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Rockjaw

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  1. Rockjaw
    Want more? You got it. Today we've added over 75 new titles to Viveport Subscription, bringing our total number of apps to over 150. Let's see what's new!
     

     
    You probably already know Viveport Subscription includes some of the best VR apps around including theBlu, Everest VR, Fantastic Contraption, MakeVR and Tilt Brush - as well as our Vive Studios titles. Today's content expansion adds a host of incredible titles that will take you to new worlds, including some apps never before seen outside of Asia. Here are our picks (in alphabetical order, natch) for some of the titles we think you can't afford to miss - available for one low price per month.
     
    Cosmic Trip
    Developer: Funktronic Labs

    Ever been stuck on an alien planet with a bunch of hostile aliens? I know, right? Just in case it hasn't happened to you yet, start training yourself now with Cosmic Trip, which will teach you how to command an army of cosmo robots and wipe out the opposition. Designed to be a no-compromises real-time-strategy experience for VR, Funktronic Labs' totally cosmic... uh... game has been tripping (aha!) over plaudits since liftoff. Treat yourself to a trip.
     
    Add Cosmic Trip to your Viveport Subscription CyberThreat
    Developer: Enigmatic
     
    We love shooting robots. We love it even more in VR. While we might have some sort of personal vendetta against robotkind, what we've always wanted to do is fly, run, climb, teleport and even fly around a massive open area, shooting robots like they're top of our Most Wanted list. What's that? You do exactly that in CyberThreat? Sold.
     
    Add CyberThreat to your Viveport Subscription Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery
    Developer: Spectral Illusions

    If the Haunted Mansion left you unruffled and your average shooting gallery only elicits yawns, you want to strap in and grab your six-shooters for Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery - which does exactly what the title suggests. You're out to investigate an abandoned tourist attraction (Hey, at least there's no lines) which some people claim is haunted. Spoiler: it totally is. All you have is a flashlight and a revolver, so hold on tight....
     
    Add Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery to your Viveport Subscription Kittypocalypse
    Developer: Bolvërk Games

    Honestly, Bolvërk Games had us with 'Evil alien kitties'. We love our cats, but the opportunity to blow up a bunch of virtual fur-babies who are trying to invade our floating island home was too good to pass up. Developed exclusively for VR and taking full advantage of room-scale, Kittypocalypse has more than enough fun and strategic depth to keep you entertained for a long time. Also: kitties.
     
    Add Kittypocalypse to your Viveport Subscription Overkill VR
    Developer: Starloop Studios / Game Troopers

    If there's one huge thing that separates any VR cover shooter from the flat-screen equivalent it's, well, the requirement to actually dodge and take cover. It may be virtual but you'll still be flinching from the bullet impacts in Overkill VR, as you test your real-world skills with an accurate recreation of aiming, while also dodging the enemies who'll be shooting back at you. For a bit of variation, toss a grenade over the wall.
     
    Add Overkill VR to your Viveport Subscription Pierhead Arcade
    Developer: Mechabit Ltd

    If you're of a certain age, you probably had dreams when you were younger about being set loose in the arcade with all the machines on free play. Either that, or you dreamed of being buried in prize tickets so you could grab that giant stuffed monkey you'd had your eye on. Either way, you need to play Pierhead Arcade, because as well as a load of arcade games to play with no virtual quarters required... there's even a prize gallery!
     
    Add Pierhead Arcade to your Viveport Subscription ROM: Extraction
    Developer: First Contact Entertainment

    We already told you we love shooting robots, so shooting even more of them in ROM: Extraction is kind of a no-brainer - but there's more to this game than just blasting away at bots. As an Extractor you're able to slow down time with your 'Reflex' power, which means before too long you'll be using your 'throw, slow and shoot' abilities to blast away the bad guys in the most stylish manner you can imagine.
     
    Add ROM: Extraction to your Viveport Subscription Sairento VR
    Developer: Mixed Realms

    The Matrix. Kill Bill. Two of our favorite movies and just two of the most obvious influences in Sairento VR, which casts you as a holy-cow-can-you-believe-it cybernetic ninja. (Two words that don't find themselves in the same sentence nearly often enough.) You'll be slashing, shooting, leaping, wall-running and generally acting like the baddest bad-ass alive as you battle your way through a futuristic Japan. If this game was any cooler it'd turn your VR machine into a block of ice.
     
    Add Sairento VR to your Viveport Subscription Virush
    Developer: Arcturus
    If I say 'snake', well, some of you will say "Where?!?" Others might say "Ah! My first real game." For those of you who remember the never-ending winding critter that occupied mobile phone screens (and plenty of other platforms) for years, then Virush will be familiar. Sort of. This is a 'snake-like' that's amped up to 11, in a completely 360-degree environment. Not quite the same as your ol' dumbphone.
     
    Add Virush to your Viveport Subscription Windlands
    Developer: Psytec Games Ltd.

    Y'know, maybe shooting stuff - whether robots or not - just isn't your thing. We can get behind that. So that's where something like Windlands is perfect, because all you need to do here is take to the sky, exploring some fantastic environments with a grappling hook and a reckless disregard for gravity. Yes, you'll want to make sure you have your VR legs for this one, but oh boy, it's worth it.
     
    Add Windlands to your Viveport Subscription And there's more...
    We said right up top that we had apps being added to Viveport Subscription that have only been seen in Asia. Here's a couple that we'll let speak for themselves...
    Eternity Warriors VR (Beta)
    Add Eternity Warriors VR (Beta) to your Viveport Subscription
    Tales of Glacier
    Add Tales of Glacier to your Viveport Subscription
    And it doesn't stop there...
    If you're math-inclined you've probably noticed we haven't listed over 75 titles above... but here's everything else, from A-Z. Deep breath:
    AI Rebellion All-Star Fielding Challenge VR Alpine Ski VR aMAZEing adventures Asteroid Blaster VR Audio Arena Baseball VR Beyond the City VR Blackjack Bailey Brain Voyagers: Ricochet BreakDownVR (The Outlaw) Building Panic Cargo Cult: Shoot'n'Loot Clash of Vessels VR Cosmos Crash Crystal Rift Cube Monster Dawn Deathlike: Awakening Dinosaur Park Dogfight Elite DragonwingsVR Drone Fighters Earthquake and Fire Simulator VR EnterVR Escape Bloody Mary Escape from Dinosaur Island Evil Robot Traffic Jam HD Fairvalley FILE 9 Galaxy Golf Glaive Grave VR High Noon HordeZ Hover Skate VR InfiniteHorror Just VR Slingshot Target Practice Keep Balance VR Killer Klownz MageWorks Manastorm: Champions of G'nar Merry Snowballs Moving Maze 1.1 Munch Off-Road Paradise: Trial 4x4 Paper Toss VR PingBall VR PIRATADO Power Solitaire VR RollerForce run Slingshot Cowboy VR Smell Of Death Sonic Hunter Space Fist SPACE RIFT Episode 1 Spacecats with Lasers VR Special Delivery Sword and Shield: Arena VR TacoFace The Walker Killer TRANCE VR Trigger Happy Shooting Unearthing Mars Vision Origin Void Rangers VRZ : Torment Waddle Home Wings of Peace VR: DayBreak Woeful Woebots Worldy Cup Of the above titles, the following are currently only available on Viveport:
    Baseball VR Brain Voyagers: Ricochet BreakDownVR (The Outlaw) Building Panic Cargo Cult: Shoot’n’Loot Cube Monster Dawn Dinosaur Park Earthquake and Fire Simulator VR Escape from Dinosaur Island Eternity Warriors VR BETA Evil Robot Traffic Jam HD Fairvalley High Noon InfiniteHorror Moving Maze 1.1 run Slingshot Cowboy VR Tales Of Glacier The Walker Killer TRANCE VR Unearthing Mars Virush Vision Origin Wings of Peace VR: DayBreak Woeful Woebots Is your Vive desktop client up to date?
    If you haven't used Viveport for a while, you may find you can't even see Viveport Subscription in your Vive desktop client. Never fear! We have an FAQ that tells you how to get up and running in no time. (If you need more help, make sure to post in that Community Forums thread, too.)
     
