iMyth

Month: April 2017

  • Bandai Namco’s Tokyo-Based VR Arcade

    Bandai Namco’s Tokyo-Based VR Arcade

    I suppose this was inevitable. Not only are location based immersive experience sweeping the the American country-side but it seems as if the fever is also catching abroad. VR Arcade are very popular in China. Limited hi-end PCs and and the desire for social interaction make China fertile ground for this type of industry. Japan is jumping on the bandwagon as well with Bandai Namco opening  its VR arcade, known as “VR Zone: Project I Can” in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan starting this Friday, April 15th, until October 10th, 2017.

    Not much is known about the experience other than video, shown above. Some of the teaser art promises:

    • Two mech-type battle sequences
    • A singing simulator
    • A skiing simulator
    • A plank walking experience
    • A horror experience
    • A train management simulator

    If the attraction employ real props and are as interactive as the above video then I am sure the patrons will have a rewarding experiences.

    Update 7/17/17

    Here is a quick update with a trailer for each of the unique experiences which can be found at the newly opened Bandai Namco VR theme park.

    Vive Demos at the Bandai Namco VR Arcade.

  • Steam VR Lighthouse Operation

    Steam VR Lighthouse Operation

    I guess I’m just being a geek here. I would not normally create a posting like this but I think it is just so cool.

    It’s very hard to understand just what the Steam VR lighthouses are doing and how they track an object’s position in real time. In my opinion it is a minor engineering miracle. The lighthouses basically works as thus:

    • The LEDs flash which tell the controller’s sensors to get ready for a scan
    • The horizontal(lower) wheel spins and emits a lazer beam spanning from right to left, 120 degrees
    • The sensor counts the time between the led flash and the lazer pulse
    • The LEDs flash again
    • The vertical wheel(right) spins and emits a vertical beam, 120 degrees
    • The sensors records the second time difference
    • The computer then uses the two time differences to compute the sensor’s location and orientation

    https://gfycat.com/BleakAcclaimedJellyfish

    The Lighthouse fundamental operation is cool. But what steams my noodle is that it is doing the cycle 60 times a second!

    How groovy is that?

  • The Void Opens in Linden

    The Void Opens in Linden

    After what seemed to be an almost two year wait, the Void has finally opened their doors in their home Utah location. I have yet to sample any of The Void’s experiences. I have read there are many good aspects and many bad aspects. Overall, each individual needs to be the judge for themselves.

    As The Void claims, they are now operating at 90 frames/sec and with a FOV comparable to the Vive. Participants are equipped with backpacks so there are no annoying cables to deal with. Evidently, compared to some other immersive experiences, the extra weight on a participant’s back is worth the extra frame rate and expanded field of view. It also seems as if The Void’s tracking problems have been solved with the new tracking system by OptiTrack. OptiTrack claims their cameras are 40{76c5cb8798b4dc9652375d1c19c86d53c1d1411f4e030dd406aa284e63c21817} less expensive than competitor’s. I am not sure this is so remarkable. 40{76c5cb8798b4dc9652375d1c19c86d53c1d1411f4e030dd406aa284e63c21817} from $.5 million is still close to $.25 million which is still quite a chunk of change. iMyth will need to find other ways around this entry barrier. Tracking balls are also hidden from the experience. This is actually a good idea since tracking balls tend to stick out and be one more item to potentially break. This is achieved with imbedded led lights and silver metallic paint which is the same stuff used to paint the Nike logo on the sides of your shoes.

    The tracking and the overall experience appear to be stable. There still seems to be some dynamic problems in tight situations where participant bump into each other. Evidently the avatars don’t really match the person they are modelling. This is attributed to only the participant’s head and gun being tracked. With that said, participants were feeling disappointed they could not see their hands. Once again this is because the participants hands are not being tracked.

    The price of the experience is $25 for a less than 15 minute experience. Some may question this price and make it hard to justify a trip to Linden Utah. However, if one is passing through with a little time on their hands then the experience is definitely worth it.

    Once again The Void is back on top of the Pioneer Train of Immersive experience. They are definitely discovering many of the bumps and pitfalls of this immerging new media. For us little guys let’s hope they do not run out of money so they can keep hitting these snags and coming up with solutions. Good Luck!

  • Greenlight’s VR Industry Revenue Predictions

    Greenlight’s VR Industry Revenue Predictions

    According to Greenlight, more than 65{76c5cb8798b4dc9652375d1c19c86d53c1d1411f4e030dd406aa284e63c21817} of all VR revenue will come from headset sales this year. The anticipated revenue from VR this year is $7.17B. This is expected to grow to $72.82B by the beginning of 2021.

    On a note more related to iMyth, Greenlight forecasts that location-based immersive experiences is going to grow into a significant part of the industry. In 2017, location-based VR will bring in $222M worldwide; by 2021, that amount will grow to almost $1.2B. This is a great place for iMyth to be in.

  • Tick-Tock Unlock/Hyper Reality Experience

    Tick-Tock Unlock/Hyper Reality Experience

    I knew there were going to be many players in the immersive experience industry. I just didn’t expect so many with quality product and coming from over-seas. Look out Void, Dreamscape, Zero Latency and iMyth, there is a new player in town and it looks like they are doing it right; Tick-Tock Unlock/Hyper Reality Experience!

    The folks who started Tick-Tock, Ali and Samrien Kahn, are coming from a different perspective. The former engineer and Disney employee cut their immersive teeth on escape games.Tick-Tock Unlock appears to be a very successful franchise in Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds. Growing beyond escape games, the Kahns are venturing towards Virtual Reality and immersive experiences with real physical props and sets. They are featuring modular sets and theatrical “game masters” who guide participants into HTC Vive Headsets and take the experience into another dimension while creating a context and a mission.

    Their first Hyper-Reality experience is scheduled to open late April. A larger experience center in London is expected to open later this year. They have two themes for games, a World War II shooter and a sword and sorcery fantasy. Other than integrating VR as a component of their escape games, not much else is known about about Tick-Tock Unlock or Hyper-Reality Experiences. However, if they deliver half of what they promise in their promo video, then companies such as The Void, Dreamscape and iMyth are in for some stiff competition.