iMyth

Category: Industry

  • Alien: Descent, the next installment in Location Based Immersive Entertainment

    Alien: Descent, the next installment in Location Based Immersive Entertainment

    I would be on the look out for more events such as this since I believe it will become more and more common. Location-based VR could be a $1 billion industry by the end of the year and grow to a $12 billion industry by 2023, according to projections from Greenlight Ventures.

    Alien:Descent is the newest attraction to hit The Outlets at Orange, in Orange County California. Not much is known about the attraction other than a participant and three other friends will find themselves investigating the beleaguered Weyland-Yutani mining station. I don’t know what they will find there but I have a strong suspicion that this will be an Aliens theme re-skinning of the Zero Latency, zombie shoot-em up attraction.

    Pure Imagination is the studio behind the attraction. I don’t know much about them other than being located in good old Van Nuys, where Rocketsled once had an office. The attraction claims to be wireless. This is OK. But there must be some kind of quality compromise for choosing to go this direction. Co-founder Joshua Wexler exclaims, “Even though it’s wireless, the company believes it’s achieved a visual quality as good as, or even better than the tethered VR experiences available today.” Whether or not this is true will yet to be seen. I personally am suspicious.

    Participants will be wearing mocap markers on their hands and feet. I have no idea what system they are using, but they will need an external computer to handle the tracking calculations and then pump them to each of the individual displays. My suspicion is that the treatment given to avatars will be no better then Zero Latency or even The Void.

    Good Luck Pure Imagination and Alien: Descent. We are all rooting for you to keep delivering quality experiences that can’t happen at home!

  • Alien Zoo Opens to Positive Comments

    Alien Zoo Opens to Positive Comments

    Just last week, Dreamscape Immersive opened it Alien Zoo experience in Los Angeles. The opening was kind of quiet and it’s been somewhat hard to get information about the new location-based experience. Ian Hamilton of Upload VR was one of the lucky few to have gone through the experience. He writes about his experience in his article, Dreamscape’s Alien Zoo Creates A Sense Of Awe And Wonder.

    In the article he creates a compare and contrast to the Void’s Star Wars and Ghostbuster’s experience. He is very quick to note that the Void experiences few very much like shooter type video games where Alien Zoo feels somewhat different. Like The Void, Alien Zoo has the participant done backpack computers and Oculus headsets. They also put on foot and hand coverings. Withing the experience, the physical immersion is dramatically different. Participants can shake hands with each other, give each other high fives, exchange objects and even physically interact with denizens of the story world. The avatars do a very good job tracking the participants’ positions. Colliding with each other and objects in the scene are not a problem.

    The article admits there are still problems with the experience especially with story near the end of the experience. However, he did not feel these distractions were deal-breakers. The new media format is still in its infancy and has far to grow.

    If you are in the Los Angeles area and have $20 burning a hole in  your pocket, make sure to check out this new attraction and be part of the evolution.

  • More Information about Secrets of the Empire

    More Information about Secrets of the Empire

    I’m very excited for mid-December to roll around here in Central Florida because that marks the opening of the Void/ILMX/Disney venture at Disney Springs called “Secrets of the Empire” 

    Folks who know me know I am extraordinarily bullish on the whole immersive experience market and the Void is definitely leading the charge. While they may not be the best they have definitely put the money into the much needed research and are developing a legitimate, rewarding experiential platform. Regretfully I have not been able to go to New Yourk or SLC to check out any of their installments. Secrets of the Empire(SOE) is their first installment to Central Florida. I’m hoping, because of its vacation destination status, Orlando will become a hub for immersive experiences. A friend of mine from the University of Utah recently had an opportunity to explore the SLC based company. He confirmed that the Void definitely has their fingers on the pulse of this progression. In other words, he though it was awesome.

    Bryan Bishop from The Verge recently had an opportunity to check out a prototype of the experience in the Imagineering Campus at Glendale. He describes his experience in his article, Secrets of the Empire ready for prime-time. In a nutshell Bryan is a big fan of the experience and feels it is well qualified to carry to label of being a genuine Holodeck-esque experience. He mentions that the physical props and sets integrated with the physical haptics, (haptic chest feedback, smell, heat/cold), and awesome looking imagery contribute to a rewarding, immersive experience. All-in-all he thought it was a tremendous amount of fun! The amalgamation of all these sensory stimuli does an effective job creating a compelling sense of autonomy and agency.

