Table of contents for Issue 264 in Hyper

There’s been a lot of chatter about the accessibility of virtual reality, given the requisite entry-level price point. After all, on PC at least, you’re not just forking out for an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset; you also need the requisite high-end PC to run the newfangled tech. PlayStation VR is a little more forgiving in this respect, even if you still need to purchase a PlayStation 4 Camera and Move controllers atop the VR headset (and, obviously, the console). But if you want to play Star Trek Bridge Crew, you’ll want four lots of VR to get the most out of it. Sure, there’s the option for solo play in this multiplatform VR experience, but the real fun is found in four-player cooperative multiplayer. There’s no word on…

PLATFORM PC, XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4 CATEGORY SURVIVAL HORROR DEVELOPER CAPCOM PUBLISHER CAPCOM DUE JANUARY 24, 2017 After the action-driven and mostly underwhelming Resident Evil 6, Capcom look to be taking the series back to its roots. Much like the original game released back in 1996, the seventh instalment takes place in one location, the pace is often slow and deliberate, and the emphasis is on horror rather than havoc. There will of course be quite a few new ideas thrown in the mix, but the most drastic one is the perspective. For the first time, Resident Evil has been designed to be played entirely in first-person. This makes it a perfect fit for virtual reality, though the game can be played with or without it. In fact, the game…

“THE GAME TASKS SARAH WITH REPAIR AND SALVAGE AROUND A.Q.U.A.'S DEEP SEA FACILITIES – LIKE BEING A CARETAKER ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SEAQUEST DSV” PLATFORM VIVE, OCULUS, PSVR CATEGORY DEEP SEA EXPLORATION DEVELOPER ZOXIDE GAMES PUBLISHER ZOXIDE GAMES DUE NOVEMBER 15, 2016 Videogames have always given us the opportunity to safely confront our fears. Fears of failure, of others, of being a Japanese schoolgirl trapped in a house haunted by samurai ghosts. It's what sets games apart, that ability to not only face fears, but to interact with them and deal with them on our own terms. One of the most exciting things about Virtual Reality is how it will elevate games' ability to do this to the next level. Aquaphobia is defined as a fear of water. Thalassophobia…

As VR was emerging, and we all buzzed about the cool things we’d experience, all I cared about was how sims would undoubtedly become mind rockingly totally-really-there, I’m doing this for real awesome. And that’s what happened. I play an awful lot of Assetto Corsa and War Thunder. And not much else. I no longer play these games – I do these things. I’ve always invested in super huge monitors, which I pull as close to my face as possible, and TrackIR for the lookarounds, all to immerse myself til my eyes bleed. Oculus makes it real. There’s little time to pause and try and appreciate the sensation of realism because it’s so utter that you just get on with it, and on and on. I stick my head in…

We’re first introduced to cyberspace, and the concept of a new digital reality, in William Gibson’s 1984 classic, Neuromancer. In the book, a computer hacker jacks into an online world known as the matrix via a series of nodes attached to his head. As the text famously explains, cyberspace is “a consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators in every nation.” It’s a “graphic representation of data abstracted from banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding.” Some 30 years later, our idea of alternate digital realities is still very much shaped by that initial idea. That someone has to physically connect with a peripheral to see…

The image of a 21st-century human staring into their phone screen is nothing new. Ever since Apple released the original iPhone in 2007 our species has adopted smart phone devices as a new limb. We see it as the gateway into something bigger than what we can physically perceive in front of us. It's our connection to the wider world, a comfort blanket linking us to absent friends and family, retail therapy, and social media narcissism. It's a young invention, but its presence has changed the fabric of society dramatically and to the point where much of our modern existence relies on its functionality. Evolution is not limited to the organic, with our relationship to the device altering cultural norms as technological advances open new avenues to explore. The smart…

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already got a PC gaming rig stashed away somewhere in the house. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ready for VR gaming though, as we’ve shown that VR demands some serious horsepower. We’re going to show you how to make your PC VR ready, in the most affordable way possible. 1. UPGRADE THE GPU If you’re rocking anything less than a GeForce GTX 970 or R9 290, you’re not going to be able to get the frame rates necessary to keep the experience smooth and judder free – instead you’ll be on a one way journey to pukesville. The cheapest VR-ready GPU on the market at the moment is Gainwards GeForce GTX 1060, which is currently retailing for around $320. Not only does this…

