Among Us VR (2022), the standalone VR version of the hit party game, just got a new map called Polus Point.
Just in time for mass heat waves comes Polus Point, a decidedly chilly (and sometimes hot) addition to Among Us VR.
The studios say the new map includes over 50% more tasks, including a contraption called ‘THE CLAW’, nine new rooms for hidden objects, new kill and ejection animations, and snowstorms. And lava?
Among Us VR is also getting exclusive hat releases, with five free hats launching with the Polus Point map alongside a new ‘Polus Point Picks’ hat pack DLC, which contains five paid hats.
Meta announced it’s introducing new anti-piracy measures for Quest developers that the company says will protect VR apps from “unauthorized modifications and potential security breaches.”
Called the Platform Integrity Attestation API (Attestation API), Meta says its new system is designed to detect whether an app’s server is interacting with an untampered VR device, thereby ensuring whether an app is authentic or not.
The Attestation API includes things like secure device authentication, hardware-based app bans, protection of financial and enterprise app data, prevention of external data misuse, and other anti-piracy measures.
In a developer blogpost, Meta calls it “increasingly important to instill a consistent method for validating the integrity of apps in order to provide a secure and safe user experience for everyone.”
It remains to be seen what effects this will have on modding communities, since modders for Quest games such as Beat Saber may inadvertently run afoul of the new token system at the core of the Attestation API.
“Once integrated, the API will provide you with an ‘attestation token,’ which you can use to determine if an app running on a Meta device has been tampered with,” Meta says. “This token is cryptographically signed by the Attestation Server to reinforce the security and reliability of the attestation process.”
At the time of this writing, we have not yet received a response for comment from Meta on what effects it may have on those communities. We’ll update this piece when/if we do.
Meta is allowing developers to opt-in now for their Quest apps, which spans Quest 2, Quest Pro, and the upcoming Quest 3, which is slated to launch in late 2023. Meta has published documentation for both Unity and Native.
Sony released a peek into the prototyping stages that led to PSVR 2, showing off a number of test units for both the headset and controllers.
In an extensive interview on the PS blog, PSVR 2’s Product Manager Yasuo Takahashi reveals the development process behind Sony’s latest VR headset.
Takahashi reveals that detailed discussions on the company’s next-gen PSVR began in earnest after the launch of the original in 2016. From there, the team started prototyping various technologies for PSVR 2 starting in early 2017.
Below is a condensed version of the interview, including all provided photos. If you want to read the full article, click here.
Challenges of Design & Optimization
Maintaining a light and compact design while implementing new features was a challenge, Takahashi says, requiring the teams to work closely to produce detailed technical estimates and optimize the design.
Prototype for testing inside-out in tracking cameras with evaluation board | Image courtesy Sony
While comfort was a significant focus during the development process, the initial prototype focused on evaluating functionality rather than weight.
All of that top bulk is dedicated to inside-out camera evaluation boards which would eventually be shrunk down to an SoC embedded within the headset.
Room-scale & Eye-tracking Tech
Various prototypes were created and tested before integration including both inside-out and outside-in tracking methods. Of course, we know inside-out tracking was eventually the winner, but it’s interesting to note the company was at one point still considering an outside-in approach, similar to the original PSVR.
Eye-tracking tech was also explored as a new UI feature in addition to foveated rendering, which allows developer to push the boundaries of PS5’s VR rendering capabilities and serve up higher-fidelity visuals in games.
Testing and optimizing eye tracking took time, considering different eye colors and accommodating players wearing glasses.
Eye-tracking evaluation prototype 2 | Image courtesy Sony
Comfort & Design
The development team assessed comfort and wearability, evaluating numerous configurations based on the headset’s expected weight. The team put a lot of thought into the materials and shape to make the headset feel lightweight while maintaining strength.
