness continues with the elements of the environment.  A pot of spoiling stew, a raven stuffed into a microwave, rotting dolls and, mysteriously, unpleasant mannequins are just a few of the effective horror tropes used to create tension. 

The trope to be used in the demo is the old VHS is scary house one. Where you pop the tape in and realize how fucked you really are based on what has happened before.

Welcome to the fantastic world of survival horror now in VR! I have been hearing a lot of people coming away from E3 saying they are super excited for RE:7 but would never play it entirely in VR. Mission accomplished Capcom, you have once again brought the fear of the unknown back into survival horror gaming. 

Resident Evil 7 hits PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One on Jan. 24, 2017. It will be available for PS VR, no word on any ports to Oculus or Project Scorpio yet. 

CatsAndVR.com

Pokemon Go pricing and release window announced.

Nintendo confirmed that the release date for Pokémon Go will be late July during day two of the company's E3 Treehouse livestream event.

 Some details were also given about the Pokémon Go Plus wearable device, which connects to the game via bluetooth and allows play without having to have your phone out at all times, Legendary Nintendo creator and figureheadShigeru Miyamoto revealed the device would be released some time next month.

The Pokémon Go Plus device will go on sale for $34.99. No other pricing was announced.

Playstation just killed it at E3. What a VR lineup!

Not only did they give a date for the Playstation VR launch, they went ahead and said a few of the 50 games that will be coming to it or have support. STAR WARS, BATMAN, FINAL FANTASY, & RESIDENT EVIL....what a lineup. That was a great VR lineup but all the games announced including Spider-Man and Detroit look amazing. Check out the trailers here. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayStation/videos

CatsAndVR.com

Star Trek VR Game announced at E3

cats and vr

Oculus Touch will launch with more than 30 full, made-for-VR games later this year.

Launch titles include Oculus Studios games like Insomniac’s Unspoken, Dead & Buried, Rock Band VR from Harmonix, VR Sports Challenge by Sanzaru, Crytek’s The Climb (now Touch enabled), as well as independent games like Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope by Croteam, Pro Fishing Challenge VR by Opus, I Expect You to Die by Schell Games, Luna by Funomena, Giant Cop by Other Ocean, Job Simulator by Owlchemy Labs, and Fantastic Contraption by Northway Games. Oculus Medium will also ship with Touch, which brings the tactile satisfaction of sculpting into the world of VR.

Four new Touch games that will launch first on Oculus.

Introducing Wilson's Heart, a psychological thriller with a one-of-a-kind visual and narrative style from developer Twisted Pixel, coming to Touch in 2017!

In Killing Floor: Incursion, a cooperative VR shooter from Tripwire Interactive, you take on the role of an elite soldier tasked with eliminating hordes of sci-fi monsters with guns, blades, and more. This Touch-enabled take on the well-known Killing Floor universe will take you to diverse environments and force you to scavenge for survival as you face an unrelenting onslaught of monsters.

Superhot is an over-the-top, stylistic FPS that blurs the lines between cautious strategy and unbridled mayhem. Time only moves when you move, creating a unique bullet ballet that is brought to life with Touch. Your every gesture and movement lets you dodge bullets, disarm enemies, and return fire in a way that has yet to be experienced in gaming.

Ripcoil by Oculus Studios and Sanzaru Games lets you enter a futuristic player vs. player arena where you can launch, catch, and punch a speeding Ripcoil disc. 

Over 300 VR Apps on Oculus Store for Gear VR
Today there are more than 300 games and apps available in the Oculus Store for Gear VR, and at E3  titles like the medieval action-strategy CastleStorm VR and zombie action shooter Drop Dead will be previewed.

Cats And VR

Anna Sweet, Head Of Dev Strategy at Oculus announces Killing Floor VR and reveals Superhot VR trailer at PC Gaming Show.

Anna Sweet. Head Of Dev Strategy at Oculus announces Killing Floor VR and reveals Superhot VR trailer at PC Gaming Show.

