Rev VR Podcast

It is the week of July 14th, and the VR community has one thing on their mind. When are they going to get an email, or a statement, or something to indicate where their DK2 is? Jesse and I have decided to be patient, and instead talk about a few other subjects to keep our minds off of it. Jesse is part of the team that is developing VR Chat. They have been doing several regular meetups, including Developer chats on Wednesdays, and a Sunday evening chat after Cymatic Bruce’s stream. Congratulations to developer, RedofPaw, for his successful Kickstarter campaign! Oculus Connect is happening in September, and we are still waiting for more information about it. It seems like everyone in the VR community is scrambling to make plans to go. How much will it cost? What will they show? A Mobile SDK? CV1? Controllers? We discuss the possibilities and what it might mean to other hardware developers already in the industry. One big piece of news released by Oculus is that you need to have V-Sync on for DK2. Some folks barked at that. We discuss what this means and how your experience will be changed by this. Is your computer DK2 ready? Are you going to need to buy a new video card? Only time will tell. I want to thank Jesse for chatting with me in this episode. If you would like a chance to chat with Jesse and join in on the VR Chat fun, check out vrchat.net and watch reddit for chat announcements.

I sent my wife, Elizabeth, to the store to gather up all of the items we needed to build Google Cardboard from scratch. An hour later, we had it built and in this episode of the Rev VR Podcast, we give our impressions. At first, it seemed like it was going to be easy to build. We had our "good scissors" and a sharp X-Acto knife, so we thought we were ready to go. It was a daunting task to cut out all of those slots and holes, but we finally got through it. The nice thing about having my wife and children trying out new VR gear is that I get a good sense of how the average consumer is going to respond to it. My wife is not a tech geek in any way, so her opinion is usually an honest representation of the masses. The first thing she noticed is that it was not comfortable on her head. She felt that it was digging into her nose, and her reading glasses didn't fit at all. She feels like VR companies are going to need to take into consideration that everyone's head is not the same. We take a look at the Android app that Google provided, and it has a few good points mixed with a few bland ones. All in all, it is a good first move for Google, but it will surely need to be improved if they want to impress the VR community. A big thanks to Elizabeth for taking the time to talk to the VR community.

I sent my wife, Elizabeth, to the store to gather up all of the items we needed to build Google Cardboard from scratch. An hour later, we had it built and in this episode of the Rev VR Podcast, we give our impressions. At first, it seemed like it was going to be easy to build. We had our "good scissors" and a sharp X-Acto knife, so we thought we were ready to go. It was a daunting task to cut out all of those slots and holes, but we finally got through it. The nice thing about having my wife and children trying out new VR gear is that I get a good sense of how the average consumer is going to respond to it. My wife is not a tech geek in any way, so her opinion is usually an honest representation of the masses. The first thing she noticed is that it was not comfortable on her head. She felt that it was digging into her nose, and her reading glasses didn't fit at all. She feels like VR companies are going to need to take into consideration that everyone's head is not the same. We take a look at the Android app that Google provided, and it has a few good points mixed with a few bland ones. All in all, it is a good first move for Google, but it will surely need to be improved if they want to impress the VR community. A big thanks to Elizabeth for taking the time to talk to the VR community.

While I was in Los Angeles for E3 2014, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Kite and Lightning guys. They showed me a project called "Genesis" that took took my breath away. For me, the best part about being part of the VR community is being repeatedly amazed at the newest stuff being created. I keep saying, "Man, nobody will ever be able to top this experience!", and yet I am constantly proven wrong on a daily basis. The Genesis experience exemplifies the concept of "You have to try it to understand it." I will never be able to explain how intense it was. A perfect combination of sight, sound, and feelings that took me into another dimension. The Kite and Lightning crew was excited to tak to me about everything they have been working on. From Senza Peso to their Batcave, we discuss their engine choices, their ambitions, and their vision for the future. For more information about Kite and Lightning, and to sign up for their newsletter, visit their website: http://www.kiteandlightning.la. Thanks to the Kite and Lightning guys for being such amazing guests.

While I was in Los Angeles for E3 2014, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Kite and Lightning guys. They showed me a project called "Genesis" that took took my breath away. For me, the best part about being part of the VR community is being repeatedly amazed at the newest stuff being created. I keep saying, "Man, nobody will ever be able to top this experience!", and yet I am constantly proven wrong on a daily basis. The Genesis experience exemplifies the concept of "You have to try it to understand it." I will never be able to explain how intense it was. A perfect combination of sight, sound, and feelings that took me into another dimension. The Kite and Lightning crew was excited to tak to me about everything they have been working on. From Senza Peso to their Batcave, we discuss their engine choices, their ambitions, and their vision for the future. For more information about Kite and Lightning, and to sign up for their newsletter, visit their website: http://www.kiteandlightning.la. Thanks to the Kite and Lightning guys for being such amazing guests.

