AR shopping tool PointShop wins TechCrunch Disrupt SF Hackathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More VR deals:

Yon Paradox

Stealth Labyrinth

Bazaar

Albino Lullaby: Episode 1

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

DiRT Rally

Oculus Story Studio wins Emmy for VR animated short Henry.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MyDream Launches LightVR, A Customizable and Interactive Virtual Reality Desktop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

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

Acer and Starbreeze Announce First Shipment of StarVR Head-Mounted Displays

 Acer and Starbreeze AB  today announced at a global press conference in Berlin that they have started to ship StarVR® Virtual Reality (VR) Head-Mounted Displays (HMD) to IMAX Corporation in preparation for the highly anticipated opening of the IMAX VR® Center in Los Angeles, expected later this year, and others in the near future. Earlier in 2016, Acer committed to delivering a small volume of units of StarVR® HMDs this year with mass production of the devices to commence in 2017. Also on hand at the press conference were Bo Andersson Klint, CEO at Starbreeze and Rob Lister, Chief Business Development Officer at IMAX Corporation.

“With this shipment to as important a player in the entertainment industry as IMAX, we are absolutely thrilled that we are well on our way in bringing the virtual reality experience to the next level and to the world” said Jason Chen, President and CEO at Acer. “The realization of the most premium VR experience ever offered isn’t just our dream, but one of an entire ecosystem that encompasses hardware makers, videogame developers, theater companies, filmmakers and many others.” Chen highlighted at the global press conference that movies and videogames have exceedingly become ever more closely entwined. The lines are blurring between movies and videogames, and are moving beyond just two mediums that have traditionally only complemented one another. He said they were converging to become a more dynamic, immersive form of storytelling, and virtual reality would feature prominently in this development.

“We’re extremely proud to be able to show the first manufactured units of the StarVR® headset produced in our collaboration with Acer. Since announcing the StarVR® headset in 2015, we’re finally at a place where we can see the pieces of our vision coming together. From day one we’ve been convinced that we can deliver premium experiences with premium hardware. The search for great partners sharing the same vision was long, but we’re happy to be able to lay down these two fundamental parts in Starbreeze VR-ecosystem together with Acer and IMAX. We can’t wait for people to start experiencing world-class virtual reality in the StarVR HMD and at IMAX VR® centers, said Bo Andersson Klint, Starbreeze CEO.

“We are looking forward to the launch of our first IMAX VR® center and pleased with the progress demonstrated by the initial shipment of StarVR® HMDs from Acer and Starbreeze, as this exciting industry continues to develop and grow,” said Robert D. Lister, Chief Business Development Officer, IMAX Corp. “IMAX is committed to delivering immerse, multi-dimensional virtual reality experiences, featuring some of the world’s best entertainment and gaming properties, to premium locations, including multiplexes, malls and other commercial destinations.”

Acer Inc. and Starbreeze AB announced earlier in the year that their respective Board of Directors had approved the establishment of a joint venture, for design, manufacturing, promotion, marketing and sales of the StarVR® Head-Mounted Display. The joint venture has since obtained regulatory approval and will be known as Acer Starbreeze Corporation. its best-in-class cinematic experience, StarVR® targets professional- and location-based entertainment markets such as high-end cinemas, gaming arcades, automotive retail and aviation training. StarVR® provides a truly immersive VR experience with its unique ultra-wide 210-degree horizontal field of view, with custom optics that deliver great image quality across the eye’s natural vision.

Dead Or Alive VR is a pretty shitty cash grab and a tasteless move showing a lack of understanding of what is troubling to many gamers.

Koei Tecmo Games recently showed off Dead or Alive Xtreme 3’s VR Paradise for PSVR. This may be a Japan exclusive given the how this kind of content is viewed in the American gaming public.

"With VR mode, Dead or Alive goes from creepy to harassment"-Alegra Frank of Polygon

Those sentiments are actually shared by several game journalists.

http://www.polygon.com/2016/8/30/12710076/dead-or-alive-vr-mode-harassment

https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/29/dead-or-alive-vr-is-basically-sexual-assault-the-game/

http://venturebeat.com/2016/08/30/dead-of-alives-vr-groping-is-uncomfortable-but-virtual-sex-is-only-going-to-get-messier/

Personally I think people that media as a whole from comic books to video games have used sex to sell content and this is a continuation. Is it right? Well not for the people who are bothered by it and they have the right to protest this.

