However it is important to point out that most VR games built over the last 10 years (and many more in production) are not compatible with, nor will they ever be “portable” to hand-tracking only design. Hand-tracking is a logical affordance for AR based spatial computing and no doubt some experiences will work well with that design philosophy. Unity engine support is promised but with no plans for motion control support, Apple has cut out any possibility of porting most of the existing or future VR catalog to its platform. ![]() In their recent presentation VR is essentially reduced to a gimmick, the thing you lightly touch the edges of, instead of a complimentary and equally important medium. Apple could have expanded into VR’s recent success, growth and competition within the current market. Why not set a vision for a future device that would accommodate both AR and VR as complimentary mediums? Apple could have embraced a dual launch strategy with a rich and proven catalog of best selling VR games, perfectly tuned to onboard a completely new audience to XR. I question why the AVP didn’t maximize its potential, leveraging almost a decade of know-how from the VR community working within this space. Does it frustrate me as a VR-centric studio owner? You bet it does. Do I understand the strategy to strike a different cord as an XR business owner? Absolutely. But in an effort to sharpen their messaging, and to command a dominating lead within the AR space, VR and its many benefits were expertly omitted on nearly every level. Whether to allow users to full-dive into Virtual Reality, freely move around, and be active in the medium. Whether or not to include controllers to support legacy VR titles. Whether or not to open the device up to VR studios and successful titles. No doubt (and if rumors are true) there were many debates at Apple HQ about VR. And to the victor, the spoils of a smartphone replacing device. AVP will give developers a powerful foundation and ecosystem for which to develop AR apps for a future ‘glasses formfactor’ device in that mythical 5–10 year window. Will Cloudhead Games be buying one to better understand Apple’s approach? Heck yes. ![]() Make no mistake, this no compromise MR device appears to get many things right for AR at a premium cost. AVP is a development platform also serving an enthusiast demographic. ![]() So let’s get the obvious over first Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s first generation attempt at AR glasses using a Mixed Reality VR headset. Working closely with Valve, Sony, and Meta, Cloudhead is best known for their title Pistol Whip and has shipped four popular VR titles ( Pistol Whip, Valve’s Aperture Hand Labs, Call of the Starseed, and Heart of the Emberstone). Based in British Columbia and founded in 2012 Cloudhead’s pioneering approach to VR gave rise to broadly adopted movement standards including Snap Turns and Teleportation. In this Guest Article, studio head Denny Unger shares his thoughts on Apple’s entrance into the space.ĭenny Unger is CEO and CCO at Cloudhead Games. Cloudhead Games is one of the most successful and senior VR studios in the industry.
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