It’s February 2^nd, so of course that means Groundhog Day. In homage to the greatest movie ever made, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality – the VR arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment – has developed a virtual reality game in partnership with MWM Immersive and Tequila Works that puts you in a Punxsutawney time loop.

It’s February 2nd, so of course that means Groundhog Day
Share on X

In Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son, you’ll play as the charming but arrogant Phil Connors Jr.
Share on X

In Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son, you’ll play as the charming but arrogant Phil Connors Jr., who grew up in the shadow of his father — a man who spent a lifetime repeating a single day until he had made it perfect. But for Phil Jr., today is the worst day of his life. He’s trapped back home in Punxsutawney, the small town he thought he’d escaped, where he can’t even get a decent cappuccino — and he’s going to have to repeat the day over and over, until he learns the true value of friends and family.

In the era of “Bandersnatch,” this is SPVR’s first foray into using branching narratives and interactive storytelling to drive an immersive VR game. It’s being developed by Tequila Works, a Madrid-based video game developer that has created award-winning games like Deadlight, RiME and The Invisible Hours.

this is SPVR’s first foray into using branching narratives and interactive storytelling to drive an immersive VR game
Share on X

“Like we did in The Invisible Hours, we are working with facial and motion capture artists to create a unique, immersive experience,” says Raul Rubio CEO and Creative Director, Tequila Works. “For this VR project, we wanted to go a step further by making the player an active, disruptive element in the story, giving them more narrative choices to have a key influence on the storyline. Not only will the player have a much stronger sense of physical interactivity, but a deeper emotional connection to the non-playable characters. It looked like the perfect scenario to create a unique experience of intertwined stories, with the player fully embedded in timeline choices. After all, time loops are like being trapped in a videogame!”

“This game contains a time loop mechanic with multiple branching narratives, as well as individual meaningful stories that we can build upon. It also includes the same dark humor of the original film, letting us play around with the inherent instinct of every VR player to mess with everything around them. James Siciliano of Rick and Morty and Joshua Rubin of Telltale lent their expertise to help us build this original story from the world of the beloved movie. We have developed an ever-changing experience through deep branching narrative gameplay and full interaction with all NPCs.”

Because what would you do with eternity if there were no tomorrow?
Share on X

Tech Trends’  Virtual Reality Consultancy services offers support for companies looking to enhance brand strategy with immersive technologies such as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Rise and Shine Campers! appeared first on Tech Trends.

This month we try out the Playstation VR and other cool gadgets, check it out!

PlayStation VR

The highlight of last month’s reviews batch has to be the fact I finally got hands-on with the PSVR headset. It is comfortable and really cool looking, and generally bodes well for the future of gaming in VR in spite of the initial challenges you’d expect from a first-generation device. You can also read a more in-depth review I wrote for Tech Trends here

RRP: $399

The highlight of last month’s reviews batch has to be the fact I finally got hands-on with the PSVR headset. It is comfortable and really cool looking
Share on X

To find more perfect gadgets and accessories for you, check out GearHungry Instash

FUJITSU Image Scanner ScanSnap iX100

The iX100 model which I tried is FUJITSU’s most compact portable scanner, and what impressed me the most about it was the quality. You do get the same resolution as you do with a much larger, cumbersome scanner, and it links up with your phone or laptop. On the other hand, you do need to set it up via the Wi-Fi network as you would any wireless printer. Maybe it’s just me, but I got frustrated by the fact the phone app didn’t connect to the scanner via Bluetooth. Still, compared to a normal scanner, it’s certainly a lot less cumbersome and more convenient.

The iX100 model is FUJITSU’s most compact portable scanner,
Share on X

If quickly cramming your expense receipts onto a PDF is all you’re after, you’re probably better off sticking with something like CamScanner (the go-to scanner app on my phone), but if quality does matter then this is a good portable option. And if you fancy trying it, watch this space as Tech Trends will be giving away one of those to a lucky reader soon!

RRP: $220

I like the warm colours and textures of these eco-friendly gadget covers
Share on X

Toast Phone Cover

This is a bit of a random one. I really like the warm colours and textures of these eco-friendly gadget covers (everything from your PS4 to your laptop can get a wood-like finish) produced in the beautiful American city of Portland, Oregon. The phone cover I got, however, didn’t quite work for me, mainly because the curves of the Galaxy S7 Edge don’t really lend themselves to this sort of sticker-based cover. In the end I opted for a sturdier, more traditional cover to protect the phone and make it less slippery.