I will play DOA VR probably not for that long cause it seems like a limited experience and I will play it to actually get an idea of how bad it really is. My hypothesis is that it is pretty bad. 

The thing is sex sells and that bothers people. I get that and those people have the right to voice their opinion. Many times I think those opinions are overboard, but not this time. 

My problem is actually not with that sex sells but that this game is just creepy and is basically fondling and unwanted sexual advances in a game version.

The flip of all of this is that we are still super ok with all the violence in gaming. Well this is life. I mean no one is flipping out about Slot Tub Party and that it is using sex to sell VR. That is because we kinda get that is what people do, but where is the line drawn. 

Co-Creator of Rick and Morty starts a VR studio, Squanchtendo.

The idea for Squanchtendo was living in the brain of Justin Roiland for multiple years before the studio got properly started up. A gamer his whole life, he awoke to the idea of doing game design once he played with an Oculus DK2 headset. The possibilities of the technology and how it could be used for comedy combined with great gameplay was super exciting.

Justin reached out to multiple potential developers, including Crows Crows Crows for the opportunity to collaborate and to just make some funny and fun stuff in VR.

In 2016, Justin met up with Tanya Watson, who after leaving Epic Games after 10 years there working on games like Gears of War, Bulletstorm, and Fortnite, was eager to get into the VR space herself. So with their powers combined, they formed to create Squanchtendo.

http://squanchtendo.com/

High Voltage Software launches excellent VR FPS Damaged Core, purchase now for access to the Dragon Front beta.

I have been following the work of High Voltage software since Conduit 2 and I recently had the chance to play Damaged Core three weeks ago at High Voltages office right outside of Chicago. The game is down right amazing and is a high-water mark for the still infant world of VR gaming. The ability to jump from robotic body to body smoothly showcases that you can capture a large and dynamic VR combat experience without the need for Room Scale VR. 

With a compelling 10+ hour campaign against the networked artificial intelligence known as the Core, you will be immersed in a war against robotic armies bent on destroying mankind to further their own evolution. 

Damaged Core is available now for 29.99 https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/660396644063513/

  
Key Features
•        10+ hour story-driven campaign written by Drew Holmes, one of the minds behind the Bioshock series. 
•        Wholly unique control system that is rooted in the fiction of this future earth, and only possible in VR.
•        Take the fight to 17 unique enemy types as form of sentient software virus that can take control over the enemy.
 
In Damaged Core, you won’t just fight your foes, you become them.

Purchase before September 6th and gain guaranteed access to the Dragon Front closed beta, also by High Voltage Software.

10/10

The first collectible card game built for VR is here! Developed by High Voltage Software, and produced by Oculus Studios, Dragon Front combines traditional high fantasy with a dieselpunk aesthetic for a one-of-a-kind experience. http://ocul.us/DragonFront Official Oculus Channels: Oculus: ocul.us/Oculus Facebook: ocul.us/Facebook Twitter: ocul.us/Twitter Instagram: ocul.us/Instagram

Daniel Arsham, Yung Jake, and Lily Baldwin & Saschka Unseld join the Sundance Institute New Frontier | Jaunt VR Residency Program.

Sundance Institute and Jaunt Studios announced today their latest class of creatives, at the forefront of innovation in media and entertainment, to join the Sundance Institute New Frontier | Jaunt VR Residency Program.

Daniel Arsham, Yung Jake, and Lily Baldwin & Saschka Unseld will participate in the six-month program designed to empower artists on the cutting edge of storytelling. During their immersive residency, artists will pioneer new ways of delivering narrative through cinematic virtual reality and receive a grant to make their virtual reality short films.
 
Sundance Institute’s New Frontier program continues the organization’s long tradition of cultivating new voices and innovative stories from the independent storytelling community, with Jaunt providing resident artists with the most advanced resources in cinematic virtual reality production.

The first artist inducted into the program in November 2015 was Australian interactive artist, Lynette Wallworth, with her now critically-acclaimed project, Collisions. Seen as a major move towards establishing VR as a reputable medium rather than an experiment, Collisions quickly became the face of how narrative, storytelling and emotion can be heightened in VR. Regularly seen by world leaders, and premiering in January 2016 at both The World Economic Forum at Davos and at the Sundance Film Festival, Collisions is just one example of how powerful VR experiences can encourage understanding and change on a global scale.
 