    What I thought was really interesting was how the experience adhered to the cannon of the Star Wars theme world. The events of Secrets of the Empire are canon in the larger universe, and while the narrative is fixed, it’s the nature of the medium that every individual who goes through will have their own unique experience based on what they do, how they react, and who they go in with. It creates a unique opportunity for replayability — even at $29.95 per ticket — with guests able to experience different elements or even take on different duties in certain scenes depending on how aggressively they choose to play. In other words, each experience of SOE is unique with the participant co-creating the story with the experience production team.

    As per my past criticism about the Void’s tracking techniques and limitations,  Bishop found the hand tracking to be inconsistent, with his virtual hands appearing smoothly at some moments, while remaining stubbornly nonexistent at others. In a portion  of the experience that required him to hit a number of buttons in sequence in order to escape a room, the tracking between the physical and the digital seemed so misaligned that he was unable to solve the puzzle altogether. And while the visuals were quite good, the realm of photorealism yet had not yet been met.

    Problems aside I am very excited to participate in this experience myself. I am very enthusiastic about this experience and the evolution of this new media. If quality experiences, such as this, keep coming out, then many of the noticeable problems will disappear and participant will focus exclusively on the opportunity for collaborative story telling.

  • A New Potential in Full Body MOCAP

    A New Potential in Full Body MOCAP

    I just found out today about a new company offering their solution to a full body MOCAP suit. Introducing the new Enflux Full Body MOCAP suit. This suit is interesting because unlike the Perception Neuron with nodes you attach to your body, the Enflux suit has nodes embedded within the fabric of the suit. How the suit deals with the offset in armature scale is an unknown. Hopefully they have solved that small  issue.

    The suit is driven by 10 IMU sensors; five located in the pants and five located in the shirt. Evidently the electronics are easily removed in order to facilitate easy washing of the suit. Each node is rated to plus or minus 2 degrees in roll, pitch and yaw. Their are currently making developers’ suits available to the public for $500. There is also a $100 headband that can be used for head tracking. Currently the technology is available for Blender and Unity. There is no documentation discussing availability for UE4. Overall this looks like a cost effective alternative to the Perception Neuron Suit that can be easily applied and removed, via the suit, and is hygienic, easy to wash.

    Similar to the Perception Neuron, this could be used as a poor man’s MOCAP solution. At $500 less than the Perception Neuron this may seem like a more cost effective solution.

    Regretfully, from an iMyth perspective, I am going to take a back seat on this technology until something a little more second generation arrives. The first and foremost reason is that this is an IMU driven sensing solution. IMUs are great at measuring relative accelerations and displacements. Without a relative world space anchor they have a bad problem of “drifting” away. The drift is caused by an inherit flaw in the electronic’s calculations. As each node iterates over the solution, the amount of drift increases, somewhat randomly, over time. We found a solution to this by using an HTC Vive headset as the anchor point for all character calculations. While not perfect or optimal, it did provide a suitable solution to keep the character in the same relative space. A better solution would be to use a Steam VR tracker at the waist, at the wrists and ankles and on the head. If you are going to this extent, all the suit really offers is economic solutions for the elbows and knees. 2 degrees of float in all of the calculations seems like a heavy priced to pay. That will come across as a lot of float :(.

    They offer a headband with another tracking node in it for $100. This may be great for a non-real time capture performance. However, I’m not quite sure how this would work with an HMD over the user’s head. The Enflux suit also does not provide support for articulated fingers. This is something the Perception Neuron does provide. Understandably this was a design choice in order to keep the cost of the suit down. Will there be some integration with an articulated glove in the future? We’ll just have to wait and see.

    Enflux has a very reasonable entry into the Full Body MOCAP market. Being cheaper than the Perception Neuron may give them the competitive edge they need in order to stay alive. However, being dependent on a pure IMU solution leaves the door open to much better tracking technologies come with the second generation.

  • Staw Wars/The Void Coming to Orlando

    Staw Wars/The Void Coming to Orlando

    I suppose it was only a matter of time. I gained wind that the Void had become part of the Disney Accelerator a couple of weeks ago. Last week I had learned that the Void would be opening an installation here in Orlando. I was not quite sure and I should have put two and two together earlier. It’s official, ILMX and The Void will be opening a Star wars experience, “Secrets of the Empire” in Orlando some time around the holidays. I don’t have any details other than what I have mentioned above.

    From the cover art I see that it is going to be a very similar experience as the Ghost Buster’s experience except that it is going to take place in the Star Wars theme world. The one major difference will be the inclusion of a digital interactor, K-2SO. There is some test footage of the autonomous robot posted in the Forbes internet article, ILMX Autonomous Interactors. Mind that this interactor is autonomous and not driven by a human being.

    I’m very excited to see the results of this. I would think that ILMX has created the majority of the experience already and will spend the next couple of months shoe-horning it into the Void system. I will have a full review once the attraction is available.

