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Rockjaw

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  1. Rockjaw

    Talking Arcade Saga

    By Rockjaw,

    
    Arcade Saga was recently released on Steam and is as the first ever game published by Vive Studios. Developed by 2 Bears Studio, an internal HTC team, we decided to sit down with David Sapienza and J Epps - neither of whom are bears - to talk about the development of this fast paced, energetic retro-styled VR experience.
     
    Hello 2 Bears! Tell us about yourself and a little about your careers.
     
    David Sapienza: I'm Executive Producer of Arcade Saga. I’ve worked on 30-plus games throughout my career, from small GameBoy Advance titles, to huge PC RTS titles like Company of Heroes, to new endeavors like Minecraft on Hololens, and now I’m thrilled to be working on the Vive. I have a long time passion for video games and the art of game creation. 
     
    J.Epps: I am J. “Jay” Epps, Design Director for Arcade Saga. I've been making games as a designer for 25 years. I have worked on Gex, Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen, Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, Gears of War 2 & 3, Fable 2, Ryse: Son of Rome. 20 years ago I knew I wanted to work in VR and worked hard to forge and temper my design skills so that I would be ready when VR finally became mainstream.
     
    The name, the look and the feel of Arcade Saga all hark back to ‘classic’ arcades and games. Is there anything you would specifically list as inspirations?
     
    David Sapienza: Yes! Pretty much any arcade game where the player faced off against a boss that was 50x larger. Musically, I love the NES and SNES days and you will hear some of that through the levels. As for movies, I’d be remiss not to mention The Lawnmower Man and Tron.
     
    J Epps: Arcade Saga is really a ‘love letter’ to classic arcade games like Sinistar, Track and Field, Mappy, Heavy Barrel, Street Fighter 2, Galaga, Outrun Turbo, Star Wars, Star Trek, Space Invaders, Gyruss, Rygar, Ninja Spirit, etc.
     
    Given those inspirations, did the game mechanics of Arcade Saga seem like a natural fit for that style of game, or did you think of them before then?
     
    David Sapienza: For me it all started with room scale and the motion controllers. My first time in true VR (i.e. room scale) all I wanted to do was move around and use the motion controllers to interact with objects. Focusing on the movement and the motion controllers was our first goal, everything else was secondary.
     
    J Epps: The mechanics came first. We wanted three games that all used natural motion mechanics: hitting a ball, shooting a bow, blocking a ball with a paddle. In classic games, the player actuates the main mechanic by pressing a button, which is an abstraction. The motion controllers and room scale offered us a way to make fun more straightforward and organic. Incidentally, this is why Bowshot has a bow and not a gun: a gun is an abstract mechanic because you pull a trigger to cause an interaction.
     
    
    What’s your favorite game of the three in Arcade Saga? (Of course, we have to ask, what’s your high score?)
     
    David Sapienza: My favorite game hasn’t been released yet. :smileyhappy:
     
    J Epps: Bowshot is my favorite. My gamer tag is thejammy and I have a LOT of high scores!
     
    What engine was Arcade Saga developed in?
     
    J Epps: Arcade Saga was developed in Unity, which is a great engine. It allowed us to get up and working quickly. The engine is robust and allowed us to put our energy into the game and not the engine. It also allowed us great flexibility, as the three games in Arcade Saga are vastly different.
     
    Did you have any ideas early in the development process that didn’t make the final game?
     
    David Sapienza: We actually had nine prototypes that were being developed and then we narrowed down to the three that we have today. Although a lot of the prototypes were fun, we wanted to make sure everything we released was fun the first time, and the 101st time. I think the three games we have now exceed that goal.
     
    J Epps: The first version of Smash had a more open environment where you threw different pitches to try and score on your opponent. It was a decent concept and we spent a while trying to make it fun enough but in the end we felt like it was better to put the game in a tight corridor.
    
     
    You’re heading up 2 Bears Studio, an internal HTC studio. How big is the studio and how long did development of Arcade Saga take?
     
    David Sapienza: Our studio is actually split between San Francisco and Taipei and the size has transformed a bit since we started, so it’s hard to answer but 30 is somewhat accurate. As for how long, we’ve been working on these games for around 9 months and are continuing to support the project.
     
    What was the hardest thing to get ‘right’ during development?
     
    David Sapienza: VR is a whole new medium that is attracting new types of consumers. Finding that balance between traditional gamers and new VR adopters was challenging but still fun. 
     
    … and what was the easiest thing to get right?
     
    David Sapienza: The natural motion of the mechanics. People ‘just got it’ and understood exactly what they needed to do.
     
    If money and time was unlimited (never going to happen…), what game genre would you like to see in VR?
     
    David Sapienza: I’d love to see a historical battlefield reimagined from Genghis Khan to the U.S. revolution. I’m a military history nerd and proud of it!
     
    J Epps: I would like to see what the ‘traditional’ gaming fantasies that we’re used to feel like in VR. Gunslinger, Samurai, Soldier, Assassin, Sniper, Surfer… they’re all fantasies that will feel different in VR and I would love if 2 Bears could take a stab at all of them.
     
    Of all the games you previously worked on, is there a game you wish you could go back and realize in VR?
     
    David Sapienza: A few years back I worked on a game that allowed players to make their own game called Project Spark. I was a really fun and approachable way to create a game, but I think adding the VR would be mind blowing. 
     