    What new apps are you adding?
    Tell us below! We'd love to hear from you.
  2. Rockjaw
    We've updated our Developer Console with some new options for controller types. If your app utilizes control types other than (or in addition to) the Vive controllers, you can now display that on your Viveport app product page.
     
    You'll find these new options on the 'Viveport Listing' part of the Developer Console:
     
     Simply check all that apply to your app, and those choices will be shown on your Viveport product page - for example here, on Kodon's page:
     

     
    This change should provide more clarity for end-users. Let us know if you have further comments below!
     
     
  3. Rockjaw
    Many people first experience virtual reality while standing (or sitting) inside a projected sphere, as they take in a 360-degree video. While this can be immersive and exciting, the moment you move into a fully room-scale, 3D space… everything changes.
     
    It’s the same for the creation of digital art. While Photoshop and similar programs have perfected the process of creating art digitally, the next dimension may literally be that. Tilt Brush, by Google, takes you into the third dimension of digital art, and it’s only possible in VR.
     

     
    Now available on Viveport and as part of Viveport Subscription, Tilt Brush lets anyone create incredible 3D art with only a few waves of a Vive controller. With three-dimensional brush strokes and the ability to paint with stars, light, fire and more, this is unlike any painting class you’ve ever experienced. It’s truly unique to VR, as you create imagery and models with flowing ribbons of light that you can walk around, peek into, expand, contract and rotate… all with a few simple gestures.
     

    Since its initial launch Tilt Brush has been expanded to include a number of advanced features, including many new brushes (some of which react to audio), the ability to import 3D objects, exporting to YouTube, a mini-game where people can guess what you’re painting (as seen on TV!) and as they say, much more. There’s never been a better time to give Tilt Brush a try, and if you have a Viveport Subscription, there’s never been a better deal.
     

    If you enjoy Tilt Brush, make sure to check out some of the other apps in our Create section, including MakeVR (for 3D modeling), Kodon (for 3D sculpting) and more.
    Tilt Brush is available now on Viveport.
  4. Rockjaw
    This editorial is written by Felicia Miranda, a freelance technology journalist. Follow her on Twitter @FeliciaVagabond. We hope this editorial helps you find the best VR content available!
     

    There’s more to virtual reality than exploring distant worlds and trying out new experiences. Psychologists from all over the world have recommended VR as an effective form of treatment for stress and all kinds of mental illness. From coping with the overwhelming pressure to finding healthy ways to tackle conditions like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), plugging into a virtual therapeutic environment can help people achieve peace of mind.
     
    Virtual reality has helped me in ways that honestly surprised me. What started as a fun escape for an hour or two turned into one of the best ways for me to unwind and reset after a tough day. To share the love with other Vive owners, I’ve put together a list of some of my go-to Viveport apps for when I’m in need of some much needed VR therapy. Hopefully they’ll help you find some peace of mind as well!
     
    Guided Meditation VR
    Developer: Cubicle Ninjas
    Available on Viveport

     
    For years, my mother told me that meditation could change my life. At first, I was skeptical of such a bold statement. How could sitting cross-legged with my eyes closed make a big impact on my well-being?
     
    Guided Meditation VR changed my opinion by taking me to tranquil locations and letting me take control of my meditation experience. I started off with two minutes a day, and slowly built my way up to a full ten minutes of uninterrupted silence. Now I can meditate on my own with no problems. But there are a few things that make Guided Meditation VR my go-to app after a long, stressful day.
     
    Every day I can meditate somewhere new – be it under the canopy of a rain forest, or in the burnt orange deserts of the Grand Canyon. It’s a luxury to finally meditate without a world full of distractions breaking my Zen. Most importantly, I can let go with these guided experiences, taken directly from ancient traditions and curated by masters of meditation. What’s more comforting than that?
     
    Great for: Relieving stress and anxiety.
     
    Read our interview with Josh Farkas from Cubicle Ninjas, developers on Guided Meditation VR.
     
    LUMEN
    Developer: Framestore, Inc
    Available on Viveport
    LUMEN is a project started by Framestore Inc., Dr. Walter Greenleaf, and a group of Stanford research scientists who wanted to create a soothing VR experience for children headed into risky surgical procedures. It uses a combination of breathing exercises, bioluminescent light and ambient sound to shift your focus away from any lingering anxiety and immerse you in a calming, magical world.
     
    A soft-spoken woman gently guides you on this journey. It begins with some controlled breathing, to which you might find yourself slipping into a tranquil state, not just by the sound of her voice but to the comforting glow of a light that radiates in front of you. Shortly afterwards, you’ll be instructed to grow some small seedlings on the forest floor by looking at them. Yes, you read that correctly.
     
    This is where I found immense relaxation. Sometimes I’d grow a tree with long, slender branches that extended towards the sky. Other times, I kept them small, neat and tidy. I remember marveling at the lavish woods I’d grown, and how I left LUMEN with a clear mind and ready to take on the day.
     
    Great for: Relieving anxiety.
     
    Perfect
    Developer: nDreams VR
    Available on Viveport

     
    Regardless of whether it’s a vacation to a tropical paradise or a few days to enjoy the quiet stirrings of nature, some time for yourself can make all the difference to your mental health.
     
    Perfect is a Viveport app that caters to your impulses of wanting to get away and relax. You can choose from three virtual locations, each with their own lush and interactive environment that feel so real, it’s sure to convince you that you’ve finally taken that much deserved time off. The places you can travel to include the sandy shores of a tropical beach, a rocky cliff overlooking a beautiful forest, and a snowy arctic landscape beneath the Northern Lights.
     
    One of my favorite features of Perfect is the sensational audio quality. As I’m taking in the dazzling life-like scenery, I’m surrounded by sounds of crashing waves and chirping birds at the shore, the crackling of the fire as it burns under the Aurora Borealis, and the hum of blowing wind and wildlife at the top of the mountain. Taking a moment to close your eyes and savor the moment is highly recommended.
     
    Great for: Stress-relief, as a travel alternative.
     
    The Night Cafe: A VR Tribute to Van Gogh
    Developer: Borrowed Light Studios
    Available on Viveport
     

     
    In The Night Cafe, you can take your appreciation for the arts to the next level by stepping into an oil painting and experiencing a world depicted through Van Gogh’s famous brushwork. You don’t have to have an arts degree to dig this app. You’ll be able to appreciate the stunning details of his work, brought to life by the magic of the virtual reality.
     
    The highlight of this app is how abstract the world looks. While most VR experiences aim to be as realistic as possible, The Night Cafe is a beautifully surreal experience, accentuated by Van Gogh’s art style and signature choice of bold colors. I was amazed at how I could walk around and examine objects that previously existed in a 2D painting. While I never get tired of taking a walk through The Night Cafe, I can’t wait to see more apps like it in the future.
     
    Great for: Art lovers, lifting your mood
     
    Firebird - La Péri
    Developer: Innerspace VR
    Available on Viveport

     
    One of my favorite past times when I’m stressed out is to sit down and read a book or watch a movie. The thing is, I save only the most extraordinary tales for when I’m feeling down, and that’s because they have this amazing ability to sweep you away.
     
    Enter Firebird - La Péri. This VR experience is inspired by a ballet from a French composer by the name of Paul Dukas, whose story follows a prince on a mission to fetch the flower of immortality. In your search, you awaken La Péri, and this is where your adventure truly begins.
     
