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Could there be a boom in VR Arcades?

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Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, HTC, push the concept of VR arcades with new ‘Vive’ software

Viveport Arcade offers arcade operators curated software with a pay-per-use license

One of the biggest issues with high-end virtual reality experiences right now is that they often require people invest thousands of pounds in powerful computers in order to work. One solution to this is the VR arcade, where operators buy machines and then rent time on them to the public.

HTC recently announced a new software platform that aims to help with the creation of such arcades. ‘Viveport Arcade’ is designed to help arcade operators find games that are well-suited to the sort of public experience that they’re building, while also helping developers better monetise their creations. It’s built for the Taiwanese hardware maker’s Vive headset, one of the leading offerings in the realm of high-end virtual reality headgear.

It’s a move by the company to try and democratise access to virtual reality, while also getting a cut of the burgeoning VR arcade business. Rikard Steiber, senior vice president of Virtual Reality at HTC, said that these arcades are a big hit in China.

“We see this moving very strongly in China, where there are basically thousands of these arcade operators opening up,” he said in an interview. “It’s everything from the traditional internet cafes, to the arcades that are linked to cinemas, to basically independent operators and shopping malls opening them up as well.”

Viveport Arcade can help drive that business in a couple of ways: first, operators get curated, frequently refreshed software that’s licensed for use in an arcade. Developers then have an opportunity to sell their software to those businesses and make money on its ongoing use.

Arcade operators pre-buy time through Viveport Arcade that they can then use to let users run VR experiences. When the credits are expended, HTC splits the proceeds evenly with the Vive developer whose software is used.

In the future, HTC may also work with developers on creating titles that can only be used in arcades because they require special hardware or a particular physical setup.

To inspire the creation of VR arcades, HTC also recently launched a VR theme park called Viveland in Taipei. It’s meant to serve as an example of what VR arcades could be, to inspire other people to operate their own and spread virtual reality.

Viveport Arcade is launching first in China and Taiwan. HTC says that it will then roll out to “thousands of locations” worldwide by the end of next year.

 

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– Blair Hanley Frank

HTC to launch its own Virtual Reality app store

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HTC is launching Viveport, an alternative to the Steam catalog of Vive virtual reality experiences, worldwide this autumn.

Viveport was announced earlier this year, and it launched in China — where Steam is a much less established platform — in the spring. Now, a global developer beta will launch soon, followed by a full rollout. Developers can register today on the Vive site.

The store is supposed to be a more general-interest alternative than the more gaming-focused Steam, and it will be available across multiple platforms: desktop; a mobile app; and an in-VR catalog connected to Vive Home, a virtual environment created by HTC. “We believe virtual reality is going to change the world,” says HTC Vive senior vice president Rikard Stelber, and Viveport is supposed to make it easier to find certain categories of VR that have broad appeal, like educational experiences, shopping, and creative tools.

Steam already offers a large non-gaming catalog. Besides general-purpose desktop software and traditional films, it offers a diverse range of VR titles, like the Tilt Brush painting program and an Apollo 11 educational experience. At the same time, the platform is overwhelmingly associated with games, and with thousands of VR and non-VR titles, it’s increasingly crowded. “We’re recommending developers to publish on all platforms,” says Stelber, including Steam. “We don’t necessarily want to compete with it, we basically want to add additional categories.” Viveport will offer a new, dedicated space to showcase VR experiences.

It’s less clear why consumers would go to Viveport instead of the extremely popular Steam, which they’ll already have to launch to use the Vive. HTC said in January that Viveport was “more of an option for people who can’t use Steam,” although Stelber says it’s since seen a lot of interest that justifies a larger release. The best argument for Viveport may be that Steam is confusingly overstuffed with products and features already, and a dedicated VR store would make the Vive easier to navigate — which, for a powerful but often difficult platform, is a good thing.

– Adi Robertson

‘Pokemon Go’ Outbreak in the UK

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Pokemon Go, a mobile game that has become a global phenomenon, has been released in the UK.

