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Rockjaw

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  1. Rockjaw

    VDA Q&A: Kodon

    By Rockjaw,

    
     
     
    You've just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award, how do you feel?
     
    Glorious! We are still an early access app, so to be considered in this category is a great honor.
     
    Where did the idea for Kodon come from?
     
    The idea was based on our own development team's need to create 3D models. The supreme user experience provided by the Vive seemed to be the perfect combination. We made a demo video on Reddit that caused a lot of attention, and many people asked us to release an early version.
     
    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?
     
    We have a team of 4 people with various associates. Kodon is about 5 months into development, but it is not done yet.
     
    Tell us something about Kodon that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?
     
    Kodon works quite well for 3D-printing. Try it!
     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    The amount of people who wanted to try it in Early Access!
     
    What do you hope people take away from Kodon overall?
     
    I hope Kodon demonstrates the professional future of VR as a tool.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Kodon?
     
    Yes! We are at v0.50 and we're released at v1.0. So keep expecting more!
     
    What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen built?
     
    I think the most weirdest thing I've seen is this 3D-printed alien gnome flower pot (Imgur link):
     
    
     
    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    Don't underestimate the ambitions and dreams of VR users! They are going to imagine doing stuff with your program that you never even considered.
     
    Kodon is available on Viveport.
  2. Rockjaw
    Playing a virtual god in Townsmen VR
     
    The 'God game' genre is one of the oldest in PC gaming, but recreating that experience in VR is a relatively new idea. Having made a successful mobile franchise, HandyGames are building on that success (pun intended) with Townsmen VR, letting you get up close and very personal with your virtual minions. We spoke with Christopher Kassulke, CEO and one of the founders of HandyGames, about what makes Townsmen VR unique.
     
    Townsmen VR is available now in Viveport Subscription. Follow HandyGames for up-to-date info on Townsmen VR on Twitter and Facebook.  
     

     
    Let’s talk Townsmen VR! What’s it about and why is it a great VR experience?
     
    Townsmen VR uses the exciting possibilities of virtual reality to further enhance the classic city building game with entirely new gameplay experiences and interactive mechanics. You rule over a small island with the help of your loyal companion, Sir Clunkalot, who will explain everything you need to know about how to rule and protect your people.
     
    We had several great guests in our office like Richard Garriott, AKA Lord British, who totally fell in love withTownsmen VR as it is such an immersive game experience. With our very natural movement we've only had very positive feedback so far, and really believe everyone can enjoy Townsmen VR. You will fall in love with your island and find yourself trying out everything - and I mean everything!
     
    You've made Townsmen games previously for PC and mobile platforms. Why did you think it was a good fit for VR?
     
    We've been making Townsmen games since 2002 - the first was released on black and white feature phones. Sixteen years and seven Townsmen games later, when releasing our first 'real' 3D version of the game, we decided to create it exclusively for VR. It's a really big step for us but this experience we wanted to deliver to our fans is only possible in VR at the moment.
     
    Of course Townsmen is inspired by classics like Black & White, Populous, Ages of Empires, Settlers and Anno, but it has so many unique features which were not possible back in the PC games era. You'll see that the game stands for itself and innovates where others stop. We really believe that Townsmen VR perfectly fits VR. A lot of people are dreaming about playing this kind of game in VR, and we hope we delivered what the audience want.
     
    Most games of this type ask you to build a village or city – is that all you do in Townsmen?
     
    You can do a lot on your island in Townsmen VR; you can manage your island, assist your Townies with their daily jobs and build up defense for your small empire - you will face evil bandits, and without any protection enemy forces will destroy your little settlement. So prepare well!
     

     
    In a 2D game of this type you traditionally point, click and move villagers to resources. What’s different in VR?
     
    TownsmenVR goes one step further – you not only take villagers and move them around, you can help them with their daily work. For example you can carry their goods to their destination, or go fishing for them by diving into the sea yourself, then catch the fish with your own hands. Then you can even help your Townies to make a campfire for the fish you caught! I don’t want to spoil too much, but you can do so much and you will love it.
     
    Can you get down to a villager’s eye-view as well as looming over them?
     
    You decide how you play TownsmenVR! You can play in a God view or move very close to your villagers to see all the detail. What you cannot do is take over control of one of your villagers, for several reasons.
     

     
    What else can you do as a 'god'?
     
    You can blow to make wind for your windmill. You can also turn a boar on a spit over the campfire, combine clouds to let it rain, or even create a thunderstorm and let lightning strike to make a fire! Yes, you have a lot of freedom!
     
    Are you visible to your Townies? What else do they need help with?
     
    Your Townies know you are there, just say “Hi” to them and they'll react. Without your help they will have a hard time with the bandits… but of course you can also let them 'burn'. If you think they're not respectful enough just show them your power!
     

       
    You’re launching Townsmen VR in Early Access, so what's available to play right now?
     
    We wanted our Early Access version to offer a vertical slice of the whole game, and not just be a demo with limited features. Imagine the game as a burger – we offer you the whole taste of the burger, it's just a smaller part of it. We have many more features planned of course. 
     
    What kinds of feedback are you looking for, and where's best to contact you?
     
    All kinds of feedback is useful to make the final game even better. We want to know which features the players really want to see within Townsmen VR. What doesn’t work well? Did they understand everything? Did they expect something else? We collect all details no matter where. Players can talk to us on social media like Facebook and Twitter, but also directly via our website.
     
    What did you learn from developing other VR titles (like Panzer Panic – on Viveport) which you applied to Townsmen VR?
     
    Do not just copy or port a game to VR! Develop something unique for VR. For example, with Stunt Kite Masters VR (also on Viveport) we made something which wasn’t available on VR before, but it feels so natural to play a kite game and you get the haptic feedback over your controls for example.

     
    In Panzer Panic we learnt that multiplayer games are awesome in arcades but not so much at home. That said, if you have a VIVE, Rift and Gear VR you can do multiplayer co-op or vs matches in Panzer Panic – if you have two devices, check it out. That is one of the coolest experiences you can have.
     
    What we learnt as well – develop not just a tech demo. Develop real games and offer them for a fair price point. That’s why we offer Townsmen VR in the current version for a really fair price point!
     
    Finally, what are you working on next?
     
    We have another BIG game coming out called Devil and the Fairy which is a genre mix of RPG, Tower Defense and Dungeon Keeper. So if you want to play as the evil Master of the Dungeon you will have a lot of fun. Your little companion is a transgender fairy which will assist you to protect your dark empire. Check out a
    ! 
    Thanks for talking to us, Christopher!
     
    Townsmen VR is available now in Viveport Subscription. Follow HandyGames for up-to-date info on Townsmen VR on Twitter and Facebook.
  3. Rockjaw

    Front Defense Heroes

    By Rockjaw,

    Viveport Review: Front Defense Heroes
     
    Fantahorn Studio’s first-person shooter gets the multiplayer treatment.
     

     
    By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content
     
     
    I was a huge fan of Fantahorn’s original FPS, Front Defense. While the original is a wave-based defense simulation, Front Defense Heroes takes away the barriers of a fixed position and opens up the game world for the player to explore as they face off against other players in real-time. It’s a unique concept, and one of only a few FPS PVP games available in VR, so I was eager to dive in and try it for the first time.
     
    Surprisingly, I was blown away by how easy it is to move around and take part in the battles that you experience in Front Defense Heroes. Not because I have little faith in the developers, but because locomotion and fast-paced action are a tough nail to hit on the head in VR, especially when you’re going for a PVP environment. They came up with an interesting formula, though, which helps mitigate some of the motion sickness that you might get from a free movement system.
     
