Tag: Oculus

Not Quite in Rhythm with, than of the Universe: Ionia

It’s a reasonable enough product for one play through.

Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia (Video Game 2021) - IMDbAvailable for the
PC (on Steam), PS4 and Oculus 

Disclaimer: The PlayStation version was provided for evaluation

The VR game, Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia is an intro to a grander project that’s still in development. The potential hasn’t been pushed because the graphics have to be easy to migrate from PC to the PSVR and Oculus platforms. This product is developed through Unity, and I hope what’s offered next will be an improvement when compared to what this sampler offers. Hopefully by then, ROTU Entertainment will have figured out the issues.

The developers recommendation is a mid-tier PC with the HTC Vive as the headset of choice. I understand why this rig is the best. When the computer is powered by the best high-end video cards, the in-game visuals can sparkle. The highly positionable base stations (cameras) for this particular VR rig do a better job to make wandering around in Ionia feel more natural. I visited a friend’s home with a proper setup to get a taste of what the developers really intended.

The Oculus uses 6DOF motion tracking and the PSVR uses a stereo camera with a lighted head unit to compute where people are. Sadly, the controls with the Sony unit are clunky. Grabbing onto virtual items and trying to use them isn’t as fluid. Stray off camera, and tracking is lost. Using the PS Move controller to play the xylophone was hard. If you’re not in the sweet spot, it’s easy to appear through objects and not be able to drum. This crucial part needs improved error detection. I had to often reset.

Continue reading “Not Quite in Rhythm with, than of the Universe: Ionia”

Everyone Deserves a Chance to Fly in Little Witch Academia VR Broom Racing

This game is about racing on a stick. You’d think UNIVRS would recode to take advantage of the Move controller, but they haven’t.

Little Witch Academia -VR Broom Racing-

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available on Steam (for PC), PSVR and Oculus.

Little Witch Academia is a long running franchise that’s no doubt inspired by Harry Potter. The manga and animated series debuted in 2013, and the concept behind it is in how amazing the world of magic is. In the muggle world, it’s all but forgotten. However, in the wizarding world, many problems exist and the heroines have to deal with it. The video game that’s spawned is limited to Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time (2017) and there has been nothing else until UNIVRS created the multi-platform Little Witch Academia: VR Broom Racing. This developer staggered the game’s release on various platforms since late 2020, and the latest is on the Playstation VR.

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The Power of Music in Ionia VR

Five percent of proceeds from the sales of this game will benefit environmental non-profit Wildlife Warriors. Established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin, Wildlife Warriors continues Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin’s legacy of protecting injured, threatened or endangered wildlife. The latest trailer reveals this family’s involvement with this product:

Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia on SteamBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

The Rhythm of the Universe is alive in Ionia, the first in a series of virtual reality games about preserving the environment with the power of music. There’ll be seven in total. The first game that’s due soon is a single-player fantasy-adventure puzzle and the trailer was unveiled during UploadVR Summer Showcase by ROTU Entertainment. They are planning on making it available in Q3 for the Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and VR capable PC. It’s expected to sell for $9.99.

Five percent of proceeds from the sales of this game will benefit environmental non-profit Wildlife Warriors. Established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin, Wildlife Warriors continues Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin‘s legacy of protecting injured, threatened or endangered wildlife. The latest trailer reveals this family’s involvement with this product:

 

I’m particularly excited about this rhythm game as it’s bound to be different from current products like Beat Saber (the most well known) or Beat the Rhythm. Add on top the fact that I’m a fan of Steve’s mission and his works, the recognition is most likely to get even casual gamers to check this new game out. The fact creature designer Neville Page of Avatar fame (James Cameron) is involved in the design guarantees a certain level of quality control in the final product. In the trailer, the visuals says it all. It feels like the world is borne from Mononoke Hime and Avatar, and what it’ll become is going to be Fantasia 2021. The scale of the fauna found in this world may well put Shadow of the Colossus to shame. Not only are players composing music, but also they must (I assume) use it to tame the various beasts encountered during gameplay.

The teaser trailer (see below) shows off the exquisite beauty of how this world will look like on high-powered VR gaming machines. It’s bound to shine on properly decked out virtual reality PC systems and the PS5 than with older generation machines. Hopefully the mistakes made from Cyberpunk 2027 will not be repeated, to ensure playability across the multiple platforms this game is destined for. Continue reading “The Power of Music in Ionia VR”

A Glitch in the Matrix is Coming in VR

glitch in the matrix posterFriday, April 2nd
5:00PM PT / 8:00PM ET
Oculus Platform

Read our review here.

Fans of The Matrix will get the sense of humour being used with this virtual reality meeting and conversation with the director of this documentary Rodney Ascher and actress Felicia Day. It’s a free event for those with the Oculus’ headgear to watch in a 3D space. But for those without, a 2D version of this Q&A will be posted to Magnolia Picture’s YouTube Channel after the event.

Synopsis:

if we are living in a simulation, and the world as we know it is not real? To tackle this mind-bending idea, acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher (Room 237, The Nightmare) uses a noted speech from Philip K. Dick to dive down the rabbit hole of science, philosophy, and conspiracy theory.

A Glitch in the MatrixLeaving no stone unturned in exploring the unprovable, the film uses contemporary cultural touchstones like The Matrix, interviews with real people shrouded in digital avatars, and a wide array of voices, expert and amateur alike. If simulation theory is not science fiction but fact, and life is a video game being played by some unknowable entity, then who are we, really? A Glitch in the Matrix attempts to find out.

Trailer:

From Montreal to France–Gymnasia in VR

GymnasiaBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream–perhaps that’s what creators from Clyde Henry Productions (Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, directors of Madame Tutli-Putli) were thinking of in Gymnasia–a virtual reality experience premiering May 28 at Montreal’s Phi Centre as part of the >HUM(AI)N exhibition, which runs through September 15. For Canadian users who like to experience this on Oculus devices, including the recently released Quest, it’s now available free of charge in the Oculus store.

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