2018 will see the introduction of a number of ‘smartglasses’. Initially, very few of these products will be capable of augmented reality, but many of them will be (or already are being) conflated with AR. So here’s a quick guide to understanding what augmented reality really is so that you don’t get mixed up by a hodgepodge of confusing marketing terms.
The Sun Ladies VR is an amazing story about a group of Yazidi women from the Northern Iraq community of Sinjar, who escaped as sex slaves and started an all-female unit to fight the terrorist organization ISIS. ISIS raided the Sinjar District in August 2014 and massacred over 2,000 Yazidis, selling many women into slavery. There is a group of women who escaped and decided to fight back in part because ISIS believes that they’ll go to hell if they’re killed by a woman. These women call themselves “The Sun Ladies,” and their story inspired activist and actor Maria Bello to form a team of war journalists and VR creators to travel to Iraq to capture their story of women’s empowerment.
Modbox (2016), the multiuser VR physics sandbox from indie studio Alientrap, is getting an update next month in hopes of making the app more of a “Unity-like experience – only simplified,” says developer Lee Vermeulen. The update is said to include a desktop-based editor and visual scripting system.
According to a recent update to Magic Leap’s massive list of job postings, the company revealed it definitely has plans to enter the retail space, which could include everything from special in-store installations to its own bespoke retail locations.
Ostensibly the first batch of Vive Pro, HTC’s upcoming prosumer VR headset, is now landing on the doorsteps of developers. Owlchemy Labs, the studio behind Job Simulator (2016) and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017), tweeted out that they’ve recently received what they call “the newest member of [their] VR HMD family.”
Sony is holding a PlayStation VR bundle sale from February 18th to March 3rd. The deal will see PlayStation VR bundles discounted by $100 across the board.
MasterWorks: Journey Through History (2018) is a new app for Oculus Rift and Gear VR that takes you on a guided tour through four cultural sites spanning three continents. Created using photogrammetry and presented with audio clips from experts, collectible artifacts and 3D 360 photos, the app does more than just let you explore the sites; it preserves these sites digitally while teaching you about the real-world threats they face amidst a rapidly changing climate.
Gravity Sketch, a concepting & design tool made for VR, has raised $1.7 million in venture capital.
Social VR sports viewing startup livelike has announced a Series B investment of $9.6 million.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017) is coming to PSVR April 10th, 2018. Developed by Owlchemy Labs, the studio behind Job Simulator (2016), and voiced by series creator Justin Roiland, this might be the only chance to hang out with the hard-drinking genius scientist Rick and his hapless grandson Morty while you’re wasting away waiting for season 4.
Viveport Subscription, the monthly service that lets you play 5 games per month from a curated list, is getting a little more expensive this March. Starting March 22nd, Viveport Subscription will increase its monthly price from $7 to $9.
Bigscreen, the social VR app that lets you mirror your desktop monitor in virtual reality, and share it with friends, has received a new update which adds three new “Big Room” environments which support up to 12 players simultaneously (up from the previous four). The host of a Big Room can broadcast anything from their PC for all others to see, essentially creating a giant viewing party.