CatsAndVR.com

Serious Sam coming to VR this summer.

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Microsoft announces Project Scorpio for 2017-4K and VR ready

At the Microsoft XBOX E3 event Project Scorpio was announced for 2017. This will be the next version of XBOX and it is their plan to bring 4k and hi-fidelity VR to consoles. 

I also believe Bethesda just announced Fallout 4 VR will be coming to Project Scorpio as well

Cats And VR

Oculus CTO John Carmack and GearVR Make appearance at XBOX E3 event

Oculus CTO John Carmack made an appearance during the Minecraft presentation of the XBOX E3 event. Playing Minecraft in GearVR, Carmack hyped how important he felt Minecraft was to VR. More questions about XBOX VR were raised than answered. 

Hopefully more info soon. E3 just started.  

Meta announces $50 million in a Series B round of funding to develop Meta 3

Meta, the pioneering technology leader in Augmented Reality (AR), announced the closing of $50 million in a Series B round of funding. The round includes significant participation by Horizons Ventures Limited, Lenovo, Tencent, Banyan Capital, Comcast Ventures, and GQY.

View post on imgur.com

View post on imgur.com

Called one of the most significant technologies in recent years, Meta 2 was unveiled to a standing ovation at TED 2016 in February. Meta is delivering a new “natural machine” that builds on the principles of neuroscience to create a completely intuitive experience that transforms how people work, play, communicate and engage with each other.

Meron Gribetz, CEO of Meta, said, “It is incredibly gratifying to have the support of big thinkers and investors who understand the importance of creating a new human-computer interface, anchored in science. Our friends at Tencent, Lenovo, Horizons Ventures, Comcast Ventures and all the other investors really get what we’re doing and why Meta is different from the other players in AR. They understand that the combination of our advanced optical engines along with our neuroscience-based interface design approach are what will create a computing experience that is 100x easier to use and more powerful than traditional form factors.”

Meta plans to use funds raised in the Series B round for building upon its hardware and software technology base, business expansion, including app development, and developing the next generation of its technology, Meta 3.

Check out my review of Meta 2 http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/meta2

Destinations Workshop Tools available on Steam Early Access

Destinations Workshop Tools lets you create, share, and explore both real and imaginary places in virtual reality. This is a beta release of a set of content creation tools that users can use to construct worlds and share them on the Destinations Workshop – then explore them with the included Destinations Viewer.

Destinations Workshop Tools includes:
The Source 2 tool set used internally at Valve. Once installed, you can find the Destinations Workshop Tools in the Library under Tools. 
Several example Destinations created with photogrammetry 

An example map that users can copy and modify which highlights how to use Source 2 tools to add interactivity to a Destination 

The Destinations Viewer, where users can browse and explore Destinations downloaded from the Steam Workshop. Once installed, you can find the Destinations Viewer in the Library under Software.

Creator Resources:
Destinations Wiki
Source 2 Level Editor Wiki
Destinations Compatibility
Destinations works with all headsets supported by OpenVR. 
Destinations supports both motion-tracked controllers and x-input controllers.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/453170

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Check out the E3 trailer for Harmonix Music VR

Unlock the transcendent potential of your music with Harmonix Music VR™.

Visit http://harmonixmusicvr.com for more information! 

From a whacky dance party, to 3D reactive art, and even a nice relaxing alien beach, Harmonix Music VR is the next evolution of your music library. Launching exclusively on PlayStation®VR this October.

Features:

- Works with any song in your PlayStation®4 music library! Plug in a USB flash drive loaded with your favorite songs and Harmonix’s internal music analysis engine does the rest. 

- Four unique worlds will let you experience your music like you never have before. Chill on a transforming alien beach in The Beach, create 3D drawings in The Easel, get the dance party started The Dance, and more!

- Featuring 17 music tracks, including songs from the cult classic beatmatch rhythm game Amplitude™, A City Sleeps™, and hand crafted music from Harmonix’s very own, M-Cue.

Cats And VR