A cool ‘skeleton’ prototype shows all of the pieces of the puzzle together, also showing the headset’s halo strap, which like the original PSVR, keeps the bulk of the weight off the user’s forehead. This one should definitely get a spot on the museum shelves (or maybe a fun mid-generation release?).
The ‘skeleton’ prototype | Image courtesy Sony
Headset haptics were also added as a new feature based on the idea of using the rumble motor from the DualShock 4 wireless controller.
PSVR 2 Sense Controllers
The PSVR 2 Sense controllers were developed in parallel with the headset, starting discussions in 2016 and prototyping in 2017.
Features like haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and finger-touch detection were early additions, although the team was still sussing out tracking. Notice the Move-style tracking sphere on the tip of an early prototype.
Prototype 1 | Image courtesy Sony
The final shape of the Sense controller was achieved through extensive prototyping and user testing to ensure a comfortable fit and optimized center of gravity.
Here you can see a number of IR tracking marker configurations that would eventually settle on the production model’s current form.
While Sony is undoubtedly sitting on a lot more prototypes than this—they began prototype when the original PSVR had only been in the wild for less than a year—it’s an interesting look at how Takahashi’s team eventually settled on the current form and function of what will likely be PS5’s only VR headset for years to come.
If you’re interested to learn more, check out the full interview with Takahashi.
Space Invaders is a shooting video game created by Tomohiro Nishikado in 1978 and manufactured and sold by TAITO. It was the first fixed shooter video game and is considered one of the most iconic arcade games ever. As Space Invaders turns 45, TAITO teams up with Google and UNIT9 to give its players an elevated AR gaming experience with Google’s ARCore Geospatial API.
TAITO and Google partnered with global production and innovation studio UNIT9 to transform Space Invaders into an immersive AR game in honor of its 45th anniversary. Players can defend their real-world neighborhoods from 3D invaders emerging from nearby buildings and landmarks.
Meet “SPACE INVADERS: World Defense” AR Game
The reimagined iconic video game is SPACE INVADERS: World Defense, a sequel to the original game. It gives players access to enhanced weapons so they can defend their neighborhoods more effectively. New music and sound effects were also added for a more exhilarating and immersive experience.
The most remarkable update, however, is the real-time response to location-specific patterns and nearby buildings. It means that the AR game adapts to the player’s real-life surroundings. For example, if it’s raining, the virtual environment may also show rain, and if there’s a tall building at the player’s location, there will also be a tall building in the AR realm where an Invader may emerge from.
SPACE INVADERS: World Defense Gameplay
The original game’s classic characters and high-score mechanics are preserved in the AR game SPACE INVADERS: World Defense. The difference is that players should explore their virtual neighborhoods to find Space Invaders and defeat them. They can unlock special power-ups, compete with their friends within their location, and take an AR selfie to post on social media.
Players can easily switch between the World Dimension and Invaders Dimension via a portal. The virtual, 3D Invader world changes in sync with the natural environment, allowing players to complete missions in both the virtual world and the natural world’s AR view.
Harnessing the Power of Google’s ARCore and Geospatial API
UNIT9 harnessed the power of Google’s ARCore and Geospatial API to develop the next-level AR gaming experience of SPACE INVADERS: World Defense. ARCore is a software development kit (SDK) developers use to create AR applications across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Unity, and the Web. It seamlessly merges the digital and physical worlds, allowing users to interact with virtual objects in the AR adaptation of their natural surroundings.
As one of the top AR SDKs, the other prominent capabilities of ARCore include tracking the orientation and position of the user’s device, matching the lighting of virtual objects with their surroundings, detecting the location and size of various surface types, and integrating with existing tools like Unreal and Unity.
Combined with Geospatial API, which remotely attaches content to any area Google Street View covers, ARCore integrates geometric data from Google Maps Street View into SPACE INVADERS: World Defense, displaying accurate terrain and building information within a 100-meter radius of the player’s location.