    An enchanting combination of fairy tale meets ballet, Firebird - La Péri won me over with its story, but it keeps me coming back with its incredible audio and visuals. Although short in length, it’ll take you on an interactive journey with breathtaking effects, remarkable narration, captivating dancing, and a moving plot. It’s also the perfect medicine for a gray day.
     
    Great for: Enhancing your mood, relieving stress.
    Guided Meditation VR, LUMEN, Perfect and Firebird - La Péri are available on Viveport and in Viveport Subscription. The Night Café is available for free on Viveport.
  5. Rockjaw
    Earlier this year we announced VR for Impact, a global initiative and commitment by Vive to drive virtual reality content and technologies, all in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
     

     
    We received over 1,400 applications from creators, enthusiasts and advocates around the world all focused on this goal. After an extensive vetting process, today we’re announcing the first three projects that will be part of VR for Impact – with more to come in 2017.
     
    Earth Day, celebrated in over 192 countries on April 22nd, is the perfect time to reveal these three projects. They are:
     
    SpaceVR
    www.spacevr.co
     
    SpaceVR is the world’s first virtual reality platform allowing users to experience space first hand through the immersion of VR.
     
    Founded in 2015, the SpaceVR team has built the first VR satellite, the Overview 1, which will launch later this year on Space X. Once in orbit, SpaceVR will use two 4K sensors combined with wide field of view lenses to stream video that users can experience in full virtual reality or as 360-degree video.

     
    SpaceVR will be available on Viveport.
     
    Tree
    www.treeofficial.com
     
    Tree is a critically acclaimed virtual reality experience enhanced by haptic feedback to immerse viewers in the tragic fate that befalls a rainforest tree. The experience brings to light the harrowing realities of deforestation, one of the largest contributors to global warming.
     
    Tree is an official selection of Sundance Film Festival New Frontier and Tribeca Film Festival Immersive 2017.
     
    Tree will be available on Viveport.
     
    The Extraordinary Honey Bee
    The Extraordinary Honey Bee is a joint project with Häagen-Dazs®, Reach Agency and SPECTACLE looking at the alarming rate at which bee populations are falling.
     
    InThe Extraordinary Honey Bee, users will shrink down to the size of a bee for a guided VR experience where they learn of the risks bee colonies face and solutions currently being implemented to offset their decline.
     

     
    The Extraordinary Honey Bee will be available on Viveport.
     
    This is only the beginning for VR for Impact! SpaceVR, Tree and The Extraordinary Honey Bee represent the first grants awarded. Vive is planning to announce additional grant recipients for 2017 through the end of the year.
     
    Do you believe VR can change the world? Share your thoughts on our Community Forums, and visit the official VR for Impact site.
  6. Rockjaw

    Download Viveport SDK

    By Rockjaw,

    The latest version of the Viveport SDK is available for download from the links below.
     
    To see the latest documentation, click here.
     
    To download the latest version of the SDK, click here.
  7. Rockjaw
    As we celebrate one year of the HTC VIVE, VR developers sent us their perspectives on where VR started and where it's going.
     
    Thanks to Google, Owlchemy Labs, Survios, Big Box VR, Against Gravity, Cloudgate Studio, Cloudhead Games, Radial Games and IBM for sharing their views!
     

  8. Rockjaw
    To mark Vive’s one-year anniversary, HTC has today launched the first-ever VR subscription service. With over 50 titles to choose from, subscribers will be able to experience five different Viveport apps a month from a constantly expanding collection. Launch day titles include favorites such as TheBlu, Everest VR, Mars Odyssey, Apollo 11 VR, Fantastic Contraption and many more.
     

     
    Also in celebration of ‘Vive Day’, HTC is rewarding fans by giving away action sports title Arcade Saga. This is a 24-hour limited offer, so anyone interested in getting their free copy should visit Viveport.com between 12:01am PDT on April 5th and 12:01am PDT on April 6th. (You can also add Arcade Saga to your Viveport Subscription.)
     

     
    Speaking of subscriptions, Vive Day is also the first day you can sign up for a free one-month trial of Viveport Subscription. Starting your subscription is easy; it’s as simple as choosing five apps, downloading and installing them, and ta-da! You could be exploring the surface of your favorite red planet in Mars Odyssey.
     
    Viveport Subscription is a great and affordable way to explore and discover new VR experiences, providing you with unlimited access to five apps of your choosing, and you can make new choices every month to experience new apps.
     
    Viveport is only $6.99 per month (or currency equivalent) should you decide to continue after the trial period, making it so much cheaper than a trip to a museum or a vacation in Hawaii… plus it can make saving for those fun getaways much easier. Naturally, if you register for Viveport Subscription and decide it’s not for you, you're able to cancel your subscription at any time. Ready to go? Register now at www.viveport.com.
     

     
    From another perspective, if you’re a developer looking to boost your visibility in the VR market, making sure your Viveport app is part of Viveport Subscription is a great way to get your app in front of more people. It’s a simple one-click process to opt-in to Viveport Subscription, so visit developer.viveport.com for more information and to submit your app.
     
    Viveport Subscription will add a whole new meaning to the phrase, “The world is your oyster.” I’ve been to three different parts of the world today in VR. Now tell me, where else can you find that kind of freedom?
    Felicia Miranda is a contributing editor for Vive.com.
     
    Got more questions about Viveport Subscription? Read our FAQ in the Community Forums
  9. Rockjaw
    In celebration of the Vive's one-year anniversary we're giving away Arcade Saga to everyone for one day only, as well as adding it to our Viveport Subscription lineup. What better time to tell you all about the new multiplayer modes for all three games?
     

     
    Now you and a friend can face each other in the neon-infused, retro-inspired world of Arcade Saga.
    Back in January, early multiplayer modes for Smash, Arcade Saga's corridor-based game, were rolled out. In that early version, players could compete for high scores across the world.
     

     
    In February the brick-bashing Fracture got an update, with players facing off in an effort to destroy their own walls first. With a setting inspired by arcade classics like Breakout and Arkanoid, multiplayer Fracture takes destruction to a new level.
     
    In addition, this update introduced the new Helper and Hinder powerups. In Fracture, a Helper powerup will instantly turn your ball into a fireball, clearing bricks much faster. The Hinder powerup will add 'devil bricks' to your opponent's wall (seen below). 
     

     
    In Smash, the Helper powerup splits a single ball into two, making your opponent work much harder to defend their own goal. A Hinder powerup disables your oppponent's Slow Shot ability, so they have to face down your oncoming projectiles without that boost!
     
    Finally this month the third game in Arcade Saga's trio, Bowshot, has joined the multiplayer family.
    Bowshot multiplayer lets players face off in a single arena with the goal of shooting more enemies than their opponent. Enemies spawn in waves and you'll need to be fast and accurate to win in this timed based head to head mode.
     

     
     
    Sound too easy? Well, as with Smash and Fracture, Helper and Hinder powerups have been added, where a player can either help themselves by having every shot they shoot be a charged shot for extra damage, or they can Hinder their opponent by putting a forcefield around them that blocks arrows from hitting their target.
     
    It's a whole new Arcade Saga with these multiplayer modes - which makes this a great time to check it out if you haven't already.
    Arcade Saga will be available on Viveport for FREE for one day only - tomorrow, April 5th, 2017. It will also be available as part of Viveport Subscription.
  10. Rockjaw
    Virtual reality became a lot less virtual at GDC 2017, and we were right in the mix with key sessions, announcements and upcoming programs that open up new opportunities for VR developers. Inside the walls of the Moscone Center in San Francisco last week, developers from around the world gathered to see the latest developments in software and hardware, mix and mingle with fellow devs and attend talks and panels given by luminaries from across the industry. That included a lot of news and buzz around VR.

     

    For our part, we presented a keynote called “Holodeck Year 2,” where we broke down what we believe is going to grow the VR ecosystem in 2017. We also had panels with VR developers looking at recipes for success and the opportunity to expand the market through arcade and out-of-home VR experiences. The most important takeaway from what we communicated at GDC is that content and the creators behind it are going to drive VR forward this year. That means all of you in our development community.

