HTC Vive remake of Duck Hunt using a Vive Emulator!

Remko van Brakel recently released his HTC Vive remake of Duck Hunt. That is super awesome but what really messed with me today is learning of how to play it using a Vive emulator.

Shout out to the founder of Destructoid for making me aware. 

"The game works on the Vive, but of course there's ways to emulate the Vive if you don't have one. I recommend Riftcat.com with a cardboard viewer to demo these things on the smartphone you already own. If you don't have bluetooth controllers either, you should stop buying Pokémon buttplugs and get a proper nest of just-in-case cables. I wrote a guide on how to use a $30 Leap controller in VR to emulate Vive's motion controllers. 

https://www.destructoid.com/guide-how-to-make-a-dirt-cheap-steam-vr-headset-with-low-lag-358924.phtml

Cats And VR

Jaunt ONE Camera to be made available to public allowing anyone to Shoot, Edit and Distribute High-Quality, Immersive Cinematic VR Experiences

Jaunt Inc., the industry leader in cinematic virtual reality, today announced that the award-winning Jaunt ONE camera will be made available for public use through a pilot program with Radiant Images, a Los Angeles-based digital cinema innovator and rental house. In addition to the patented camera technology, Jaunt Cloud Services (JCS), Jaunt’s cloud based stitching and rendering pipeline, will also be available to creators providing them with the only scalable, end-to-end, hardware and software solution for shooting, producing and distributing immersive cinematic VR experiences.

Starting in July, the Jaunt ONE camera will be available for rent via the Radiant Images website and rental house, giving everyone from rising filmmakers to established creatives and brands the opportunity to shoot with the highest quality professional-grade stereoscopic VR camera, designed with visionary VR creators in mind. The Jaunt ONE 24G model features 24 global shutter sensors, ideal for low-light and fast moving objects, and the setup can be coupled with 360° ambisonic audio recording, which in post can be mixed with Dolby ATMOS.

"Over the past 12 months we have used Jaunt ONE to film hundreds of hours of content all over the world. Jaunt ONE is a production tested camera that we are thrilled to be opening to the public through this rental program with Radiant Images," said Koji Gardiner, VP of hardware engineering at Jaunt. "Radiant is the perfect partner to enable broader access to our technology, and their expertise in the VR space makes them a great resource for filmmakers eager to explore VR as a new storytelling medium."

“The incredible Jaunt ONE camera is the perfect match for the many visionary VR creators we collaborate with who are eager to continue to push the boundaries of this new technology,” said Michael Mansouri, VP and co-founder of Radiant Images. “We’re honored and excited that Jaunt has entrusted us to help get this camera into the hands of talented filmmakers determined to take VR content to the next level and beyond. The power and versatility of the Jaunt ONE, together with Jaunt’s seamless software and distribution solutions, is unmatched. We’re thrilled to be the first rental house to have this amazing camera available to clients.”

After capturing stunning omnidirectional video with Jaunt ONE, production teams can also stitch and render their footage in the cloud using JCS, Jaunt’s proprietary cloud based algorithms and tools. JCS transforms footage into the highest quality stereoscopic VR experiences, ready for publishing. JCS also integrates seamlessly with most off the shelf post production tools for compositing, editing and color correction.

Once the experience is finalized, creators have immediate access to all of the assets necessary to publish to any platform that supports 360° video, including the Jaunt VR App. The Jaunt VR platform utilizes ‘deep-links’, allowing content creators to publish directly to their audiences. These unique content specific ‘deep-links’ give global audiences immediate access to the experience without having to search for it, regardless of the device or platform.

Cats And VR

Rumor Mill-EA working on Burnout VR.

 Earlier this week by EA posted a QA VR role, but  removed the job this morning after the media began to run with the story. 

The job was described as “an exciting opportunity for a short term contract Quality Analyst position to work on a yet to be announced VR title.” It said that qualified candidates, “will be responsible for identifying and reporting software defects, assisting with establishment of strong VR testing guidelines, writing and running test coverage and verifying fixes.”

The role was for Criterion Games who is owned by EA and is developing the Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing Mission for PSVR. The rumor mill is saying that the role was for a Burnout VR game.