    J Epps: I have worked on many beat’ em up games - Lord of Rings, Demonstone, Ryse, etc - and I can’t wait to make a VR game in this genre.
     
    Thanks to David and J for their answers! If you haven't had a chance to check out Arcade Saga yet,
     and pick it up on Steam. 
    Or, see below for a chance to win your own copy in our comment competition!
     
    David and J will be live in AltspaceVR today at 4PM PST - click here to get details and RSVP! 
  2. Rockjaw
    What better way to map your mind than in VR? Noda lets you do just that.

     
    Hello there! Tell us who you are, and what you do in relation to Noda.
     
    I’m Brian Eppert, developer of Noda. Aside from the logo, the incredibly helpful feedback from early testers and the epic work of past and present geniuses to create the VR tech stack, I’ve done everything to bring the app out. It’s pretty amazing that today a single person can connect with users worldwide to release a VR app for sale or subscription in a few months.
     
    I’m a tinkerer and a good programmer but a bad artist, so the asset and engine resources available and the VR native app dev process is a huge boon. Much better now even then when I started with VR in 2014.
     
    What’s the origin of Noda? How did you come up with the initial idea?
     
    I’ve always pictured things in 3D as a way to understand them. When I explain something I’m always gesturing around trying to draw a picture to describe my thoughts. I even came to realize I needed to do it backwards, otherwise someone facing me would see the mirror image (I’m not sure it’s ever helped!). I relate to things spatially and I know I’m not the only one who does.
     
    As for Noda I wanted to combine the immersive environment and natural interface of hand and body movement with structured information management. It seems like a good use for this technology. I’m sure VR will help make sense of big data and analytics but my feeling was to start small, with data more within personal reach like what you might draw on a whiteboard or picture in your head.
     
    The nodes, tags and lines that make up Noda’s form is known as a Labeled Property Graph, and it’s inspired by Neo4j, an alternative database platform I’ve been interested in for years. Their big thrust is that the relationships between things are as important as the things themselves.
     
    While VR, especially on Vive, is all about 3D spaces and experiences, what made you feel that Noda had to be 3D, instead of (for example) a very large 2D space manipulated in 3D?
     
    For math and programming and creative writing I’d always use paper or a whiteboard to sketch out ideas and communicate with others. It works initially but the paper or whiteboard’s always too small and on a flat screen you can’t very well draw behind or in front of something and maintain clarity. A lot can be done with up/down/left/right but sometimes things need to sit next to each other in a different way so you really need that third dimension.
     
    I never really tried much software for drawing, for me the mouse and keyboard interface gets in the way of direct expression. I guess a tablet/pencil might be nice for the pan/scroll/zoom and the undo/redo but it still feels like an unnatural projection of 3D stuff on 2D, like when you see the globe of Earth or Moon chopped up and spread out across a big wall-sized poster.
     
    What kind of projects, aside from mind-mapping, do you see Noda being used for?
     
    As a app for creating thinking or something I’m calling ‘Associative Concept Modeling’ I could see it being used for any project that needs a plan, or a phase of ‘figuring out’ separate from the activity itself.
     
    I’ve heard from people who are using it to plan video presentations to their clients, modeling an ERP data flow, planning a website redesign project and more.
     
    You have mentioned ‘kinesthetic thinkers’ in relation to Noda – can you tell us what that is, and how it applies to Noda?
     
    Well that’s based on the concept of learning styles from psychology and education, there seem to be a lot of models and theories for how we think and learn and how some people favor one or the other, but more likely we switch between modes depending on the day or task at hand. The main categories I’m familiar with are: Auditory-Sequential, Visual-Spatial, and Kinesthetic (meaning body movement).
     
    As a pithy proverb explains it: “I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.”
     
    Two things that have come up for me lately are that our cognition may be entirely based on metaphors developed from our sensorimotor system. Got tipped off to this from Voices of VR podcast #515 mention of “Philosophy in the Flesh”. I also read about a study done that shows babies who don’t have use of their hands to make gestures are slower to learn language. Conversely non-deaf children who learn sign language are more advanced at learning language and on other measures.
     
    Something about moving is tied in to memory and learning and thinking. It’s also a bulwark against the disease of neglect of the body that happens when we sit at a desk, hunched shoulders and shallow breathing. When using Noda it feels great to put on the headset, push the chair back out, stand up and move around for a bit.
     

      
    What can be done in 3D mind-mapping that can’t be done in 2D mind-mapping?
     
    VR taps in to the full range of intuitive 3d perception through head tracking and stereoscopic display that flat screens can’t do. With room-scale and hand tracking you get the space and manual dexterity to create 1-to-1, meaning that if you want to see something from a different angle or distance you just move your body or head. If you want to move or change something you put your hand out and do it.
    This removes the cognitive load of managing a more abstract interface. It also leverages unconscious systems and abilities like spatial memory, so you can more easily slip into a flow state where both sides of the brain are in tune and working harmoniously through analytic and creative thought.
     
    Do you have any future plans for Noda?
     
    For the product, the plan is to make it more usable and useful to more people. That means improving what’s already there, specifically the hand tooling, and extending to support new workflows, most likely by adding types of media and information you can get in and out of Noda.
     