As part of the Residency, artists receive a grant to make their virtual reality short films, as well as receive post-production support and access to the industry’s most advanced tools: Jaunt’s award-winning professional cinematic VR camera, Jaunt ONE, as well as its suite of production pipeline tools, and Jaunt Cloud Services (JCS), which include cloud-based stitching and rendering.
 
Through this collaboration, Jaunt and Sundance Institute are creating a community of collaborators across diverse disciplines to push the boundaries of story. As the only end-to-end, hardware and software solution for shooting, producing and distributing VR content, Jaunt Studios is pioneering the future of storytelling through cinematic virtual reality. The Sundance Institute New Frontier program supports and fosters independent artists working at the convergence of film, art, media, live performance, music and technology. The three new projects entering the program span several genres.

 
Daniel Arsham
Artist Daniel Arsham enters the residency program with his project, Chilled Soba, which transports viewers in more ways than one. With themes pertaining to time travel and natural disaster, a trip to the iconic Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo is only just the beginning.
 
Yung Jake
Master of many digital forms, artist and rapper, Yung Jake, brings his unique mind-bending aesthetic to the virtual realm in LOOK 2, an experimental music video meets rap meets virtual reality with the internet's favorite artist.
 
Lily Baldwin & Saschka Unseld
Filmmaker and dancer Lily Baldwin joins forces with director and writer Saschka Unseld to bring audiences Through You, a love story over a lifetime in virtuality. The project, which explores topics ranging from love and rage to passion and mortality, spans nearly two decades, from the early 1970s to the late 1980s.
 
The Jaunt VR App, including all content released to date, is available on iOS, Android, Gear VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Desktop 360.
 

VR startup Radd3 invited me to see the emotional documentary Gleason. Please see this film.

Last Friday VR startup Radd3 invited people out for a free screening of the emotional documentary Gleason. sf.funcheap.com/gleason-friday-night-film-showing-berkeley/

Gleason was a recent hit at Sundance because it is a compelling personal journey through struggle and triumph. CatsAndVR is a site focused on VR but since I attended this screening due in part of a VR startup I feel compelled to write a review. Plus this is a much see documentary. 

I must start out by saying MY words cannot really describe who Steve Gleason is, how bad ass his wife is, and how important this movie is to watch. The words of Steve Gleason himself in this film is the only way to understand the personal journey this film captures.

One quote in particular captured this film for me in particular. After attending a statue ceremony for honoring his contribution to the City Of New Orleans Gleason deals with some heart-wrenching physical struggle and loss of body control. His quote after that scene brought on an emotional sense of understanding from many in the audience.  

“It's an incredible example of the polarities, dichotomies and juxtapositions that is my life. 

The film thoroughly captures these polarities, dichotomies and juxtapositions with such artful direction it reminded me of Forest Gump. Except this is real life and the direction is the honest heart of a man spilling his life in front of us. The film was created from video clips that Steve created in order to make sure his unborn son still had a father in his life despite Gleason's struggles with ALS. Gleason is also the story of a very strong Mother and Wife who also shows us what a true fight really is. To quote Michel Varisco Gleason on the whole situation that was turned into the documentary "This is a mindfuck" 

That may sound comical to a degree but how else can you describe this. It is this honesty that Hollywood can only dream to capture. It is this honesty that makes this documentary so powerful. This is REAL life not a movie and you will cry. 

Yes I admit I cried, I cried when Steve goes to a faith healer on advice of his father. This really hit home and my heart because my mother once took my little brother who has Cerebral Palsy to a faith healer. I cried because my brother sincerely asked my Mom at that point if this would make him walk. This same emotion of anger towards the world, disbelief in goodness, disbelief in an aspect of GOD, a place of darkness and sadness that I felt at that moment is what I saw in Michel Varisco Gleason's eyes in that scene and I cried. The faith healer did not help Steve and did not help my brother but both Steve and My brother have more faith and healing hearts than the world could understand. People like Steve is what we understand as Faith, People like Steve Gleason is what the concept of Christ is based on. 