     

    We want to make sure you’re all aware of what Vive is doing to set up VR and VR developers for success. For that, we put together a recap of some of our key announcements and information shared with developers at GDC.

     

    Viveport Subscription

     

    Viveport has officially opened its doors to developers to sign onto the subscription service unveiled at CES earlier this year. This is a brand new opportunity for developers to reach a larger audience and better monetize their VR content. When the service launches later this spring, every Vive owner will have access to a free trial of Viveport subscription.

     

    Rahul Sandil, VP of Marketing for Viveport, breaks down how the service works and how developers can benefit from opting into it in this video. If you are a developer, you can sign participate in the subscription service by logging in to the developer console: https://developer.viveport.com/console/.



     

    Viveport Arcade

     

    Location-based entertainment is going to play an important role in the continuing adoption of VR, representing a major touchpoint for more people to experience high-end VR. Vive is helping drive forward this part of the VR marketplace with our upcoming launch of Viveport Arcade, a turnkey platform to securely deliver content to thousands of arcade and amusement center operators around the world. The platform is currently in trial and is planned to open worldwide April 2017.

     

    In the video below Jenna Seiden, Head of Content Acquisitions & Partnerships at Viveport, looks at how Viveport Arcade represents a significant opportunity for VR devs to reach a global audience, and could grow to $100 million market by the end of the year. For more information, please visit https://developer.viveport.com/arcade/



     

    Vive Studios Developer Support

     

    There are three major areas Vive Studios is helping developers turn their creative VR concepts into reality:

     

    1) Technical expertise for platform optimizations and best practices in VR

    2) Publishing services to help distribute content to more markets and help get the message out about great content

    3) Investment and funding of content to grow development talent and the VR ecosystem.

     

    In the video below Joel Breton, Head of Vive Studios, looks at how content is king in driving VR adoption, and how Vive is taking a platform agnostic approach to supporting the creation of high-quality VR content that can move the needle.  For more information on Vive Studios, please visit https://www.vive.com/us/vive-studios/



     
  11. Rockjaw
    Inception are at the forefront of creating 360 video and VR content, and recently arrived on Vive (and Viveport). With their new series launched, we talked to Benny Arbel, CEO of Inception.
     
    Can you explain what Inception does as a company, and as a VR app?
     
    Benny Arbel, CEO, Inception: Inception is a VR and 360 content destination. We launched in October 2016 and we’re now live on seven platforms, most recently and excitingly on Vive.
     
    We’re working to solve the problem of how technology and content live together and enhance each other in the VR space. We partner with top publishers, musicians, artists and creative talent to create ongoing, repeatable, interactive content which incorporates CGI and gaming concepts together into VR entertainment.
     
    What was the genesis of your new Eye Contact series?
     
    There are few things less powerful to experience in this world than a spoken word performance. We set out to capture the intimacy and passion of these artists’ performances in locations around LA that best represent their words. Eye Contact aims to take those surroundings and juxtapose them with the raw poetry, rhymes, and other lyrical performances to give viewer both an intimate experience and the context to fully appreciate the words that are being spoken. For anyone who enjoys poetry slams, this is the next level.
     
    Who are the first performers we'll see?
     
    We were really lucky to work with some extremely accomplished spoken word performers for our first round of collaborations:
     
    Alyesha Wise is a published poet, teaching artist, creator and TEDx speaker. She wrote her first poem at the age of 11 and has not stopped creating since. She performed her poem Falling In With LA for us.
     
    Dahlak Brathwaite is a writer and educator. He believes in the ability of words to engage, enlighten and inspire. He shares his passion for language and helps others find their voice. Dahlak performed his poem Today for us.
     
    Shihan Van Clief is a writer and presenter. He has been working with clients for over 20 years to rebrand their stories with innovative ideas and creative solutions. Shihan performs his poem The New World for us.
     
    How was Eye Contact filmed? What sort of hardware setup is used?
     
    We worked with the performers to choose spaces and views that were meaningful for them and their piece so that we could translate the visual language through to physical space. For the main performance capture, we used a Nokia Ozo to shoot the performances to introduce the appropriate depth. For the time-lapse portions, we used a Samsung Gear 360 with a number of modifications which allowed us to achieve 8K. This gave the experience a level of movement that helped to create our visual language.
     
    Were there any particular challenges you faced while creating Eye Contact?
     
    We always focus on what VR or 360 adds to whatever we’re filming. If it doesn’t add anything, then we ask ourselves whether we should film it at all. When filming performance pieces like these, we wanted to make sure that we made the most of the space while simultaneously giving viewers the intimate experience we were aiming to create. That’s where the time lapse footage came in – it gave us a chance to create stunning 360 visuals, represent the topic of the poem, and still give the viewer the chance to look the performers in the eye.
     
    Not to mention that we were filming in LA during their worst rain storm in years, so we had to be pretty flexible to say the least…
     

     
    Any hints on who might be seen later in the Eye Contact series?
     
    We pride ourselves on bringing different perspectives and angles to VR. For us, Eye Contact isn’t about the big names, but about bringing in a range of different talents with different messages to share. We have a lot more of that in the pipeline!
     
    What's next for Inception VR? Any big projects you can tell us about?
     
    We’re working with various different publications, brands and talents. You’ve already seen our partnerships with Time Out Tel Aviv and London, we have many more exciting partnerships coming in the next few months!
     
    Thank you for talking with us, Benny!
    Inception, featuring Eye Contact, is now available on Viveport.
  12. Rockjaw
    We Are Stars - now available on Viveport - is an immersive, 360-degree science documentary that takes you to the very beginning of time and back again. We spoke with NSC Creative, the award-winning UK developers of We Are Stars, to find out more about this time-traveling cosmic trip!
     
    First of all, please introduce yourself.
     
    I'm Paul Mowbray, the Director of NSC Creative and the Producer on the We Are Stars project. I conceived the idea of doing it as a cross-platform immersive film, oversaw the production and have been driving the release strategy for the VR version. We are excited to be on Viveport, it has a laser focus on VR only, so we are excited to see what the userbase think of our experience.
     

     
    We Are Stars lets you “explore the secrets of our cosmic chemistry”. For anyone who missed science class, can you sum up what that means in scientific terms?
     
    We ask some pretty big questions, like what are we made of and where did it all come from? We join the Time Master narrated by Hollywood superstar Andy Serkis, a Victorian gent with his very own time tent who whisks us off on a 13.8 billion year adventure. We follow our Victorian time travelers as they learn about the origins of atoms.
     
    We witness the formation of the first hydrogen atoms after the Big Bang and then watch how those hydrogen atoms gather into galaxies and stars. We learn how the stars forged all the atoms needed to make life. We see the creation of planet Earth and follow the atoms and molecules through evolution back to where the time travelers started their journey, all in time for some jellied eels and roasted chestnuts!
     

     
     Was We Are Stars originally conceived as a ‘fulldome’ experience? If so, were any changes made for the VR version?
     
    The project was originally conceived as a cross-platform project. We have been creating dome films for over 16 years so have lots of experience of storytelling in 360° and frameless environments. Due to the multiple delivery formats required the easiest ways for us to achieve this was to do it as a pre-rendered experience, plus there are some shots in there that just couldn’t be done in engine at the moment.
     
    The original plan was to generate a 16k x 8k equirectangular image per eye for 3D at 60fps so we could re-purpose for dome and giant screen from one golden, pixel busting master! Back at the beginning of 2015 we quickly realised that this pipeline wasn't going to get us where we wanted quick enough and so decided on a three stage render process. We did the the 4k x 4k 2D 30fps dome version first which we released to critical acclaim into the international planetarium market and then followed up with rendering out the 360 video VR version which was created at 4x x 2k per eye for 3D at 60fps.
     
