vr Archives - Punch Digital

10/09/2019 — No Comments

VR Hits The Arcades, and it’s an obvious hit!

Recently I blogged out the Alton Towers Galactica ride, which is a mix of a real roller coaster and virtual reality. I thought the initial concept was great, you could fly through virtual worlds, and experience the G forces from the roller coaster. However it seemed to me that the ride makers were really missing a trick by only having 1 virtual world, and ZERO interactivity.

I know how expensive creating virtual worlds can be, but I also know that with a digital format, such as virtual reality, the cost to make physical changes to hardware or equipment is zero.

Recently whilst on a break, I noticed Virtual Rabbids The Big Ride in an arcade. It’s essentially an arcade game, where you sit on a motion simulator, wear a HTC Vive, and experience virtual worlds, from pirate adventures to Christmas sleigh rides!

OK this game doesn’t give the same thrills as the Galactica ride, and you can’t expect that from an arcade machine. However it does deliver an accessible, engaging, immersive experience without the need for a massive roller coaster.

It’s an obvious hit too. Out of all the arcade machines, Rabbids The Big Ride was by far the most popular, even though it was 400% more expensive than the other arcade games. OK perhaps the price and popularity are down to the uniqueness of the game, but it does go to show the appetite and willingness to give VR a go.

I personally see VR being a big hit in arcades, and might even spark a return to the arcades of decades gone by. I am still very much skeptical about VR. Will we ever overcome the social acceptance of the technology? It’s hard to convince people to wear a VR headset, and also hard to see how virtual reality can be anything other than a solo experience. But with a virtual reality arcade, I can see how a group of friends could use it in a very similar way to a normal arcade game, and that really does give me hope for the future of VR entertainment.

VR Virtual Reality

So is VR saved?

Who knows!

But I am glad that virtual reality is slowly becoming more and more mainstream, and being adopted in ways that actually give value though enhanced experiences.

Do I still think there's a massive social hurdle to overcome? Of course! But little steps like are paving the way.

Would you try a VR arcade game? Could you lose yourself in a virtual environment? Is VR the future of entertainment?

Drop me your thoughts!

Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized, Virtual Reality

Tags: 3d, animation, cgi, headset, Interactive, virtual reality, vr

14/08/2019 — No Comments

What would I do if….

Great question right? A good excuse to take a step back and look at things from a different perspective.

So over the next few weeks / months, I'll be doing just that in the form of a mini series to read at your leisure!

But what's the point?

Well, when it comes to creating marketing and promotional material for your business and products, the options can seem endless, or maybe there may be options that you haven't considered.

So, I want to use 15+ years of knowledge of the CGI, 3D, digital marketing industry, combined with an understanding of businesses needs, requirements and problems, to explain what I might do in your position.

The first piece will be "What would I do if I were a property developer?".

In this, I will look at the different options, from basic CGI artwork, to fully interactive applications, and maybe a few other options that perhaps you're not even aware of. I'll look at the pros and cons of different mediums, what to expect, cost guides and so on.

Essentially I hope this mini series will give you a good understanding of your options and maybe even help you to approach CGI studios so you get the most out of any future projects.

Don't miss out!

So this blog post is a little heads up for something that will be landing over the next weeks / months.

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Dean

Published by Dean in What would I do if...?

16/07/2019 — No Comments

Virtual Reality // The Misunderstood Medium

Fantastic Tech

New tech is fantastic. It changes on a daily basis, and brings us new and exciting things.

But virtual reality can almost seem like it stumbles and trips way too often. Let's not forget that VR isn't anything new, Oculus Rift was funded on Kickstarter over 7 years ago!

Misunderstood

Like a stroppy high-school teenager, VR is misunderstood. It doesn't know what it wants to do in life, it's not sure where it belongs, and perhaps even a little confused about its upbringing!

Virtual Reality misunderstood

The issue

For me, virtual reality is often being shoe-horned into a situation that doesn't really fit, and it's really hurting it's reputation and potential. People think "VR, that's cool, how can we jump on this bang wagon" without really thinking about what they're trying to achieve.

VR is fantastic for occasions where the user needs to be isolated, such as training simulations. They can safely immerse the user in dangerous, expensive and complex situations.

However, I believe VR isn't great for social groups in many situations. That could be 1 person wearing a VR headset in a group of people, or several people each using a headset. There is a massive social issue for VR to overcome.

If you're the 1 in a group of many, and you're the only one in the virtual world, you are no longer connected to the group. You are alone. There's no two ways about it.

Again if you're in a group of VR users, you are alone.

Virtual Reality misunderstood

And this social and psychological issue is massive.

Trust.

Respect.

Relationships.

All of these things are tested every time you wear a headset in a social environment. How many times have you handed someone a VR headset, for them to wear it for 15 seconds, then hand it back? Or you wear a headset, and you become too isolated from the real world. These are the kinds of the big issues VR is facing.

The big VR fix

Well, is there a "fix"?

I think we need to really think about where virtual reality is used.

Maybe we just need to plough on, and try to make VR common place?

Or perhaps, as an entertainment platform, VR is already dead in the water, and we should look towards alternatives such as augmented reality?

This blog post isn't a dig at virtual reality, or those trying to use the medium for brilliant things, but I think content creators really need to take a step back, and figure out if virtual reality is right for their end goal and end users, before irreversible damage is done.

Dean

Published by Dean in Uncategorized, Virtual Reality

Tags: 3d, cgi, Interactive, virtual reality, vr

08/11/2018 — No Comments

5 Reasons why I love the Google Cardboard

The Google Cardboard, an entry level VR headset, has been around for a few years now. There's even a Cardboard 2 now too. Slot in your Android smartphone and away you go! But while many will see this as an undesirable piece of landfill junk, I disagree!