You can wikipedia who Steve Gleason is but I will answer it simply. Who is Steve Gleason? A Father, A Football player, a human being.  A man who just wanted the best for his son. A man who just wanted the best for humanity. A man who legitimately used his struggle to make the world a better place. A man who used technology to create a better world. In that way I tie it back to VR, is not making the world a better place the real goal of technology.

In closing people need to see this movie and understand not only Steve Gleason's impact as a human being but our own potentiality to make a real change in the world. Also I do really believe that his story should not only win an Oscar but also be made into a feature length with Steve Gleason played by Chris Pratt with his fee going to help ALS. 

Cats And VR

Skullcandy looking to enhance your VR experience with the upcoming Crusher VRA headphones.

If you attended VRLA Summer Expo you know that the VR Rave was amazing. During the rave Skullcandy allowed attendees to demo the brand’s first VR audio headphone, the new Crusher VRA. I have been a fan of Skullcandy's many products for a while including the Plyr 1 and Slyr headphone lines.  From my past experience with their products it is my honest opinion Skullcandy is looking to bring a great immersion VR product to market not just a pair of headphones with VR slapped on. 

“In our day to day lives, all the senses combine to create a meaningful or memorable experience,” said Hoby Darling, Skullcandy’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “There’s been remarkable progress with accessibility of hardware, software and content creation tools, but the majority of these advancements have been focused on elevating the visual VR experience. We’re here because we want to be catalysts for progressing the virtual reality audio, which we believe is an essential part of having a true VR experience.”

The brand’s first VR audio headphone, the new Crusher VRA™, features stereo haptic bass drivers that deliver directional bass you can feel, ferrofluid integration for broader, cleaner bass response and refined digital signal processing (DSP). This proprietary set of features combine to create industry-leading immersion and a premium multi-sensory experience.

Headphone Specs:

• Bluetooth Wireless w/aptX
• Up to 29 hour battery life
• VRA Immersion Tech
• Haptic Bass Response
• Pinnacle Acoustics
• Capacitive Touch VRA Control
• Memory Foam Ear Cushions
• Noise Isolating Fit
• Collapsible Design
• Built-in Microphone
• Call, Track, Volume Control
• Included Protective Case

Expo attendees were also able to demo Crusher VRA with Skullcandy’s Audioscape VR app experience. I had the chance to use it and was really impressed on Skullcandy's dedication to creating a VR experience. The headphones and the app will be available next year, this gives Skullcandy the time to create a fantastic immersion product for audiophiles and VR enthusiasts. 

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

VRLA Preview-WANDS for GearVR

Set in the late 19th-century  London, Wands  presents an  alternate  history  and  drops  gamers  into  a  virtual reality steampunk world where they can join a secret society of spell wielders who seek to prove their power and unlock hidden magical talents. I had recently heard about Wands and it was something I was looking forward to seeing during my time at VRLA. The NUX Studios team showcased the game at a super secret off site location and was on hand to answer my questions. 

There was some buzz about Wands going into the demo as several publications wrote that the trailer looked to good to be a GearVR game. Multiple users posted the trailer in the Gear VR sub reddit the day the trailer was released. Color me impressed; the demo was better than I expected. Not that I doubted the team but A GearVR PVP Wizard battling game could go either direction; pretty shitty or Harry Potter VRified. 

The game starts you of by allowing you to load your Wand for battle with whimsical sounding spells such as Devil's Spit. The game really does look fantastic and shows that Mobile VR is very capable of delivering high quality VR content. Though the game is launching for GearVR the possibility of seeing this on Google Daydream has me daydreaming.

I was offered a gamepad to use during the demo but refused because I like to see how games operate within the absolute confines of GearVR. I am glad I did, the Wands UI was perhaps one of the smoothest times I ever had with the touchpad. The quick changing from spells to teleporting was seamless and down right exciting. Wands offered me very fast paced twitch reaction gameplay as I battled one of the developers.  

One of the things that people use to put down mobile VR is that it does not offer a room scale experience like the HTC Vive. The level design of Wands has created an artificial room scale experience as nothing feels claustrophobic and I really felt like I was moving through a very large battle environment.  Most Mobile VR games currently have a on rails feel to them and though my playing position was mostly static i did feel fully immersed in the Wands level design. 