Cats And VR

Immerse yourself with Shark Week in VR...well 360° video actually.

This year, SHARK WEEK celebrates its 28th anniversary and will keep viewers on the edge of their seat with all-new jaw-dropping and compelling shark stories and, for the first time ever, offering an immersive virtual reality experience. Working with nearly two dozen of the most respected marine biologists and science institutions, SHARK WEEK will also highlight some of the most recent breakthroughs and developments to reveal remarkable new insights into these magnificent creatures.

http://www.discoveryvr.com/

Shark Week programming will be available via the Discovery VR app for viewing with Samsung GearVR and Oculus Rift. So YEA!!!!

Cats And VR

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

Coverage- UploadVR's Art & VR event.

The tech and art world are arguably in one of the most exciting times in regards to VR. This is something that I get up every morning excited to be part of. There are several people that share these same sentiments. One of the fastest growing set of influencers in the VR community recently hosted a sold out event to facilitate the discussion and discovery of Art & VR. 

UploadVR turned their offices into an art gallery and held an excellent event hosted by artist in residence and art curator of the Upload Collective space, Stuart Mason. 

The evening art showcases included "Floating World" -Marina Berlin's wire installation inspired by Virtual Reality as well as a collection of curated pieces.

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Event attendees included world renowned multimedia artist, Luska, Business Dev superstar @ SubPac, Zach Jaffe, & Co-founder at VR Weekend & Editor at Epic Magazine, Kelly Vicars.

The event drew an eclectic crowd of influencers from the art and VR world mixed with enthusiasts who were generally excited to discover the impact of VR in art world.  Those in attendance were treated to the cutting edge of Virtual Reality art including an amazing abstract art maze by Academy Award winning visual effects pioneer Kevin Mack of Shape Space VR.

via GIPHY

Of course what would an Art & VR event be without the inclusion of Google's killer VR art App, Tilt Brush. Elisabeth Moran of Google VR was on hand to not only demo Tilt Brush but also speak about creativity and expression in VR as a whole.

One of my favorite moments of the evening happened when Elisabeth Moran gave a shout out to The Wave, the amazing Vive DJ'ing tool that captivated the audience that evening including the Tilt Brush team.

Stuart Mason drove home the point of the artist portion of art by making attendees aware of H.E.ART Project, a non-profit organization created to give back to the SF art community. The project works with landlords and homeowners to provide selected artists with extended rent-controlled leases. 

UploadVR opened up their space to cultivate the connection between art and VR and I would say the Brothers Mason succeeded in that mission.

Cats And VR

How the UK leaving the EU will affect VR development in England.

TIGA, the network for video games developers and digital publishers and the trade association representing the video games industry, said today that in the light of the vote for ‘Brexit’ the UK Government and Parliament should take steps to ensure the continued success of sectors with economic potential, including the creative industries and the video games industry. TIGA made the comments following the EU referendum which took place on June 23 rd 2016 and drawing upon expert information from Weightmans LLP and Grant Thornton LLP.

TIGA said that there were three key issues facing the video games industry following the EU referendum.

1.      Access to finance: Difficulty accessing capital has consistently been the top factor holding back many games developers. In an uncertain economic environment, there may be a reduced appetite for investment. Additionally, outside of the EU, the UK games industry will not be able to access schemes such as Creative Europe and Horizon 2020 programmes.  The UK Government should promote policies that encourage investment, maintain sector specific schemes such as the Video Games Prototype Fund and consider a Games Investment Fund to help start-ups and small businesses.

2.      A favourable tax environment: Video Games Tax Relief and R & D Tax Relief have been crucial in enabling the UK video games industry to compete on a more level playing field against the UK’s international competitors, particularly Canada. In a post Brexit world it will be even more vital to maintain, improve and enhance these reliefs in order to attract external investment and to maintain the competitiveness of the sector.

3.      Access to talent: the UK video games industry relies on a highly skilled workforce to compete. Until now, the industry has had access to a substantial pool of skilled EU workers who can work in the UK without serious administrative restrictions.  Brexit is likely to result in new immigration rules requiring employers to secure some sort of visa and to meet certain skills/salary criteria in order to employ migrant workers.  It is vital that any new arrangements are not onerous or complex and that industry is not heldback by skills shortages.

