Film Friday: E3 Trailer Special

For this week's Film Friday we have an E3 trailer special! Check out seven of the latest trailers which highlight some games and hardware hitting the E3 Expo show floor next week.

EVE Valkyrie: New Hands-On Reactions

You've heard our take on EVE: Valkyrie before. We played at Fanfest 2014 and loved it. We just attended EVE Vegas 2014, played again, and loved it once more. But what about...you? What's the verdict from everyone else?

We talked to dozens of Valkyrie players throughout EVE Vegas. Their consensus? Overwhelmingly positive. Nearly unanimous feedback that Valkyrie & VR is downright incredible. Check out our favorite post-game reactions highlighted below!

Infinity Runner - Oculus Rift Review

Infinity Runner is a fast paced first-person game set on a large spaceship, where the main character breaks free from what appears to be a stasis chamber before setting off at a run that never ends. The player must then use basic controls to avoid obstacles, turn corners and defeat enemies. It's a great concept for a virtual reality game, but the end product essentially feels more like an Oculus Rift demo with potential, rather than a finished game.

Oculus Connect: Developer Conference

VR is incredible, and it's only going to grow. And what's one sure sign you're growing? Having your own conference, of course! Oculus has a new annual event, Oculus Connect, a two-day event for devs and passionate fans to discuss everything VR. So what can we expect from the fall affair?

EVE: Valkyrie Interview with Chris Smith

"My concentration is on making the best goddamn VR game I can!"

As Lead Game Designer, Chris Smith is spearheading the direction of EVE: Valkyrie. Continuing our coverage of Fanfest 2014, I sat down with him and got another look inside Valkyrie's development by CCP Games.

A few things to keep an eye on:

  • Smith references Halo 1, Team Fortress 2, Gears of War and Mario Kart
  • There's an interesting discussion on roles and cockpit vision
  • We get a second cryptic, but very revealing, answer on Rán's lore
  • Near the end, we get an exclusive scoop about Fanfest 2015!

EVE: Valkyrie - Fanfest 2014 Hands-On

Currently, EVE: Valkyrie is more of a "wild ride" than a game – and that's okay.

At only one year past its prototype, EVE: Valkyrie is blowing socks off. During Fanfest 2014, crowds gathered and lines formed; everyone seized their chance for three minutes in space. CCP Games had secured 9 of 17 Oculus Rift DK2's in the world. Attendees took full advantage.

Personally, I played Valkyrie in two forms:

  • The Unreal Engine 4 build on the Oculus Rift DK2 (x2)
  • The Unity build on Sony's 'Project Morpheus' (x1)

Let's see how it all stacks up.

EVE: Valkyrie Interview with Owen O'Brien

EVE: Valkyrie is the forerunner of gaming's next generation. Having played at Fanfest, the hype is real – but more on that later. I recently sat down with Owen O'Brien, Executive Producer on Valkyrie, and talked VR, UI, logos and beyond. O'Brien gives a light-hearted, insightful view inside Valkyrie's development. Two things to look out for:

  • I received a bizarre answer about Oculus as a co-publisher
  • I asked what's behind the mask of Rán – and the answer was very compelling

GDC Hands-On With the Morpheus and Oculus Rift

This year at GDC, ZAM was on the scene to check everything out. Join Lindsay Ferguson as she goes hands-on with both Sony's Project Morpheus and OculusVR's Oculus Rift as well as gets some feedback from the GDC crowd.

Oculus VR Unveils New 'Milestone' Prototype at CES

Oculus VR has showcased its latest prototype, Crystal Cove, at CES 2014. It has two new key features that are promised to not only be in the consumer version but claim to greatly enhance the virtual reality experience. These two features are positional tracking and low persistence.

With the original Oculus Rift devkit, the equipment only tracked orientation, such as when you move your head. This was tracked very precisely, but if you leaned forward or tried to peek around a corner in a game, that particular data wasn't tracked.

With the Crystal Cove being used in addition to an external camera tracking OLEDs on the prototype, the wearer is able to move more naturally with three extra degrees of freedom. You can lean forward or back, crouch down and look underneath things, making for a more natural and comfortable experience. Right now, Oculus is going for the optimal seated VR experience with the Crystal Cove and, as of yet, it is unknown how well it will work standing up, or indeed with something like the Virtuix Omni, a VR treadmill.

Interview With the VR Jam 2013 Winner

The VR Jam 2013 developer competition run by OculusVR and IndieCade saw hundreds of great entries designed for use with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, from games to sims and experiences. Not too long ago the winners were announced and I grabbed the opportunity to speak with E. McNeill, developer of the winning virtual hacker sim, Ciess.