    For the creative team, I’m looking to expand from ‘one’ to ‘some’. Visual designers/artists, Unity/C# programmers, and anyone involved in alternative business structures like crowdsourcing or software co-ops – I’d love to hear from you. (Visit noda.io to contact me.)
     
    Thanks for talking to us, Brian!
    Noda is available now in Viveport.
  3. Rockjaw
    If you’re an Oculus Rift user discovering Viveport for the first time, welcome! It’s easy to set up Viveport and start playing titles on your Rift – but if you need a quick start guide, follow the steps below.
     
     
    Step One: Set up your Oculus Rift
    Without your Rift ready to go, we can’t start playing titles from Viveport, so make sure to:
     
    Have your Oculus Rift HMD connected to your PC, with any other setup completed Create your account at Oculus.com, and install the Oculus Rift desktop software In the Oculus Rift software, under Settings – General, turn on the option for Unknown Sources (click ‘Allow’ when prompted)
    Step Two: Get Viveport
    You’ll need to download the Viveport desktop app to access your Viveport library, download titles and play them. You can download the Viveport desktop app at vive.com/setup. If you already have a Vive or Vive Pro, you may already have Viveport installed (in which case, skip on down to Step Three).
     

    After downloading Viveport, locate the file and launch it. During installation, you will need to:
    Sign in with your HTC | VIVE Account (or create a new one).
    Install SteamVR. This will happen automatically, but you may be asked to sign in to Steam during the installation.
    After installation, you’ll be able to launch Viveport from the desktop shortcut. Step Three: Browse for Oculus Rift compatible titles
    You can browse Viveport either from within the desktop app or via Viveport.com. Here’s what to look out for:
    Titles that are Oculus Rift compatible will have the icon displayed throughout the site You can also filter for Oculus Rift compatible titles After purchasing a title, it will be added to your Viveport Library, accessible from your desktop app or from Viveport.com while logged in To play your purchased titles, download and install them via the Viveport desktop app Launch your Viveport titles from within the Viveport Library Step Four: Get a Viveport Subscription for the best value in VR!
    As well as buying individual titles from Viveport, you can sign up for Viveport Subscription for FREE, letting you experience five titles per month for one low price. You can cancel any time, and to really save money, you’re able to pre-pay for your Viveport Subscription with our 3, 6 and 12 month plans.
     
    Want a few suggestions for some fantastic Oculus Rift compatible titles available to you in Viveport Subscription? Check out our blog on just that.
  4. Rockjaw
    As part of Viveport’s commitment to connect content creators to global audiences, we’re excited to announce that Viveport now supports Oculus Rift compatible titles. Developers can opt-in their titles to display as Oculus Rift compatible from today, with the full consumer launch on September 4th.
     

     
     
    Adding support for Oculus Rift doubles the potential audience for all Viveport published titles, and opens Viveport Subscription – the best value in VR – to Oculus Rift consumers. Viveport Subscription allows subscribers to experience up to five titles at a time, starting with a free 14-day trial, and continuing after that with one low monthly price.
     
    With almost 500 titles in the Viveport Subscription library, we’re proud to curate a diverse and engaging range of experiences that appeal to a wide audience. Recent additions and all-time bestsellers in Viveport Subscription include Seeking Dawn, Tilt Brush, Pixel Ripped 1989, Shooty Fruity, A-Tech Cybernetic VR, theBlu and Knockout League. We’re always happy to welcome new developers, with marketing support and promotion for selected titles.
     
    As well as offering a huge range of available games and apps, Viveport Subscription has also proved popular with VR consumers who are looking to ‘try before they buy’. A Viveport Subscription member choosing five of the six titles shown below for either a 14-day free trial or a month of paid subscription could save almost $140 on retail prices!
     

     
     
    “By adding support for Oculus Rift, we’re doubling the potential user base for Viveport developers,” said Rikard Steiber, President of Viveport. “Viveport continues to offer the most opportunities for developers to monetize their VR content. From Viveport and Viveport Subscription, to availability on Amazon and in Viveport Arcade, we’re going to continue to expand and reach the largest global audience possible on developers’ behalf.”
     
    Developers can start opting in on Viveport to support Oculus Rift today. In many cases, existing builds that have hardware support for Oculus Rift via OpenVR are ready for this update. In the Developer Console, Oculus Rift is now available under ‘Compatible headsets’ in the ‘Viveport Listing’ tab. To opt-in a title, simply check the Oculus Rift box and create a production release under the Submit tab.
     
    Are you a developer who has questions about Oculus Rift support? Contact our Developer Relations team here.
  5. Rockjaw
    Viveport Arcade, HTC’s software distribution and content management platform for arcades, is launching a new pricing structure from March 7th.
     
    If you have content opted-in to the Viveport Arcade program, you will now be able to set your own ‘per station, per month’ license fee through the Developer Console. This means an operator would pay a guaranteed amount for each PC running your content, at a license fee value set by you.
     
    Once you’ve chosen your per station, per month license fee, a price per hour cost is automatically created and associated with your title. This alternative fee allows arcade operators to purchase content either via the per station, per month license fee, or based on the hourly fee.
     
    This gives operators the flexibility to offer more content and developers control over pricing. This new pricing will be available to arcades in mid-April. We encourage you to update your pricing before April, otherwise your per station price may initially be set at a default value (this may be changed later).
     