It was already available in the US, Australia and Germany but some UK gamers found ways around the country restriction to get early access.

The app lets players roam a map using their phone’s GPS location data and catch Pokemon to train and battle.

The game has added millions to the value of Nintendo, which part-owns the franchise.

However, some people have raised concerns about the app’s safety. The chief executive of children’s charity NSPCC urged the app’s makers to adapt the game before its UK release, warning that adults could use it to prey on children.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “It’s deeply troubling that the app’s owners have ignored many warning signals and well documented child safety concerns. It would have been better if they had taken time to reflect on these and put their young users first.”

The game uses a smartphone’s GPS location and real-world maps to track players as they move around. Players can visit Pokestops – typically landmarks or buildings – and collect free items in the game.

The main aim is to catch Pokemon, which pop up along the way. The game provides an augmented reality experience, using the smartphone’s camera to provide a live view of the world, with Pokemon superimposed.

Any creatures caught can be used in battle against other players at Pokemon gyms – also real-world landmarks.

Top tips for new Pokemon Trainers

Choose your starter wisely

At the beginning of the game, you’ll be offered a choice of Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle – the three starter Pokemon offered in the first Pokemon games. However, if you ignore the choice and walk away from the Pokemon, you’ll get the chance to catch Pikachu instead.

Keep on catching

You’ll find the same Pokemon pop up time and time again, especially common creatures such as Pidgey and Rattata. Although you may be determined to “catch ’em all”, catching every Pokemon you encounter is a quick way to earn experience and level up, which will give you access to more features in the game. Plus catch enough Pidgey and you’ll earn a birdkeeper medal!

Follow the tracks

A Pokemon tracker is available at the bottom right hand side of the screen. Tap it to bring up a list of nearby Pokemon. A greater number of footprints indicates that a Pokemon is further away. Keep the tracker open as you walk around to see the Pokemon change order, with the closest creatures at the top of the list. This should help you find the ones you want.

Minimize Waste

If you throw a Pokeball and miss, tap it before it disappears to pick it up again.

– BBC News

Brexit’s Potential Impact on UK Gaming Industry

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The gaming industry holds concerns that leaving the European Union will affect access to games development talent

The gaming development industry has expressed concerns that leaving the European Union (EU) will affect its talent pipeline.

Games developer network Tiga has claimed an exit from the EU may lead to harsher immigration rules, preventing European developers from contributing to games development in the UK.

Richard Wilson, Tiga CEO, said: “The UK video games industry is a technology sector that provides high-skilled employment for more than 30,000 people, including approximately 11,000 development staff, and which contributes £1.1bn to UK GDP.

“It is also export-oriented, with at least 95% of studios exporting. Following the referendum in favour of ‘Brexit’, it will be more vital than ever to strengthen – and avoid harming – those sectors where the UK has a comparative competitive advantage.”

Research by Tiga has found 15% of UK games development staff are from the EU, and the network claimed the government should take responsibility to ensure the games industry still has access to talent and funding.

Tiga highlighted access to finance, tax relief and intellectual property are among other areas of threat caused by jumping the EU ship.

The UK games industry was cited to grow significantly in 2016, with 70% of employers in the sector planning new hires throughout the year.

As it stands, the industry has access to funding through schemes such as Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) backed UK Games Fund, designed to promote growth in UK creative industries.

But Tiga expressed concerns that European programmes, such as Creative Europe and Horizon 2020, which support creative industries in the EU may no longer be open to UK applications post-Brexit.

The network called on the government to invest further in schemes such as the Video Games Prototype Fund to avoid growing industries being negatively affected by a potentially uncertain economic environment.

Wilson said: “For the video games industry, it is particularly important that policy makers ensure games companies have access to sufficient finance, benefit from video games tax relief and research and development tax relief, have clear and stable IP rights and can access highly skilled people from outside of the UK.

“Any new points-based migration system must not be onerous or complicated, otherwise the industry’s growth could be held back.”