    Instead of offering basic free movement, the game uses a system that the developers call V-move, which allows you to look in a direction and then press a button to move that direction. When this happens, you’re pulled from the first-person camera to view your model in third person. In doing so, Front Defense Heroes creates a cohesive movement system that should be easy on anyone, even if you’re prone to motion sickness.
     
    Much like the original, Front Defense Heroes offers a lot of immersion by making the player feel like they’re in a war-torn environment. While the game’s still in development and not everything has been added, there’s more than enough to keep PVP-oriented players satiated while the developers work on adding even more cool content. The guns all feel responsive, offering their own unique controls and recoil. Additionally, having the ability to realistically peek around corners and over cover makes for some thrilling and exciting experience.
     
    The biggest issue with Front Defense Heroes right now is a very low player base to work with. This is an issue that any multiplayer VR game is going to face in the foreseeable future as we work towards making VR a bigger part of the overall gaming industry. However, when you’re able to find a game, the immersive and action-packed gameplay that you get to enjoy is more than worth the wait.
     
     
     
    Front Defense Heroes is available on Viveport.
  4. Rockjaw

    BOUNCE

    By Rockjaw,

    Viveport Review: BOUNCE
     
    Steel Wool Studios' stylish puzzler delights and dazzles.
     

     
    By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content
     
     
    On the surface, BOUNCE looks like just another simple puzzle game in a genre that’s already overflowing with content. As you progress deeper into the experience, though, you start to see the nuances that lie beneath and the challenges that are just waiting to be discovered. The basic premise of BOUNCE is indeed very simplistic, as your goal in each level is to get a robotic ball from one pipe to another. However, the fun comes from figuring out the coolest ways to get the ball where you want it to go.
     
    While you can always take the easy way out and build the quickest path to the goal, you’re encouraged to get a bit more creative. The game does this by giving you a ton of different pieces that you can spawn in and move around to create entertaining little courses for the ball to travel along. This is where the real depth comes into the game, as finding these more nuanced ways to get the ball from point A to point B is both challenging and exciting.
     

    When it comes to visuals, BOUNCE certainly isn’t lacking. Not only do the colors within the environment pop, but they’re also really easy on the eyes, which is something that many virtual reality games struggle with—especially games within the puzzle genre. The rooms that each level takes place in are well designed, and as you step your way around obstacles, the overall settings and environments do a good job of making you feel like you’re really there.
     
    One of the greatest strengths that virtual reality has to offer is interactivity and immersion, and BOUNCE does a great job showcasing both of these elements. The ability to interact with objects in so many different ways—you’re even able to teleport around the room to position items—makes it easy to get lost creating paths for your little robotic friend. The puzzles also increase in difficulty (without becoming too overwhelming for the player), which is a huge plus for the game as a puzzle-based experience.
     
    I’m a fan of great puzzle games, and BOUNCE hits all the right points. It has plenty of depth hidden beneath its simplicity, and it never makes the player feel like they’re stupid or unable to complete a puzzle. The visuals are gorgeous, and the immersion and interactivity make it a must play. If you want a fun, approachable puzzle game to get lost in, I highly recommend giving BOUNCE a try. You won’t be disappointed!
     

     
     
    BOUNCE is available on Viveport, and as part of Viveport Subscription.
     
  5. Rockjaw

    #SelfieTennis

    By Rockjaw,

    Viveport Review: #SelfieTennis
     
    VRUnicorns’ unique take on tennis is addicting and fun.
     

     
    By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content
     
     
    #SelfieTennis takes everything you think you know about sports in virtual reality and turns it on its head. The game does this by dropping the preconceived notion of high scores and competitive gameplay to bring you a fun and addicting environment where your most challenging opponent is yourself.
     
    The basic premise probably sounds silly when I break it down like that, but that’s exactly what #SelfieTennis is. Instead of pitting players against AI opponents, or offering any kind of matchmaking, VRUnicorns decided to set the game up so that players face off against themselves on the tennis court. As you swing the racket and hit the ball, it barrels across the field. Then, you’re instantly teleported to the other side of the field, where you’ll need to be quick on your feet if you want to be able to hit the ball back and keep things going.
     

    It may not sound entertaining, but you’d be surprised at how addicting it is to slowly build up your shots, thereby creating more and more challenging opportunities. It’s an incredibly fun experience, and if you happen to get bored of playing tennis with yourself, you can always take the unlimited amount of rackets and tennis balls that you have and use them to attack the ball people situated around the match area.
     
    There’s no story to keep players engrossed, but that doesn’t keep the game from being an enjoyable romp. It’s hilarious to watch other users play, and if you’re new to virtual reality, the game does a nice job getting you accustomed to wearing the headset and controlling things with your whole body.
     
     
    If you want something that will offer a ton of fun, while also providing challenging gameplay and a great reason to laugh at your family members and friends, then #SelfieTennis is a worthy virtual reality game to pick up. It’s definitely something that I’ll use to showcase VR to my friends and family, if for no other reason than to prove how immersive the experience can be.
     

     
    #SelfieTennis is available on Viveport, and as part of Viveport Subscription.
     
  6. Rockjaw
    The New Year is always a time of renewal, and for many of us it's a time to resolve to do better, whether that's with our bodies or in our minds. Naturally, there are VR apps for that!
     
    From today until Wednesday, January 24th we're offering some fantastic VR apps at 50% off that will help you in mind, body and perhaps even soul. Here's a quick rundown of what's on offer:
     
    For your body...
     
    Virtual Sports
    Take on tennis and play some ping-pong with Virtual Sports, which includes two ball-batting games to keep you on the move. With AI opponents who’ll show you no mercy and the ability to play multiplayer matches, this is one exercise routine that’s anything but.
     

     
    Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR
    In the future, wars will be decided by robots. And table tennis. Yes, after a two-millennia war it’s only natural that the peace will be maintained by a table tennis competition called the Division of Steel! Eye-opening plot aside Racket Fury is a different take on table tennis, with hi-res visuals and extremely shiny robots to compete against. You’ll also be able to enhance your robotic avatar after every successful match, allowing you to compete at the upper echelons of artificial table tennis!
     

      
    Dash Dash Run!
    Ever played an ‘endless runner’? Ever wanted to be in one? To some that might sound like a special form of torture, but one thing cannot be denied: if you’re running in Dash Dash Run, you’ll be working up a sweat. That’s because in this frenetic racing game you have to pump your arms (with your controllers in hand) to make your avatar run. The faster you pump, the faster you run… if you’re old-school enough to remember 80s arcade classics such as Track & Field, you probably get the idea already. At least in VR, you won’t need to mash buttons to get yourself moving (or insert quarters to continue). This time though you’ll need to dodge around articles, grab coins and run as fast as you can if you’re going to top the global leaderboard.
     

     
    Final Soccer VR
    If you’ve ever dreamed of standing on an emerald pitch, poised to take a penalty kick that could win the match… then you need to get into Final Soccer VR. What started as a goalkeeping simulator now allows you to compete as goalie and striker, with a fully-featured sim mode, fun arcade mode, multiplayer and a lot more. Worth going into overtime for this one.
     

     
    For your mind…
     
    Nature Treks VR
    While getting out into nature is always a good thing, there are times when you just can’t make it happen – and of course, many times when you can, but nature doesn’t cooperate. Experience some breathtaking scenes, interact with animals and best of all, literally create the world around you. Nature Treks VR is a lot more than just a walkabout; it’ll activate your creativity while also relieving your stress.
     

     
    Nirvana
    If you’re looking to meditate, putting on a Vive headset might not be a bad start – no visuals to distract, no noises to get in. To enhance that experience you might want to try Nirvana, which places you in a virtual meditation temple where, surrounded by symbols of the divine, you can try to focus and block out the rest of the world.
     