    This was an optimal resolution for render time, distribution, playback and HMD resolution limitations. The final stage was the 8k x 8k 3D 60fps dome version for the ultra high-end planetarium market. We have the show playing in the highest resolution 3D domes in the world. We kept the multiple versions pretty similar with minimal changes between dome and VR. With future projects we hope to explore the enhanced field of view that VR affords giving us a full sphere to play with rather than just a hemisphere, but ironically the FOV of the current gen of HMDs is what really jumps out as you as a difference when constantly testing in the dome also - which fills our natural horizontal FOV.
     

     
    We also had to consider how we wanted the viewer to be physically positioned when watching the experience. We Are Stars is a seated, uni-directional experience which encourages people to maintain a reasonably static viewing position with just a bit of head-tracking for those explorative shots. We don’t want people breaking their necks to look behind them constantly.
     
    ‘Spinny chairs’ is another seating type that can work really well for 360 video experiences, but if you want to control the viewer's attention for the majority of the experience then assuming a predominantly forward facing position helps. The stereoscopic 3D effect is one of the main elements to create the sense of immersion, which not many other 360 videos have due to the challenges with 3D live capture. As we are a computer generated experience we can really explore the possibilities of 3D film making in a spherical environment and how this can be used as another tool in support of the narrative.
     

    How did your team’s experience in developing ‘fulldome’ experiences help with developing for VR?
     
    We’ve been using VR as a production tool for many years for the complex immersive projection environments that we work in across theme parks and museums. So actually developing for VR as the end medium was a natural and logical step for us.

     
    We coined the phrase ‘Domography’ in the dome world to help describe the new type of film language that is necessary to compose and edit in that environment. A lot of this translates into VR much more readily than traditional flat-screen cinematography techniques do. There are subtle and not so subtle differences between dome and VR sometimes a shot will prioritise VR over dome or the other way around as we don’t always have time to create a bespoke version for every format. If we did we’d still be working on it now!
     
    Give us an idea of what to expect from We Are Stars - what’s the time scale explored? What will we see in VR?
     
    We cover pretty much all the time! We go back 13.8 billion years to the beginning of time and the creation of everything. You will witness the big bang, early galaxy formation, exploding stars, nuclear fusion, the formation of our solar system, black smokers, the first life deep in the Earth’s ocean and the extinction of the dinosaurs.
     
    It’s perfect for VR! Who wouldn’t want to have our amazing cosmos whizzing past their eyes in stereoscopic 3D at high-frame-rate in 360 degrees!
     
    We Are Stars is a 360 video experience - have you any plans for more interactive VR experiences?
     
    We think there are all kind of new genres that are going to be born as VR evolves. We are really interested in the line between passive experiences and gaming; once the user can interact with the environment are they always going to want too? Guided, semi-on-rail experiences which are responsive to the users gaze or position are interesting, do you allow the user to know they are influencing the experience or keep it from them? We are obsessed with room-scale VR and have two projects in development which you will be hearing more about soon.
     
    The ObserVRatarium is the virtual museum of everything where we offer multiple play modes. It’s aimed at home users, but also at museums and attractions to make it part of their exhibitions. The first play mode is ‘manipulate and observe’, where we put artefacts in people's hands that are normally behind glass or in a far away place. The ‘Investigate and Interact’ mode brings the objects to life by giving rich dynamic info when you look at them. In the ‘Scale’ mode we give things a human scale by using 1:1 mapping. For instance, how big is a Saturn V rocket when you stand at the foot of it, or when you see the ISS within arms reach? Finally ‘Transport’ mode enables the experiential power of VR to create presence and transport people to thematic environments so they can see things in a real-world context, often as a slice of time.
     
    The other project is a complete departure from an educational setting and is called Vestige, directed by Aaron Bradbury. It is a fictional short film which explores multi-narrative in a room-scale environment diving into the subject of memory, love and loss, using volumetric live capture to bring real people into the world but in a highly stylised, emotionally charged, art directed way. We want to offer people a profound experience that gives them a new perspective on life, love and death.
     

     
    For lucky visitors to the National Space Centre in the UK, as well as seeing We Are Stars in the dome - what else can they see?
     
    We have two vertical rockets and moon rock! If that’s not enough we have the largest digital dome in the UK, the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium. A 17-seat 3D simulator that takes you on a ice cracking romp to Jupiter's moon Europa. A giant Soyuz and Gemini spacecraft hanging from the ceiling. An immersive wrap around panoramic tunnel that plummets you through Venus’s killer atmosphere. A recreation of an International Space Station module, loads of other cosmic stuff and of course a shop where you can buy out of this world space gifts like Astronaut Ice Cream!
     
    How do you see virtual and augmented reality working in museums and dome experiences?
     
    We definitely see AR and VR working with artefacts throughout the museum. We are planning to do a bunch of cross-section views to literally add layers of context. We’ll be able to see inside our Soyuz craft and appreciate how cramped it is, look at the layers inside an Astronaut suit and add rich information that bring the static objects to life.
     
    Fulldome technology has finally got to a point where we can run game engines in them so that opens up all kinds of possibilities for interactivity and gaming in the dome on a massive scale. It really is a version of Social VR, 200 people all in the same immersive space. We are excited to see what can be done in this environment and the continued crossover and cross pollination between dome and VR.
     
    Thanks very much for your time and answers, Paul!
    We Are Stars is now available on Viveport. For more information on NSC Creative, you can visit their website, or find them on Twitter and Facebook.
  13. Rockjaw
    Now available on Viveport, Golden Gate from dSky allows you to explore a recreated San Francisco in miniature, swoop around famous landmarks and get up close and personal with highly detailed buildings.
     
    Golden Gate is Viveport’s latest Weekend Deal! Get 50% off now through Sunday 3/12 at 11:30pm PT  
    Tell us who you are, and what your role is at dSky?
     
    Hello Vive community! My name is Jared Bowns and I am the Director of Community Engagement for dSky. We’re an indie shop focused on creating VR experiences for all major platforms, though we are particularly excited about the Vive. We’ve been operating in this world since the beginning and continue to believe in the potential that VR has to change the world.

     
    Tell us about Golden Gate - it’s a scale model of San Francisco. What can you do inside the app?
     
    Golden Gate enables you to explore and teleport freely around a miniature scale model of the magical city of San Francisco, including models of more than 80,000 buildings in the city with high detail for key points of interest. Even at 1:200 scale, this city is the explorable size of a gymnasium. You can fly around or teleport to all of SF’s most interesting locations like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and AT&T Park among others. At the bare minimum, it is fun as hell to fly around like Iron Man.
     
    What inspired you to create (or recreate) a world that’s outside your window?
     
    At dSky, we are really interested in creating apps and experiences that allow exploration of places only previously possible in our imaginations. Taking the conceptual and leveraging the power of presence in VR to craft something unique excites us greatly. We’re working on some other apps where you can explore Mars from the perspective of the rover and directly observe the laws of electromagnetism up close.
     
    You made an update to Golden Gate before launching on Viveport. What's new?
     
    A lot of time was spent on dialing in the performance of the application and getting controller support for the Vive. A lot more detail has been added for the main locations within the app to provide more of an atmosphere. We also spent a lot of time working out a magical scale at which to change the building sizes to.
     
    How big an area (in real life) does Golden Gate cover?
     
    Golden Gate covers the entire city of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz down to the Daly City border. 

      
     
    Do you have any plans to create similar apps for other cities?
     
    We do plan to create similar apps for other cities. We spent a lot of time focusing on the scale of the users’ viewport to the actual size of the buildings and getting that just right. There is a certain magic in being able to explore at a smaller scale. With that being said, our minds have been racing with other places to apply this same form to.
     
    What would be your dream city to recreate?
     