CIRQUE DU SAMSUNG A 360 degree free to download performance of Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana show is available to Samsung Gear VR users. While not live, the surround sound visuals create an immersive experience that gives the impression that you’re physically attending the famous show. Mobile virtual reality offers an on-the-go alternative to standard virtual reality hardware. While still new, there are headsets for many smartphone devices and a decent amount of software with an abundance of entertainment and educational opportunities. Much like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive hardware, mobile headsets project your phone screen through two lenses, one for each eye, giving the impression of depth. Unlike computer-based virtual reality devices, mobile VR uses the motion sensors of your smartphone to follow your point of view. The device…

PLATFORM PSVR CATEGORY ACTION DEVELOPER ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS PUBLISHER WARNER BROS INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT DUE OCTOBER Like Batman, I won’t pull any punches when it comes to the launch of PlayStation VR. The reason so many VR launch titles have such low RRPs is because they’re short experiences that are designed to introduce a mainstream market to the wonders of virtual reality. This doesn’t have to be a disappointment, especially when it gives players the chance to shit themselves in haunted-house rides, soar in the cockpit of an X-wing or, in this particular instance, be the Batman. That last bit was the oft-repeated catchphrase of Batman: Arkham Knight, and it seems like a wasted opportunity in that it should have been saved for Batman: Arkham VR. With bat-eared headset covering my…

PLATFORM PSVR CATEGORY COMBAT FLIGHT SIM DEVELOPER EA DICE PUBLISHER EA DUE OCTOBER Before my session with Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One X-wing VR Mission (phew), I’d been briefed on how amazing the experience was by a colleague. Dangerously, I let my expectations balloon to the same impossible heights as when the prequel trilogy was first announced. But I didn’t get The Phantom Menace, Jar Jar Binks and a whiny pre-supervillain whose biggest gripe with his home planet was sand that got everywhere. What I got was The Empire Strikes Back of experiences. Even the obligatory PlayStation VR calibration screen is impressive. As I got the headset into focus, an immaculately recreated AT-AT stomped overhead and for a moment I forgot I was supposed to be flying an X-wing starfighter.…

Donning the goggles and experiencing virtual reality (VR) for the first time is a powerful experience. “It’s different from anything I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of his first time with the Oculus Rift. Cliff Bleszinski, former design director at Epic Games and godfather of the Unreal engine, described his first time with the Vive headset in breathless, evangelical soundbites. “I was nearly in tears at one point,” he tweeted. “Pure magic. Next level stuff. Mind blown.” Zuckerberg and Bleszinski talk about VR in terms usually reserved for acid trips and ecstasy highs: an intense and transformative experience, unlike anything else you’ve ever done. But what if the characteristics of VR that make it so seductive and powerful – the sense of presence, of immersion…

Power Glove Based on the much more sophisticated (and expensive) VPL Data Glove, the Power Glove is a combination motion-controller and NES control-pad. Two ultrasonic speakers embedded in the glove take turns transmitting inaudible bursts of sound to three receivers placed around the television. By measuring the amount of time between transmission and reception, the system can detect (using complicated maths) the position of the Power Glove in space, specifically its yaw and roll. So you’d put it on and move your hand around and it would translate to on-screen action. Nintendo’s marketers conjured imagery of real-time fistfights with virtual martial arts masters and 1:1 recreations of sports like fencing and golf. The reality was quite different. Made with cheap components, the Power Glove seldom functioned as intended. Input lag…

Headsets There are few options when it comes to how to enable the visual aspect of virtual reality, so here’s a rundown! HTC VIVE Where the Rift was first, the Vive is… second. Mind you, that hasn’t stopped a whole lot of people unequivocally preferring it to Oculus’ offering. For example, there’s a larger tracking area capability, and slightly lower system requirements for functionality. THE HYPE: Having real-world awareness which allows the front-facing camera to show you the room you’re standing in is quite handy, and should save a few banged shins. Unlike the Rift, this ships with the motion controllers, which helps to justify the higher cost. Having the Vive on Steam is also likely to help with the quality and range of support for the device. THE GRIPE:…

“THE PITCH IS PART ROCKET LEAGUE AND PART CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE, AS TWO SMALL TEAMS BATTLE ACROSS TIGHT ARENAS” PLATFORM PSVR CATEGORY ACTION DEVELOPER GUERRILLA CAMBRIDGE PUBLISHER SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT DUE OCTOBER 13 With so many of the PlayStation VR’s launch titles dedicated to limited experiences designed to guide the uninitiated in what to expect from this latest tech zeitgeist, it’s refreshing that Guerrilla Cambridge hasn’t forgotten that it won’t just be stereotypical mums and dads who are playing with the tech. There are also legions of hardcore gamers looking for extended and competitive gaming experiences. From the dozen PlayStation VR titles I’ve tried, RIGS Mechanized Combat League is the one that’s most targeted at, for lack of a better phrase, “real” gamers. The pitch is part Rocket…