     
    Guided Meditation VR
    While Nirvana looks to harmony in simplicity, Guided Meditation VR (as the title suggests) will steer you towards enlightenment with a strong helping hand. Designed to help anyone begin their meditation practice or improve a current one, Guided Meditation includes 19 environments, over 300 meditation spots and over 15 hours of helpful meditation material. If you’re looking for a vacation from the everyday, you’ll find one here.
     

     
    Whatever VR apps you choose to try, we wish you a happy, healthy and fulfilled year ahead!
    Available on Viveport:
    Virtual Sports Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR Dash Dash Run! Final Soccer VR Nature Treks VR Nirvana Guided Meditation VR
  7. Rockjaw

    Audio Arena

    By Rockjaw,

    Viveport Review: Audio Arena
     
    Archiact Interactive delights with their unique take on the rhythm genre.
     
     
    By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content
     
     
    I am a huge fan of simple and fun rhythm games. That’s why I was so excited about Audio Arena when I experienced it for the first time.  The verdict? Archiact Interactive’s excellent VR game offers a ton of replay value, great music, and simple yet addicting gameplay.
     
    Right off the bat, the visuals look stunning. They are simple, colorful, and easy on the eyes—all positives when it comes to virtual reality. This made it very easy to get lost in the gameplay loop, which made it even easier to lose a few hours to the game.
     
     
    Audio Arena’s basic setup is easy to get ahold of. The player is put into a circular area with a massive screen surrounding him or her. The gamer must then use their controllers to guide the cursor, which acts as a ship around enemies which spawn and move to the beat of the song playing in the background. There are various powerups around the level, and the player will need to hit these in tune with the beat to activate them.
     
    It’s a simple premise that works wonders in VR, and the execution of the experience is well done. Of course, this means there isn’t a lot of immersion to offer, as the game always feels like you’re staring at an arcade machine’s screen. But, it still works really well, and you have a full 360-degree level that makes the experience that much more engaging and delightful.
     
    Audio Arena might not offer much immersion, but the game is both graphically beautiful and mechanically sound. The simple but addictive gameplay loop makes it easy to get lost in the action for hours, and the ability to take part in a full 360-degree battle against enemies makes it fun to take on the toughest challenges the game has to offer.
     
    The biggest negative in Audio Arena is the limited number of tracks, but the fact that enemies spawn different each time gives you an almost unlimited amount of replayability that lasts as long as you can stand to listen to the same songs repeatedly. While I want more content, what’s here is enough to keep you entertained for several hours, so slip on your Vive and groove to the beat!
     

    Audio Arena is available on Viveport.
  8. Rockjaw
    HTC VIVE Raises The Bar For Premium VR With New VIVE PRO Upgrade And Wireless VIVE Adaptor
     
    New Hardware Raises the Bar for High-End VR Market, While All-New Viveport VR and Vive Video Dramatically Improves the way You Browse, Discover and Acquire VR Content.
     
    Today in Las Vegas, HTC VIVE™, the leader in room-scale Virtual Reality (VR) announced new hardware upgrades that deliver premium VR experiences to consumers and enterprises with the introduction of Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor. In addition, the company debuted new improvements in how VR users discover, experience and acquire VR content through a radical redesign of Viveport VR and Vive Video. These advancements deliver on VR users’ desire for higher resolution, improved audio, greater comfort, wireless freedom and immersive content discovery.
     
    Vive Pro

     
    Vive Pro is a new HMD upgrade from Vive, built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users who want the best display and audio for their VR experiences. Vive Pro includes dual-OLED displays for a crisp picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD.
     

     
    This premium resolution enhances immersion for VR enthusiasts, and the improved clarity means text, graphics and overall experience all come into sharper view. Vive Pro also features integrated, high-performance headphones with a built-in amplifier to offer a heightened sense of presence and an overall richer sound. Vive Pro’s new headstrap was built with enhanced ergonomics and comfort, including a sizing dial for a more balanced headset that decreases weight on the front of the headset. Additional improvements include dual microphones with active noise cancellation and dual front-facing cameras designed to empower developer creativity.
     
    “There’s a clear need in the VR market for a premium VR experience with high resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S., VIVE. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for both VR enthusiasts and enterprises that want to utilize the best VR experience.”
     
    More details on Vive Pro availability and price will be made available soon.
     
    Vive Wireless Adaptor
    Also unveiled today, the Vive Wireless Adaptor will be the first to market with a truly wireless VR headset integration for both Vive and Vive Pro.
     
    The Vive Wireless Adaptor features Intel’s WiGig technology and offers a premium VR wireless experience that operates in the interference-free 60Ghz band, which means lower latency and better performance. The Vive Wireless Adaptor will ship in Q3 to customers worldwide. 
     
    “Wireless VR has been on nearly every VR user’s wishlist since the technology was unveiled,” said Frank Soqui, General Manager Virtual Reality Group at Intel Corporation. “By collaborating with HTC to commercialize Intel’s WiGig technology, we will guarantee that wireless VR meets the most discerning quality bar for home users and business VR customers.”
     
    Viveport VR

    In the largest upgrade to the Viveport customer experience since launch, Viveport VR redefines how users, discover, experience and acquire VR content. Instead of a traditional 2D catalog, Viveport VR content is delivered in fully immersive interactive previews. Viveport is embracing a VR first approach by including VR enabled “VR Previews,” which are interactive glimpses of content that give customers a room-scale preview of an experience and the opportunity to interact with content before purchasing or subscribing.
     
    “Viveport is moving to a VR first experience model, and with the all-new Viveport VR, we are changing the way consumers discover, experience and acquire VR content,” said Rikard Steiber, president, Viveport.  “Until now, there has not been a shopping and browsing experience that takes advantage of the full functionality of VR. Available in early access today, Viveport VR increases interaction with content and offers developers a preview that showcases the quality of their titles and experiences.”
     
    Earlier this year, Viveport launched the world’s first VR subscription service to provide a whole new way to access the best VR experiences for a great price. With more than 1,000 titles available on Viveport today, and more than 325 available for subscription, Vive is changing the way users browse and discover content through Viveport VR.
     
    Vive Video Includes Vimeo

    Today HTC Creative Labs also rolled out an upgrade to its native VR video player, Vive Video. Vive Video solves the discovery and acquisition problem for VR video content by delivering a large catalog of high quality streaming video directly to VR headsets. In addition to new features and UI upgrades, Vive Video has integrated content from Vimeo, the world’s largest ad-free open video platform home to millions of creators worldwide.
    In the new Vive Video experience, a curated selection of Vimeo content will be made available to browse and view in a highly optimized native VR experiences within Vive Video-compatible headsets.
     
    “Whether we’re building our own tools in-house or partnering with other innovative platforms, Vimeo is committed to the future of storytelling and finding new ways to support our creators,” said Christophe Gillet, GM of Vimeo’s Creator Platform. “Not only does the integration with Vive Video showcase some of Vimeo’s highest quality, human-curated content within the VR experience, but it also gives those creators an exciting new way to expose their work and engage with audiences.”
     
    Vive Video has consistently been one of the most-downloaded and highest-rated apps on the SteamVR platform, enabling users to view 180 and 360-degree video content. Vive Video is available today for both Vive and Google Daydream platforms, and will arrive on Vive Wave in the near future.
  9. Rockjaw
    Savings galore in our Viveport Holiday Sale

     
    Spend $29.99, get three months of Viveport Subscription FREE*
    Whatever you buy during this sale, it will count towards you getting three months of Viveport Subscription. As soon as you've spent $29.99 or more (or local equivalent) you'll be eligible to receive a three month subscription code, which will be sent to you in early 2018. That way you can spend the first quarter of 2018 exploring up to 15 different VR titles!
     