By including a spectator mode, global leaderboards, and seamless fast paced WiFi PVP combat, Wands could potentially be VR first true entry into the world of Esports.

I will have a full review of WANDS when it launches on GEARVR on August 18. For now check out the official NUX Studios website. http://www.nuxstudios.com/

Cats And VR

TheWaveVR teams up with Subpac,Skullcandy,WeLens,and amazing DJ's to crush it at VRLA Summer Expo

One of the major highlights of the VRLA Summer Expo was the VR Rave presented by Skullcandy, Subpac, WeLens, and TheWaveVR. Attendees like comedian extrodinaire Reggie Watts got to experience a next level audio visual experience that incorporated 3D visuals as well as the ability to experience it all in VR.

As you may know, TheWaveVR recently made headlines for raising $2.5 million to create a VR music ecosystem. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/thewavevrfunding

TheWaveVR was able to showcase to the many attendees of VRLA just a glimpse of the VR music experience of the future. Reggie Watts strapped in to a Subpac(Subwoofer backpack) and threw on a pair of immersive Skullcandy headphones and was transported into a world of sound and amazing visuals. The lovely and talented Alluxe was throwing down pretty hard and Reggie seemed genuinely impressed.  I was able to snag an interview with Alluxe later in the day as well. 

Several DJ's showcased what they could do with the HTC Vive and TheWaveVR. Unfortunately I was unable to check out the set by TheWaveVR Co-founder Grimecraft due to finally being able to check out Mindshow. I was able to check out his set during the VRScout VRLA party where TheWaveVR was one of the featured attractions. 

Cats And VR

Mindshow lets us remember the promises of VR and captures the spirit of the VRLA Summer Expo.

This weekend I attended one of the best up and coming conferences dealing with VR. Just like the humble beginnings of GDC, VRLA started because of a true passion for its respective industry. Having attended E3, PAX, GDC and many more events in the gaming industry VRLA may have been one of the most productive events I have ever attended. In fact the reason this post is late is because I may have possibly joined a stealth startup while attending the expo and had some work to do (more to come in the future)

Cosmo Scharf started Day 2 of the expo basically asking the audience to take a journey with him into our unconscious minds. To him VR is a journey into greater human understanding not just a race for the next big thing or monetization conversations. 

I was intrigued by his presentation that featured many references to Terrence McKenna and included a very trippy set of slides. He would then introduce Gil Baron, CEO of VisionaryVR, a startup that also includes includes the co-founders of the VRLA conference Jonnie Ross, Adam Levin and Cosmo Scharf as well as Luke Patterson who was the lead engineer on the virtual reality sandbox game ElemenTerra. 

GIl would go on to show the trailer for Mindshow and I was instantly captivated and said it might be worth checking out. I then went about my business which included interviews with an amazing DJ, checking out the awesome game Wands offsite, doing a job interview, and checking out the rad upcoming VR headphones from Skullcandy. I decided I had a quick break and I will now try to check out Mindshow, well the line was about 2 hours long and I was not press enough to cut the line apparently. Well after lunch with an Adult VR company I decided I NEED to see this and tried again. After some smooth talking I was able to check out Mindshow. You see the point I am trying to make is that I took a Greyhound bus from SF to LA because of passion for VR. I made sure I checked out Mindshow because of a passion for VR.

Mindshow is a product built from a passion for VR. Not just because VR is cool but because we were promised the future when we were kids and still seeking it. 

Mindshow is Walt Disney. Mindshow is Jim Henson. Mindshow is Steve Jobs. Mindshow is the spark in humanity that made them create characters out of the stars. Mindshow are the muppet babies playing make believe come to life. 

It was hard to try to write something about Mindshow because everyone who tried it in the media loved it to some degree and has been able to post before me. What do you write to be different. CatsAndVR.com can't compete with UploadVR, Techcrunch, VRScout , and the other cool kids in resources, turnaround time, etc.

Mindshow reminded me I did not start the site to do that at all but instead I started it to learn and to grow. In the end maybe this post did not fully explain what Mindshow really is or do the experience justice, but neither did the trailer. You have to experience it to really know that this is what we have been seeking in VR the whole time. You see in the end what Mindshow really is can just be described as inspiration captured and then shared for the sake of shared inspiration itself. Inspiration is what I walked away with from VRLA. Inspiration is what I walked away with from Mindshow.