A friend recently sent me a video of a gal whispering into her microphone and tapping her nails on a coffee mug, with the message, "You have to talk to her about VR!" I invited Ally onto the Rev VR Podcast, and she explains how her videos are going to contribute to the growing VR space. At first, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. I noticed that each of her videos had close to half a million views, and her subscribers were in the hundreds of thousands. What was she doing that was so popular? I did my research. It turns out that she has "tapped" into a very interesting phenomenon called ASMR. ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a tingling sensation you get from hearing, seeing, smelling, or feeling something specific. There are several "triggers" that can cause a person to having ASMR, and it can be different for each person. Wait a minute... What does this have to do with virtual reality? Well, Ally creates these videos using a binaural microphone by 3DIO. As some of you may know, binaural audio is an essential piece to experience true presence in virtual reality. Her recent video series, Departure, has captured the attention of a few names in the VR game, and she is now producing content for virtual reality. Along with her videos, she is also starting an immersive-content network for YouTubers called PixelWhipt. They are looking to work with VR media creators to create advertising partnerships. For more info on PixelWhipt, check out http://www.pixelwhipt.com To visit Ally's YouTube Channel, check out ASMRRequests

A friend recently sent me a video of a gal whispering into her microphone and tapping her nails on a coffee mug, with the message, "You have to talk to her about VR!" I invited Ally onto the Rev VR Podcast, and she explains how her videos are going to contribute to the growing VR space. At first, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. I noticed that each of her videos had close to half a million views, and her subscribers were in the hundreds of thousands. What was she doing that was so popular? I did my research. It turns out that she has "tapped" into a very interesting phenomenon called ASMR. ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a tingling sensation you get from hearing, seeing, smelling, or feeling something specific. There are several "triggers" that can cause a person to having ASMR, and it can be different for each person. Wait a minute... What does this have to do with virtual reality? Well, Ally creates these videos using a binaural microphone by 3DIO. As some of you may know, binaural audio is an essential piece to experience true presence in virtual reality. Her recent video series, Departure, has captured the attention of a few names in the VR game, and she is now producing content for virtual reality. Along with her videos, she is also starting an immersive-content network for YouTubers called PixelWhipt. They are looking to work with VR media creators to create advertising partnerships. For more info on PixelWhipt, check out http://www.pixelwhipt.com To visit Ally's YouTube Channel, check out ASMRRequests

When the guys at Survios invited me over to check out their setup, I had no idea that it would turn into an epic podcast that felt more like a recorded party than an interview. This was the largest group I’ve had on my podcast at one time. We circled around the microphone, grabbed a few “beverages” and had a terrific conversation. What did we talk about? Everything from zombie digestive systems to the possibilities of virtual conferences. Giving a description of this conversation would not do it justice. Listen for yourself and you’ll understand. Here is the circle: Reverend Kyle, host. James Iliff, Co-Founder & CCO of Survios Hunter Kitagawa, Community Manager at Survios Scott Broock, Vice President of Content at Jaunt Ben Lang, Big Chief at Road to VR Nathan Burba, Co-Founder & CEO at Survios Graham Matuszewski, Software Engineer at Survios I started off by trying Zombies on the Holodeck. Wow. A completely self contained VR experience that truly made me forget that I was in a room being watched by a bunch of people. Their tracking system and gameplay was spot on, and it was an extremely satisfying feeling.

When the guys at Survios invited me over to check out their setup, I had no idea that it would turn into an epic podcast that felt more like a recorded party than an interview. This was the largest group I’ve had on my podcast at one time. We circled around the microphone, grabbed a few “beverages” and had a terrific conversation. What did we talk about? Everything from zombie digestive systems to the possibilities of virtual conferences. Giving a description of this conversation would not do it justice. Listen for yourself and you’ll understand. Here is the circle: Reverend Kyle, host. James Iliff, Co-Founder & CCO of Survios Hunter Kitagawa, Community Manager at Survios Scott Broock, Vice President of Content at Jaunt Ben Lang, Big Chief at Road to VR Nathan Burba, Co-Founder & CEO at Survios Graham Matuszewski, Software Engineer at Survios I started off by trying Zombies on the Holodeck. Wow. A completely self contained VR experience that truly made me forget that I was in a room being watched by a bunch of people. Their tracking system and gameplay was spot on, and it was an extremely satisfying feeling.