    If you have further questions, please comment below, or elsewhere in the Developer Forum.
     
    Please note, legal terms and conditions for Viveport Arcade are updated with this change. Read these changes in the Developer Console.
  6. Rockjaw

    Drunk or Dead

    By Rockjaw,

    Viveport Review: Drunk or Dead
     
    Forget about finding the cure. In Drunk or Dead, your primary objective is to save the bar!
     

     
    By Desmond Madison, Greenlit Content
     
     
    The premise of the off-kilter undead arcade wave shooter, Drunk or Dead, from the developers at 4 I Lab is simple. You wake at the bar after a long day of drowning your sorrows only to be informed by the bartender that the world has been overrun by zombies.
     
    To make matters interesting, this isn’t a world where being bitten turns you over to the undead side, it’s being sober that makes this airborne infestation seep into your veins. Luckily, your bartender has your back with an arsenal of weapons and a shelf of her finest liquor to drink away the infection as you blast through your blurry, alcohol induced vision in order to fend off the horde of oncoming zombie fiends.
     
    The pressure soon heats up as the zeds wander into your watering hole, and since you need to be drunk in order to survive, you’ll constantly juggle headshots with shots of whiskey from the bartender as you struggle to stand dizzily on your own two feet. You’ll have to be careful, though, as there’s such a thing called “alcohol poisoning,” and if you go over your limit shown on the drunk-o-meter... you die.
     

    This keeps the gameplay interesting and is the core feature that sets Drunk or Dead apart from the sea of other zombie wave shooters available in virtual reality. The game also wears its decidedly lowbrow sense of humor on its alcohol soaked sleeve, but as long as players know that going in, they should have no trouble adjusting to the atmosphere. Also, let’s face it, with a name like Drunk or Dead, most players should already be expecting a certain level of bar stool irreverence.
     
    The setup is simple, silly, and simulates taking on the undead by getting completely sauced.  There are three main areas to blast away zombies as well as undead reindeer, and they’re all rendered with impressive detail and lighting. You won’t be moving around with any locomotion or teleportation, but that’s probably for the best considering you’ll need to stay as close to the bar as possible at all times.
     
    If you can manage to say alive (and drunk) through all of the main locations, you’ll be able to see your scores posted to an online leaderboard. With all there is to juggle between slamming beers and blowing up TNT barrel carrying walkers, the game makes for a fun variation on the highly saturated zombie wave shooter genre, even if it’s not entirely appropriate for all ages.
     

    In all, Drunk or Dead manages to live up to its namesake. It adds a great twist to the genre and gets you ready for the apocalyptic dream scenario of beer connoisseurs everywhere. It may not be something you’ll want to showcase to everyone in your family, but if you ever manage to have your drinking pals over for night of VR gaming, this one is an absolute dead ringer. Now hold my beer!
     

     Drunk or Dead is available in Viveport, and in Viveport Subscription.
  7. Rockjaw
    If you haven't tried Viveport Subscription yet, there's never been a better time! Over 375 VR titles are waiting for you, with more being added every week.
     

     
    In less than a year, Viveport Subscription has grown enormously, starting with a little over 50 titles available to over 375 now. As a member you can check out five titles a month - which means it would take you over five years of subscription to experience everything that's currently available!
     
    We believe Viveport Subscription is the absolute best value offering in VR today, and we want to make sure you get the best value. That's why we're letting you know that the monthly price of Viveport Subscription will increase from $6.99 to $8.99 on March 22nd.
     
    New Viveport Subscription members who sign up before March 22nd will enjoy a 14-day free trial, then pay the current price of $6.99 per month. (If you are a returning member, you are not eligible for a free trial, but you'll still only pay $6.99 a month if you sign up before March 22nd.)
     
    Members who join us after March 22nd will also get a 14-day free trial, then pay the new price of $8.99 a month.
     
    (And if you're a developer? Yes, you'll be getting more - 28% more per member subscribed to your title, per month.)
     
    OUR GUARANTEE - AND NEW MEMBERSHIP PERKS!
    First, if you sign up before March 22nd, we guarantee your Viveport Subscription will continue at the original price of $6.99 until at least the end of 2018.
     
    Second, we're rolling out new perks for all Viveport Subscription members:
     
    All members will receive exclusive FREE codes for games and apps, starting in February and then regularly during the year All Weekend Deals on Viveport - offering discounts on apps and games you'll want to add permanently to your Viveport library - will now only be available to members  
    Viveport Subscription members will be seeing their first members-only Weekend Deal soon. More membership perks will be announced in future, so stay tuned!
     
    Whether you're joining Viveport Subscription as a new member, or locking in your pricing through 2018, we're excited to have you with us!
     
    GETTING STARTED WITH VIVEPORT SUBSCRIPTION
    With over 375 titles to choose from, it can be tricky to figure out what to choose for your Viveport Subscription's first month! If you're in that position, allow us to make some suggestions.
     
    Fantastic Contraption
    A superb puzzle game, Fantastic Contraption has just been updated with over 50 new levels and other new features. Devilishly simple, all you need to do is move an object in virtual space... but what kind of machine will you build to make that happen?
     