The Beginning of an Exciting New Era
According to UNIT9’s Head of Digital, Media Ridha, Google Geospatial API’s launch marks the beginning of an exciting new era for digital experiences tied to real-world locations that are not only limited to games but for any brand experience linked to a specific place. “It was an honor to work with Google and TAITO to translate one of the most famous IPs out there into the next wave of AR gaming and create an experience that fans of all ages around the world can enjoy,” Ridha said in a press release shared with ARPost.
Matthieu Lorrain, global head of creative innovation at Google Labs Partnerships, is excited to see more developers leverage their platform to push the boundaries of geolocalized experiences. “[Google’s Geospatial API] allowed us to celebrate the iconic Space Invaders game by turning the world into a global playground,” said Lorrain.
SPACE INVADERS: World Defense officially launched on July 17, 2023, and is available on iOS and Android. Players in key markets, including Europe, Japan, and the USA, can download the AR game on their mobile devices and defeat Invaders in the real world, made more immersive with augmented reality.
A robotic arm made solely by European manufacturers has passed its qualification review for launch into space on the OneSat range of satellites.
The robotic deployment and pointing system enables the satellite’s plasma thrusters to be positioned far away from the satellite’s body, optimising consumption of the xenon fuel.
The approval of the system means that OneSat is now fully propelled by European technology. Designed by Airbus in France, the robotic arm was made and qualified by manufacturer Euro Heat Pipes in Belgium.
The robotic arm will help engineers optimise OneSat’s fuel consumption. Credit: ESA
In addition, Sener from Spain made the rotary actuator, Mécano-ID from France built the booms, and French company Latelec designed the harnesses. The plasma thruster was developed and built by French engine manufacturer Safran.
“The deployment and pointing system promotes European autonomy and constitutes an essential feature of the industrial footprint in Europe of OneSat,” said the ESA in a statement.
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OneSat is a standardised telecommunication satellite being jointly developed by the ESA, the French space agency CNES, the UK Space Agency, and satellite manufacturer Airbus. These types of satellites support radio, TV, and internet connections globally, particularly in remote communities that don’t have access to wired connections.
Unlike earlier satellites, which are designed for defined missions, OneSat will be fully reconfigured while in orbit — and it can adjust its coverage area, capacity, and frequency “on the fly” to meet evolving mission scenarios.
Due to their modular design, built mainly using off-the-shelf components, OneSat satellites could enter the market up to 50% quicker than current telecommunications satellites, and for less cost. Therefore, they provide an attractive solution for telecoms companies looking to save money and gain flexibility, says Airbus.
Several companies have already placed orders for OneSat satellites. These include Inmarsat, Optus, Intelsat, and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation. According to Airbus, the SKY Perfect order marks the first time a Japanese operator has purchased European satellites.
It seems we’re closer to seeing a viable workaround that could allow PSVR 2 owners to play PC VR games. iVRy, the most promising project dedicated to the task, is making good headway by unlocking the headset’s outer cameras for room-scale tracking.
The effort to hack PSVR 2 was initially put on hold earlier this year, which was understandably a let-down for anyone hoping to play PC VR-exclusive titles such as Half-Life: Alyx (2020), or social apps like Bigscreen or VRChat.
The indefinite pause on development didn’t last for long though, as earnest efforts resumed shortly afterwards when the project opened a Patreon to help support development.
In a recent tweet, iVRy creator Mediator Software outlined some new milestones reached after 143 days of development, which were unlocked recently by gaining access to PSVR 2’s camera. As a result, the project now has access to the headset’s 6DOF SLAM tracking, 3DOF IMU tracking, proximity sensor, raw stereo camera data, and distortion-corrected passthrough stereo camera data.
Day #143: PSVR2 camera access is working, so now we have: – 6DOF SLAM tracking – 3DOF IMU tracking – Proximity sensor (headset worn or not) – Raw (distorted) stereo camera data – Pass-through (distortion corrected) stereo camera data pic.twitter.com/idJ7Qc2HLV
Mediator Software says they’re now focused on “understanding the PSVR2 data and putting in code in the driver to interpret it.”
