Getting Pumped with VR

Gamers don’t have the most flattering stereotypes when it comes to physique. A known sedentary pursuit, gaming doesn’t often help its players stay svelte. There are exceptions of course, but the physically undemanding nature of games can’t honestly be denied. There are many examples of developers trying a variety of techniques to keep players moving and motivated by their entertainment.

VR is Finally Ours. Here's Why We Chose the Vive.

We have talked sporadically about VR here on the site. As the technology has gained ground we have found ourselves increasingly anxious to take part in the games and experiences offered by it. MoreGun and Ssalarn may have found the PlayStation VR suited their need well, Wesley and I have felt for a while now that the Vive offered more what we hoped for from a VR experience. Well, the wait is finally over, and we have acquired Vive, but I'd like to take a moment or two to talk about why we went the way we did.

ADR1FT Is the Prettiest VR Game I've Played Outside of VR

I don't have a VR setup yet. Ultimately, it boils down to buying the hardware, and I just don't have $800 laying around to drop on a Vive. I did manage to pick up a copy of ADR1FT in one of the latest Humble Bundle's though, and it's one of the games I've most wanted VR for. A game about surviving in space after a catastrophic event, I was pleased to find ADR1FT to be plenty enjoyable outside of VR.

Different Virtual Views

During PAX West we had the opportunity to try out quite a few different VR units, and surprisingly when all was said and done, Ssalarn and I ended up going the console route for VR.  When it was released, we picked up a copy of the PS VR along with a couple of little goody games (samplers) to go with it. 

PAX West: Obduction

Myst is one of those games that you don't really forget. Back when Cyan's first big adventure was released, no one had really seen anything like it before. The strange vistas, bizarre puzzles and eccentric characters were enthralling, and I remember thinking that this was as good as graphics were ever going to get. Times have changed, but Cyan is still around and they've recently produced a new game in the vein of Myst, an expansive puzzle adventure story called Obduction and I got a chance to go hands on with it in VR at PAX West.

Trekkin, Yo!

I always knew I'd be part of a starship crew. I didn't think I'd get the opportunity so soon, but last weekend at the PAX formerly known as Prime I got my hands on Star Trek Bridge Crew. While I didn't get to play with my preferred crew (Ssalarn, Wesley and Steve) I still had a great time and am really excited to pick up the full game whenever we finally snag a VR headset.

Who would have thought that I wasn't the only Trekkie drooling over the opportunity to play?! The line formed early, and my first couple attempts to get to the game met with failure. But like a stubborn Starfleet cadet, I kept coming back until I managed a spot before they capped the line.

PAX West: Earthlight Demo

This was the year of VR demos at PAX West (née PAX Prime) for us here at Somnam. Among the most notable was the Earthlight demo by Melbourne, Australia based developers Opaque Media.

Your odds of becoming a US Astronaut are better today than they ever have been since the "The Mercury Seven" were first selected in 1959. Even so, the hurdles are incredible and only a total of 536 people (as of 2013) worldwide have been to space. It's rare experience available to a select few, but Opaque Media has managed to bring part of that experience to a much wider audience.

PAX West 2016 VR Favorites

PAX West 2016 is over! This year's show was full of surprises. Bungie returned to the Expo floor after a long absence, Mainstay AAA studios like EA and 2K skipped the Seattle show entirely, and the indie and VR scenes really took over the show. We were fortunate to see a lot of VR games over the fours days in Seattle. Here are a few of my favorites

E3 Showed us VR Done All Wrong

Image Source: cbsnews.com

Long ago, I worked at T-Mobile. This isn't the part where you pity me and my wretched past, I had a good time there and learned a great deal about the mobile industry; but I digress. I'm bringing up this old man on the back porch style story because I was there when the first android phone, the HTC G1 (or Dream) was released. I snapped up my little black brick as soon as I could. There were tons of people out there who said that the Android OS would never flourish in the face of Apple's monolithic iPhone sales and popularity, especially as an open-source program. And yet, years later, Android devices have taken 80% of the worldwide market with Apple's iOS holding a measly 15%. Why trot this out now? Because I think the future of VR lies in it being open for all and there has been a lot of talk about proprietary games for Oculus and Sony VR.

I Am Still Excited About VR, But not With the Oculus Rift

The Oculus Rift has been the face of virtual reality for a while now. The first dev kit launched in 2012 to spotty support and more than a few jokes about the Lawnmower Man. As the platform developed, more and more people took notice. When Oculus was purchased for $2 billion by Facebook in 2014, most of us knew that VR was about to become a very big deal. With the official release of the Rift last week, some people have noticed some unsettling things about the incredible device.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (A unique take on a tired trope)

As a red-blooded American who was raised by an unhealthy dose of TV as a child, I am on a first name basis with the common action trope of frantic bomb defusal. We all know it; someone is trapped with a bomb/warhead capable of terrible destructive power. No one can get in or out. The expert in defusing just this explosive item has to talk our inexperienced hero through the process via some sort of lifeline. The red numerals tick down closer and closer to the big Kaboom. Will they ever make it in time??