    Want some hints on where to spend your money to get to $29.99? Well, you might start with one or more of our Viveport Staff Picks. Then there's the newly-arrived L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, Tilt Brush by Google, The Gallery- Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone (and Episode 1's on sale too), Knockout League or perhaps Fantastic Contraption.
     
    * Please note, this offer is only available in the following Viveport territories: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and China.
     

     
    Save up to 40% on Viveport Subscription bundles
    Want to keep experiencing Viveport titles until next holiday season? Then save yourself some money with discounts on our Viveport Subscription bundles. Here's what you can save:
     
    Save 40% on a 12-month subscription bundle (Access 60 titles in total!) Save 30% on a 6-month subscription (Access 30 titles in total!) Save 25% on a 3-month subscription (Access 15 titles in total!)  If you already have a Viveport Subscription, good news – these bundles add-on to your existing sub, so you can extend your subscription and save.
     
    To pick up a Viveport Subscription bundle, click here.
     

     
    Save up to 80% on selected Viveport titles
    Last but not least, we've got discounts of up to 80% on a huge range of titles. There's truly something for everyone here, from the gamer to the history buff. Show your family what VR has to offer with one or more from this list (sorted alphabetically by title).
    Amazon Odyssey (80% off) Apollo 11 VR (50% off) Arcade Artist (60% off) Arcade Saga (80% off) Clazer (50% off) Cloudlands: VR Minigolf (50% off) Domino Craft (50% off) DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles (60% off) Earthlight: Spacewalk (50% off) Echo Grotto (50% off) Everest VR (50% off) Fantastic Contraption (50% off) Firebird- La Peri (60% off) First Person Tennis (20% off) Front Defense (65% off) Frontier (50% off) The Gallery - Episode 1: Call of the Starseed (75% off) The Gallery - Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone (20% off) Guided Meditation VR (60% off) Happy Drummer (50% off) Haute & Haunted (80% off) The Hospital: Allison's Diary  (25% off) Jam Studio VR (80% off) Kingdom of Blades (50% off) A Lost Room (65% off) MakeVR (80% off) MakeVR Pro (80% off) Manifest 99 (50% off) The Music Room (20% off) Nature Treks VR (50% off) Perfect (50% off) Prison Boss VR (33% off) Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR (50% off) Remembering Pearl Harbor (80% off) Riley Short Analog Boy (50% off) ShapeLab (50% off) Speed & Scream (60% off) Stonehenge VR Sandbox (35% off) Storm VR (50% off) Super Puzzle Galaxy LITE (25% off) Tilt Brush (25% off) TrueScale (50% off) Virtual Sports (80% off) We Are Stars (50% off) Remember, we're giving 100% of revenue share for every title on Viveport until December 31st to developers - so you'll be giving them an extra boost with every purchase, too. Support your favorite developers and get a gift for yourself this holiday!
     
    However you spend the holidays, in VR or out, everyone here at Viveport hopes you have a fantastic time!
  10. Rockjaw
    All the information you need on our exciting Vive Black Friday deals, across VIVE and VIVEPORT.
     
     
     
    Customers who purchase a Vive between Friday, November 24th at 12:00am ET through Monday, November 27th at 11:59pm PT will receive a Deluxe Audio Strap with the purchase of their Vive in addition to the current Fallout 4 VR bundle. For $599 each customer will get the Vive headset and all the necessary hardware and software to set up room-scale VR as well as a Deluxe Audio Strap ($99.99 value), a copy of Google Tilt Brush, a free trial to Viveport Subscription, and a redemption code for Fallout 4 VR ($59.99 value) which launches on December 12, 2017.
     
    With its integrated headphones, plush padding, and easy adjustment dial, the Deluxe Audio Strap provides additional comfort and when using Vive. Once you’ve received your Deluxe Audio Strap you only need a couple of minutes to install it on your new Vive.
     

     
    This Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal will be available online and in all retail locations where Vive is sold. To find a location to purchase Vive near you, click here or head to vive.com.
    In our Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend sale, you can also save big (up to 80%!) on some fantastic Vive titles on Viveport.

     
    Viveport will also be taking part in this year’s Black Friday deals, by offering discounted pre-paid subscription packages for Viveport Subscription and big discounts on a whole range of titles. Our Viveport deals start today, November 22nd and end on Monday, November 27th at 11:59PM Pacific.
     
    With our Viveport Subscription deals, there has never been a better time to join. Every month you'll get access to five apps or games from a collection of over 250 (which is growing all the time). Simply download and play!
     
    During this Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend sale, there are huge savings available on Viveport Subscription pre-purchased plans:
     
    3-month pre-paid subscription – Select 15 Apps for just $12.99 (35% savings)  6-month pre-paid subscription - Select 30 Apps for just $19.99 (50% savings) 12-month pre-paid subscription - Select 60 Apps for just $29.99 (63% savings) You can take advantage of these savings whether you are a new subscriber or existing Viveport Subscription holder, so make sure you lock in your savings before they're gone!
     
    From essential titles for every VR enthusiast to brand new releases, we've got something for everyone on sale this weekend. Below you'll find every title that's on sale, with their respective discounts noted. Just click a title's name to find out more.
     
    Hurry - these discounts are only available from now until Monday, November 27th at 11:59PM Pacific.
    Viveport discounts for Black Friday-Cyber Monday
    Amazon Odyssey (50% off) Arcade Artist (75% off) Arcade Saga (75% off) Clazer (50% off) Cloudlands: VR Minigolf (50% off) Earthlight: Spacewalk (50% off) Everest VR (50% off) Fantastic Contraption (33% off) Firebird – La Péri (75% off) Front Defense (75% off) Happy Drummer VR (75% off) Haute & Haunted (75% off) Jam Studio VR (50% off) Knockout League (50% off) MakeVR (75% off) MakeVR Pro (75% off) Prison Boss VR (25% off) Remembering Pearl Harbor (75% off) Speed & Scream (80% off) Stonehenge VR Sandbox (35% off) The Gallery Episode 1: Call of the Starseed (75% off) The Gallery Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone (20% off) The Music Room (20% off) Tilt Brush (10% off) TrueScale (50% off) Virtual Sports (75% off) Also, when you buy or subscribe on Viveport, we will give 100% of all profits back to our developers this holiday season.

     
    Win this weekend!
    As well as all of these deals we're also doing some great giveaways via our Facebook Pages (Viveport, Vive) and Twitter (Viveport, Vive). Our first competition is live now (US residents only) - enter to win a Vive Deluxe Audio Strap!
    *$599 HTC VIVE + Deluxe Audio Strap + Fallout 4 bundle is for North American markets only.
  11. Rockjaw
    Today, at our Vive Developers Conference (VDC) in Beijing, we announced the VIVE WAVE VR Open Platform.  With it, we are taking another huge step in driving the most vibrant ecosystem for VR forward. Vive Wave will open up the path to easy mobile VR content development and device optimization for third-party partners. So far, twelve hardware partners in China, including  360QIKU, Baofengmojing, Coocaa, EmdoorVR, Idealens, iQIYI, Juhaokan, Nubia, Pico, Pimax, Quanta and Thundercomm, announced their support for Vive Wave and integrating the VIVEPORT™ VR content platform into their future products.
    Vive Wave is a clear step forward in bringing together the highly fragmented mobile VR market that has cropped up in China the last several years. It enables developers to create content for a common platform and storefront across multiple hardware vendors. Over 35 Chinese and global content developers have already built VR content optimized for Vive Wave, with 14 showing live demos during VDC.
     