And by now it’s pretty clear Sony isn’t making it simple. The creator says in a recent tweet the project has cost “over $13K in equipment and software to date, as well as hundreds of hours of work.” That includes things like custom sniffer boards and emulator boards.
While the iVRy creator has successfully booted up 6DOF PC VR content on PSVR 2 in the lab, baking that functionality into a future software release that’s broadly accessible will be a big challenge.
“Any use of the software requires an [hardware] adapter that doesn’t exist yet, so an early access version of the software wouldn’t be usable by anyone at all,” the creator says. “There may be some kind of limited run (maybe 100) of the reference adapters that we’re making, which may be offered via Patreon.”
To boot, work on PSVR 2’s optically-tracked Sense controllers have only just begun, with the studio noting that reverse engineering the controllers is “not going to be easy at all.”
“Working on controllers at this point, means that there is nothing further we can do with the headset part right now, not that there is nothing further we can or need to do with the headset part at all. There is still a lot that needs to be done there, including lots of unknowns,” the creator said.
So, while we’re closer than ever, we may still be waiting for some time on that ‘one-and-done’ software download that could potentially uncouple PSVR 2 from PS5 for good. In the meantime, the bulk of the projects updates are published through the project’s Patreon, which offers a $10 minimum monthly membership. You can also follow along via iVRy’s Twitter for the broader strokes.
It seems Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures is rounding the bend, as the promising VR cockpit adventure has released its final teaser trailer, showing off more of its madcap ship management and action-arcade combat.
In Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures you pilot your own starship, which not only tasks you with maneuvering the craft around manually (as you do), but also keeping all of the ship’s systems in check, including shields, weapons, life support, thrusters, stabilizers—all of which are powered by a bank of constantly depleting batteries.
Meanwhile, you’re being chased through the galaxy with a little alien pal in tow, something the developers Stardust Collective say you “may or may not have stolen from the evil Empire.”
There’s no release date yet for the plucky ship simulator, although it now has a big ‘coming soon’ appended to both its Steam and new Quest Store pages.
In the game’s Discord, the developers say in an update that they’ve now crossed into the “hardening’ phase, saying that both features and content are now complete.
Venture capital funding in Europe is plummeting as investors shift focus from growth to cutting costs.
In the first half of 2023, European VC deal value was 61% lower than at the same time last year according to a new report by Pitchbook, a financial data firm.
The total capital raised in the continent was €8.9 billion. At the current rate, the full year is on track to pace 37% below 2022 levels.
Analysts blame the decline on surging interest rates, high inflation, fundraising hurdles, and a subdued IPO market.
These economic headwinds have prompted new investment strategies. Instead of prioritising growth at all costs, VCs are increasingly working with their startups to restructure operations and extend runways as far as possible.
A gloomy impact of this prudence is mass layoffs and hiring freezes at startups. British unicorn GoCardless, for instance, is cutting 15% of its global workforce as of June 2023. According to Pitchbook, startups with lower growth rates that need funding to survive are likely to face down rounds and valuation cuts. More companies are also likely to seek capital despite lower valuations.
This recently occurred at Getir, the Turkish food delivery app. In April, the company raised €435.5m from Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala at a valuation of €5.7bn. Just a year earlier, the same investor had injected €690.7m into Getir at a valuation of €9.9bn. The new funding effectively slashed the startup’s value by 42.4%.
VC deal activity peaked in Q1 2022 and has been on a steady quarterly decline since. Credit: Pitchbook
The cautious approach has depressed both value and volume of deals. Exit activity has slowed to decade lows, with corporate acquisitions now the most common exit option. Debt-heavy leveraged buyouts, however, have lost share.
US participation in European deals has also plunged. To date, American participation in VC deal value in 2023 is down 69% year-on-year.