RRP:$34

BakkerElkhuizen S-board 840 Keyboard

Although not quite as light as Apple’s Bluetooth alternative, this keyboard is slim (2cm thick) and portable, and plugged in easily via USB into my MacBook and well as my desktop PC.

The BakkerElkhuizen S-board 840 is a nice ergonomic external keyboard for home use
Share on X

This model doesn’t have a numeric pad, and that saves on space, but it’s not something you really miss. What I did find annoying, however, was that some of the keys did not correspond to where they were painted on, so I spent quite a while fruitlessly trying random combinations in order to get it to produce an @ symbol (got there in the end though). Also, although it’s nice not to have to worry about the keyboard battery constantly draining away – as happens with my Apple keyboard all the time – or picking up other people’s keyboards on the Bluetooth (likewise) the cable does tend to get a bit in the way sometimes.

Overall, this is a nice ergonomic external keyboard for home use (although you could fit it into a laptop bag). I really like the satisfying clunk of the keys (somewhere in between a laptop keypad and a traditional keyboard) which, for someone who does a lot of typing, provides a bit of variety and helps with the old RSI.

RRP: $80

Gyration Voice Control Mouse

Gyration makes the proprietary technology used in the Nintendo Wii Remote, and has recently launched its next-generation wireless mouse, which they claim is the first-of-its-king in that it enables voice control of presentation effects.

Gyration makes the technology used in the Nintendo Wii Remote
Share on X

The customizable voice command functionality means that you can program your mouse to obey commands such as “open browser” from a distance. Quite handy during a presentation as you don’t have to walk back to the computer all the time (it has an impressive 21 meter range, so even large stages are covered), but I mainly used it at home as I tend to watch quite a lot of TV programmes through the Internet, and that doubled nicely as a sort of substitute remote control. Takes some setting up and it’s not the snazziest looking mouse in the world, but I found it handy.

RRP: $99

Most businesses have plans to start incorporating some form of Augmented Reality technology in the coming years
Share on X

My Kingdom Augmented Reality Book

Recent studies show that most businesses have plans to start incorporating some form of Augmented Reality technology in the coming years, so it makes sense that we should start familiarising children with it from an early age. Which, let’s be honest, is not really that difficult, as AR tends to be rather fun.

I really like the idea of bringing books to life through AR, and My Kingdom Books does it in a rather charming way. It’s interactive and customisable, promoting reading skills while leaving room for imagination
Share on X

I really like the idea of bringing books to life through AR, and My Kingdom Books does it in a rather charming way. It’s interactive and customisable, promoting reading skills while leaving room for imagination. Each story features characters based in your child’s name, which pop to life once the Augmented Reality capabilities are triggered. You can setup and preview the stories online before getting the book printed and delivered.

RRP: $25 (includes free worldwide shipping)

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post January 2017 Tech Trends Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

If Virtual Reality Demos were a game of Bingo, I’d be shouting out and waving my card in the air.

The PlayStation VR was the last of the major HMDs (Head Mounted Displays for the less geeky amongst us) that I hadn’t yet tried, so it was with titillation that I unpacked the box that contained my loan from Sony this week.

There was, understandably, quite a long wait to get that loan, however, so by now there are many (MANY) in-depth reviews available on the web, done by people with quite a bit more time to play games than I can manage these days. So if you’re after one of those knit-picking, dissecting accounts full of technical minutiae, you won’t find it here. This is a brief account of my experience, from the perspective of a VR fangirl.

The PlayStation was the last of the current VR headsets I hadn't yet tried
Share on X

I won’t compare the PlayStation VR to mobile headsets such as the Samsung Gear, Daydream or even Cardboard, nor to the Microsoft HoloLens, as mobile VR and Augmented/Mixed reality provide quite different types of experiences. The PlayStation VR sits in the same category as the HTC VIVE and the Oculus Rift – powerful, tethered devices that have to be connected to a powerful computer via a cable.

The PlayStation VR was very comfortable to wear
Share on X

One of the key selling points of the PSVR is that if you’ve already got a PS4 console it retails for about half the price of those equivalent headsets. The other – after having tried it on – is that it is by far the most comfortable of those. After playing a broad range of games, demos and experiences on the headset, I never felt discomfort from actually wearing it, and it was very easy to adjust accurately to fit around my head. I was also extremely impressed by the high resolution of the display.