Cats And VR

TheWaveVR team raises $2.5M from KPCB and others to help grow their interactive VR DJ/Production tool.

Well I woke up this morning in shock but not surprise to learn that The WaveVR team had just raised $2.5M from KPCB and others to help grow their interactive VR DJ/Production tool. 

Shocked because I have met Grimecraft, one of the primary architects of this amazing piece of software. Not surprised because I have met Grimecraft, one of the primary architects of this amazing piece of software. 

TheWaveVR is a VR platform for people who love music, enabling them to view, host and socialize in live and recorded shows worldwide, anytime, anywhere.  TheWave creates a VR venue where artists can perform live music by simply importing their tracks, customizing the visuals of the venue, and sharing virtual shows. Fans can attend via most major VR head mounted displays, interact with performers, socialize with friends, dance, paint and more.

Ever since I heard about TheWaveVR I thought this may be something that will be big and looks like investors share the same sentiments.

“TheWaveVR is building music experiences that can only exist in virtual reality. They're giving musicians superpowers they've never had before, and allowing listeners to experience performances in ways that have never been possible. We're excited to help them build this platform that will forever change the music industry,” said Anjney Midha, founding partner at KPCB Edge.

Photo Credit: Clarke Nordhauser

You may have not tried TheWaveVR yet but if you are into VR or even electronic music in general it is a must experience app.  Grimecraft, a game industry vet and SF based DJ  has been spending his time at conferences and VR events on an almost Fight Club like schedule(no sleep) to demo this to anyone interested. I knew it was something big when I saw the Tilt Brush team basically in awe of The WaveVR during a recent VR event. 

The company also announced that it has added David Wexler (aka Strangeloop) and Dave Haynes as advisors. Wexler is an audio-visual artist and founder of Strangeloop Studios in Los Angeles, CA. He is one of the most recognized live visual artists in the world, having worked with Flying Lotus, Skrillex, The Rolling Stones and more. Haynes is a longtime entrepreneur and currently on the investment team at Seedcamp. He was formerly a VP and part of the early team at SoundCloud, helping the company grow from launch to the world's leading online audio platform.

“We’re working toward empowering artists and music lovers alike and transforming the way people connect through music by building the world’s first musical metaverse in VR,” said Adam Arrigo, CEO of TheWaveVR. “Music creators will be able to fully customize how their audience experiences the music – whether that’s by transforming the venue from a realistic nightclub to outer space or putting on the most unimaginable light show ever.”

TheWaveVR will be unveiling the world’s first VR Rave at VRLA on August 5-6 in partnership with SubPac, Skullcandy, PhaseSpace and 3DLive. A curated list of DJs will be performing in the HTC Vive, while multiple attendees will wear positionally tracked Gear VR’s and SubPacs (subwoofer vests). The DJs will be performing in front of a giant 3D screen, so music lovers can also experience eye-popping visuals from the metaverse on 3D glasses

thewavevr.com

Cats And VR

NUX STUDIOS Unveils WANDS - a steampunk magic battling GearVR PVP game.

Wands is a A player vs. player game for Samsung Gear VR with a split-screen spectator mode, players train by learning ancient spells, duel other wielders online, and move up a global leaderboard to become the most powerful magician in the realm.

“Wands is a uniquely magical, competitive, gritty and above all fun mobile VR experience set in a 19th century steampunk version of London,” said Ricky Helgesson, Producer at NUX Studios. “This is the culmination of almost two years worth of work. Our team is thrilled to bring split-screen spectator mode and a global leaderboard alongside our mystical game to mobile VR fans everywhere.”

Wands will be available to play beginning August 18 on Samsung Gear VR, powered by Oculus. Available on other platforms in the fall.

Netflix releases Stranger Things VR/360° video!

In a recent Venture Beat article Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said they are not looking to go all in with VR since it is hard to binge watch content in VR. He was quoted as saying VR will have a"big impact" on gaming, but that when it comes to watching content, the medium is too involving. "You’re exhausted after 20 minutes," 

Well that does not look to stop the company from trying out the potential of it. Today Netflix released a 360° video for their sleeper hit Stranger Things, a show rejected by multiply networks before Netflix grabbed it and one of the biggest hits of the summer. 

The company also currently has an app for GearVR. 

Cats And VR