4.      Intellectual Property: IP is the lifeblood of the video games industry and the impact of ‘Brexit’ here could be significant. There are many commercial considerations. For example, the UK is part of both the Registered Community Design regime and the EU Trade Mark regime and also recognises the Unregistered EU Design Right. Such rights provide protection to rights holders across the EU Member States. Potentially such EU related rights might lose their validity in the UK. The implication being that those parties who originally held such EU rights may need to apply for UK trade mark and design rights to protect their rights in the UK.  This may result in issues relating to existing development and publishing arrangements, IP licenses and security over IP rights.

Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:

“The UK video games industry is a high technology sector that provides high skilled employment for over 30,000 people, including approximately 11,000 development staff and which contributes £1.1 billion to UK GDP. It is also export oriented, with at least 95 per cent of studios exporting. Following the referendum in favour of ‘Brexit’, it will be more vital than ever to strengthen (and avoid harming) those sectors where the UK has a comparative competitive advantage: for example, aerospace, defence, high-value manufacturing and engineering, high technology industries, higher education, low carbon technology and the creative industries, including the video games sector.

“For the video games industry, it is particularly important that policy makers ensure games companies have access to sufficient finance, benefit from Video Games Tax Relief and R&D Tax Relief, have clear and stable IP rights and can access highly skilled people from outside of the UK. Any new points based migration system must not be onerous or complicated, otherwise the industry’s growth could be held back.”

Jason Kingsley OBE, TIGA Chairman and CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion, said:

“The UK video games development sector is an export focused industry that sells content all over the globe. We have a highly skilled workforce, a creative and growing studio population and a heritage of thirty years of success. While uncertainty is unwelcome for business, the UK video games industry will remain strong, resilient and competitive.”

Information provided by  www.tiga.org

Cats And VR

Fantastic Japanese Team Hacks Nintendo Wii U and Plays Splatoon in VR with Water Guns.

Kougaki Navi has been working on hacking a Wii U for VR purposes for a while and have finally come up with an iteration they are happy with. Check out the video and use Google translate for the step by step process on how they did it. 

http://kougaku-navi.net/Splatoon/index.html

#スプラトゥーン の新しいインタフェース作った pic.twitter.com/rqedtePWAY

— kougaku (@kougaku) June 20, 2016

Dark Days, a psychological thriller for Gear VR launches today.

Dark Days, Parallel Studio’s newest VR experience, immerses you in a creepy motel in the middle of Death Valley to solve puzzles while you fight for survival. Fans of escape-the-room puzzles and thrilling supernatural narrative have a new VR game to look forward to. 

Dark Days is as an excellent Gear VR title that mixes the weirdness of Twin Peaks with the unknown supernatural bumps in the night of The X-Files and the hide-and-seak game play of Amnesia. The game puts you in the role of heroine Jade Lacroix, a writer who checks into a very seedy motel filled with mystery. 

http://www.parallel-studio.com/

Alien Invasion VR Jet Fighter sim, Final Strike, launches today just in time for the new Independence Day film.

Just in time for the release of the new Independence Day film, the Austin based virtual reality studio, Ghost Machine, has announced the retail launch date for a new VR arcade flight sim game, Final Strike.  http://store.steampowered.com/app/357920/

What if fighter-pilot movies had a love child with alien invasion blockbusters from the ’90s? You’d no doubt get Final Strike, an edge-of-your-seat F-16 jet fighter simulator that puts you against an airborne invasion of alien invaders. Relive your favorite moments from your favorite end-of-the-world style blockbuster film as you pilot your very own military-grade death machine to eradicate the earth of the alien presence. A fully orchestrated custom soundtrack by legendary game composer Sean Beeson brings the cinematic story to life, making you truly feel like your in the scene of your favorite alien invasion movies. 