  • Dragon Ball Z Coming to a VR Arcade Near You

    Dragon Ball Z Coming to a VR Arcade Near You

    Whether you are a fan of the Dragon Ball Z theme world or not you had better watch out because it is coming to a VR Arcade near you. While there may not be a VR arcade near at this moment in time, fear not! That issue will be remedied within the near future. But, alas, this article is about Dragon Ball Z world becoming a familiar theme in the VR world.

    The HADO Company in Japan is already well on top of things. Even as early as last IAAPA, HADO was offering a room scale MR experience where participanst could fight against monsters or against each other using a Dragon Ball Z like game motion mechanic. While not sticking strictly the the Dragon Ball Z theme world, this company has taken its own artistic licenses and created a commercially viable product of their own.

    The San Francisco based entertainment company “SCRAP Entertainment” has installed this Dragon Ball Z like experience in their San Francisco location. I am currently unaware of the details except the installation will only be available through August 31. Their location is 1746 Post Street.

    If instead of a cheap rip-off you want the real deal with officially licensed Dragon Ball Z characters then you will have to go to Japan to the Bandai Namco VR Arcade Zone in Shinjuku, Tokyo. An earlier review of this VR Arcade has already been provided in this post, Bandai Namco VR Arcade. This place is really cool. they are a 40,000 square foot, 2-floor VR arcade featuring games operating on the HTC Vive. Many of these games are integrated with motion controlled apparatus such as motion chairs and stationary bicycles. Much of their special content seems to be IP related, custom built experiences. Check out this main atrium in the facility.

    I’m sure there will be future articles describing their Mario Kart and Doreomon VR experiences but this article is devoted to the Dragon Ball Z Theme world.

    The experience is available for 2-4 players simultaneously. The crew starts off a group of new recruits in a typical martial arts training ground led by series protagonist, Goku. AFter mastering the basic the crew is teleported to an iconic, barren field where he executes a Kamehameha, made more immersive by an open-hand custom device using Vive Trackers. That’s when the battle begins, and you’re positioned at different intervals, using your training mates as target practice.

    What I think is really cool about this experience is that each participant is isolated into their own VR play space. But in the battle field their relatives positions change dynamically. The field of play has been transformed from a 40’x10′ strip to an entire battle field. This demonstrates some of the true potential VR Arcades and and immersive experiences have. I look forward seeing new additions to this already groovy attraction.

  • Starbreeze Confirms Future of VR in Location Based Entertainment

    Starbreeze Confirms Future of VR in Location Based Entertainment

    In a a recent interview with Starbreeze Games Chief of Technology, Emmanual Marquez, Dean Takahashi of GamesBeat asks the gaming executive his thoughts on VR and where VR is headed in the near future. Starbreez overall is still very bullish with VR but not necessarily with the home enthusiasts:

    We’re doing Star VR. Since day one I knew it would be difficult to install VR in the home. We all know why. It’s expensive. You need space. It’s difficult to set up. It’s for geeks. When I created Star VR as a piece of hardware at Starbreeze—first of all, I did it because we believe in content, and I knew we could develop at the same time. We always planned to go for the arcades. I envisioned the console model. Console games grew out of the arcades. People played Pac-Man in cafes for years before consoles ever became successful as something everyone had at home. I think VR will follow the same path.

    Admittedly, many people are disappointed with the lack of progress VR has made of the last two years. iMyth has been very bullish on the Location based, Mall driven market. In fact, iMyth has never presented itself as a Game company but rather an Immersive Experience company. Here is what Marquez had to say on the subject:

    People that are disappointed by VR right now are the same people who were enthusiastic two years ago. It’s hobbyists and researchers. There are a lot of other markets, as we all know, and we work with them too, all the verticals outside of games. We know it works. We’re monitoring IMAX VR centers and stuff like that. It’s successful.

    My conclusion is that the audience isn’t necessarily gamers. It’s not the normal gaming audience. It’s anyone. It’s families out on a Sunday trying this out the same way they’d go and see a movie. It’s every age, so you need to provide an experience that works for everyone.

    When you get in the John Wick experience, you’re holding a real gun. Or not real, but it’s an exact replica. You don’t need an explanation of the game mechanics. You get in, you pick up the gun, and you shoot. It’s like going to the fair, the same principle. You play, win, lose, have fun, and come back. You rack up a leaderboard score and your friends try to beat you. Then you have an experience that people play together. The immersion becomes very social. VR is fun to play, but it’s also fun to watch and share.