The software sector, which laid the foundations for today’s VC industry, has been hit hard by the downturn. In the second quarter of 2023, the value of software deals dropped 71.8% year-on-year — more than any other sector.
“Just as the dot-com bubble reset the sector in 2000, we are seeing a similar reset from the bonanza of deals in 2021 and 2022,” said Pitchbook’s analysts.
Nonetheless, there are signs of hope. The generative AI investment boom could spur dealmaking for software startups in the space.
Sectors that are less cyclical in nature, such as biotech and pharma, have also shown resilience. A notable example of this is Ascend Gene And Cell Therapies. In May, theLondon-based startup raised €120.3mfor its gene therapy tech.
Median deal size has doubled in recent years and sits at €2.1m for 2023. Credit: Pitchbook
Overall, Pitchbook’s data suggests a trend towards larger deals, often as follow-on VC investments that provide extra runway to their startups. Venture growth stage and late-stage deals, meanwhile, have gained a growing share of the VC deal count, while the proportion in angel and seed stages has shrunk.
The findings add further evidence of the current difficulties in securing funding.
Mercifully, a recovery could be on the horizon — particularly in the US, where the Federal Reserve has suggested that monetary tightening will soon end. But in Europe, high inflation could lengthen the contractionary cycle.
While Meta doesn’t offer much publicly in the way of understanding how well individual games & apps are performing across its Quest 2 storefront, it’s possible to glean some insight by looking at apps relative to each other. Here’s a snapshot of the 20 best rated Oculus Quest games and apps as of July 2023.
Some quick qualifications before we get to the data:
Paid and free apps are separated
Only apps with more than 100 reviews are represented
After pausing sales, closing stores, and being unable to pay its bills, beloved Dutch ebike maker VanMoof has officially been declared bankrupt.
Just last week, Dutch courts granted the company a two-month ‘suspension of payment’ to protect it from creditors while it worked with administrators to find a solution.
However, yesterday, the court of Amsterdam withdrew the suspension of payment and declared all three of VanMoof’s legal entities in the Netherlands bankrupt. VanMoof’s units outside the country are not affected.
Such a swift bankruptcy decision usually occurs in cases where authorities can see that a company has exhausted all available cash and any options for financing and sale.
😞
In the past day, we tried to secure investment to keep us afloat and honor our commitments with customers and employees, but unfortunately, that was not possible. The proposal to other bike companies for a buy-out did not work either.
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Two administrators have been appointed as trustees and are investigating the possibility of pulling VanMoof out of bankruptcy by selling it to a third party, the company told TNW via email.
The only way VanMoof can stay alive is if it sells off its assets and operations to a third party. This theoretical buyer would not take responsibility for VanMoof’s outstanding debt.
Bankruptcy is the final blow for VanMoof which, despite being one of the most heavily funded ebike startups in the world, has been making major losses on its ebikes for years.
Brothers Taco and Ties Carlier founded VanMoof in 2009 with a big dream: to revolutionise cycling in the city. Credit: VanMoof
VanMoof bikes feature a sleek, simplistic design and have become commonplace on the streets of Amsterdam, where the company was founded in 2009. It has around 700 employees.
In an internal email sent to staff, founders Taco and Ties Carlier said, “we feel sadness, but most of all we feel an immense sense of pride for what we have achieved together.”
VanMoof riders now enter a period of uncertainty over the future of their ebikes, which require custom parts and specialised software to fully operate.
Known for their simplistic, sleek design, VanMoof ebikes were an instance hit. Credit: VanMoof
Matteo, a VanMoof rider since 2018, told TNW he is hoping he doesn’t have any (more) issues with his bike “because clearly I will not be able to get it serviced and I doubt the one year of remaining warranty on my battery is worth anything.”
Matteo, like many VanMoof customers, reports his ebike, an S2 model, has suffered several technical issues since purchase, including a faulty electric motor and battery. These faults took weeks to get resolved. “But when it worked it was a great product and I loved it,” he said.