    We also announced VIVE FOCUS, our first standalone VR Headset for the China market.  Vive Focus is also based on the Vive Wave VR open platform.
     

     
     
    Vive Focus offers enhanced comfort for extended use, easy on-off capabilities, and is the first commercial standalone device to deliver inside-out 6-degree-of-freedom tracking (6DoF) which Vive calls “world-scale”. Without the need to be attached to a PC or a phone, Vive Focus provides unlimited freedom of mobility while reducing the total cost for users to own a premium VR device in China. Its high-resolution AMOLED screen delivers the best possible VR experience, with low latency and unmatched clarity. The Vive Focus is powered by the advanced features of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 VR Platform and utilizes the Vive Wave VR open platform, including the rich library of VR content available on the Viveport.
     
    Also at VDC, Viveport also announced a global strategic partnership with Unity Technologies to enable the one-click publishing of VR content onto Viveport for PC VR, Standalone VR, and mobile VR developers. Unity will integrate Viveport into its content platform and provide a more intuitive way for developers to utilize the new Vive Wave VR SDK. Unity will also integrate Viveport’s in-app payment and VR advertisement functions into its development system, with an initial focus on the China market, opening up even more revenue opportunities for its VR developer community.  For the remainder of 2017, Viveport is giving back 100% of all profit earned on its platform back to the developer community. 
     
    For more information on VDC, check out our press release here.
  12. Rockjaw

    Introducing our VDA jury

    By Rockjaw,

    
     
     It's time to reveal our eight person jury, who will be voting on the nominees for the first-ever Viveport Developer Awards (VDAs).
     
    These eight jurors, along with your Viveport Community Choice vote, will determine the ultimate winners of a total of $500,000 in cash and prizes that will be revealed in January 2017.
     
    Twenty apps were nominated for their pioneering work in VR that best represent four of the key pillars of the Viveport platform: Explore, Experience, Create and Connect.
     
    The judges include:
     
    Brent Bushnell, CEO of Two Bit Circus
     
    Marcie Jastrow, SVP Immersive Media and Head of Technicolor Experience Center, ‎Technicolor
     
    Geoff Keighley, Journalist and Executive Producer of the Video Game Awards
     
    Nathaniël de Jong (Nathie), VR Content Creator on YouTube
     
    Rajeev Puran, Business Development - Commercial VR, Intel Corp
     
    Justin Roiland, Writer/Animator and Co-Creator of Rick and Morty
     
    Taryn Southern, internet personality and founder of Tribe of Good
     
    Reggie Watts, Comedian/Musician CBS' The Late Late Show with James Corden and Netflix's SPATIAL
     
    Don't forget - whatever our jurors decide, the community has their choice too. One of our VDA nominees could win a $10,000 bonus prize if they get the most votes from you, our community members.
     
    Check out our Community Choice Awards page, and cast your vote for your favorite VDA-nominated app today!
  13. Rockjaw

    Remembering Pearl Harbor

    By Rockjaw,

    
    Premiering today on Viveport, Remembering Pearl Harbor is a VR experience created in partnership with Time Inc., Deluxe VR and AMD. 
     
    This narrative VR experience will transport you inside key moments of Pearl Harbor's aftermath through historically authentic and fully interactive VR environments. Narrated by one of the oldest living survivors from this tragic event, Lt. Jim Downing, this VR experience has been created with the hope that it will bring a new understanding of this event to all.
     
    
     
     Remembering Pearl Harbor allows you to immerse yourself in a virtual recreation of World War II-era America. Throughout the experience, you will interact with realistic virtual versions of artifacts from the era, along with iconic photography and archival video, providing a unique and personal view of one of American history’s defining events.
     
    For more insight into how Remembering Pearl Harbor was created, watch this exclusive mini-documentary.
     

     
    Remembering Pearl Harbor is available now on Viveport.
     
  14. Rockjaw
    We're thrilled to announce the second wave of nominees for the Viveport Developer Awards (VDAs). Each of these VR experiences brings a new and exciting dimension to Viveport, and we're proud to support them. The nominees are:
     
    
     
    Allumette, by Penrose Studios
     
    
    Cloudlands: VR Minigolf, by Futuretown
     
    
     
    Mars Odyssey, by Steel Wool Studios
     
    
     
    Arcade Artist, by Groove Jones
     
    Fantastic titles like these enable VR fans like you to Explore Worlds, Create Things, Connect with Friends and Experience Stories, so we congratulate these developers on their accomplishments. If you haven’t installed these titles already, check them out via the links above.
     
    We can’t wait to see your feedback about these apps on Viveport. Remember that we also have a Community Choice category, so make sure to let us know about your favorite VR content.
     
    We are grateful to all of you for joining us on this journey to amazing destinations.
     
    The Viveport Team
  15. Rockjaw

    VDA Q&A: The Night Café

    By Rockjaw,

    
     
    You’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award - how do you feel?
     
    Mac Cauley, Borrowed Light Studios: It's an honor to be nominated for the Viveport Developer Awards with so much great content coming out every day that is pushing the boundaries of VR. I think VR as a medium has so much potential to open up new ways for people to express themselves and share ideas. I feel lucky to be a part of this discovery process and to be able to explore the possibilities that lie ahead.
     
    Where did the idea for The Night Café come from?
     
    I originally envisioned The Night Café as a narrative short film about a fictional painter inspired by Vincent van Gogh. I thought it would be interesting to see the world from the perspective of such a unique viewpoint, and in the film I imagined traveling into this character's mind to see these wonderful visions. At the same time I was developing the film idea, I was beginning to think more about VR and the opportunities it presented and I decided it would be an interesting experience to explore this painted world in a very interactive and immersive way. It became clear to me that I wanted to walk through one of Van Gogh's paintings myself and I imagined how that might feel.
     
    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?
     
    I made The Night Café myself in my spare time. I probably put 6 months of work into it.
     
    Tell us something about The Night Café that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?
     
    I actually put a lot of time into researching the paintings as well as Van Gogh's life and the time period he painted in. There were many details that I included that were not in the original paintings such as back rooms, the piano player, the style of lamps that were used, and many other small details. I tried to make sure everything felt unified with his paintings by choosing colors that would blend in with his. The experience is directly inspired by his work and I wanted to be respectful of that while allowing myself some creative freedom.
     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    The Night Café was one of the first projects I made in VR and so I was constantly learning the development process as I went along. One of the things that I found interesting was just how important the scale of objects and characters were to creating an enjoyable experience. I often found myself creating models that were too big initially and had to scale them down a bit so their presence in the scene felt more natural and comfortable.
     
    What do you hope people take away from The Night Café overall?
     
    My primary goal for The Night Café was to create a space for people to enter that felt alive in some way, and kind of like a lost moment in time that they were able to step into and stay in, if only for a few minutes. I imagined Vincent van Gogh there in the cafe, pondering his life and the world around him. As I created the experience I had many moments of connecting with the paintings in new ways by spending time with each little detail and imagining what might have gone through his mind as he painted them.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to The Night Cafe?
     
    I am currently working on a new game that allows you to explore procedurarly generated haunted houses in VR and trap ghosts while searching for hidden artifacts. It's called Spectro and we will be releasing it next year for Vive and other headsets. Once that is done I would consider adding to The Night Café or creating a follow up to that type of experience if it seemed like it was something people wanted. I had so much fun creating the painterly world and I could easily imagine a much bigger space to explore with characters and environments inspired by a variety of well known painters.
     
    What’s been the best reaction you’ve had to the experience?
     