    Indeed, Immersive Experiences are meant to be social experiences. However, where Starbreeze will focus more on the Esports, game driven community, iMyth will focus on the narrative seeking community. We both have different perspectives how social collaboration will happen. Regardless, that social collaboration will be one of the keep components of VR’s success.

  • Introducing, from Mother Russia : Anvio!

    Introducing, from Mother Russia : Anvio!

    The newest competitor in the location based VR experience market is a start up from Moscow called Anvio. Anvio is a great looking, full body motion capture VR experience.

    The setup employs full body motion capture from a Moscow based company, Vortex LLC., mixed with off the shelf HMD equipment (Oculus Rift) and backpack computers. From the videos they seems to have a very fleshed out experience.

    With their 2,150 square foot arena, one can’t help compare Anvio with Zero Latency. However with plank walking, floors breaking apart, soccer balls, and a seemingly less arcade like experience, it would seem Anvio has a superior product. An interesting observation is that Anvios offers fill body Motion capture which none of the existing experience companies are providing. By effective tracking of wrists, ankles and bodies, the participants are empowered to interact on a far more organic and intimate level. It will be interesting to see where this company goes. They plan on opening a facility in London in the near future. These guys are really exciting!

  • Location Based VR Experiences Gaining Market Traction

    Location Based VR Experiences Gaining Market Traction

    I have been ranting about Location Based VR Experiences for the last few years and it seems as if the business model is starting to gain traction. In a Road to VR article written by Greenlight Insights analyst Colin McMahon, VR Developers Prioritizing VR Arcades for Content Distribution, the ground work for such business is explained. VR Arcades are opening around the world and it would seem the trend is only building. Location based VR is extraordinarily popular in China where the cost entry point for getting into VR is out or range for most consumers. VR Arcades offer an excellent way for experiencing VR without having to pay the enormous start-up costs.

    In many ways, the LBVRE industry has done a much better job of fulfilling the early potential and expectations of what virtual reality as a technology can offer, than home systems. With no restrictions on hardware customisation and the freedom to eschew out-of-the box tracking technologies for current generation VR headsets, startups like The Void and VRCade have shown what pure virtual reality attractions can offer right now. Companies such as IMAX VR are already distributing content created by other developers.

    McMahon says, “The emergence of the LBVRE sector will benefit VR-first studios, as it is another premium channel to distribute their experiences, much like Hollywood studios benefit from movie theaters.” He then goes on to explain the intentions of VR development company Survios to distribute their new title Sprint Vector as an ideal LBVRE content.

    Utilizing LBVRE for distribution is on many developers mind’s as well. The graph shown below demonstrates a 36{76c5cb8798b4dc9652375d1c19c86d53c1d1411f4e030dd406aa284e63c21817} concern for the availability for VR distribution channels.

    It’s obviously too early to identify a specific trends but there does seems to be a building interest.

    Based on Greenlight Insights March 2017 forecast, LBVRE is expected to grow in revenues to $1.2 billion in 2021, propelled by commercial and consumer spending on VR technology, content and services at cinemas, arcades, and other venue attractions.

  • State of VR Arcades

    State of VR Arcades

    I just bumped into an interesting article today written by Ian Sherr for CNET talking about his experiences with VR Arcades. VR Arcades are very similar to what iMyth is trying to create. The big difference is that the VR Arcade are positioning for smaller term, fast experiences where as iMyth is striving for longer episodic experiences. VR Arcades such as the IMAX VR Arcade have already made a presence in Los Angeles and are opening another facility in New York in the near future.  Companies such as Dreamscape Interactive will be joining in the competition in the very near future.

    The author goes on to describe his experience with Nomadic VR. I documented  Nomadic a couple of months ago. Nomadic is positioning itself to create Turn-key systems based on theatrical props and sets borrowed from the movie industry. They are looking for industry partners but only if your are big enough to register a blip on their screen :). Sherr believes that location based experiences such as IMAX, Dreamscape and Nomadic will be the big winners with the advent of the VR Arcade. SO far VR has failed to capture the dollars of the mass public. Could VR Arcades be the answer? I believe so!

    There are some cynics to be sure. Sean Kelley, an associate at investment and advisory company The Rain Group, said while his firm has made bets on entertainment and live events, it’s not yet convinced VR arcades are going to be a big draw. “The biggest issue with these VR arcades is not demand or content or whether the experience is cool, it’s throughput,” he said. There are already signs some arcade chains are failing, and part of that is because they just don’t make enough money, he added. “You have to put enough people through.” Throughput is very much a problem. I believe the answer to this is creating a higher end product with a far greater production value than be achieved in the home. In my opinion, “High-End” VR is better than no VR and people will be will to pay for experiences outside of the box.