CEO of Ghost Machine, Neal Nellans, spoke about releasing his studios latest efforts on Steam VR, "Working on virtual flight simulators is really how we got started building VR experiences. Final Strike represents the pinnacle of cinematic action paired with VR gaming". The game, designed to be played as a seated VR simulation experience. "The level of immersion that VR provides with flight simulators is second to none, mixed with an epic alien invasion this is a one-of-a-kind experience.", stated Nellans.

Challenge yourself through massive aerial dogfights with the alien enemy. Fight either by yourself will partner team AI. For those brave enough to join the battle with the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, a complete VR version of the game will put you directly in the action as you experience firsthand mission control where you receive your mission briefing and train to destroy the enemy. Complete VR immersion can be experienced with in-game VR menus, HUDS, and fully immersive 3D cockpits with working controls and gauges.

GDC spinoff conference VRDC gets standalone event: VRDC 16

The Virtual Reality Developers Conference (VRDC), the premier event for creators of immersive VR (and AR) experiences, today announced dates and location for its second edition – its first standalone event.  Bringing an expanded focus and new Advisory Board, the two-day event will bring together designers, programmers, business professionals, producers, artists, and audio practitioners to share best practices, demo new technology, create new business partnerships, and exchange ideas with innovators shaping the industry.

VRDC will take place November 2-3, 2016 in the Park Central Hotel in San Francisco, CA. To register or submit your speaking abstract by July 8, visit: vrdconf.com.

VRDC's Second Edition: November 2016

To meet the growing demand for high-quality content in the space, VRDC's second edition will expand to cover virtual and augmented reality in games, entertainment, brand experience, and a wide range of innovative use cases. Sessions from NASA and Chernobyl VR Project have been confirmed, reflecting the event's broad scope and top tier content.

"Now that VR platforms have hit the market, virtual experiences that entertain, inform, and provide entirely new ways to engage are increasingly in demand," explained Meggan Scavio, General Manager, VRDC and GDC. "We're thrilled to provide the highest quality content for VR developers, while exploring innovative applications for the technology across entertainment, healthcare, journalism, travel, manufacturing, retail, live events, real estate, training, and so much more."

Call for Submissions Now Open: VRDC is seeking the latest research and innovations in VR for November's lineup. Potential speakers may submit detailed technical and business-centric talks today through July 8, 2016. For more information, visit: www.vrdconf.com/conference/c4p/

New Advisory Board: An unprecedented advisory board of top names in VR will lead content for the show, including representatives from major platform holders such as Google (Noah Falstein), Oculus (Robert Stevenson), and Valve (Chet Faliszek), as well as creators behind experiences like Job Simulator (Alex Schwartz, Owlchemy Labs), Fantastic Contraption (Colin Northway) & VR experience experts like Pete Isensee (HBO Labs), Jazmin Cano (High Fidelity), Timoni West (Unity Labs), Tracey John (Havas Health) & Christina Heller (VR Playhouse).

Show Floor + Exhibitor Opps: VRDC will include a significant vendor area showcasing the latest innovations and advances in Virtual Reality. Those interested in exhibiting at this year's show should visit www.ubmgamenetwork.com/vrdc for more information.

VRDC's first edition was held alongside the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March 2016 with two sold out tracks covering VR/AR for Games and Entertainment.

As part of the VRDC portfolio, organizers intend to continue running VRDC Game and Entertainment sessions alongside the Game Developers Conference in February 2017. More information on these sessions will be available in the near future.

Cats And VR

Adobe Premiere Pro Update makes working with 360° Video/VR much easier

Adobe Premiere just got a tremendous release that will make editing 360° video easier than ever. Right now the stitching and metadata workflow does not make edited 360° content the easiest thing to do. 

You can now work with different VR Video formats, up to a full sphere of 360 horizontal by 180 degrees vertical of captured view, along with Stereoscopic View - Left, Right and Anaglyph. You can choose a view from the left or right eye in stereoscopic video, or in a red/cyan anaglyph format. Premiere Pro also allows you to work with VR footage that was captured in less than a full 360 degree sphere of view. You can configure the field of view displayed in the monitor, which allows you to emulate different viewing experiences. For example, an Oculus Rift might display a 90 x 60 degree field of view, while YouTube displays a 160 x 90 degree field of view. The Program and Source monitors have their own individual VR Video settings, which are saved with the project.