    I once received a letter from a Van Gogh historian who had tried VR for the first time after being quite skeptical of the medium. She told me her friend wanted to show her a variety of experiences and after trying The Night Café she lost track of time in the headset. At that point she realized all the possibilities the technology could offer for experiencing not just entertainment but art and education as well. It was a very encouraging note to get from an unexpected place and really reaffirmed for me just how powerful these experiences can be.
     
    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    With the medium in such an early stage of development there is so much to be explored and discovered. No one has all the answers yet and the standards are still being developed and refined every day. With that in mind, don't just listen to others - try out new ideas and see what works for you!
     
    What is your favorite Van Gogh masterpiece?
     
    That's a tough one! It really depends on my mood but I would say "Olive Trees in a Mountainous Landscape" (digitally viewable here) is definitely near the top of my list. His self portraits are also amazing and really give you a sense of who he was.
     
    The Night Café is available on Viveport.
  16. Rockjaw
    
     
     For those of you in the US - Happy Thanksgiving! To kick off the holiday celebrations, we’re pleased to announce our Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals.
     
    Save on HTC Vive
    
     
     On both Black Friday and Cyber Monday wherever Vive is sold, you will save $100 (£100/€100 or equivalent local currency) either directly off the price, or through an in-store coupon, while supplies last. 
     
    Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are available online and in all retail locations where Vive is sold, including Microsoft Stores, Amazon.com, Gamestop, Newegg.com, Micro-center, and Vive.com. In addition, for the first time, Vive will be available for sale in 34 Fry’s locations across the US and online. To find a location to purchase Vive near you, click here.
     
    Vive Online Availability: 
    Vive.com
    Microsoft Stores
    Amazon
    GameStop
    Newegg.com
    Micro Center
    Frys
     
    Save on VR apps in Viveport
     
    Our deals don't stop there! Build up your VR library with some great titles from Viveport this holiday weekend. Here's how you can save.
     
     
    The Black Friday Viveport Bundle
     
    Get three VR titles for just $5 (or equivalent). Make some noise (virtually) with SoundStage; paint in ways you've never experienced with Arcade Artist and relax during your holiday with Lumen.
     
    Separately these titles retail for almost $20, but this weekend you can pick them all up together for just $5.
     
    Click here to get this Black Friday Bundle!
     
    Save 50% on over 20 apps on Viveport
     
    As well as the Black Friday Bundle we're letting you save 50% on over 20 VR apps in Viveport this weekend. The full list of titles is as follows:
     
    A Chair in a Room: Greenwater Adventurous Life VR Apollo 11 VR C O S M Worlds Within Worlds Cloudlands: VR Minigolf Cmoar VR Cinema Daylight’s End (US only) DrumKit VR Emily Wants to Play Firebird - La Péri The Grand Canyon VR Experience Heaven Island Life Konrad the Kitten Oneiric Sculptures – Rodin Potioneer: The VR Gardening Simulator Ricerca VR Star Chart Stars Think Space Toon Ocean VV player World of Diving  
    Spend $30 on Viveport, get $10 credit back
     
    Feel tempted by those titles above? Here's another great reason to stock up: if you spend $30 (£25/€30 or local currency equivalent) or more between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you will get $10 (£10/€10 or local currency equivalent) back in your Viveport wallet as credit, 10 days after the promotional period ends. (Please note, you can only receive a maximum of $10 credit.)
     
    New to Viveport?
     
    If you've just picked up your Vive and are about to experience virtual reality for the first time, or if you've never installed Viveport - click here and select 'Download Vive Software' to get Viveport.
     
    Need some help finding your new Viveport purchases? We have an FAQ for that.
     
    We hope you enjoy these Black Friday deals. Join us in the forums to discuss what you picked up!
     
    The Viveport Team
     
  17. Rockjaw
    Today we're announcing another four VDA nominees as we enter the final days of judging. These four titles will transport you to new worlds, allow you to create and experience places you might never go in real life. We're proud to welcome them, taking our total nominations to 16.
     
    The nominees are:
     
    
     
    Kodon, by TenkLabs
     
    
     
    The Night Cafe: A VR Tribute to Van Gogh, by Borrowed Light Studios
     
    
     
    Realities, by realities.io
     
    
     
    World of Diving, by Vertigo Games
     
    Congratulations to our latest round of nominees. If you haven't experienced these titles yet, make sure you get them on Viveport.
     
    If you missed our previous nominees, here they are so far:
     
    Allumette Altspace VR Apollo 11 VR Arcade Artist Cloudlands: VR Minigolf Fantastic Contraption Firebird - La Péri Mars Odyssey Pearl SoundStage SurrealVR The Body VR  
    We'll have some exciting announcements to share soon about our judges and our community choice award - so stay tuned, and feel free to comment below about these latest nominees!
     
    The Viveport Team
  18. Rockjaw
    
     Congratulations, you’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award. How do you feel?
     
    We are super happy! A tremendous amount of work and care has been put in by the whole team in France and in the US to bring Firebird : La Péri to life, and it feels terrific to know that our experience is being nominated alongside other great pieces!

    Where did the idea for Firebird: La Péri come from?
     
    It all came from Paul Duka's music, which essentially became the script for the whole experience. The music stirred up images of a grandiose, magical story in the mind of Balthazar Auxietre, Innerspace's co-founder and CCO. How could we bring justice to such a beautiful piece ? How could we enable the viewer to experience the music, the story and the "on-stage" experience of this ballet piece ? Those were the key questions that drove the creative process.
     
    Paul Dukas who composed La Péri, is also the composer of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the key piece of Disney's Fantasia. Back then Fantasia was something new, the love child of Walt Disney's creative ambition and drive for innovation. It was made from the beginning to exploit a medium, animated motion pictures, which faced skepticism as a viable entertainment platform and eventually took the entertainment world by storm. In that way it seems quite fitting to use Duka's work in VR, which is facing similar challenges while showing unprecedented potential.

    How big is your team and how long did Firebird : La Péri take to develop?
     
    Firebird : La Péri was developed by a team of 10 people over the course of 12 months. Crafting this experience was a long process, since the project was in constant R&D mode, with new ideas coming up and being implemented along the way. The team at Innerspace is growing and we are much more efficient now but taking the high road was an essential part of creating the experience and honing our skills as VR entertainment creators.

    Tell us something about Firebird : La Péri that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport.
     
    The book, which is so central in Firebird : La Péri, was actually a very late addition in the development process. It fits so naturally in the narration and the experience that it might seem unthinkable that it was not present until the final release. But now it's here, right at the center of the piece, and our artists and designers have done an amazing job on it - I suggest viewers actually take the time to scroll through the pages and look at the illustrations in it!
     

     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    The overwhelming feeling of immersion the motion-captured ballerina brought to the piece, was a great surprise. We felt like we had something really cool that surpassed our expectations, and that it was essential to get it out of our studio and bring it to audiences worldwide.

    What do you hope people take away from Firebird: La Péri overall?
     
    First and foremost we hope that users love the experience, and that it feels fresh and new and beautiful to them. The second thing we want people to realize is that VR can truly be a platform for meaningful and compelling entertainment for everyone, not just an amazing technology.

    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Firebird: La Péri? Or what’s next for InnerspaceVR?
     
    Firebird is VR's franchise for classical music and visually stunning entertainment pieces. We are already hard at work on the future episodes to be released in 2017 so if you love Firebird : La Péri and want to see more, stay tuned !

    What's been the best reaction you’ve heard about Firebird: La Péri?
     
    I love that people immediately personify the characters in Firebird : La Péri. Many times we've had users tell us they wish they could stay longer with La Péri, that they were falling in love with her.

    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    Be daring. Try things that are new, that seem scary, and test your ideas early at a small scale before expanding them. There are a lot of amazing VR pieces out there, but still innumerable new ideas that haven't been tried out yet - the tools and technology are here and more affordable than ever, so there is no reason not to try building something crazy!
     
