VR

John Carmack Ditches Meta – Cites Company’s Lack of Efficiency for Departure

Posted on by Spieler Dad

Videogame industry pioneer John Carmack has left Meta according to an internal memo leaked to the media on Friday, December 16. He has since made it official via his Facebook page.

Carmack, a legendary programmer who has been at the forefront of gaming since the early 1990s and a founding member of id Software, did not mince words in his departure message.

“We have a ridiculous amount of people and resources, but we constantly self-sabotage and squander effort. There is no way to sugar coat this; I think our organization is operating at half the effectiveness that would make me happy.

“It has been a struggle for me. I have a voice at the highest levels here, so it feels like I should be able to move things, but I’m evidently not persuasive enough. A good fraction of the things I complain about eventually turn my way after a year or two passes and evidence piles up, but I have never been able to kill stupid things before they cause damage, or set a direction and have a team actually stick to it.

“…Make better decisions and fill your products with ‘Give a Damn!'”

John Carmack via Facebook

Carmack is straight-up cold.

It’s tough to believe that Carmack, a man who has helped to bring cutting-edge tech to the masses and was the tech lead for titles like Doom and Quake had issues with the dumpster fire that is Meta under the leadership of a pseudo-human android.

Can one blame him? Carmack went from working on intense classic first-person shooters, rocketry, VR, and AR to something that looks like a shitty Nintendo Wii shovelware game.

Carmack however, is not riding off into the sunset. He plans to spend more time at his startup, Keen Technologies, developing AI systems. Maybe he can help develop one to replace Zuckerburg’s current AI to make him appear more human?

[Source: Facebook]

A New PSVR will Not Release Alongside the PlayStation 5

Posted on by Spieler Dad

Cool guy with PSVR.

Check out this dude up there. Smokeshows are probably lined up to smash on the spot. Nothing turns on the fairer sex more than a dude in a VR headset. That is a FACT.

For all intents and purposes, VR is a success. It’s passed the proof of concept and there are legitimate titles available that take advantage of the technology. We’ve even got to the point where new generations and variants of hardware are becoming available as well as new entrants like the Valve Index. However, if you were thinking that a new version of the PSVR would come out at launch with the PlayStation 5, think again.

Dominic Mallinson, Global Head of R&D for PlayStation was interviewed by CNET at the Toronto’s Collison Conference, where he gave some insight into the future of PSVR.

Mallinson believes that the PSVR “does need to evolve. It’s not quite there yet as a mass market proposition… We do want it to be lighter weight, and easier to put on, less cables, less mess… Wireless suffers from the issue of being expensive, If you don’t care about cables, then it’s a lot cheaper than to have a wireless system. But at the same time, having wireless just makes you so much more free.”

I couldn’t agree more. VR and the rat’s nest of cables, pass-throughs, cameras, and setting up base stations around a room SUUUUUUUUCKS.

I’m going to hold out for a wireless solution, or at least a less wired solution, whenever that may be.

[Source: CNET]

Oculus Rift Headsets Knocked Out of Service for a Day

Posted on by Spieler Dad

Yesterday, Oculus Rift owners found that their expensive VR headsets were turned into doorstops, for what appears to be an administrative oversight.

The root cause of the issue was apparently the failure to renew a security certificate. Users who attempted to use their Rifts encountered the following error message.

Users waited all day apparently and became frustrated at the lack of information coming from Oculus until they put out the following on Twitter.

It appears that Oculus got everything working as of Thursday morning March 8.

[Source: BBC]

A Refreshed PlayStation VR is on the Way

Posted on by Spieler Dad

Look at all those beautiful young people up there having a blast with PlayStation VR. Maybe I should get one? (Looks at games line-up) Nah, I’ll pass. It’s not that I want to hate on the PlayStation VR. It’s a great concept, and cost wise, compared to the competition, it’s a relatively cheap way to get into VR gaming, but the library of games is still pretty weak.

The lack of solid library hasn’t stopped Sony from announcing a new PlayStation VR, which includes integrated stereo headphone cables and an updated processor.

The headphone integration is nice, as the original unit required quite the web of wires and cables, which was a turn-off for some.

Another welcome addition is HDR pass through, thanks to the new processor chip. The new processor will allow owners the ability to enjoy HDR-compatible content on their TV without having to unplug the unit first.

The new PlayStation VR will be released in Japan on October 14. A North American release date will be announced at a later date.

[Source: Official PlayStation US Blog]

Microsoft Opens Up on Mixed Reality on Xbox Platforms-Including Scorpio

Posted on by Spieler Dad

So, I know of VR, and even AR, but thanks to Microsoft, I now have to worry about mixed reality (MR?). I’m losing track of all these realities. Whatever the case may be, Microsoft is working on it and they have a plan to bring it to the Xbox.

According to an official Microsoft blog post, the company has grand plans for mixed reality. In the near term, those plans are planted firmly on the PC platform, but they do have designs on taking the technology into gaming.

We’re also excited to share that Windows Mixed Reality experiences will light up on other devices over time, beyond desktop and Microsoft HoloLens. Our plan is to bring mixed reality content to the Xbox One family of devices, including Project Scorpio, in 2018.

So, this could mean practically anything. Will there be an actual Xbox headset? Perhaps.

[Source: Microsoft]

Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe Steps Down

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Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe is stepping down from his position, but he’s not going far, according to a post on Oculus’ official blog. Iribe will be moving on to another position within Oculus.

“Looking ahead and thinking about where I’m most passionate, I’ve decided to lead the PC VR group—pushing the state of VR forward with Rift, research and computer vision. As we’ve grown, I really missed the deep, day-to-day involvement in building a brand new product on the leading edge of technology.”

A replacement has not been named, but according to the post, Iribe will work with Mike Schroepfer, CTO of parent company Facebook to find a successor.

Xbox One Streaming Coming to Oculus Rift on Dec. 12

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Slow your roll though, it’s not exactly what you’re thinking.

Microsoft and Oculus will be launching an app on December 12 that will allow you play Xbox One games on an Oculus Rift headset.

Now, you’ll need a beefy Windows 10 PC to pull this off, as the games technically stream from your Xbox One to your PC, and then to your Oculus Rift. Even then, the games won’t be in virtual reality, but rather a large virtual screen experience, for private gameplay.

The app will be free, even though you’ll need an Xbox One, Oculus Rift, and an impressive PC to pull this off, so it’s not exactly an inexpensive proposition.

Star Wars Battlefront Continues to Evolve

Posted on by Spieler Dad

Star Wars Battlefront is getting a couple of updates to celebrate its one year anniversary. It’s just the shooter that keeps giving. It’s not the most deep game and critics have complained that the title is just too casual, but it is fun, and in the end, isn’t that what games are about?

Just in time for the highly anticipated theatrical release of Star Wars: Rogue One,  DICE will launch its fourth and final expansion for Star Wars Battlefront, Rogue One: Scarif, on December 6 for season pass holders. The new maps will have characters from the film who will be playable as heros and will also have a new multi-stage game mode with space and ground combat, similar to the Death Star DLC apparently.

Also releasing on December 6 is Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission DLC for PlayStation VR owners, so fun for everyone.

To sweeten the pot, EA is offering free access to the Outer Rim, Bespin, and Death Star DLC until November 20 and gamers will earn quadruple score all weekend.