    My dream city to recreate would definitely be Helsinki, with viewable Northern Lights!
     

     
    What’s your favorite part of San Francisco (in real life)?
     
    I really enjoy nature, so I would say that Golden Gate Park is my favorite part of the city. For some reason, it never gets old going for a run or taking a stroll through there. It's even cooler to view my favorite area of SF in reality from VR as Golden Gate Park is one of the high detail areas of the application.
     
    What’s your favorite part of your virtual San Francisco?
     
    My favorite part would have to be AT&T Park. There’s a little hidden Easter egg in there that is very cool to experience!
    Golden Gate is available now on Viveport. For more information on dSky, visit their website.
  14. Rockjaw
    We're very pleased to announce the winners of our first ever Viveport Developer Awards. Chosen from a range of extraordinary VR applications, these winners represent the 'best of the best' in VR today.
     
    As a reminder, our prizes were awarded in four different categories, along with our previously decided Community Choice Award. The prizes, per category, were as follows:
     
    Category Prizes
     
    1st place: $50,000 + an HTC Vive
    2nd place: $30,000 + an HTC Vive
    3rd place: $15,000 + an HTC Vive
    Runners-up (2 total): HTC Vive
    Community Choice Award: $10,000 (in addition to any other prizes)
     
    Explore
     
    1st place: Apollo 11 VR, by Immersive VR Education Ltd.
    2nd place: Realities, by Realities.io
    3rd place: The Body VR, by The Body VR
    Runners-up: A Chair in a Room: Greenwater (Wolf & Wood Interactive) Mars Odyssey (Steel Wool Studios)
     
    Create
     
    1st place: Fantastic Contraption, by Northway Games
    2nd place: Soundstage, by Hard Light Labs
    3rd place: Paintlab, by LAB4242
    Runners-up: Kodon (TenkLabs), Arcade Artist (Groove Jones)
     
    Connect
     
    1st place: Cloudlands: VR Minigolf, by Futuretown
    2nd place: AltspaceVR, by AltSpaceVR
    3rd place: Engage, by Immersive VR Education Ltd.
    Runners-up: World of Diving (Vertigo Games), SurrealVR (SurrealVR)
     
    Experience
     
    1st place: Allumette, by Penrose Studios
    2nd place: Pearl, by Google Spotlight Stories
    3rd place: Firebird - La Péri, by InnerspaceVR
    Runners-up: TheBlu (Wevr), The Night Café: A VR Tribute to Van Gogh (Borrowed Light Studios)
     
    Community Choice Award
     
    A Chair in a Room: Greenwater, by Wolf & Wood Interactive Ltd.
     
    Congratulations to all of our winners! Every title you see here is available now on Viveport, with savings of up to 40% off on 1st place winners Fantastic Contraption, Apollo 11 VR and Cloudlands: VR Minigolf.
  15. Rockjaw
    This week on Viveport love is of course in the air, so if you need a way to express your love for explosions, math equations and... 360 video... then we have some apps for you!
     
    Pyro VR

    Sometimes a title is all you need, isn't it? As the developers, Virtual Light VR, put it - are you ready to blow some sh*t up?? To quote them further...
     

    Let your creativity run wild! Create your own shows using a multitude of different fireworks and explosives. Be extravagant! Line up and connect fireworks in sequence to create extended, timed and beautiful cascades of light and sound in the night sky above. Or, heck, just blow stuff up!
     
    Pyro VR is available on Viveport now
     
    Calcflow

    About as far away from blowing things up as you can imagine, Calcflow helps you learn the foundations of vector calculus in a unique new way! In their own words...
     

    Ever wanted to learn vector calculus?
    See some crazy parametrized functions?
    Did newton invent or discover calculus? Are we living in a simulation?
    These are all questions this VR experience may be able to answer.
    Calcflow is here. Open your mind to mathematics.
    Explore the secrets to the universe.
    Everything starts with the math.
     
    Calcflow is available on Viveport now
     
    Inception: VR & 360 Videos

    Sometimes you want someone else to take the driving seat in VR and show you some cool stuff... and Inception: VR & 360 Videos certainly will do that. As they say...
     

    From partying with the world’s #1 DJs in Ibiza, to stepping into Dali’s paintings or jamming with the Mystery Jets in their studio, our formats push the boundaries of imagination, content and technology.
     
    Inception: VR & 360 Videos is available on Viveport now
     
  16. Rockjaw

    Introducing Vive Video!

    By Rockjaw,

    HTC Creative Labs presents Vive Video—a video player for virtual reality. With support for 2D, 3D, 180˚ and 360˚ content, Vive Video turns your personal video library into a virtual home theater.
     
    Virtual reality adds a delightful, immersive element to watching videos regardless of the format you choose. While viewing 2D videos, you can resize the screen to fill your entire field of view, orient it to your gaze, and even turn off the ambient lighting for a truly cinematic experience. Things get more exciting with 180° and 360° screen modes where, thanks to digital tracking, you can move and look around in the virtual environment while the content adapts to your viewing perspective.
     

     
    One of our favorites in this genre is the award-winning VR animation INVASION! 360 VR from Baobab Studios. From the director of Madagascar and narrated by Ethan Hawke, INVASION! is a VR story about two bumbling aliens, Mac and Cheez, with grand ambitions to take over our world. Instead, they are greeted by two adorable, white bunnies….and YOU are one of them!
     

     
    We’ve included a sneak peek of the INVASION! 360 video in the Vive Video download so you can see for yourself.
     
    Vive Video is available now from Viveport.
     
    INVASION! image courtesy of Baobab Studios. © 2016
  17. Rockjaw
    It’s time to get creative. Two weeks ago we debuted the Vive Tracker, which allows developers and accessory manufacturers to bring new form factors to VR with full motion tracking. As part of the news, we announced that we’d kick-start development of the Vive ecosystem by seeding 1,000 Vive Trackers to the developer and creative community.
     
    Starting today, we’re accepting applications for the initial batch of Trackers. Applications will be open through February 7.  That’s two weeks to tell us why your project is going to help the world rethink VR.
     
    Ready to debut a new product in VR? Want to create an API to track a pet (or your coffee table) within the VR world? Want to track a keyboard in VR? Tell us how and why.
     
    At CES, we showcased Vive Tracker Integrations with haptic gloves, the first VR camera, firefighting and baseball training applications, VR rifles for arcade and home use, and much more.
     
    The possibilities are endless, so let’s prove it.

     
    Apply now: http://link.vive.com/tracker/apply
     
    Want to discuss the Tracker with other developers? Need advice on how to work with the Tracker, developer guidelines or more? It's all in our Developer Forums, open specifically for registered Vive developers. (Not registered? Do so here.) We look forward to talking with you!
  18. Rockjaw
    We’re excited to share that PBS’s Digital Studio’s My Brother’s Keeper will be premiering at our exhibit on VR on the Mountain.
     
    
     
     
    My Brother’s Keeper is a companion piece to the PBS’ primetime Civil War series Mercy Street. The second season debuts on January 22 on the network.
     
    The nine-minute film tells the story of two estranged brothers, Ethan, 19, and Jackson, 16, who are fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War and unknowingly reunite at Antietam, the bloodiest battle in American military history. Shot on location in Virginia using more than 150 Civil War re-enactors, the story is fictional but based on historical accounts of brothers who fought against each other in the war.
     
    The cinematic VR experience will be coming soon to Viveport and we’ll update this blog with the app page when it launches. If you’re lucky enough to be at VR on the Mountain this upcoming week, be sure to stop by the Vive Exhibit and experience this groundbreaking VR short film.
     
    Want to see more of My Brother’s Keeper? Take a look at this behind-the-scenes video.
     