    Firebird: La Peri is available to download on Viveport.
  19. Rockjaw

    VDA Q&A: SurrealVR

    By Rockjaw,

    
     
     You’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award. How do you feel?
     
    It’s a great honor, of course. VR is simply the most exciting field of work right now, and to be nominated in the space by the folks that have built the best platform available today is just a great feeling.
     
    Where did the idea for SurrealVR come from?
     
    We came from a social gaming background, and we’ve always known that combining social, gaming and virtual reality will create an unbeatable combination. Once the hardware started becoming available, we dropped everything to pursue it.
     
    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?
     
    We started as two founders, and we’re six now. The two founders have worked together for the better part of a decade, and we’ve recruited others that we knew from the game developer community.
     
    Tell us something about SurrealVR that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport.
     
    What you see in SurrealVR is still just a fraction of the capabilities of our platform, as we’ve had to make difficult prioritization choices as we scale. So far, we’ve been primarily focused on creating the building blocks.
     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    Like everyone, we’ve had to learn that storytelling is different in VR. It’s one thing to just say it. It’s another thing to experience the challenges first hand.
     

     
    What do you hope people take away from SurrealVR overall?
     
    We hope people get excited about the possibilities of Social VR, of enjoying the magic together.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to SurrealVR?
     
    We have a number of very exciting updates planned, including full games within the platform.
     
    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    The number one piece of advice I would give to developers is learn from the work of others. There’s a lot of experimentation going on in the space, it’s happening at a very fast pace, and we’re all learning and improving together.
     
    SurrealVR is available to download on Viveport.
  20. Rockjaw
    
     
     Congratulations, you’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award. How do you feel?
     
    We're super honored to be selected! I hope awards like the VDAs help bring attention to all the diverse and wonderful VR experiences coming out this year.
     
    Where did the idea for Fantastic Contraption come from?
     
    The idea for the original 2008 2D Fantastic Contraption actually came from a dream! It was to turn a Rube Goldberg machine inside out: instead of creating a complex environment for a simple ball to roll through, you create a smart ball (eg a car or contraption) which has to roll/walk/tumble/smash its way through each level.
     
    We first conceived of adapting it to VR just a few days after trying the Vive for the first time. Our minds were blown by experiences like Tilt Brush, and we wanted to create something that would use roomscale to its fullest potential.
     
    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?

    Our team is 4-5 people, Half from Radial Games and half from Northway Games. The game took roughly 9 months to make, although we're still working on updates.
     
    Tell us something about Fantastic Contraption that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport.

    We've put a lot of effort into developing tools to help film and stream mixed-reality footage of Fantastic Contraption, because we believe this is the best way to explain roomscale VR to anyone who hasn't tried it. We ran a mixed-reality development Twitch stream for much of the game's development.
     

     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    We were thrilled (and surprised!) to have Fantastic Contraption bundled with the HTC Vive when it launched.
     
    What do you hope people take away from Fantastic Contraption overall?
     
    We want people to enjoy existing and playing with the world of Fantastic Contraption as much as they enjoy beating the puzzles.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Fantastic Contraption? Or what’s next for Northway Games?
     
    We have two major updates in the pipe: one adds support for standing scale and smaller play spaces including seated. After that we'll release a level editor, so that players can create their own challenges and spaces to play in.
     
    What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen built?
     
    A walking beast, designed after one of Theo Jansen's wind-powered Strandbeests. They look surprisingly organic and lifelike. (See an example of Strandbeests in action below.)
     


    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    If you're getting into VR, now is the time to experiment. In many ways this is an entirely new medium, and there are a lot of things that haven't been tried yet (or even thought of!).
     
    Fantastic Contraption is available to download on Viveport.
  21. Rockjaw
    Eight fantastic VR titles have already been announced as Viveport Developer Award (VDA) nominees, all potentially able to share in $500,000 worth of prizes. Today we're adding to that total with four more titles, all great examples of how you can explore worlds, create things, connect with friends and experience stories in VR, via Viveport.
     
    The nominees are:
     
    
    SurrealVR, by SurrealVR
     
    Firebird - La Peri, by InnerspaceVR
     
    (A note for anyone who picked up Firebird - La Peri in our launch sale: an initial language issue has been resolved. Update or re-download Firebird for the latest version.)
     
    Apollo 11 VR, by Immersive VR Education Ltd.
     
    
    Fantastic Contraption, by Northway Games
     
    Congratulations to all of our nominees, and we wish you all the best of luck in the upcoming VDA finals!
     
    If you haven't checked out these experiences on Viveport, click the links above to see them for yourself. We'd love to hear your comments and see your reviews - feel free to leave comments below.
     
    Did you miss our previous nominees? Check out our first and second blog posts to see what other VR experiences have been nominated.
     
    We'll see you in VR!

    The Viveport Team
  22. Rockjaw
    
     
     
    You’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award - how do you feel?
     
    It's an incredible honor to be nominated for a Viveport Developer Award. The entire development team is ecstatic as this is something very much unexpected. Congratulations and good luck to all of the other nominees.
     
    Where did the idea for Cloudlands: VR Minigolf come from?
     
    When we got our hands on one of the first HTC Vive prototypes we went on a prototyping spree of about 10 different unique-to-motion-control game mechanics such as golfing, baseball, bowling, sword fighting, racquet sports, throwing games, and more. We're a relatively small game team and many of us love golfing. We initially attempted a full on golfing game but settled on the more accessible minigolf genre. Minigolf allowed us to keep the core "golf" mechanic, while exploring much more fantastical environments that wouldn't be possible in the real world. The game started small in scope but after concepting the level editor we realized putting the creative power into the hands of our players was going to produce infinitely more creative levels than our small design team could ever create.
     
    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?
     
    The Cloudlands core dev team consisted of about 7 people, though we had 14 people touching the project at different times throughout the dev cycle helping with the multiplayer programming, marketing, and performance testing. We started development of Cloudlands in August 2015 and released our launch version in April 2016. The level editor was in development from February 2016 until September 2016 and is still on-going.
     
    Tell us something about Cloudlands: VR Minigolf that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?
     
    The game art in Cloudlands had to be completely re-done about a month before launch. Stress! We had been developing under the impression that the min spec for VR would be a GTX980 graphics card and we had good performance on that card. However, upon discovering the min spec would be GTX970 graphics cards it forced us to re-create our entire lighting pipeline, redo all the levels, and also change a lot of the art to be more performant. The art team was working around the clock to get it ready for launch. It turns out hitting 90fps can be quite challenging when you also want to push visual quality.
     

     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    Our initial vision for what the level editor would be, was more of a grid based block snapping tool with the pieces in a menu attached to your hand. It was meant to be fairly simple and a quick addition to the game. However, our designer/engineer working on the level editor had different plans and ended up prototyping this really fantastic and intuitive system for grabbing pieces out of a shelf and snapping them free-form at a smaller scale, which you can then play instantly. The tool continued to grow and ended up being a much more complex feature than originally intended but I think the final product is something we are all extremely proud of.
     
    What do you hope people take away from Cloudlands: VR Minigolf overall?
     
    It's pretty common to have people play and say "Wow, that was way better than I thought. Really fun!" We get it. It's minigolf. And for VR it seems like it wouldn't be anything special, but so many players come out having had a really fun time playing a game they're familiar with, but thrown into crazy impossible real world user generated golf courses.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Cloudlands: VR Minigolf? Or what’s next for Futuretown?
     
    The level editor is still relatively new and we're continually listening to the community and incorporating game feedback into the build. We're currently spending the majority of our time on a new unannounced project.
     