    Overkill VR

    The name might give you a clue: Overkill VR is all about shooting stuff, in an appropriately over the top way. With a massive range of customizable weapons and a horde of killer robots out for your blood, Overkill VR has kept many Viveport Subscription members on their toes since it first released.
     
    The Wizards
    As one of our reviewers said, "If you want to throw fire balls and shoot ice arrows at some orcs this is the game for you!" And who doesn't? Master magical forces, explore an entire campaign and, well, throw fire balls and shoot ice arrows at orcs!
     
    Earthlight: Spacewalk
    Quite simply, the closest you'll get to being on the International Space Station without being an astronaut (or, we suppose, a very rich tourist!). Earthlight: Spacewalk will astound you with a simulated spacewalk and some of the most amazing views you can imagine. (Read our review here.)
     
    theBlu
    Arguably still the best introduction to anyone first experiencing virtual reality, theBlu takes you below the ocean waves to stare into the eye of a whale, reach out to touch giant jellyfish or perhaps discover even more terrifying beasties in the dark.
     
    Sign up for Viveport Subscription now for your FREE 14-day trial. Experience these five titles and lock in the monthly rate for 2018!
  8. Rockjaw
    Yee-haw! Saddle up with Hopalong: The Badlands
     
    If you’ve ever played at being a cowboy or pretended a broom was a horse (Wait, just us?) then you’ll be right at home in the wild, weird west of Hopalong: The Badlands. With Hopalong now available as part of Viveport Subscription, we talked to (appropriately enough) Texas-based developers From the Future about their rootin’ tootin’ shootin’ VR experience.
     

     
    Well howdy there, partner. What’s yer name and what brings you to these parts… or in other words, what gave you the idea for Hopalong: The Badlands?
     
    Howdy! My name is Mike Christian and I’m the CEO and one of four founders of From the Future (here we are on Twitter). The idea for Hopalong: The Badlands fell out of my head one Labor Day weekend and resulted in a prototype. The rest of the Future crew couldn’t help but laugh when they saw the idea, not to mention me hopping around the room in VR gear. The idea quickly evolved from everyone else’s input, and became much, much more than the original concept. My role on the team has mostly been the executive designer, with the occasional bit of programming.
     
    Is it fair to say that Hopalong … doesn’t take the history of the American West that seriously?
     
    Them there is fightin’ words, hombre! Hopalong takes American West history very seriously and we faithfully created that history… if it had been all stick-horses and wooden villains.
     

     
    After your initial idea, what brought Hopalong to fruition?
     
    Hopalong was an idea that bubbled up from the horse watering trough of desire – a desire to introduce a fun and novel way to traverse large landscapes in VR without teleporting. We figured since people look a little silly playing VR already, why not go the full silly?! People told us ‘never go the full silly’, but we thought that advice was, well, silly.
     
    The original idea was to not only prance around on a stick horse, but to also wave a lasso over your head as you tried to rope in stray bossies. (For you non-Texan types, bossies are cattle.) However, we lost several interns during testing due to CLS, AKA Carpal Lasso Syndrome, so that got cut.
     
    Visually Hopalong is quite unique! Were you inspired mostly by kids and their play, or something else? (I keep flashing to the coconut hooves of Monty Python’s Holy Grail, myself.)
      
    Thanks! Actually, we were inspired by Kid ‘n Play, the famous 80’s hip-hopalong duo. Monty Python’s infamous fish slapping dance was also a HUGE inspiration.  Tell us how the Oscillot system works. What makes it different from other locomotion systems in VR?
     
    At first actually, fully hopping in place was mandatory. However, being game developers we were not in the best shape, so we quickly resorted to shaking our fists...which came much more naturally. Oscillot, also known as O.S.C.I.L.L.O.T.,  is the science of moving like a bouncy cat. The cat that inspired the name, is known for its sinusoidal-like motion as it pounces on its prey. These cat facts are all well documented on the internet and are assuredly not made up by us.
     
    We found that physical movement helps reduce motion sickness because it allows people to make more of a connection to motion in the game versus motion in the real world. By limiting all the movement to one hand, both velocity and direction, that frees the other hand to wield weapons.
     
    What kind of cool moves can people pull off in Hopalong?
     
    You can shoot dynamite out of the air and back to the enemy that threw it. You can also use your grit to slow down time and multiply the mayhem exponentially. Once you defeat Boss Boomity you earn his flying pig, Pigasus, and hover one meter in the air!!! Oh the places you’ll go! Assuming those places are about three feet above you.
     
    Why is an Eight Shooter inherently better than someone’s trusty six-shooter?
     
    Six plus two times more fun! ™
     
    What weapons did you invent for Hopalong?
     
    The Brimstone Gun for when it's dark, or when you need to light a bandit on fire. Whichever comes first.
     
    The Iron Falcon is an 1880’s style hand-mortar that you can use to blast a bushel of Boomity’s out of the bushes.
     
    What kind of environments can people expect to see in Hopalong?
     
    Hopalong takes players both high and low through an expansive cliffside chock full of narrow paths, perilous edges, and more than a handful of hazardous outhouses. Aside from the wide-open spaces, the Badlands also hosts a number of caverns, rivers and other vistas.
     

     
    Ahem. What do stick horses eat? Are they easier to train than a normal horse?
     
    The only fuel your stuffed companion craves is the fear of your enemies. It’s like sugar cubes to them. They are much more difficult to train than a four legged horse. Good luck.
     