  19. Rockjaw

    VR on the Mountain

    By Rockjaw,

    PBS and TIME-LIFE VR Experiences Part of Viveport’s VR on the Mountain Lineup
    
    HTC Vive and Viveport are bringing a lineup of apps to one of the entertainment industry’s biggest events to showcase the range of experiences possible in virtual reality. The team is heading to Park City, Utah to exhibit at VR on the Mountain, a virtual reality hub taking place January 20-22.
     
    The Vive lineup at VR on the Mountain shows how major media companies and entertainment talent are bringing creative ideas to VR. The Vive exhibit will feature the world premiere of My Brother’s Keeper, a story-driven VR reenactment of the Battle of Antietam from PBS Digital. The experience is a companion piece to PBS’ primetime Civil War series Mercy Street, which debuts its second season on the network on January 22. PBS Digital partnered with StoryTech Immersive, Perception Squared and the Technicolor Experience Center, and used a new action camera rig built by the filmmakers, to create immersion that sets a new standard for VR storytelling. My Brother’s Keeper is written and directed by Connor Hair and Alex Meader. 
     
     
    
     
    Mindshow is another showcase title at HTC Vive’s VR on the Mountain experience. The visionaries behind Mindshow, an app that lets people improvise short animated vignettes in virtual reality and share them with friends, have their roots in animation. As the developers describe it, “Mindshow lets you make VR cartoons with your body and voice.” The app provides a variety of playsets – from a distant planet to a comedy club stage – where people can act out scenes using their bodies. The content can then be shared either as a VR scene visible through Vive, or exported as 2D videos to share with friends through online social channels. Mindshow is also an official selection of the 2017 edition of New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival.
     
    
     
     Vive is also highlighting new content from Baobab Studios, a studio that brought its impressive animation pedigree to VR last year with Invasion!, an award-winning title launched last year. Headed by veterans from Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, including Madagascar writer-director Eric Darnell, Baobab is now ready to release their anticipated sequel Asteroids. On Saturday, January 21, they will unveil the full episode as part of the 2017 edition of New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival and at HTC Vive’s VR on the Mountain exhibit.

    Attendees will also get a chance to experience Remembering Pearl Harbor, the gripping historical VR narrative that premiered on Viveport last month. Developed by Deluxe VR in conjunction with TIME-LIFE and Vive to commemorate the attack’s 75th anniversary, Remembering Pearl Harbor is a uniquely immersive VR storytelling app narrated by Lt. Jim Downing, one of the oldest living survivors of the attack. The original VR project is enhanced with interactive archival news material from iconic TIME and LIFE publications, the National WWII Museum and the Library of Congress, including famous radio broadcasts from Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
     
    Other titles exhibiting with Vive at VR on the Mountain include The Price of Freedom from Construct Studios. The interactive room-scale experience is based on a true secret CIA research project and incorporates historical documents photos and audio tapes from the 1950’s. Additional apps on display include Tilt Brush from Google, Pearl from Google Spotlight Stories, and a few surprises yet to be announced.
     
    The Viveport exhibit is part of HTC Vive’s sponsorship of VR on the Mountain, which will be held January 20-22 at Firewood, one of newest venues located on Main Street in Park City, Utah. Attendees will be able to experience all of the titles listed for the duration of the exhibit with the exception of Asteroids, which will debut on January 21.
     
    Vive is planning additional activities during the week including exhibits with other partners and two VR developer panels planned for Friday, January 20, and Sunday, January 22. To keep tabs on all of our activities next week in Park City, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
  20. Rockjaw
    
     
     
     
    How do identify whether Vive Tracker or the controller is being tracked?
     
    You can use the class type of SteamVR SDK to identify if Vive Tracker or the controller is currently being tracked.
     
    Does Vive Tracker have a different coordination system compared to the controllers?
     
    Yes. Content developers need to apply different coordination settings based on the position where the Vive Tracker is mounted.
     
    How can I replace the controller with Vive Tracker if I already created content meant for the controller?
     
    Content developers need to apply different coordination settings based on whether Vive Tracker is mounted on the same position as the controller. If its position is different, content developers need to recalibrate for Vive Tracker.
     
    What's the equivalent of Vive Tracker's hardware button to the controller?
     
    The hardware button of Vive Tracker maps to the System button of the controller.
     
    How can I simulate the button event when I connect Vive Tracker to a computer through USB?
     
    Check the "Data format" section in the developer guidelines, and follow the SetFeature 0xB4 format to fill your simulated data in "Button byte" data.
     
    Why is tracking lost when I connected Vive Tracker to a USB cable?
     
    When you connect Vive Tracker to your computer using a USB cable, it enters data sending mode. To resume tracking while connected to a USB port, follow the developer guidelines to send the SetFeature 0xB3 command to fill Host type byte.
     
    Can we implement our own data into Vive Tracker's data stream?
     
    Vive Tracker only supports data that's compatible with the controllers.
     
    Can I customize the POGO pins?
     
    Yes, you can. For information on how to customize the POGO pins, contact our Support team in the first instance via email.
     
    What's in the downloadable 3D CAD file for the Vive Tracker?
     
    The ZIP file (attached to this article) contains the .IGS and .STP for Vive Tracker. It's not a requirement to use the files, but it can help if you have 3D modeling software.
  21. Rockjaw
    
     
     
    General FAQs for Vive Tracker
     
    How do I connect the dongle to my computer?
     
    Connect one end of the supplied USB cable to the dongle cradle, and then attach the dongle to the cradle. Connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer.
     
    How do I charge Vive Tracker?
     
    While in VR, you can check the battery level of Vive Tracker when no apps are running, or when the System Dashboard is up. When the battery is low, the indicator will show a single red dot.
     
    To charge, make sure to use the USB cable that’s in the box. Connect the USB cable to the power adapter that came with your Vive controllers, and then plug the power adapter to a power outlet to charge Vive Tracker. You can also connect Vive Tracker to a computer’s USB port to charge it.
     
    When Vive Tracker is fully charged, its status light either shows white if it is off or green if it is turned on.
     
    How do I pair the dongle with Vive Tracker?
     
    1. Turn on HMD and pair with 2 controllers
    2. Connect dongle to your computer
    3. Turn on Vive Tracker to have the pairing process is finished automatically
     
    Warning: If Vive Tracker cannot be automatically paired the first time, the dongle may pair with other equipment.
     
    To manually pair Vive Tracker, open the SteamVR app, tap the down arrow, and then select Devices > Pair Controller. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
     
    What does the status light on Vive Tracker mean?
     
    The status light shows:
     
    • Green when Vive Tracker is in normal mode
    • Blinking red when battery is low
    • Blinking blue when Vive Tracker is pairing with the headset or dongle
    • Blue when Vive Tracker is connecting with the headset or dongle
    • Orange when charging
     
    How can I update Vive Tracker?
     
    1. From your computer, open the SteamVR app.
    2. Using the supplied USB cable, connect the Vive Tracker to one of your computer’s USB ports. The firmware update will start automatically once tracker is detected by the SteamVR
    Warning: Do not unplug the micro-USB cable any time before the firmware update is complete. Doing so could result in a firmware error.
    3. When the update is complete, click Done.
     
    Why does Vive Tracker automatically turn off?
     
    When Vive Tracker turns off, some of the possible reasons might be:
     
    • The battery is drained
    • Pairing has timed out after being idle for more than 30 seconds
    • There was no user movement for 5 minutes"
     
    Can I use more than one Vive Tracker?
     
    Multiple Vive Tracker hardware can be used, but limitations apply.
     
    Why can't I see Vive Tracker on SteamVR?
     
    Check that your SteamVR app is the latest version.
     
    How do I reset Vive Tracker?
     
    To reset Vive Tracker, connect it to your computer using the supplied USB cable, and then press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds.
  22. Rockjaw
    We're pleased to present the official developer guidelines for the Vive Tracker, along with other resources for development.
     
    The development guidelines include all the technical details you might need (we hope!) whether you're developing accessories for use with the Vive Tracker, or implementing it within VR apps.
     