    If you could have anyone famous play a round of Cloudlands: VR Minigolf who would it be?
     
    It would probably be Fumito Ueda or Jonathan Blow. Both game design legends and we've learned a lot from them over the past 10 years as independent developers. I'd love to hear their thoughts on the game and interaction design we've crafted.
     
    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    The VR market is extremely small at this time. Make sure your game design considers who the VR market is and make sure you have a realistic understanding of how many copies you'll be able to sell. This will inform your development design and schedule to make sure you're creating a product that can be financially successful and allow you to continue creating games.
     
    Cloudlands: VR Minigolf is available to download on Viveport.
  23. Rockjaw

    VDA Q&A: Allumette

    By Rockjaw,

    
     
     
    You’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award, how do you feel?
     
    Wow, this is such a nice surprise! Viveport has been such a generous partner to us, and we feel extremely honored!

    Where did the idea for Allumette come from?
     
    Loosely inspired by The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, Allumette is an account of the love family members have for one another, and the sacrifices and choices they make for the greater good.
     
    Tell us something about Allumette that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?
     
    Here’s a bit of Penrose Studios trivia! Before we named the piece Allumette, we referred to it as Project Rope, like the Hitchcock film.
     
    Why did we give it that name? When you experience Allumette, you have scenes with continuous presence. We didn’t use any cinematic “cuts” within the scenes themselves--it’s a smooth, continuous experience, just like Rope.

    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    Coming from a CG animation background, you could take hours to render each frame without any problem. In VR, you only have a small fraction of a second for each frame! Adjusting to the performance requirements of this new medium was difficult, and required using new techniques for particularly complex elements like the clouds.
     
    To do this, we had to invent some new rendering techniques to get the soft and fluffy look you’d expect.
     
    What do you hope people take away from Allumette overall?
     
    We are developing a new platform for storytelling. Allumette is a story everyone can enjoy and appreciate, no matter their age or where they live in the world. After experiencing Allumette, we hope people will embrace this new medium and will share our excitement for the future of VR storytelling.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Allumette? Or what’s next for Penrose?
     
    Right now we’re focused on celebrating the worldwide launch of Allumette, which took place earlier this month. Stay tuned for more Penrose Studios news soon!

    If you could have anyone experience Allumette who would it be?
     
    Hans Christian Andersen!
     
    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    Watch your work iteratively and often in VR, and try not to rely too heavily on composing your scenes on a 2D screen. It is important to preview your work on the devices you will be showing it with since things always appear different in VR, and tweaks are constantly necessary. Also, take the performance requirements of VR seriously, and don’t underestimate the power and resources you’ll need to make a great piece. This can save a lot of time on optimizing down the road if you stick to the budgets for polygon count, shader complexity, fx, etc.
  24. Rockjaw

    VDA Q&A: Arcade Artist

    By Rockjaw,

    
    You’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer Award, how do you feel?

    It feels amazing to be nominated. As an artist and creator it is wonderful to be recognized. We put so much time and love and energy into our work and it's great to have that be appreciated.

    Where did the idea for Arcade Artist come from?

    We wanted to make a world that you could feel transported to and also create something that was just a fun escape. I love the feeling of holding a tool in your hand in VR and being able to look at the details and for that tool to be something that you can actually use.

    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?

    There were two main developers and then a small amount of additional artists as we needed them. In all, the team at its largest was probably eight people. We spent about six months on it.

    Tell us something about Arcade Artist that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?

    I guess that the amount of hours that went into it would be surprising to most people.

    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?

    We are constantly pushing the envelope artistically so we are learning everyday how to balance the art and performance aspect.

    What differentiates Arcade Artists from other creativity experiences?

    I think the quality of our work is at the top and I am very proud of the team and the work.

    What do you hope people take away from Arcade Artist overall?

    The biggest thing that I want people to do when they play Arcade Artist is smile!

    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Arcade Artist?

    Absolutely! We have some really fun new features in store and we are also going to be making Arcade Artist a full multiplayer and social experience.

    If you could have anyone experience Arcade Artist who would it be?

    Hmmm....I guess Steven Spielberg!

    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?

    Just do it. It's trite, but jump in and fail fast and learn and go for it.
     
    Arcade Artist is available now on Viveport.
  25. Rockjaw

    VDA Q&A: Mars Odyssey

    By Rockjaw,

    You’ve just been nominated for a Viveport Developer award - how do you feel?
     
    We’re exhausted! Also very excited that Mars Odyssey has been well received. We’re very proud of the team and the passion project they’ve brought to life.
     
    Where did the idea for Mars Odyssey come from?
     
    We’ve always had a strong passion for education and science. Joshua Qualtieri, one of our studio co-founders, studied Astrophysics in college with the goal of eventually working for NASA on their Mars missions, but instead he ended up making films and games. Using VR to experience Mars and simulate space exploration has been a dream come true for Joshua and Steel Wool Studios.
     
    Do you really think there is life on Mars?
     
    We think it’s possible. If there is life on Mars, it is some form of super hardy microbial organism that’s yet to be discovered. There’s a lot of interest in Mars these days. If Mars Odyssey can add to that excitement and motivate someone in the not too distant future to get on a rocket to have a look around on Mars, that would be awesome.
     
    How big is your team and how long did it take to develop?
     
    The Mars Odyssey team is relatively small. About eight or nine members were involved with the project from beginning to end. In total, it took about 10 months to develop and put final touches on the project working on it part-time for most of the Mars Odyssey team.
     
    Tell us something about Mars Odyssey that we wouldn’t know from just experiencing it on Viveport?
     
    Mars Odyssey was built to possibly be part of a larger educational narrative structure. In Mars Odyssey you are simply “The Traveler” and your guide is “Athena”. Our concept is to continue developing educational simulations in which the Traveler and Athena jump from experience to experience, not just space exploration themes. Think “Quantum Leap” meets The Discovery Channel.
     
    During the development process, did anything surprise you along the way you didn’t expect?
     
    Actually, we never realized how large Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris truly are. Mars is a little over half the size of Earth but it is home to the largest volcano and canyon in the solar system.
     
    What do you hope people take away from Mars Odyssey overall?
     
    I hope that people find Mars as fascinating as we do. We get so focused on our lives that we sometimes forget to look up at the night sky. We are amazing, albeit flawed, creatures. We have landed humans on our Moon, shot probes deep into space, and sent robots to Mars, concepts that even now sound insane if you really think about it. Mars is an incredible world and worth exploring. Landing humans on Mars will teach and further inspire us. We are not meant to stay solely on Earth; hopefully we’ll soon take those first steps towards the Red planet.
     
    Are you planning future updates and adding more features to Mars Odyssey? What’s next for Steel Wool?
     
    There are some tweaks we have in an upcoming patch to allow the player to replay the Rover and Lander sequences without having to accomplish the tasks -- tourist mode, essentially. Beyond that, we’re gearing up for our next project coming out later this year, Bounce. It’s a VR physics-based puzzle adventure that’s getting great feedback. It’s totally different from Mars Odyssey, but that’s one of the best parts about being an independent studio - we get to work on cool stuff that excites us.
     
    If you could have anyone experience Mars Odyssey who would it be? Has Matt Damon tried it yet?
     
    Unfortunately, Matt hasn’t returned our calls, yet. If we could have anyone experience Mars Odyssey, we’d be honored to help Buzz Aldrin to virtually step onto the surface of the red planet.
     
    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other developers?
     
    Keep your artists and engineers collaborating at all times. It’s important for us that both groups understand each other's concerns, and learn from each other.
     
    Mars Odyssey is available now on Viveport.
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