    Have you any plans for further development of Hopalong? Additional features you’d like to include?
     
    Heck yeah, buckaroo! Multiplayer and VR arcade features are in the planning stages. We have also explored a medieval theme where you are a horse riding wizard that storms all the castles.
     
    What’s next for you guys? I expect you already know considering your studio name.
     
    We have more ideas than you can shake a stick horse at. A couple of ideas in the works are: Flying Blades, a martial arts and sword fighting game that takes place in the air, and a Roman-inspired giant robot game. In Flying Blades, the Oscillot system is used to propel you through the air by flicking a magic sword and using another sword for direction as you battle giant demons. The Romanesque robot game has you commanding a giant mech-like contraption to defend a Rome that never fell...thanks to the robot!
     

    Speaking of that, what is the future like? Are there jetpacks? We were promised jetpacks.
     
    Well, it's not all flying cars and musical toilets. Jetpacks ARE a thing but they are only in fanny pack form. Bell bottoms are back but the bells are reversed. Walt Disney has been resurrected...and man is he angry! Those are the highlights.
     
    Thanks for talking to us, Mike. We’ll let you return to the future now!
    Hopalong: The Badlands is available in Viveport Subscription.
     
     
  9. Rockjaw

    Operation Apex

    By Rockjaw,

    Viveport Review: Operation Apex
     
    Explore the ocean depths and track down a massive great white shark in this immersive and engaging experience.
     

     
    By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content
     
     
    The basic idea behind Operation Apex is to explore three different regions of the sea teeming with ocean life. The scenery looks beautiful, interaction with the world feels real, and as you explore, the sensation of being deep beneath the ocean is both immersive and engaging. That said, there’s no risk of death because the player controls a drone that is mostly ignored by the wildlife. This doesn’t take away from the experience, though, since interacting with the world around you and even swatting at debris feels so good.
     
    In Operation Apex, you play as the aforementioned drone, tasked with checking on the status of sea-life. To complete this goal you’ll need to explore, lure fish close to you, and scan them into the system. This will allow you to check how well they are faring, and then you’ll have to get to the root cause of the issue. It’s a simple goal that leaves the world open for the player to explore at his or her leisure.
     

    All I had to do to move around was hold my arms out in front of me and press the triggers to propel myself forward. I never had any issues with frame drops, and the locomotion felt solid all around—without the usual VR sickness that sometimes comes from a game with this type of locomotion.
     
    The best thing about Operation Apex, however, is the awe-inspiring environment. The depths of the ocean feel real as you explore, with the plant life and rocks acting like physical objects when interacted with. Also, being able to lure the bigger fish and see them up close is fantastic, as they look and move lifelike through the water. The experience isn’t long, though—especially if you breeze through the objectives. This shouldn’t be an issue for those who really enjoy immersive VR games, since the game pushes you to explore and look around by giving you plenty of space to maneuver.
     

    At the end of the game, when you finally locate the massive creature that you’ve been searching for the entire time, well, I won’t spoil anything. All told, when I removed the HTC Vive from my head, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of astonishment at what I witnessed. With that in mind, Operation Apex is among the best that your Vive has to offer. Download the game and take the plunge!
     
     

    Operation Apex is available on Viveport.
  10. Rockjaw
    Experience some of the most intense, scary and surreal titles that Viveport has to offer in our 50% off Halloween sale!

     
    With Halloween not that far away and the nights drawing in, it's a perfect time to snuggle in with a hot beverage and scare yourself silly in VR. To help you with the scaring part, we've lined up a host of chilling VR experiences at 50% off - and also picked out a few perfect additions to your Viveport Subscription. (Not a subscriber? Now is a great time to sign up.) If you're feeling a little thrifty this Halloween we've also got some spine-tingling free experiences too. Here's a complete list, followed by trailers and screenshots to send a chill through you.
    50% off now until November 1st
    Albino Lullaby Emily Wants To Play Flatline - Experience the Other Side Grave VR Haute & Haunted Obscura Speed & Scream In Viveport Subscription - sign up here
    Don't Knock Twice Escape Bloody Mary HordeZ Narcosis Smell of Death VRZ: Torment Zombie Riot Fang-tastic free experiences
    Abduction Prologue The Abbot's Book (Demo) The Bellows Sisters Halloween titles 50% off until November 1st
    Albino Lullaby

     
    Emily Wants To Play
     
    Flatline - Experience the Other Side

     
    Grave VR

     
    Haute & Haunted
     
    Obscura
     
    Speed & Scream
     
    Perfect picks for Viveport Subscription - sign up here
     
    Don't Knock Twice
     
    Escape Bloody Mary
     
    HordeZ
     
    Narcosis
     
    Smell of Death
     
    VRZ: Torment

     
    Zombie Riot

     
    Fang-tastic free experiences
    Abduction Prologue
    The Abbot's Book (Demo)
    The Bellows
    Sisters
    All of these horrific titles are available on Viveport, either for purchase or in subscription. Start a Viveport Subscription here.
  11. Rockjaw
    Existing owner? Get Fallout 4 VR plus three free months of Viveport Subscription.
     