     

     
     
    In addition to these development guidelines, we're also releasing 3D models of the Tracker for your use and FAQs about the Tracker. If you have further questions about developing for the Tracker, feel free to post them below as a comment or elsewhere in the Developer Forums.
  23. Rockjaw
    
     
    Vive is kicking off a huge presence at CES 2017, by introducing two new accessories and new services that will lay the foundation of the VR ecosystem for years to come. 
     
    If you’re a current or future VR owner, there are a lot of things to be thankful for this New Year. Available in Q2 2017, the Vive Tracker and Vive Deluxe Audio Strap are all new accessories that will greatly enhance your Vive experience, and we’re expecting wireless accessories to be available in 2017.  In addition, Viveport will be launching a subscription service as well as app stores for arcade and enterprise customers in early 2017, ensuring you’ll have many options to access the best content on Vive that matters to you.
     
    Let’s start off with the hardware news:
     
    The Vive Tracker, available in Q2 this year, enables motion tracking for entirely new form factors within the VR world. It is the the foundation for building a new accessories ecosystem for  Vive.  In fact, there are many partners in our space at CES showing off their Vive Tracker integrations including multiple rifles built for VR shooters, a baseball bat, a firehose and haptic gloves for a truly immersive VR experience.
     
    
     
    (We’ll be showing you a sneak peek at some of these apps and products during our Live Stream happening both Thursday and Friday from 12-2pm PST. Click here to visit our Facebook Page, where the live stream will be hosted.)
     
    At its core, the Vive Tracker will integrate with any number of future VR accessories via a simple connection, ensuring developers and consumers will have a single accessory to unlock thousands of new experiences .  The Tracker weighs just under three ounces (90g) and is 99.65mm (Diameter) x 42.27mm (Height).
     
    The Vive Deluxe Audio Strap is designed with adjustable headphones, allowing you to enjoy even more comfort and convenience.   The headstrap features integrated headphones and a new customizable sizing dial for quickly adjusting the fit of the headstrap, ensuring a tighter and more comfortable fit.   The Deluxe Audio Strap will also be available in Q2.
     
    
    Pricing for both the Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap will be announced soon.
     
    Wireless and VR  - We showcased a product many of you may have heard about recently from TPCast, a wireless adaptor which was incubated through the Vive X accelerator program. It includes a one and a half hour battery, and latency as low as 2ms. TPCast will be shipping in Q2 2017 and will retail for $249 USD.
     
    Now that you have this great hardware, what are you going to do with it?  We’ve got you covered with some exciting things coming up from Viveport as well amazing content from Vive Studios and more than 30 partners showcasing content in our CES space.
     
    In early 2017, Viveport will be launching a subscription service to help you navigate and find the best VR apps in the world, as well as introduce a new channel through which VR developers can monetize their content. There are currently thousands of apps available on Vive globally. Viveport’s subscription service will help people navigate this growing marketplace and discover new apps, providing access to an ever-growing library of content for a low monthly fee. More details will be announced soon.
     
    Viveport also announced at CES that it is expanding services for enterprise VR customers and arcade operators by launching dedicated VR app stores for professionals in 2017. Viveport is evolving the Viveport Arcade platform announced last November to create a digital storefront that can distribute VR content to businesses globally. The app store is designed for arcades, cinemas, amusement parks and other location-based entertainment centers eager to introduce their customers to VR. The rapid expansion of VR into arcades is creating an important touch point for people to experience high-end VR for the first time.
     
    Lastly, Viveport’s dedicated enterprise app store will target a different set of customers. Some of the biggest industrial sectors are quickly adopting VR, led by major categories such as healthcare, engineering, real estate and retail. Viveport’s enterprise app store will both curate content for enterprise customers and support developers leveraging the immersion of VR to create apps and tools for professionals in areas such as medicine, architecture, design, 3D modeling and workforce training.
     
    VR fans and existing Viveport customers can sign-up today to be the first to get invited to a free trial of the subscription service when it launches at https://www.viveport.com/subsignup
     
    2017 will be a great year for VR.  At Vive, we’re laying a strong foundation for how VR will grow for years to come.  Keep an eye out on this blog and our Facebook and Twitter channels for more great news this week.
  24. Rockjaw

    Viveport Holiday Sale

    By Rockjaw,

    
     
     
    Happy Holidays from the team here at Viveport! To celebrate, we’re offering two special bundles for the next week. (12/20 11:59pm PT – 12/28 11:59pm PT)
     
    First up is the Best of Viveport Bundle. Featuring 8 apps nominated for the Viveport Developer Awards, this bundle highlights some of the best VR content available. Altogether, the bundle offers 50% off the full value of these apps purchased separately.
     
    Arcade Artist Cloudlands: VR Minigolf Fantastic Contraption Firebird – La Peri Kodon Mars Odyssey SoundStage World of Diving Click here to get the Best of Viveport Bundle (US link)
    Outside the US? Click here
     
    Second, we’re offering a Holiday Bundle filled with awesome titles you may have missed this busy year. With themes ranging from exploring, fashion, and history this bundle captures the wide array of VR content offered on Viveport. This bundle is also 50% off the full value of the apps.
     
    Snow Fortress Everest VR Underwater Mermaid Remembering Pearl Harbor Lumen Haute & Haunted Stonehenge VR  
    Click here to get the Holiday Bundle (US link)
    Outside the US? Click here
     
    We’re excited to offer these two bundles with content we’re sure you’ll enjoy! Spend time with your friends and family and be sure to introduce them to the world of Virtual Reality if they haven’t been already.
     
    Happy Holidays!
     
    The Viveport Team
  25. Rockjaw
    
     
    You've been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award! How do you feel?
     
    Ryan Bousfield, Director: It's amazing to be recognised for the hard work and to see that people are enjoying the experience.

    Where did the idea for A Chair in a Room come from?
     
    Initially it was just a way to make the most of the limitations of the early VR headsets - you couldn’t do anything but look around from a set position. So it made sense to put the player on 'A Chair in a Room' and bring the action to them. The advancements in VR, such as room-scale and tracked controllers, have meant that you can leave the chair behind and 'really' investigate the scene.

    How many people worked on A Chair in a Room, and how long did it take to develop?
     
    It was a solo effort, just me working away for 12 months - from the initial ideas and sketches to creating the artwork and gameplay right through to writing the code and even the music. Friends, family and other indies helped by sense checking, testing and generally being there to make sure I didn’t descend into madness.

    Tell us something about A Chair in a Room that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?
     
    I've added a lot of references to film and literature. Some are pretty straightforward, such as your patient number is the same number given to Winston Smith in George Orwell’s 1984. Others are a bit more obscure, such as the painting of the Virgin Mary in the hotel is actually Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.

    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    Every playtest was like a psychological experiment. It’s easy to start categorising people - you have escapists who go wild and wreck the place while others would lay out the clues neatly on a table and instinctively tidy up after themselves.

    What do you hope people take away from A Chair in a Room overall?
     
    That there is more to VR horror than jump scares. Yes there’s the odd scene that will make you jump, but underpinning the whole thing is a gritty narrative and slightly surreal atmosphere.

    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to A Chair in a Room? Or is there something new coming from the team?
     
    We put out a free additional story over the summer but now the focus is on new ideas and stories. There was so much learnt from A Chair in a Room that I’m really looking forward to the next thing because I already know how to make it 10 times better.

    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    Create a prototype (whitebox version) within a set deadline. Just build the simplest version of the game out of primitive shapes such as cubes and get it into VR as soon as possible. I had a very blocky room-scale prototype for the Pelican Motel that resembled Dire Straits' Money for Nothing video from the 80s, but it allowed me to get the basics in there quickly and meant that I had a playable version of the level within days.
     
    A Chair in a Room: Greenwater is available on Viveport.
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