I had some time on the last day of E3 2014 to hang out with Anton Mikhailov and Jeff Stafford, members of the Sony Project Morpheus team. They were wrapping up their final demos and wanted me to come back to try their Street Luge demo and chat. At the time, I was hanging out with fellow podcasters Bobby Blackwolf and Rob Roberts of the Voice of Geeks Network, and the Sony team was gracious enough to let me bring them along. While I was there, we sat down and recorded a fantastic podcast. We start off by talking about the Street Luge demo, and how they almost didn’t show it. The question was whether or not folks would get sick, and it turns out that everyone loved it. We then talk about the history of the Castle demo, and why the dragon eats you. I brought up that Palmer Luckey from Oculus tried Morpheus at the SVVR Conference & Expo, and they discuss how they have a great relationship with Oculus and allow each other to try their demos. It feels like the old Homebrew computer clubs, and knowledge is being openly shared. Sony loves indie developers. We talk about the cost of the development kit and how important indie games are to the VR ecosystem. They are seeking out new demos and love to talk to these developers about their work. We discuss the EVE: Valkyrie demos on the Morpheus and the Oculus Rift. Both experiences should be similar, but keep in mind that there are differences in the hardware. What is that box connected to the Morpheus headset doing? It splits the screen off so a “social screen” can be viewed by other people in the room while you are using Morpheus. It also handles 3D audio. New Morpheus development kit iterations are constantly being made. They were showing version six at E3 2014. Three years into the project, they are still working on the final form. We dig into using Playstation Move as their VR controllers, and that they may pursue something new down the road. Right now, they are focusing on nailing their current setup. Mobile support for Morpheus on devices such as the PS Vita might also come down the road at some point. Can I buy Morpheus and just use it on my high end PC? The question ended up taking an interesting turn. Thanks to Anton and Jeff for inviting me back to the Sony room to chat at the end of the show.

I had some time on the last day of E3 2014 to hang out with Anton Mikhailov and Jeff Stafford, members of the Sony Project Morpheus team. They were wrapping up their final demos and wanted me to come back to try their Street Luge demo and chat. At the time, I was hanging out with fellow podcasters Bobby Blackwolf and Rob Roberts of the Voice of Geeks Network, and the Sony team was gracious enough to let me bring them along. While I was there, we sat down and recorded a fantastic podcast. We start off by talking about the Street Luge demo, and how they almost didn’t show it. The question was whether or not folks would get sick, and it turns out that everyone loved it. We then talk about the history of the Castle demo, and why the dragon eats you. I brought up that Palmer Luckey from Oculus tried Morpheus at the SVVR Conference & Expo, and they discuss how they have a great relationship with Oculus and allow each other to try their demos. It feels like the old Homebrew computer clubs, and knowledge is being openly shared. Sony loves indie developers. We talk about the cost of the development kit and how important indie games are to the VR ecosystem. They are seeking out new demos and love to talk to these developers about their work. We discuss the EVE: Valkyrie demos on the Morpheus and the Oculus Rift. Both experiences should be similar, but keep in mind that there are differences in the hardware. What is that box connected to the Morpheus headset doing? It splits the screen off so a “social screen” can be viewed by other people in the room while you are using Morpheus. It also handles 3D audio. New Morpheus development kit iterations are constantly being made. They were showing version six at E3 2014. Three years into the project, they are still working on the final form. We dig into using Playstation Move as their VR controllers, and that they may pursue something new down the road. Right now, they are focusing on nailing their current setup. Mobile support for Morpheus on devices such as the PS Vita might also come down the road at some point. Can I buy Morpheus and just use it on my high end PC? The question ended up taking an interesting turn. Thanks to Anton and Jeff for inviting me back to the Sony room to chat at the end of the show.

E3 is over for another year and it’s been fun! We’ve had a very marked focus on software not hardware for VR related products and that’s been reflected in our coverage. Again, Rev. Kyle is joined by Ben Lang to talk about the day’s events. In this final special they discuss Sixense and their newest STEM prototype and were impressed with it’s low latency, Kyle gets his turn with the Virtuix Omni, reactions from the Oculus Booth, new DK2 shipping estimates and some thoughts and info on Elite: Dangerous. Kyle also had his time with Sony’s Project Morpheus and the Street Luge demo. And of course the VRLA mixer.

E3 is over for another year and it’s been fun! We’ve had a very marked focus on software not hardware for VR related products and that’s been reflected in our coverage. Again, Rev. Kyle is joined by Ben Lang to talk about the day’s events. In this final special they discuss Sixense and their newest STEM prototype and were impressed with it’s low latency, Kyle gets his turn with the Virtuix Omni, reactions from the Oculus Booth, new DK2 shipping estimates and some thoughts and info on Elite: Dangerous. Kyle also had his time with Sony’s Project Morpheus and the Street Luge demo. And of course the VRLA mixer.

Reverend Kyle summarises Day 2 at the world’s largest gaming event with Ben Lang. They discuss thoughts on their experiences with Control VR and IMU based tracking in general. Plus, Ben talks about his time with Survios’ Prime 3 untethered virtual reality experience. Also Kyle shares his thoughts on Cmoar, a new VR viewer headset using your mobile phone. We’ll be releasing content throughout the day and of course Rev. Kyle and Ben will be back on the show floor for the final day of E3 when doors open this morning.

The message is clear from Oculus VR for this year’s E3, content is king. With no hardware announcements forthcoming, Oculus are pushing new games and experiences. Reverend Kyle is on the show floor this week checking out all the latest VR content. Today he’s joined by Road to VR Founder and Executive Editor Ben Lang and they talk about what they saw and experienced on day one of the biggest game event of the year. Impressions on Alien: Isolation, Lucky’s Friend and EVE Valkyrie and they also talk about new demos on Sony’s Project Morpheus stand including the brand new Stret Luge experience.