We are a bit late in posting this but we have a new video for you to view. Let us know your thoughts or leave a comment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvpOQDpDo30
Note to moderators: Unsure if I am allowed to post the below. If you need me to edit it or remove it please let me know.
Hi All
We are currently seeking creative writers and contributes to a new VR Review site which we hope to have up and running in March.
This new site is going to be located at http://www.virtualrealityreviewer.com and we hope to post Reviews, News and Features daily. As this is going to be a very content rich website we are seeking creative people to post articles and reviews about their VR experiences. If you've ever wanted to become a Technology reviewer or would like to share your opinions to a large audience maybe now is your chance.
Below is a short video review of Blue Marble which we have just put together to give you an idea of how we are thinking of reviewing Demos. We wont give a score on Demos as we understand that they are works in progress and can change dramatically with updates. We will however give scores to any experience that requires users to purchase the content.
Please note that me and my partner are professional web developers and not media editors. The below video review is our first attempt on creating a review video and contains two small errors in narration which we will fix before the site goes live. ( mainly where we talk about screen resolution ).
My video editing skills will hopefully get better as time goes on
As this is a start up project at the moment we cannot pay content writers for now but we hope in the future as sponsorship and advertising comes in as site traffic goes up that we will be able to provide our contributes with the latest VR technology to test out and early access to Demos and full games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALUZSin2V1Q
If your interested in become a contributor please email editor@virtualrealityreviewer.com
As an example of what is required for a review please see the full transcript used for the above video below.
BLUE MARBLE
No that isn’t Dart Vader your listing to as you wait for Blue Marble to start up.
This is the short Oculus Rift experience from developer JayWalker Interactive which is currently one of the more polished experiences you can get on the Rift.
Blue Marble is a short trip to the Dark Side of the moon while listing to your favourite music. At the start of the demo you can choose what music track you would like to listen to for you journey by simply looking at the track selection. Once you have chosen your track simply look at the launch button and you are ready to begin.
What’s great about this experience is that you can import your own music. The only downside is that it must be in .ogg format and not .mp3 . Not to worry as the developer has included a copy of AUDACITY with the download files which will convert your music tracks.
Once started the screen goes dark and you see System ready. Your chosen music will start to play and you’re transported to a small space craft.
First impressions of the inside of the craft are great. You fell like your inside a bulky space suit and the 3D effect of the glass in your visor is great. It feels like the glass is just a few inches from you face and the space craft’s walls look to be only a couple of meters away.
As you float out into the void you really do feel weightless and even though your trip is on rails you have free camera control so you can look in any direction. The speed of the camera turning also increases the feeling of being in a weightless environment as it’s slow and deliberate. For those of us mere mortals who have never been in space it’s like turning your body under water.
Even with the limitations of the current development kits screen resolution, the attention to detail on Earth is amazing. At the polls you can see the aura borealis lighting up the sky and streaking across the planet from time to time you will see metros as they burn up in the atmosphere. The reflections on the glob are really striking and the lens flares are done very elegantly unlike most J.J Abrams movies.
The developers has also added in some satellites and asteroids as you move towards the Moon and as you pass them you can nearly reach out and touch a solar panel. It powerful how realistic the feeling of being close to these objects are.
In summery this is a great experience and if you are ever demoing your Rift to a first time Virtual Reality user as It won’t make them feel quezy and its as short or as long as your song selection is.
I only wish this demo was longer and included the other planets in our solar system. Why not sit back and enjoy the rest of the trip.