VR Video Settings

After configuring the settings, choose “Enable” from the settings menu to turn on the VR Video display. When enabled, the Monitor displays an interactive field of view within the spherical projection. Horizontal and vertical sliders along the bottom and right edge of the video frame allow you to pan and tilt the field of view. Numerical values presented next to these sliders display the current degrees of pan and tilt. You can click and drag on these values to pan or tilt the view, or you can click on them to enter a numeric value directly.

360-degree panning

Use the dial at the bottom for 360-degree continuous panning, which indicates the direction of view. Double-clicking within the video frame will re-center the view.  Use either of these methods to change the view interactively during playback and while the video is paused. To return to the normal monitor display, open the monitor settings menu and uncheck the “Enable” option for VR Video. 

You may also toggle between enabling and disabling your VR Video display using a button which can be docked with the monitor’s playback buttons. Click on the “+” icon in the lower right corner of the monitor to open the Button Editor. Drag the “Toggle VR Video Display” button out of the editor and into the monitor panel to its desired location. This button toggles between normal monitor display and VR Video display.

Check Out the Adobe Premiere working with VR video link above. 

Publishing your VR Video

To publish your VR Video on popular websites like YouTube and Facebook, you must use H.264, HEVC or QuickTime formats when encoding the video. In the 'Export Settings' dialog, choose one of these formats, then select the 'Video' settings tab. Scroll down to check the 'Video is VR' check box and choose the layout which matches your media from the popup menu. Metadata added to the encoded video flags it as VR Video content for publishers to play back correctly.

The 'Stretch to Fill' scaling setting in the Export Settings dialog output typically gives the best results for most VR Video exports. Select the “Publish' settings tab in the Export Settings dialog to upload this video directly to websites like YouTube or Facebook.

More information

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/VRSupport.html#ConfiguringthemonitorstodisplayVRVideo

Samsung announces Samsung Creators program to help VR / 360 content growth.

Today Samsung Electronics America, Inc. launched Samsung Creators, a new initiative that empowers storytellers, partnering with them to generate content across a variety of audiences and channels to show everyday creators what’s possible with Samsung VR technology.

“We want to bring the power of VR technology directly to the people,” said Samsung Electronics America’s Chief Marketing Officer Marc Mathieu. “To help creators learn and perfect the art of VR storytelling, we’ve built an entire VR ecosystem that pushes beyond the frame and empowers them to develop unforgettable, immersive stories, and inspires us all to do the same.”

At VidCon—and, beyond—Samsung Creators will provide seminars and classes, putting VR capabilities in the hands of filmmakers and influencers, further accelerating this new medium. Leading into VidCon, Samsung Creators is working with Casey Neistat to spotlight emerging creators from YouTube and push the creative boundaries of 360 video storytelling. This special curation of content will premiere at VidCon.

In July, Samsung Creators will launch a competition, challenging aspiring, indie filmmakers and creators to develop VR / 360 content, using Samsung’s VR products. Ten winners will be chosen, one from each of the following ten categories: Music, Auto, Science and tech, Gaming, Travel, Fashion, Culinary, Cause-related, 4D and Sports.

For more information about Samsung Creators, please visit www.samsungcreators.com.

In addition, today Samsung launched Samsung VR– formerly known as Samsung Milk VR – which now supports user generated content. Creators can load their own 360-degree videos to the Samsung VR platform for sharing and for the first time view them in Samsung Gear VR. For more information about uploading content to Samsung VR, please visit https://samsungvr.com.

Samsung Gear 360 also launched in the U.S. today, an affordable, high-resolution camera developed for storytellers to create their own 360-degree videos for mobile viewing and VR content for Samsung Gear VR, powered by Oculus. The Gear 360 is priced at $349.99 in the United States and will be available for purchase on a limited basis during VidCon in Anaheim, California. Details about additional availability will follow later in the year. For more information about Gear 360, please visit www.samsung.com/gear360.

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.

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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. 

Cats And VR

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

Cats And VR

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.