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It’s not the moniker most developers would relish being attached to their work, but in the case of  the developers at Shiny Shoe, creators of Desert Bus VR, it’s entirely appropriate.

Drive the Desert Bus for Hope

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On a very long and tedious drive visiting IndieCade, riding the I-5 between San Francisco and Los Angeles, most of us would be content with reading, playing video games or going quietly stir crazy.  The developers at Shiny Shoe however clearly have more creative ways to waste time as they used the 8+ hours the journey to make a virtual reality game for the Oculus Rift. What’s more, it’s a VR remake of a infamous yet unreleased title named, appropriately, Desert Bus.

Donate to ‘Desert Bus for Hope’ Here

The original Desert Bus was actually a mini-game featured in a video game by famous illusionists Penn and Teller, and required the player to drive the road from Tuscon, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada at a top speed of 45 MPH, no traffic, no passengers, no scenery just open road and an erratic, swerving bus. If you somehow managed to complete this test of pointless endurance (this involved Penn and Teller after all), the player received a single point and was given the option to make the return trip.

tow_smallDesert Bus VR attempts to recreate the same gripping experience but bringing it bang up-to-date by porting it to VR. As with the original, you’re driving long haul with no passengers, albeit in a beautifully modelled virtual reality bus. Features include:

  • Opening the door at all of the bus stops
  • Look behind you as you get towed
  • Working gauges and odometer
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Compelling stuff I’m sure you’ll agree. “But why would anyone make such a game?” ..I hear you cry. Turns out it’s all for a very good cause indeed.

You may or may not have heard, but the Desert Bus game spawned an annual charitable event aimed at raising money for the Child’s Play charity, a game industry charity dedicated to “..improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 70 hospitals worldwide.” The live stream featuring multiple players attempting to complete the original Desert Bus, is live I write this and has so far raised a whopping $26,226 for the cause. Desert Bus VR is designed to draw attention to the event.

You can grab a copy of Desert Bus VR here, which is built for use on Oculus Rift DK2 headsets. The livestream can be visited here and of course you can donate right here. It’s great fun and for a good cause, and the folks Shiny Shoe should be applauded for turning their boredom towards helping such a great cause. Best of luck to all those involved in the live stream!

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Based in the UK, Paul has been immersed in interactive entertainment for the best part of 27 years and has followed advances in gaming with a passionate fervour. His obsession with graphical fidelity over the years has had him branded a ‘graphics whore’ (which he views as the highest compliment) more than once and he holds a particular candle for the dream of the ultimate immersive gaming experience. Having followed and been disappointed by the original VR explosion of the 90s, he then founded RiftVR.com to follow the new and exciting prospect of the rebirth of VR in products like the Oculus Rift. Paul joined forces with Ben to help build the new Road to VR in preparation for what he sees as VR’s coming of age over the next few years.
  • zouns

    I hope the desert bus is more reliable than the finnish railway’s trains, since they are using the same logo and everything: http://www.vr.fi :D