    HTC VIVE is glad to announce that starting today, October 2nd, customers who purchase an HTC Vive, will receive a free redemption code for Fallout 4 VR, a $59.99 value, which launches on December 12, 2017 (vive.com/fallout4-vr).
     
    Fallout 4, the legendary post-apocalyptic adventure from Bethesda Game Studios and winner of more than 200 ‘Best Of’ awards, including the DICE and BAFTA Game of the Year, and most recently ‘Best Virtual Reality Game’ at gamescom 2017, finally comes in its entirety to VR. Fallout 4 VR includes the complete core game with all-new combat, crafting, and building systems fully reimagined for virtual reality.
     
    “Fallout 4 VR is the most anticipated title for VR this holiday, and the game development team at Bethesda Game Studios is delivering on the promise with a full-length AAA open-world game that takes advantage of Vive’s incredible room-scale immersion for a mind-blowing experience in the Wasteland,” said Joel Breton, GM of Vive Studios. “The promise of a game with near endless content, including hundreds of locations, characters, and quests, fully playable in VR, is something that we have been focused on providing for the VR gaming community. We are now thrilled to provide this incredible game to new Vive owners and eagerly look forward to game’s launch on Vive this December.”
     
    The freedom of exploring the wasteland comes alive like never before when experienced using Vive’s superior room-scale technology. Vive’s submillimeter tracking for responsiveness and accuracy makes it the most immersive way to experience Fallout 4.
     
    Existing Vive customers who purchase Fallout 4 VR, will be able to sign up for a bonus 3-month Viveport Subscription offer that will be available prior to the game’s launch. Viveport Subscription allows consumers to choose from over 250 pieces of content, giving consumers the best value to discover VR content. Visit Viveport.com/Fallout4VR for purchase details, launch dates, and additional offers.
    Players must be 18 or over to redeem Fallout 4 VR code. Please check your local vive.com for details and availability.
  12. Rockjaw
    Today, we’re announcing the early release of the Viveport Scene SDK, a new toolset that will help developers create immersive VR Previews that will be showcased in Viveport. The Viveport Scene SDK will allow developers to engage customers with their content before purchase or rental, by generating:
     
    VR Previews: Rich and interactive 3D environments streamed dynamically to the viewer on Viveport to increase engagement and customer conversion. VR Skyboxes: Immersive "360 preview images" that surround the user as they browse the content grid in the Viveport store.  We believe that the tools contained in the SDK will help developers increase conversion, drive discoverability, and engage users prior to download. Content that includes a VR Preview will be showcased in a special category across Viveport endpoints when we launch our new immersive Viveport discovery experience for consumers this Fall.
     

     
    Download the Viveport Scene SDK, including documentation, directly here - 385Mb ZIP
  13. Rockjaw
    We’ve been working hard behind the scenes on Viveport and wanted to share news of some fixes, updates and changes we have made to our Viveport desktop client since launch.
     

     
    First, some context. Viveport is a brand-new software platform that has been live for less than a year. With all new software projects there are going to be bugs, and Viveport has been no exception. There are other digital software sales platforms that have been available a lot longer than Viveport, so we expect it will take a while for Viveport to catch up to them in terms of features and performance. Our goal hasn’t changed, though – to build Viveport into a great VR platform.
     
    When we launched Viveport in 2016, we had 75 titles. Today we have grown to 1,000 titles in all our regions and we have processed millions of transactions. We have also added some unique features like Viveport Subscription.
     
    While our product and engineering teams work continually to improve Viveport, other teams are monitoring and asking for direct feedback from you. With your help, we believe we’ve significantly improved Viveport. Recently we’ve shifted our development focus from adding a lot of new features, to optimization and stability.
     
    While there have been thousands of changes to Viveport (and you can find highlights here), let’s discuss some of the biggest issues reported during Viveport’s first year of operations - and what we’ve done about them.
     
    TOP ISSUE: “Viveport content download speeds”
     
    No-one wants to wait longer than they must for the latest VR content. While we originally had a basic CDN backed download system at Viveport’s launch, it didn’t match expectations. We rebuilt it and launched the new download system this summer, increasing Viveport’s download speeds to rival and even exceed the download speeds provided by other leading content platforms.
     
    The new download backend not only uses multiple CDNs, but it also provides multiple levels of redundancy, as we have incorporated new technology from third parties that are specialized in download optimization. When you download content now, you should see faster download speeds, no matter where you are in the world.
    TOP ISSUE: “Viveport takes up too many system resources”
     
    Virtual reality is a challenging task for almost any PC, so having a desktop client occupy more resources than necessary isn’t ideal. You told us that Viveport took up too many PC resources, so we have worked hard to reduce the resource footprint.
     
    The latest version of Viveport now uses significantly less CPU and memory (RAM) while running. This is mostly due to a new and improved client framework launched earlier this summer, letting us reduce the footprint while still adding new features. There are more optimizations coming, but for the moment we are much happier with the performance of client versions 1.1 and later.
     
    TOP ISSUE: “Viveport crashes too much”
     
    This was an early issue that we have focused extensively on in the last few months. No software crash is ever ‘fun’ but it is even more frustrating if it happens while wearing a VR headset. One of our top priorities has been to dramatically improve stability and lower the frequency of ‘crash events.’ In June, we replaced the original crash reporting system with a much better third party system, which has provided far better near-realtime stability info to the team. We can now monitor individual crash traces and determine if issues are with the software, or with specific user systems. As of release 1.1 we have seen dramatic improvements in software stability, though this is still a core focus area for the development team. 
     
