With the rise of devices in the VR and AR universe partners and clients often ask us on how mixed reality games are connected and relevant. The most important aspect is on how you see the device as a medium. In the context of games it is a the next step in immersive gameplay, a tool to experience new kind of games. VR and AR headsets in its very core are new kind of hardware to offer a new way to play games. Looking at the current landscape of devices this is what we are working on in the Gbanga lab.
Oculus Rift
- Works with: Your desktop PC
- Body position: Fixed
- Hand influence: Through additional hardware Oculus Touch
- Mixed reality game scenario: With the acquisition of Facebook developers have a convenient possibility to extend VR in a way that is directly connected to your Facebook friends. Facebook already showed that traveling together to distant cities is possible via VR. The step to playing games together with your friends in VR is an interesting possibility. How about climbing the highest real life building in your city like Spiderman and see who is faster – you or your Facebook friend.
Google Daydream and Google Cardboard
- Works with: Your Smartphone
- Influence with your hands: Not on Cardboard; single hand remote clicker on Daydream
- Body position: Move freely without influence on gameplay
- Mixed reality game scenario: With Cardboard and Daydream Google offers hardware that is available on the go at any time. Anything on the smartphone screen can be displayed as a VR experience. This makes it a logic extension of existing mixed reality games. Think treasure hunt where you need to play mini games at fixed locations to find out the next direction to go. And with cardboard there is a low cost version of Google’s product to offer a VR device on spot for example as a hidden goodie on the mentioned treasure hunt.
Samsung Gear VR
- Works with: Your smartphone (Samsung, only)
- Influence with your hands: Not out of the box, possible through custom hardware, like in Galaxy Invaders
- Body position: Not out of the box, possible through custom tracking, like in Galaxy Invaders
- Mixed reality game scenario: As with the Google product, Gear VR offers hardware that is available on the go and anything on the smartphone screen can be displayed as a VR experience. With Galaxy Invaders we have created a mixed reality game used on a Samsung roadshow to let old school retro invaders attack the player while the audience watches the game on the big screen. See details.
HTC Vive
- Works with: Your desktop PC
- Influence with your hands: Yes, with out of the box hardware
- Body position: Move freely with influence on gameplay
- Mixed reality game scenario: With HTC being currently the only device that tracks position movement of your body it is the perfect device to create a world around existing real life infrastructure. How about walking through your real life city and destroy it like Godzilla?
Microsoft Hololens
- Works with: No additional device needed
- Influence with your hands: Yes, hand movement tracked by the headset without additional hardware
- Body position: Move freely with influence on gameplay
- Mixed reality game scenario: With Hololens being the only device that’s working completely independently and the only that targets AR completely changes the possible scenarios for mixed reality gaming. Hololens is perfect to extend existing infrastructure situations. How about your home city emerging from the ground of your office or trade show booth that you need to manage as a mayor.
The scenarios for mixed reality games with VR and AR devices are exciting and working on a new wave of games to foster the possibilities of new and upcoming hardware is challenging and fun. Feel free to contact us to discuss!
