ILMxLAB is working on a VR film with Alejandro G. Iñárritu
There’s not much we know about the untitled Iñárritu collaboration with ILM’s experimental VR and MR immersive filmmaking unit, but Slashfilm has a few details, including that it’s going to be a short film which involves Oscar-winner Emmanuel Lubezki (who worked on Gravity) helping with cinematography. The general plot will focus on the “intense and excruciating experience of a group of immigrants and refugees crossing the border between Mexico and the United States,” Slashfilm reports.
See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/29/ilmxlab-is-working-on-a-vr-film-with-alejandro-g-inarritu/
What the Associated Press has learned from a year of VR
AP said one of the big lessons is understanding when VR and 360 video won’t work. For example, a reporter went to New York’s recent fashion week to try to shoot a piece of VR, when they realized it wouldn’t work for the medium because the viewer, positioned as a member in the audience, is focused on one point: straight ahead. When the viewer would turn around, they’d see other cameras towering over them.
“Most events are not designed for VR,” said Marconi. A similar situation occurred at the Oscar’s for which AP did a 360 video. “If you look at the front you see red carpet but if you look back you see cameras and journalists towering over you. You have to ask how do you create an experience to immerse the user,” he said.
“The rule of thumb is ‘would you look around you in a certain situation?’ if the answer is yes, then maybe there is an opportunity to create a VR experience,” echoed Cheung.
“The key will be to compliment coverage and not inundate consumers with too much information. It’ll be a fine balance and we as an industry need to be careful and focused when it’s right to use technology.”
See the full story here: http://digiday.com/publishers/aps-learned-vr-360-videos/
FOVE Eye-tracking Headset Gets Final Specs and Pre-order Date
[Philip Lelyveld comment: human subject testing recently found that high resolution and a lot of motion in the periphery can be bad and induce sim sickness. Eye tracking and foviated rendering may be key to avoiding sim sickness.]
FOVE 0 Specifications
- Display: WQHD OLED (2560×1440)
- Display Refresh Rate: 70Hz
- Field of View: 90 ~ 100 degrees
- Tracking:
- Head Tracking
- Rotational
- Positional
- Eye Tracking
- 120FPS infrared x2 (accuracy <1 degree)
- Head Tracking
- Weight: 520g
- Audio: 3.5mm audio jack
- Connections: HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0, USB 2.0
- Accessories: Positional tracking camera, face cushion
See the full story here: http://www.roadtovr.com/fove-0-eye-tracking-vr-headset-final-specs-pre-order-date/
Forget VR. The Future of Roller Coasters Is About Maglev
SOME PEOPLE THINK the future of the amusement is all about virtual reality. I think it’s about a mix of electromagnetic acceleration, free falls, and untethered jumps into water.
But what if there was no friction at all? What if there were no rails or wheels? What if electro magnets propelled the cars? This is the idea behind the Sfrear Mountain Coaster.
The concept would mark an entirely new rider experience, combining a cushy ride, incredible speed, free falls, underground tunnels, water diving, and heart-racing turns and loops.
A 6-foot-wide, transparent sphere replaces the traditional open-top car. All three passengers, strapped in with conventional padded restraints, would get a clear view of their fellow riders’ gawking faces, along with the world spinning by.
The majority of the track would be tubular with an open top, to keep the sphere on the right path.
See the full story here: https://www.wired.com/2016/09/forget-vr-future-roller-coasters-maglev/
How Japan Studio created the first virtual reality “couch multiplayer” game with The Playroom VR
The Playroom contains six unique virtual reality games designed to be enjoyed by friends and families. The particularity of our title is that it mixes VR play with classic TV play to become the first ever sofa multiplayer experience released on VR.
However, what makes us different is that PS VR sits in the living room, and we know that all PS4 systems have a television screen nearby as well. If only those TV screens could also be used in conjunction with VR, perhaps new avenues would open up?
So we set ourselves a goal: to offer an inclusive VR experience where friends and families would be shouting and laughing together in the same room.
See the full story here: https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2016/09/26/how-japan-studio-created-the-first-virtual-reality-couch-multiplayer-game-with-the-playroom-vr/