“When it worked it was a great product and I loved it.
Until recently, customers were solely dependent on VanMoof’s own repair service, resulting in long lead times. “Even something as simple as straightening a wheel could not be done at a normal bike store,” said Matteo.
“When it [VanMoof ebike] will eventually die, I think I will just go and buy a Cowboy,” said Matteo, referring to the Belgian ebike brand, and VanMoof’s closest competitor.
For riders like Matteo, the days spent darting through the city atop a VanMoof are numbered. But until then, here’s some initial guidance on how the company’s bankruptcy will affect customers:
💥The court declared the Dutch legal entities @VanMoof Global Holding B.V., VanMoof B.V., and VanMoof Global Support B.V. bankrupt.
What will happen now? Repairs, open orders & the App. 👇
🔧If you had your bike in repair, you’ll be able to pick it back up when announced, but…
VanMoof also said that no new bikes will be delivered, even if they have already been paid for. The same applies to ordered accessories and parts. Customers who ordered a bike and made a down payment for it should file a claim. Whether any money will be refunded remains to be seen.
According to a tweet, the Dutch police have been inundated by calls from VanMoof customers looking to take action against the company. The police rightly pointed out that the insolvency is a civic matter not a criminal one, and suggested they stop bothering them and let them attend to more urgent matters.
While VanMoof told TNW that it has no further comments at this time, more announcements are expected soon.
According to a Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman, Apple is changing things up with the creation of a new Vision Products Group (VPG), which is tasked with developing the company’s recently unveiled mixed reality headset, Vision Pro.
The report maintains that with the creation of VPG, Apple is departing from its “functional” management structure, which was introduced by Steve Jobs in the early ’90s.
Effectively, Jobs distributed the company’s product development efforts across more general departments, such as hardware, software, design, services, etc, instead of sectionalizing hardware development into individual product teams, like Mac, Watch, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Apple Vision Pro | Image courtesy Apple
The so-called Vision Products Group is reportedly independent from Apple’s main software and hardware engineering and other departments, including its own internal versions of those teams which report to unit head Mike Rockwell.
Gurman maintains that VPG still collaborates with other parts of Apple though, including design and operations teams overseen by COO Jeff Williams, Johny Srouji’s chip unit known for the company’s M2 and R1 processors, and iOS/macOS frameworks headed Craig Federighi’s software engineering group.
Some reportedly believed the dedicated group would be disbanded, making it follow the company’s functional management structure. It has however both persisted beyond the Vision Pro’s June unveiling at WWDC and was branded to reflect that the group is tasked with creation of Vision Products, implying the team will be sticking around for multiple product cycles yet to come.
Steam Next Fest, Valve’s indie showcase featuring free demos for upcoming PC games, had the most demo downloads in Next Fest history last month, and among the top titles was the asymmetric VR game Davigo.
Valve announced the 50 most-played demos that made it big on June’s edition of Next Fest, something the company said accounted for 11.4 million demos played across the board.
And Davigo seems to have resonated with Next Fest visitors in June, becoming the only VR game to make the list. Valve ordered its list by unique player count, and Davigo managed to rank 25th among all games (re: not just VR titles).
Featuring its own brand of David vs. Goliath-inspired combat gameplay, Davigo lets VR players take on the role of a massive giant who must defeat one or more PC players armed with rockets.
With development started in 2019 by Davigo Studio, the asymmetric VR game has since graduated to its third Alpha, which is made exclusively available to Patreon supporters of the project.
Notably, the Next Fest demo featured cross-compatibility with the game’s Alpha 3.3, which no doubt helped populate servers. Not only that, but PC players have historically been able to play against VR players for free.
The game, which supports both PC VR headsets and Quest natively, doesn’t have a launch date yet, with the game on Steam marked as “coming soon.”
