‘Ready Player One’ Film Gets First Teaser Trailer
Ready Player One, the upcoming film directed by Steven Spielberg based on the VR-centric novel by Ernest Cline, just saw its first teaser trailer, released at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
ARKit Project Shows Turn-by-Turn Directions in AR, Giving a Glimpse into Future of AR-enabled Maps
What’s that building in the distance? Where’s the nearest Starbucks? How do I get to there from here? These are questions you’d likely find answers to in your smartphone’s map application—but with Apple’s ARKit, one developer showed it could be even easier with a recently revealed project that demonstrates the practical application of turn-by-turn directions and basic landmark-based orientation displayed in augmented reality.
HTC VR Survey Offers Vives & Gift Cards as Prizes, Aims to Understand VR Users
A survey sponsored by HTC America is currently open on SurveyGizmo, with the option to enter a prize draw, which includes three Vive systems and seven gift cards worth $100 – $150. The sweepstakes is open to US residents, ending August 4th; full terms and conditions are detailed on the official Vive blog.
MMO-like Dungeon Combat Game ‘Age of Heroes’ Launches From Vive X Portfolio Company Omnigames
Omnigames, among one of the first companies to join HTC’s Vive X accelerator, has launched their “multiplayer combat VR game,” Age of Heroes, on Steam.
Get ‘EVE: Valkyrie’ Free When You Purchase Rift + Touch Bundle from Best Buy
Oculus’ massive price drop that saw the cost of Rift + Touch slashed to only $400, is still going on for the next 4-5 weeks—but if you purchase through BestBuy.com, you can get EVE: Valkyrie, normally costing $40, for free.
VFX Master Phil Tippett Brings His Grotesque Creations to HoloLens in ‘HoloGrid: Monster Battle’
Game studio HappyGiant and Tippett Studio, the production firm founded by stop-motion guru Phil Tippett, has launched HoloGrid: Monster Battle (2017) on Microsoft’s HoloLens platform. First appearing on Samsung Gear VR, the tactical strategy game combines elements of chess, board games, and collectible card games—of course with the grotesque HoloChess-style monsters spawned from the mind behind visual effects of the original Star Wars trilogy, Jurassic Park (1993), and RoboCop (1987).
‘Lone Echo’ and ‘Echo Arena’ Now Work on HTC Vive with ReVive Hack
Platform exclusivity is a divisive issue in VR; on one hand, big financial backing helps create awesome games like Lone Echo [9/10]—on the other hand, if you chose the ‘wrong’ headset, you’re boxed out of what might otherwise become one of your favorite games. Thanks to ReVive, a free hack which allows Vive users to play games from the Oculus platform, you can now play both Lone Echo and it’s free multiplayer companion game Echo Arena with an HTC Vive.
Google Tests Interactive Learning with VR Espresso Machine, “People learned faster and better in VR”
The team behind Daydream, Google’s mobile VR platform, is currently conducting experiments with the aim of broadening virtual reality’s usecase to include more interactive learning. With an experimental VR espresso maker at the ready, the team says “people learned faster and better in VR” than by watching training videos when put to the test on how to brew the real thing.
‘Casino VR Poker’ Holds Tournament with Real Prizes, Oculus Rift + Touch Bundles for Top 3 Players
Casino VR Poker (2016), online multiplayer casino hosting live Texas hold’em, is offering real prizes in their ‘High Rollers’ poker tournament taking place on 20th August including multiple Oculus Rift + Touch bundles, hundred of dollars worth of gift cards, and Casino VR swag like t-shirts and playing cards.
This Awesome DIY VR Cockpit Hides a Flight Simulator in Plain Sight
A creative flight sim enthusiast has made a full cockpit setup that folds neatly away, transforming into an unassuming piece of furniture. Posting details of the build on Reddit, James ‘Maverick’ Turner explained the project was prompted by a move to an apartment that required a more efficient use of space, and the culmination of several years of creating a custom flight simulator rig.
‘Lone Echo’ Review – Humanity and A.I. Bond at the Ragged Edge of Space
Sometimes sci-fi games need only put you head-first into a shiny new world, let you inhabit a universe seemingly ripped from TV and film, and call it a job well done. Then there’s games that use science fiction as a backdrop to a more human story, one that’s been told a million times and in a million ways before, but because we’re human, we always love to hear. These stories co-exist alongside the awe-inspiring technology of holograms, faster-than-light travel, giant space ships, etc. Lone Echo, a first-person narrative-driven adventure, is one of those intensely human tales; a pretty big undertaking considering you’re a robot from the 22nd century.
‘Archangel’ Launches on PSVR, Vive and Rift Support Coming in August
Skydance Interactive’s first virtual reality game Archangel has launched with a short timed-exclusivity window on PlayStation VR. The first-person mech shooter is now available on the official PlayStation Store for $39.99, and is due to arrive on ‘other leading VR platforms’, including the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, on August 2nd.
Crytek’s ‘The Climb’ is The Best Selling Rift Game To Date
Oculus has confirmed that Crytek’s The Climb is the platform’s best selling Rift game to date, and among a handful of titles that have grossed more than $1 million on the company’s VR storefront.
Closeup With New, Cheaper Rift + Touch Bundle – Ships With Improved Foam Padding
Lenovo Reveals AR Headset DaystAR
Lenovo today unveiled at the company’s annual Tech World conference a new standalone AR headset dubbed ‘daystAR’.