Here are my top 5 reasons why I love the Google Cardboard....

1. Any modern Android smart phone will work.

That’s right, you don’t need the latest Samsung S9 or Google Pixel 3 to have VR fun. For years most Android smart phones have had the hardware required for VR. OK some modern games and apps won’t work on old phones, but that’s not a fault with VR.

2. The price.

For a whopping sum of £6 you can buy a Google Cardboard 2. I’ve bought more expensive coffees before! That makes it almost an impulse buy, especially when compared to the £100s to buy a Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive! But the price point isn’t just great for consumers, it’s also great for marketing and PR. When launching a product, service or brand, the Google Cardboard offers a very cheap and easy solution to engage with an audience through VR.

3. Customise it.

It’s cardboard, so there’s really not excuse not to customise it! Stick some branding onto the headset, make it your own, and you have something that will stick in folks minds. Again great for marketing and PR.

4. It's recyclable.

Single use and none recyclable plastics are hot topics for discussion right now, and rightly so. The Google Cardboard is obviously very recyclable, which means even the most eco conscious of folk will have a hard time turning one down!

5. It’s a pocket rocket.

And lastly, the Google Cardboard is small. OK you’d struggle to fit it into your trendy skinny jeans, but you certainly wouldn’t notice it in your bag. And that’s one of the things I love about mobile VR. It doesn’t rely on a massive headset, sensors, and a beast of a PC. Personally I’ve taken the Google Cardboard to meetings and networking events and also to friends and family houses too.

Finally

Making tech accessible to the masses is ultimately what makes something mainstream. The Oculus Rift, Vive and others, are great, but they’re not something that’s mainstream yet. They’re expensive, require powerful PCs, and will likely be outdated in a year or two too. Unless your serious about gaming, then you probably don’t own one.

The Google Cardboard isn’t the greatest VR kit out there. It lacks the visual quality of the high end headsets, it’s uncomfortable to wear, and it’s usability isn’t fantastic. However what it does brilliantly is it makes VR accessible to almost anyone. We’ve all seen the YouTube clips of Grandma falling off the sofa whilst being chased by a VR dinosaur. And although these experiences are small, and even funny, they are helping to make VR mainstream and socially acceptable.

Google Cardboard also fits perfectly into the Punch Digital philosophy by keeping things as simple as possible. By using the hardware already in our pockets is a massive plus, and the ease of use once you've slipped your phone the Cardboard is pretty neat too.

I still think VR has a long way to go before it’s in everyone’s house, but by taking small steps, with tech such as the Google Cardboard, and even the Gear VR or Daydream, I believe VR has a strong future.

Dean

Published by Dean in 360 Virtual Tour, 360° video, CGI, Virtual Reality

Tags: 3d, google, google cardboard, htc, Interactive, oculus rift, top, virtual reality, vive, vr

22/12/2017 — No Comments

Our First Project to Mix CGI VR and Live 360 Footage

We love a challenge, so when our friends at Superla came to us and said they want to combine CGI VR with live 360 footage for a distracted driving campaign 360 video we said "hell yes!"

The concept behind the video is simple - distracted driving kills. But how we showed this concept wasn't as easy, and we had to overcome some technical and creative hurdles.

Don't let a single moment of distraction change your life. #ParkYourPhone and follow #Cartesy when you head out next time. Take the pledge here: http://bit.ly/2xpS7vE

Posted by Ford India on Friday, 13 October 2017

For our part, we produced the car interior, which is entirely CGI! The character is also CGI too. Creating photo-realistic content is something we do on a daily basis, but the challenges of the project pushed our technical knowledge to the limit, and beyond. To seamlessly blend the live footage, with the CGI car interior, we had to match the lighting, but more importantly, the reflections. Then throw in some motion capture, super high resolution footage, and numerous other challenges!

Distracted Driving 360 Car Interior Animation Video

Superla did a cracking job with the live 360 footage, post production and leading and directing the animation. For the character animation, we used the Rokoko motion capture suit, then refined the animation before rendering the animation. I personally love the text message alerts, which divert your eye away from the road, which is of course the video's aim is to distract you as you drive along.

We believe 360 video has a big future, especially when telling an engaging story. By viewing the 360 videos on a VR headset, the immersive experience is unlike any traditional media. I believe in 2018 we will see a growth of VR and 360 content, and it's certainly something we're excited to be a part of!

Published by Dean in 360° video, Animation, Automotive, Interior

Tags: 360, 360° video, 3d, animation, Interactive, interior, video, virtual reality, visualisation, vr

08/06/2017 — No Comments

Champions League VR Experience Review

Quite a game wasn't it, with some fantastic goals, and a bit of controversy too! But this blog post isn't really about the Champions League final, but about the VR experience that BT Sport offered.

In my last blog post Watch the UEFA Champions League final in VR I looked at the past sporting VR content, and made some predictions and thoughts on how a VR experience could play out. I was critical of BT Sports YouTube channel, and I hoped, but didn't expect, that the VR experience for the final would be much improved. I'm glad to say my expectations were exceeded, and the final was enjoyable in VR!

The experience begins with the BT Sport app. I'm a big fan of keeping as much as possible to the browser window (for speed, accessibility and convenience), but there are limitations, so downloading the small app was necessary. The app beings with a virtual environment, perhaps loosely based on a corporate box overlooking the stadium. There isn't a lot to do here, other than have a quick look around and press the play button to load the live stream.