We're still a long way from being able to comfortably play long, intensive games in VR
Share on X

But although I felt no discomfort from physically wearing the headset, the intensity of the experience made it very difficult to play games – specially fast-paced ones – for any length of time.

Being a snooker fan, my husband insisted I tried on Hustle Kings, and I have to say that – even though it’s absolutely not my bag – I was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed just hanging out in that hall, listening to the naff music that somehow always manages to get itself stuck in my head. It goes to show that in VR, it is often the ordinary experiences that turn out to be the most pleasurable and addictive.

Snooker is a surprisingly addictive experience in VR, as it turns out
Share on X

I’m a huge fan of Resident Evil, and was very much looking forward to playing Resident Evil 7 Biohazard in VR, but I couldn’t last more than 10-15 minutes at a time before having to take quite long breaks to settle my queasy stomach. Now, I should caveat that I am very sensitive to simulator sickness, so it is entirely possible that other people might last much longer, but from what I heard, we’re still a long way off from being able to play long games such as RE7 entirely in VR.

OMG OMG OMG I just got my PlayStation #VR on loan and Resident Evil 7 is arriving on Amazon Prime tomorrow. Not soon enough goddammit!!!! pic.twitter.com/FWzjFvqlDM

— Alice Bonasio (@alicebonasio) January 25, 2017

The biggest thrill is to step into your favourite game, just stop and stare
Share on X

Yet the biggest thrill is still to step into your favourite game, and just stop and stare. And it’s exactly in these open world, sandbox-type experiences – such as you get in games like The Last of Us – that VR in its current form becomes most enjoyable. Eventually, as features such as frame rate, graphics processing and resolution continue to improve, the discomfort I felt is also likely to become less of an issue. It is important to remember, after all, that all of these devices are first-generation headsets. But judging by what I’ve seen so far, we’ve got a long and bright road ahead.

For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Taking the PlayStation VR for a Spin appeared first on Tech Trends.

I remember it as if it was yesterday, even though it was (holy mother of all yikes!) 20 years ago…

The first time I played Resident Evil changed the way I thought about videogames forever. Sure, I’d had fun with them before, but this was something else entirely. I struggled with the unnatural controls as that first zombie staggered through the dimly lit corridor towards me, and the panic I felt was like the paralysis of a nightmare. That, in other words, was some good s**t right there.

Resident Evil changed the way I thought about Videogames. Could it do the same for VR?
Share on X

These days I’m still a sucker for survival horror, although I sadly lack the leisure my teenage self had to indulge in it properly. So many zombies, so little time… Still, when I watch The Walking Dead I know I’d be great in the Zombiepocalypse. I had plenty of practice blowing the heads off the undead hordes.

Looking back at it now, we’ve sure come a long way (See below for a couple of then-and-now shots). Gone is the hilariously bad scripting (fans will fondly remember Barry’s classic line: “Here, Jill, take this lock pick…”) but the truth is that as crude as the graphics might seem now, they truly were nothing short of revolutionary, as was the theme and the gameplay.

There are, however, some serious obstacles to making that work. It is unlikely that we will be able to play a whole game like this in VR any time soon, it’s simply too intense and disorientating, and even veterans have reported feeling sick when demoing it.

There are still issues to iron out if we are to play such long intense games as RE on VR
Share on X

Which is why it makes sense for there to be such hype around the fact that Resident Evil 7 – due for release in January – will be one of the flagship titles of the PlayStation VR. If any title could leverage the immersion and presence of VR to make us pee our pants in terror, it should be RE.

Sony really needs to get around to sending me a PlayStation VR headset #HINT
Share on X

There are, however, some serious obstacles to making that work. It is unlikely that we will be able to play a whole game like this in VR any time soon, it’s simply too intense and disorientating, and even veterans have reported feeling sick when demoing it.

It is unlikely that we will be able to play a whole game like this in VR any time soon, it’s simply too intense and disorientating, and even veterans have reported feeling sick when demoing it
Share on X

Being very susceptible to the curse of VR nausea myself, I’m curious to see how I bear up – #HINT: Sony really needs to send me that headset to try as they promised, theirs is the only major gear I’m yet to try out! – but the videos and screenshots so far really have got me excited. The mixture of the familiar and the cutting edge seem to be there, and if they get it right, Capcom could well revolutionize gaming (and horror) all over again for a new generation of bloodthirsty teenagers. And about time too.

For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Resident Evil Takes Horror to Virtual Reality appeared first on Tech Trends.