We've heard of some creative applications for the Oculus Rift VR headset, but this might be the best of the bunch. A group of indie developers decided to use their time at the Exile Game Jam to put users in the virtual shoes of a prisoner sentenced to death by decapitation.
Who hasn't dreamed of being in a dogfight in space? CCP, developer of EVE Online, has created a prototype for Oculus Rift that realizes that vision.
Created in seven weeks by a team at CCP, the Unity-powered prototype has players fighting in 6v6 space battles set in the EVE universe. "This is a bunch of guys in their spare time, basically last year saw what Oculus was doing, EVE executive producer Jon Lander said. It apparently "came out of the blue."
With its promise of virtual reality gaming, Oculus Rift continues to intrigue gamers and developers alike. Oculus VR co-founder Nate Mitchell spoke to a packed auditorium at Game Developer's Conference, proof that interest in VR gaming is incredibly high.
While Mitchell was undoubtedly pleased with the attendance, he wasn't there to speak exclusively on why Oculus Rift is awesome. Instead, he wanted to point out the challenges developers will face when porting content to virtual reality.
Oculus Rift development kits were delayed into March, and the company just barely made it in under the buzzer. The company announced on Friday that kits were being sent out during the Game Developers Conference, which left them little time to alert backers that the kits were in the mail.
After it was revealed that Doom 3: BFG Edition would not be shipping with the Oculus Rift when it goes to retail, another game had to step forward to be the poster child for the VR goggles. Adhesive Games accepted the challenge with its upcoming free-to-play multiplayer mech game Hawken.
Oculus Rift was at GDC showing off a Hawken demo to give spectators and developers a feel for the VR experience. But the demo was missing a few features--notably, a targeting reticule and heads-up display (HUD). That's something Hawken producer Jason Hughes told Shacknews was a bit of work.
Read more: Finding the right amount of information for the player »
Ever since Oculus Rift was unveiled, modders have been working on unofficially adding VR support to many PC games, including Valve's classic Half-Life 2. However, Valve has been experimenting with VR as well, and plans on launching an official "VR Mode" for its popular free-to-play shooter, Team Fortress 2.
The Oculus Rift is no longer planning to ship with copies of Doom 3: BFG Edition. The VR device had originally planned to include the game so that developers could see it in action in dev kits, but an update has revealed that the game won't support it before launch, necessitating a change in plans.
Virtual reality and 3D goggles have been seen as something of a joke for positively yonks, but the Oculus Rift seems to be changing opinions. Industry figures including John Carmack, Valve's Michael Abrash, and Cliff Bleszinski have all endorsed the VR headset, and now DICE is giving a good looking-over. The Battlefield developer wants to investigate Oculus Rift support in Frostbite, its engine which also powers games from Dragon Age 3 to the new Command & Conquer.
Read more: Multiple Frostbite games coming "that would be awesome with the Rift" »
A game most famous for its beautiful visuals can be beamed directly into your eyeballs, thanks to some clever modding for the Oculus Rift. Modder Nathan Andrews, who previously worked on Half-Life and Black Mesa mods for the VR device, has started cracking into the CryEngine and produced a neat proof-of-concept video to prove it.
With the Oculus Rift getting people all hot and bothered about virtual reality once again, one canny modder has prepared for its launch by whipping up a VR mod for Half-Life 2 and its episodes. Able to track the player's head and any plastic weaponry they may be holding, the mod looks jolly impressive in a new video.
Oculus Rift promises to bring virtual reality to games like Hawken. But what about games that are already out? An open source project is proposing its own solution. The "Vireio Perception" project provides a stereo 3D driver with head tracking that can match the Oculus Rift optics. It already works with a handful of games ranging from Left 4 Dead to Mirror's Edge.
Oculus Rift, the head-mounted VR display that earned well beyond its initial Kickstarter goal, has had its kickoff delayed a few months. When Oculus opened pre-orders for developer kits, it was hoping to send them out in January. That target has now been pushed to March.
The head-mounted VR display Oculus Rift has opened pre-orders for developer kits, and expects to ship the kits starting in January. US developers can order a kit for $300, while international customers will have that bumped up to $345 for shipping.
The free-to-play mech combat game Hawken and the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift have both caught some attention among the core games crowd, so it only makes sense that the two would join up. Developer Adhesive Games announced today that Hawken will be available to play using Oculus Rift once it launches.
Another Kickstarter is grabbing funds and the attention of some big names in gaming. The "Oculus Rift" virtual reality headset is raising funds to create a development kit, so that studios can begin toying with the device. The project isn't trying to bring the product to market for consumers yet, as the plan seems to rely on first gaining strong third-party support.
Read more: Gabe Newell, John Carmack, and Cliff Bleszinski »
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