‘ABE VR’ is Now Available for Free, Becomes BBFC’s First Rated VR Title
ABE VR is a psychological horror experience recently released for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift that puts you in the shoes of a serial killer’s next victim.
Jenn Duong on Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in VR with SH//FT
Jenn Duong is the Director of VR at 1215creative as well as the co-founder of “SH//FT,” which stands for “Shaping Holistic Inclusion in Future Technology.” SH//FT has been partnering with VR companies who plan on supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives within emerging technology by giving out scholarships & grants, supporting education, and cultivating community.
I had a chance to catch up with Jenn at the Rothenberg Ventures Founder Field Day where we talked about the importance of diversity, some of SH//FT’s specific plans to creating equal opportunity for everyone within VR, and Jenn’s career path from entry-level VR position to becoming a Director of VR within the last year.
GDC Spins VRDC Into Standalone VR Industry Conference with Expanded Scope
Under the umbrella of GDC 2016 in March, GDC event organizer UBM hosted its first dedicated VR event, the Virtual Reality Developers Conference. After the successful pilot run, the organizers have decided to spin the event out into a standalone conference which will be hosted in San Francisco this November.
Tipatat Chennavasin on the VR Landscape, AR, Emerging Tech, & VR in China
Tipatat Chennavasin is a general partner at The VR Fund, which is an early stage VC fund focusing exclusively on virtual reality and augmented reality startups. One of the services that Tipatat does for the community is maintain a VR Industry Landscape infographic that creates a taxonomy for the different VR industry verticals. He also splits companies into three different tiers that shows where they fit in within the technology stack whether it’s a part of the underlying infrastructure, a tool or platform, or on the application layer with specific content. He also maintains a much more detailed Trello Board of the Virtual Reality Industry.
‘The Music Room’ Mixed Reality Video Shows the Power of VR Musicianship
Rhythm action games build around virtual reality are already a thing, but what about immersive music making? The Music Room launches in July and this impressive mixed reality demonstration shows how powerful immersive musicianship might be in virtual reality.
Pixar, ILM and Disney Veterans Launch VR Company CryWorks
CryWorks is a new VR focused entertainment launched with seed round funds led by Michael Bay’s 451 Media Group and who intend to deliver VR content to have customers “keep tuning back in”.
Adobe Brings VR Video Editing Tools to Premiere Pro
The latest update to Premiere Pro, Adobe’s popular video editing software, released yesterday includes new tools for editing 360 degree video and stereoscopic VR video.
Applying Cognitive Science Research to Virtual Reality User Experiences
Azad Balabanian is the co-host of the ResearchVR podcast where he discusses the latest cognitive science research that applies to virtual reality with fellow cognitive scientists Petr Legkov and Krzysztof Izdebski. The premise of their work in VR is that the more that we understand about how humans work, the better VR experiences that we’ll be able to create.
Hands-on: ‘VR Sports Challenge’ Hockey Brings Thrilling Fights
VR Sports Challenge, an upcoming Oculus Touch title, has yet again proven to be one of the most compelling launch titles we’ve seen so far for Oculus’ controllers. In the new Hockey segment shown off at E3 2016 I had a blast saving pucks and throwing down my gloves for a rumble on the ice.
5 Minutes of Blistering ‘Raw Data’ Gameplay, Steam Early Access July 14th
Survios, the developers behind the multiplayer action game Raw Data, have released a of new gameplay from their upcoming HTC Vive powered hack and slacking, dual-wielding, slow-mo VR bullet-fest – here is in all its glory.
Hands On: ‘PlayStation VR Worlds’ is an Immersive Starter Pack for PSVR
Sony’s virtual reality gaming and experience compilation PlayStation VR Worlds is a virtual reality taster selection of sorts from Sony’s London Studio, designed to show off just what their forthcoming PlayStation 4 powered VR headset is capable of. Frank He goes hands on with two of the newer experiences.
VR Among the Top Talked About Games of E3
According to a social media analysis from Brandwatch, VR is finally filtering through to the collective consciousness following one of the most VR-heavy mainstream conferences to date.
Going Down the Rabbit Hole: Simulation Theory, AI, & the Battle for Reality
For the past three years, Cris Miranda has been taking VR pioneers down the rabbit hole of thinking about the deepest philosophical implications of virtual reality on his Enter VR podcast. He has been seeking out the boundaries of our understanding of reality through these conversations, and much like Elon Musk concluded a few weeks ago, Cris has concluded that it’s most likely that we’re already living within a simulation.
I had a chance to sit down with Cris at the Silicon Virtual Reality Conference to explore some of these deeper thoughts about the nature of reality through simulation theory, our predictions for the future of VR, how artificial intelligence will be dismantling the structures of society, the role of VR in cultivating empathy and shared realities, and the overall information war over what the story of reality is and whether we’re going to take control over our own destiny or let someone else define it for us.
Major Gaming Industry Players Jump into VR at E3 2016
E3 2016 has come to a wrap. The usual suspects were there in force, but this year’s E3 also set the stage for significant announcements from major gaming industry players who have committed to joining the VR industry.
Gear VR Update Unifies Oculus Home Aesthetic with Rift
The latest update to Gear VR has brought with it a Home aesthetic that ought to be pretty familiar to Oculus Rift owners.
