Yahoo! Japan just updated their iOS-based Map application to include a new experimental AR mode which superimposes a blue pathway onto the physical world for you to follow to your final destination. The AR function, which is only intended for walking routes currently, is available starting today on Japan-based Apple devices running iOS 11.
Virtualitics, a big data visualization and analytics company, announced the successful close of a $7 million Series B round of equity funding led by investment group Centricus, and participated by existing investor the Venture Reality Fund (‘The VR Fund’) and other private investors. Virtualitics is developing a platform, called Virtualitics Immersive Platform, that melds AI and big data in virtual and augmented reality environments.
Owlchemy Labs, creators of Job Simulator (2016) and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017) tonight announced their latest VR title, Vacation Simulator.
Rose Colored by INVAR Studios & Adam Cosco won the award for best live-acton VR experience at the Advanced Imaging Society’s Lumiere Awards on February 12th. I previously interviewed Cosco at VRLA last year, and I had a chance to talk with INVAR’s co-founder & chief creative officer Vincent Edwards & creative director Austin Conroy on their thoughts on the future of storytelling in VR at Kaleidoscope VR’s FIRST LOOK VR Market.
It was only a few weeks ago that we saw our first SteamVR 2.0 base station in the wild, shown off at this year’s CES working with Vive Pro, HTC’s upcoming high-resolution VR headset. Now, it appears some developers are already receiving the 2.0 base stations from Valve.
Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film Ready Player One—based on Ernest Cline’s eponymous New York Times Bestseller—is getting plenty of buzz at South by Southwest (SXSW) this year ahead of the film’s March 29th release. According to Warner Bros., SXSW attendees will get a chance to “immerse themselves in vivid glimpses into hero Wade Watt’s world, experience the OASIS using VIVE VR, enjoy live artist performances, and more.”
Rec Room (2016), the social VR app from Against Gravity, now has a brand new Quest (a four player co-operative mission) alongside a number of other improvements thanks to a new update.
Cyan, the studio behind Myst (1993) and Obduction (2017), announced they’re working on a new steampunk adventure game called Firmament.
According to Valve’s February Steam hardware and software survey, the Oculus Rift is now the most used VR headset on the Steam platform, taking the market share of VR headsets on Steam with a near 2% lead over its competitor HTC Vive. This is the first time Rift has surpassed Vive in Valve’s monthly survey.
Facebook’s annual developer conference, F8, won’t be here until May, but with registration opening today, Facebook and Oculus is teasing some exciting AR and VR news to come.
Volkswagen Group and VR studio Innoactive revealed the global, multi-brand automotive company is planning to train 10,000 employees this year alone using virtual reality.
Now available in China, and quite possibly on its way to a wider release, HTC is prominently showing its new standalone Vive Focus headset at MWC 2018 this week. The company says the Focus is positioned as the premium option among the incoming wave of standalone headsets; of course, premium features are never far from premium price.
Hatsune Miku, the impossibly saccharine anime pop vocaloid, is coming to SteamVR headsets in a new rhythm game from creators Degica Games and Crypton Future Media.
Moss, the promising puzzle platformer from indie studio Polyarc, has finally arrived on PlayStation VR. You’ll guide Quill, an undeniably adorable mouse, on the start of what could become a grand adventure.
