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Virtual Reality to be used in 2016 Olympics

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Rio 2016 set to be a ‘laboratory’ for new virtual reality technology that will shape the future of sports broadcasting

Key moments of sporting drama from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be shown in full and true 360-degree high-definition virtual reality (VR), offering an unprecedented and immersive view of the action.

Using a compatible headset and their mobile phones, viewers will be transported right to the heart of the Olympic action , with coverage slated to include the opening and closing ceremonies, and one event per day. The live broadcasts will be offered via video-on-demand services provided by the various international rights holders, including NBC in the US. So far, 12 rights holders have taken up the Virtual Reality offerings, with others still to confirm.

Karen Mullins, Production Manager for the host operator OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Services), says that after successfully testing 180-degree cameras at the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, true 360-degree Virtual Reality tech will be deployed for the first time at Rio 2016.

“VR is not about viewing in a traditional sense,” says Mullins. “It’s about an ‘experience’ and we always tend to describe it as that, rather than as coverage. In each venue, each sport, we try to take the viewer to a place that they couldn’t buy a ticket for.”

Inside the action

The OBS is planning 85 hours of VR programming, including the opening and closing ceremonies, men’s basketball – including the semi-finals and final – gymnastics, track and field, beach volleyball, diving, boxing and fencing. Short highlights of all these sports will be available the next day.

These VR offerings will complement more than 7,000 hours of content scheduled, with many events broadcast in 4K High Definition Resolution, and some in the latest 8K Ultra High Definition/Super High Vision.

Blending in

The cameras used for VR production have been developed especially for Rio 2016. They are unusual looking, about the size of a bowling ball, with many lenses, and sit on top of a stand-pole. Some have been customised, depending on the sport environment, to make sure they don’t interfere with the events.

The development of viewing devices like Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift, means it’s possible to experience VR at home and at an affordable price. These immersive experiences will only improve, says Mullins.

“VR mimics the in-venue experience of being in the stadium without the broadcast commentary or editorial cuts: the things we take for granted. We do have the ability to offer replays with VR, which is a first, and unsual, but the tech is still developing, so it’s a learning curve, seeing what kind of content viewers enjoy, and want more of.

The future is now

“Nobody doubts that VR will grow and become key. It’s virtually being there, rather than being a passive viewer. It’s going to be big.”

In addition, OBS will provide broadcasters with live coverage of select Olympic events using cutting-edge 8K UHD Super High Vision. OBS Chief Executive Yiannis Exarchos says the operator will use the Rio Games as an “accelerated laboratory for exploring some of these new technologies that will shape the future of sports broadcasting.”

– Jonathan Powell

‘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

Virtual Reality: Future of In-Flight Entertainment?

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Could the power of Virtual Reality make the tiny screens in the back of aircraft cabin seats a piece of history?

Virtual reality and streaming content from sites like Netflix is the future of in-flight entertainment, replacing tiny screens in the back of chairs that often have low quality movies, the aerospace industry’s biggest players told CNBC.

Companies had set up virtual reality stations around their stands at the Farnborough Airshow highlighting what the inside of their jets look like and how it feels to fly in one of their planes.

While these are mainly for airlines to experience what a manufacturer’s plane is like, aircraft makers are predicting virtual reality technology will be incorporated within cabins soon.

“The consumer market is taking off and people who are keen on this tech expect people like Airbus as industry leaders to be aware of this, and I do foresee in the near future an opportunity for our customers to potentially have this in their cabin,” Andy Anderson, deputy chief technology officer at Airbus, told CNBC in an interview earlier this week.

“For a passenger inside the plane, imagine being able to put on the headset and project a whole world across the roof of the cabin and allow them to fly underneath the stars, or allow them to see a movie, it’s a new platform for innovation.”

Anderson also said that VR can be used to help people who suffer from claustrophobia on planes for example, by projecting people into an open space.

The technology has already been tested by one airline. Last year, Australian airline Qantas trialed providing VR headsets to its first class passengers on select routes. New movies were shown as well as Qantas products for passengers to look at.

Virtual reality is taking off with a number of electronics makers from Samsung to HTC all releasing headsets recently. Total shipment of virtual reality hardware is expected to reach 64.8 million units in 2020, up from 9.6 million this year, according to IDC. Sales of VR hardware are expected to generate $2.3 billion of revenues in 2016.

Some companies are already working on plane-specific applications for VR. A virtual reality production start-up called Trillenium has been working on a project that could make “windowless planes” a reality. The company is working on using a stream from the cameras on the outside of an aircraft, then stitching it together into a VR experience that a passenger could view through a headset. It could also transport passengers into business class seats for example and be used to generate revenues for airlines.

“It will encourage and stimulate first class and business class upgrades prior to travel, while an on-board virtual first class will allow economy passengers to taste the first class menu, explore a wine list, and IFE (in-flight entertainment) in return for a paid premium usage of the VR headset wherever they are seated,” Hrvoje Prpic, chief executive of Trillenium, wrote in a LinkedIn post earlier this year.