PLATFORM PLAYSTATION VR CATEGORY ADVENTURE DEVELOPER HIGHWIRE GAMES PUBLISHER TBA DUE TBA Virtual reality has the potential to provide players with an escape from mundane reality. In the case of Highwire Games’ Golem, it offers one not only to the player, but also to the character they inhabit. The protagonist is a small child who, after being injured in an accident, has lost the ability to walk. The only way for her to leave the confines of her bed is to take control of entities known as golems: gigantic, mystical stone creatures. Oh, and they can also wield massive swords. Of course, one has to work their way up the chain of power. When players first begin, all they’ll be able to inhabit is a tiny doll and use it…

“LOCOMANCER ISN'T A TRAIN SIM – IT'S A LIFE-SIZED REPLICATION OF THE ACT OF BUILDING AND PLAYING WITH MODEL TRAINS” There's a stigma attached to railway modelling which is quite similar to the one gamers have. The idea of the solo weirdo, stuck in their basement with their expensive toys, experiencing something you could do in real life if you simply applied yourself. That stigma, that perception, is dumb on both accounts. Gamers don't want to do in reality most of the things they do in games, and modellers are as interested in the construction as they are in the operation of the train itself. The problem with getting deep into railway modelling is similar to many modelling hobbies – it's unbelievably expensive to get started, and it gets…

One of the most enduring iterations of virtual reality technology is Star Trek’s Holodeck. It’s also amazingly iconic, built around a deceptively simple set as well – a big, empty room, with a yellow grid-pattern on black walls. It’s so iconic that the HTC Vive uses a similar graphic to warn users when they are approaching the edge of their real space. But, despite the name, the fictional technology behind the holodeck is anything but holographic. Warning – we’re about to dive deep into some serious Treknobabble! All modern display technologies are based on the manipulation of light – our monitors, VR headsets, AR devices like Microsoft’s Hololens – but the holodeck uses actual, real matter to create its ‘projections’. By tying into its starship’s transporter (the technology that beams…

 The Holodeck – Star Trek’s portrayal of virtual reality, which premiered in the 1974 Star Trek animated series episode ‘The Practical Joker’ – has served many purposes throughout the franchise’s life. Sometimes it’s used for recreation, for facsimiles of sports or for running through interactive narratives. At other times it has been used for forensic analysis, or incident simulation and training, or even for simulating the right sexual environment. “IF YOU GO INTO A VIRTUAL MUSEUM… THERE’S NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CASE OF STUFFED ANIMALS AND DIGITAL ANIMALS, IS THERE?” Virtual Reality, the kind promised to us by science fiction for years, is now more-or-less properly upon us. As a gaming publication, Hyper (along with just about every other site and mag out there) has approached virtual reality headsets…

If you’d like to see some genuinely good movies about VR, consider any of the below: • Tron (only the first one) • The Martrix (only the first one) • The Cell (debatably) • Strange Days (a must) • Existenz (a must) I love bad movies. I love to watch and mock them with friends. Films about VR, particularly ones made in the 90s, make especially good fodder. For every Matrix and Strange Days, there are like five hundred Lawnmower Man 2: Electric Boogaloo’s, and – because I’m a giant dork – I’ve seen at least 499 of 'em. Here are three that I remember being particularly heinous. The internet tells me that Arcade (1993) was written by David S. Goyer, who you might recognise from his subsequent work on…

Each year, there seem to be more options for potential games students in Australia. AIE is expanding out (they’re currently establishing their Perth campus), developers, programmers, and artists of all kinds are moving into teaching roles, and many of the independent developers working around Australia are made up of people who met in class. We’ve reached out to educators, students, and alumni around the country to talk about getting an education in games.…

Because of the way my eyes work, or to be precise, due to the way my eyes don’t work, VR (or really anything that fakes 3D in some manner, making going to the movies nowadays a real crapshoot) is very difficult for me. Any movement that causes me to change focal depth quickly in VR causes serious eye strain and plays havoc on my balance and ability to keep down my lunch. As such, for the most part VR gaming is not something that I am too enthused about, but that doesn‘t mean that I’m not excited about VR in other avenues. What excites me most about VR is the potential to experience things that I may never get a chance to see in real life. Imagine a VR tour…