The UK is currently part of the Registered Community Design regime, the EU Trade Mark regime and acts under the Unregistered EU Design Right, all of which are designed to protect the rights of those creating intellectual properly, such as video games, as part of the European Union. This means an exit from the EU could significantly affect rules around intellectual property for games developers.

– Clare McDonald

Will Virtual Reality Arcades change gaming?

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Games enthusiasts of a certain age can often be found reminiscing about a legendary golden era – the age of arcade gaming.

 

It spanned a decade or so, starting in the mid-to-late 70s, a period which launched the infamous title Space Invaders and also brought us games like Asteroids, Lunar Lander and – of course – Pacman.

The necessity of games arcades was due to the sophisticated technology on offer. Dedicated cabinets had computers set up to play that game and that game alone. Home gaming, in the very early days of Space Invaders, was simply too expensive for most.

As time went on, technology got better. And cheaper. Suddenly, games arcades were losing their purpose in life. If a PlayStation gave you as good an experience in your bedroom, why go to a building and spend your spare change to play for just a few minutes at a time?

And the social scene of arcades – where many a young romance blossomed – drifted away too. Through the 90s, and into the noughties, games arcades all but disappeared.

But in the halls of E3 this week, a show where attendees are looking years into the future of the multi-billion dollar industry, there’s talk of “Arcade 2.0”. A rebirth.

Why? Virtual reality. For the first time since the Golden Age, the public is showing interest in gaming technology they can’t yet afford. And, even if they could, it’s not something that most homes could accommodate to its full potential.

Warehouse scale

That’s why virtual reality arcades are popping up all over the globe. Some are small projects, a good-sized room with the latest kit. Others are big budget smashes, like Hub Zero. Nestled in Dubai, Hub Zero is an “indoor video game park”.

The attractions include an installation by VRcade, a company that has created a totally tether-free VR system – one that allows for multiple players in the same game simultaneously.

The Seattle-based firm’s typical customers include shopping centres or cinemas – in other words, anywhere where there’s available space. I suggested, quite smartly I thought, to approach any pub that had an ageing bucking bronco in the corner.

VRcade differs from its competition by aiming to produce customised VR experiences that make use of the real physical location. Motion sensors are placed around the area to monitor the movement of the player, as well as any in-game peripherals. It means all movements are tracked, whether you’re jumping or ducking or rolling.

“Right now this is room scale,” explained Ivan Blaustein, VRcade’s director of product integration, as he gave me a demonstration.

“We want warehouse scale.”

It’s an experience most could never replicate at home.

Bring your mates

The major players in virtual reality are HTC, PlayStation and Oculus.

“I personally love arcades,” said Joel Braten, HTC’s global head of content for the Vive headset.

“I grew up in them. Based on the conversations we’re having, this is about ready to take off really in a big way.”

HTC’s biggest weakness, and one that prevents it being able to offer the same kind of carefree multiplayer offered by VRcade, is the headset’s tether – a cable that runs down your back and is consequently always at the back of your mind, quite literally, as you work your way around virtual worlds.

But if VR raises the potential for arcades to return, fans of the classic games scene doubt it will carry the same charm.

“We traditionally have arcade games from a specific era where it wasn’t just about money,” said Scott Davids, a collector who runs EightyTwo, a Los Angeles bar he’s filled with old arcade machines.

“I wonder if that’s what VR is going to be about – you pay $10 and get a five minute game.”

He attributed the fall of the games arcade not to the rise of high-powered consoles, but instead to what he said were overly strict regulations on businesses running arcades.

And games makers became greedy, he said – increasingly demanding players to continually pump money in to keep on playing.

If virtual reality does bring about a surge in games arcades, it may be fleeting. PlayStation VR, which will be launched in October this year, will cost just $399, and will work on the current PlayStation 4.

But then again, unlike other gaming technologies – that have been miniaturised from arcade cabinet to console and more recently to smartphone – those enjoying VR will always want space to enjoy it to the fullest.

It may not be the golden age of button bashing and coin inserting – but it is a welcome development if, like Mr Davids, you believe gaming is an activity best enjoyed in the company of other people.

– Dave Lee

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