Bring your own device

Airlines providing hardware is just one route that could transform in-flight entertainment. But the future could also be in increased connectivity within aircraft, given how much people are doing on their smartphones today. Airlines and plane makers are focusing on creating the infrastructure to allow internet on-board an aircraft. This is a big trend, one which could mean people are able to stream content.

“I think what is changing and changing dramatically is entertainment on the aircraft. You remember flying around on airplanes that have little screens that you can barely see, to now everybody has devices that they can bring on, as long as they can connect their device, then they’re off and running and I think that’s really going to be a dramatic change,” Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s 737 Max project, told CNBC on Tuesday.

“That’s not ten years from now, that’s today and that is something we are making sure the airplane is equipped with.”

– Arjun Kharpal

Jaguar’s turn to Virtual Reality: Increased Car Sales

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Jaguar says VR is helping it sell an ‘incredible amount of cars’ as it launches Andy Murray experience

Having signed up Andy Murray for a new virtual reality experience, Jaguar has insisted the technology isn’t a gimmick and is resulting in improved car sales.

The #FeelWimbledon VR campaign is part of Jaguar’s sponsorship of the iconic tennis tournament and places users onto Centre Court to experience the atmosphere while hitting the winning shot as Andy Murray.

The virtual reality experience will debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed before being placed at London Waterloo station for the duration of the tournament. It will also be distributed throughout Jaguar’s car dealerships via 20,000 Google Cardboards.

With virtual reality (VR) set to become a $1bn (£710m) industry by the end of 2016, marketers are seeking to tap into the platform’s storytelling power to set the agenda for VR excellence.

Jaguar Land Rover, in particular, first launched a VR experience (in partnership with IBM) back in September 2014. The VR experience allows an in-store consumer who is wearing a headset to choose the model, make, colour and features of a car. The experience also allows consumers to get into the car to check out interior features with a 360-degree view, and to make real-time changes.

And Robert Herd, head of communications at Jaguar Land Rover UK, said VR is having a major impact on the brand.

“We felt there was a perfect opportunity to build something cutting edge for Wimbledon and we want the public to experience hitting the winning smash and how that feeling of joy has similarities to driving one of our cars,” he told Marketing Week.

“Jaguar now designs its cars in a VR environment and sells its cars in a VR environment; it is incredibly successful for driving purchases.

“Yes, initially consumers think it is gimmick but they quickly convert and it is driving a lot of additional car sales for us.”

Robert Herd, head of communications at Jaguar Land Rover UK

Herd said there is now a “lack of fear” among consumers to try VR experiences – with Jaguar having previewed models including the F Type, F Face and Discovery Sport through the technology – and that the car brand will continue to “evolve” its role within the retail experience.

Standing out at Wimbledon

In a recent interview, Alexandra Willis, head of comms, content and digital at the All English Lawn Tennis Club, advised sponsors: “Fans are so discerning now they can spot immediately if someone is trying to pigeon hole themselves into speaking in a millennial way. You have to be authentic to your brand and its ties to Wimbledon. Don’t just do Facebook Live as everyone else is.”

Yet, despite the warning, Jaguar’s Herd is confident it can stand out.

The luxury car brand will launch a series of films celebrating the ‘four emotions of Jaguar’ to fit around the tournament and has also created reactive videos so its activity can change based around the event. The latter will include a film that shows the Jaguar F-Pace roof opening and closing should it rain during play and the roof is required to close on Centre Court.

Herd says the key to sponsor success at Wimbledon is being reactive and brands that just sit back after creating an above the line campaign will do more damage than good.

He concluded: “We can change our messaging or video campaigns based on the results. As a sponsor, you’ll fail if your campaign can’t adapt in real-time.”

– Thomas Hobbs

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

New Virtual Reality smartphone app designed to confuse the mind!

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VR Party Game Is A Ridiculously Confusing Virtual Reality Experience For Cardboard

“What if virtual reality was just reality, with a small asterisk? What if you could strap on your VR headset, regardless of the brand or technology behind them, and see the same thing that’s in front of you… but mirrored? Or upside down? Or delayed by 2 seconds?”

“VR Party Game does just that. It’s a Cardboard app/game that transmits your smartphone’s rear camera view onto the screen, but applies one of three special effects to confuse you. It can delay the view by 2 seconds, mirror it, or flip it upside down. The idea is to use it as a party game with friends, asking each other to complete a few tasks while wearing the Cardboard headset.”

“I can vouch for the novelty experience. I tried walking with it while in the delay mode and hit the wall before I knew I should stop. My advice is to walk at a nice pace for the best effect. If you do it slowly, the feed won’t be too delayed compared to your movement.”

“The mirrored view is most effective when people talk around you. It’s perplexing to hear someone’s voice coming from the right while seeing them on your left. The upside down view is just bonkers for my brain. I wonder if someone can flip a pancake in that mode.”

– Rita El Khoury

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