    TOP ISSUE: "Viveport doesn’t have enough content, and Subscription has a non-intuitive re-selection system"
     
    We have grown our VR library from 75 to over 500 titles in less than a year. However, now our focus is to help you discover great VR content. A brand-new search system is coming in Q4, which will improve your ability to find content.
     
    In addition to more titles and better search functions, we have also launched Viveport Subscription to provide a low-cost, no obligation way to explore new VR experiences. It’s critical to let people experiment in VR since each user can experience different effects from the same VR title.
     
    Given VR is a whole new content type, we felt a subscription option provided the best way to explore new and previously unknown developers’ work. Initially launched with 50 games, Viveport Subscription now features close to 250 titles, and we are adding new titles daily.
     
    One piece of feedback we heard about Viveport Subscription was that the initial process of choosing your titles for each subscription period was un-intuitive. From version 1.1 onwards you can now add up to five titles at any time during each subscription period giving you more flexibility to keep open slots in case new titles arrive on Viveport mid-month. 
     
    OTHER IMPROVEMENTS you might have missed…
     
    Finally, we’ve been hard at work overhauling and improving the general Viveport client experience, from status messages to filters, notifications and in-client prompts. We want Viveport to be easy and intuitive to use, and we have a lot more improvements planned. That’s why we’re not slowing down. With your help, we’ve accomplished a lot in a relatively short period, but there’s plenty more to improve upon.
     
    We want your feedback on Viveport to help us improve. Feel free to talk to us through social media (we’re on Twitter and Facebook) and here, on our community forums. If you’re subscribed to our newsletter, you’ll see major updates mentioned there, or here on our blog. We look forward to hearing from you as we work to improve Viveport!
     
    - The Viveport Team
     
    Download Viveport here, and start your free Viveport Subscription trial here.
  14. Rockjaw
    It’s been a big summer for Vive and our ever-growing VR Ecosystem, and we’re ramping up for a fantastic holiday season.
     
    Starting today (8/21), we are reducing the price of Vive by $200. The high-end, PC-based consumer Vive that is in market today, and will be for the foreseeable future, will now be available for $599.  All Vive purchases come with a free trial to Viveport Subscription, where consumers can choose up to 5 titles per month to experience, and copies of some of the most popular pieces of VR in Google’s Tilt Brush, EverestVR, and Richie’s Plank Experience.
     
    Vive is the leader globally in high-end VR, and this new entry price will make the system available to an even broader audience. When customers purchase Vive, they are getting superior VR technology and the most complete ecosystem in VR. Vive has the best tracking technology and most compelling content. We work tirelessly to continue to iterate and improve on Vive to deliver on the promise of VR. And developers are taking full advantage of this tech in delivering the best software on the market and bringing it to Vive owners.
     
    We have continued to invest in growing the Vive hardware ecosystem. Google, Apple, Intel, UPS, Volkswagon, SalesForce and dozens of other global brands have all lined up with Vive for their VR efforts, and there’s more to come in the back half of the year.
     
    New Tracker software and hardware is coming online daily, and we’ll have more to share on consumer launch timing soon. In addition, many partners are working hard on wireless solutions to bring even more freedom for Vive owners.
     
    On the software side of the house, we offer the only subscription service for VR today in Viveport Subscription, which has not only changed the way consumers get their VR content, but also provided an incremental revenue stream for developers. We’ve signed up over 200 titles on Viveport Subscription, and we’re making a host of improvements that will improve and deepen our store experience.
    This is just the beginning stages of what Vive has in store. We’ll soon see more AAA content coming to Vive with Fallout 4 VR, Doom VFR, as well as some other titles to be announced.
     
    We know price is just one component of a purchase decision, but when you line up all that Vive offers, we’re building a complete VR ecosystem that customers can rely on today and for years to come.
  15. Rockjaw
    The invasion of Normandy is over. The fiercest firefights of World War II have just begun.

     
    Vive Studios and Fantahorn Studio are taking you to the front lines of World War II with Front Defense, premiering today on Viveport and in Viveport Subscription.
     
    Set in the waning days of World War II, Front Defense puts you in the boots of an Allied Forces soldier facing an ongoing onslaught from Axis forces. As you defend strategic positions in a small European town, you'll engage with infantry using a wide range of firearms, from pistols to mounted machine guns.
     
    Soldiers aren't the only threat you'll face. With the full power of an Axis armored division deployed against you, you'll need to use bazookas, grenades and even call in airstrikes to destroy tanks, armored cars and dive bombers.
     

     
    Think that's all the Axis can throw at you? Think again. With whispers of a mysterious superweapon about to be deployed, an epic confrontation awaits for those able to hold the line.
     
    Developed by HTC first-party studio Fantahorn Studio, Front Defense has been designed explicitly for room-scale VR on Vive. You'll need to duck, dive and reload in order to survive on the front line, making Front Defense one of the most intense war games you've ever experienced.
     

     
    Front Defense is available now on Viveport, and is included as part of Viveport Subscription. Start your free trial today!
  16. 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.
  17. 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!
     
     
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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!
     

  23. 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
  24. 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.
  25. 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/



     
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