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[Ionic]

Compared to Soundcloud the selection is shit.

Soundcloud is great, but sometimes I don't want to listen to Space Jam mashups.

Anwyay, it's a huge bummer that Spotify is so closed to allowing developers to use their streaming service. Does anybody know why they are so tight about it? I had so much fun with Audiosurf and Beat Hazard so many years ago, but nowadays I don't keep much music stored directly on my computer.

 

[RurouniZel]

So is Viveport up in the US?

 

[electroflame]

Man, QuiVR is legit. It's definitely one of the better archery games, having tried almost all of the ones available.

Playing with a full team, getting up to the higher-level waves where things go nuts is super exhilarating. The small things like being able to fist-bump your teammates after a difficult wave really makes it a great co-op experience.

For a free demo/alpha, it's really great. Definitely one of my go-to games now.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Soundcloud is great, but sometimes I don't want to listen to Space Jam mashups.

Anwyay, it's a huge bummer that Spotify is so closed to allowing developers to use their streaming service. Does anybody know why they are so tight about it? I had so much fun with Audiosurf and Beat Hazard so many years ago, but nowadays I don't keep much music stored directly on my computer.

I'd imagine it's the only way to get labels to sign on. Soundcloud is all stuff the labels or artists upload themselves.

 

[Makai]

How is Valve okay with Viveport?

 

[Bionic]

How is Valve okay with Viveport?

Outside of keeping games they themselves make on Steam, I'm having a hard time coming up with examples of things Valve does that are anti-competitive. In general, I don't think they have something against other stores existing or selling stuff that is also available on Steam.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Shotgun class is coming to Raw Data next week!

Hey ops–I’m back. And I’ve got some great news.

We’ve got a new recruit itching to join the fight. The quick dossier I got on him classifies him as a Street Merc: he’s risen through the ranks of several brutal gangs to become a top dog respected not just for his brute strength and gun skills, but also his technical know-how.

But all of this has just been training for his primary mission–he’s got one hell of a personal beef with Eden Corp, and he wants to settle this score once and for all.

So we’ve got a hardened veteran of the streets who packs a ton of firepower and can literally hack it with the best of them (just look at that custom-programmed bionic arm!). If his gun can’t blow the heads off those damn Eden robots, nothing can.

It’s time for you to meet…Boss. I’m sending along some graphics of his loadout from his recruit file.

New Playable Hero: Boss

 

[SimplexPL]

Man, QuiVR is legit. It's definitely one of the better archery games, having tried almost all of the ones available.

Playing with a full team, getting up to the higher-level waves where things go nuts is super exhilarating. The small things like being able to fist-bump your teammates after a difficult wave really makes it a great co-op experience.

For a free demo/alpha, it's really great. Definitely one of my go-to games now.

How do you play with friends? I tried with 2 friends - me and my 1 friend would get connected to a session with 2 free slots, so the 3rd friend could not join.

When he started a session, some random people immediately joined him, so we could not. We ended up playing separately.

Is there a way to create a friend only/private session?

 

[electroflame]

How do you play with friends? I tried with 2 friends - me and my 1 friend would get connected to a session with 2 free slots, so the 3rd friend could not join.

When he started a session, some random people immediately joined him, so we could not. We ended up playing separately.

Is there a way to create a friend only/private session?

I'm not sure -- I don't have anyone else with a Vive so I'm playing with randoms. Still, it's a great experience.

 

[mrklaw]

Is there a list of which 'games' are discounted on vive port? I saw the blu (already have) but it's generally a mess to navigate on mobile at least. I'd expected a simple banner for the offer linking to a list of the discounted stuff

 

[jokingbird]

Vive Port 48 Hour $1 Sale:

Firebird - La Peri (Retail $9.99)
The Music Room Mini (Retail $29.00)
Mars Odyssey (Retail $7.99)
The Blu (Retail $9.99)
Stonehenge VR (Retail $2.99)

Edit: Should mention most of these are not extensive games. More like $1 is the appropriate price, if not free. So don't expect much.

 

[Sky Chief]

Vive Port 48 Hour $1 Sale:

Firebird - La Peri (Retail $9.99)
The Music Room Mini (Retail $29.00)
Mars Odyssey (Retail $7.99)
The Blu (Retail $9.99)
Stonehenge VR (Retail $2.99)

Edit: Should mention most of these are not extensive games. More like $1 is the appropriate price, if not free. So don't expect much.

I have The Blu and it's great but very short. Does anyone have any impressions on the other titles?

 

[moniker]

I just bought a few things from Vive Port (you can only buy one thing at a time, there's no cart), but it says "No orders found" under Order History. There's also no way to remove a debit/credit card that has been saved (I forgot to untick the box on my first purchase).

In its current form, it feels pretty half baked.

 

[Durante]

How do you play with friends? I tried with 2 friends - me and my 1 friend would get connected to a session with 2 free slots, so the 3rd friend could not join.

When he started a session, some random people immediately joined him, so we could not. We ended up playing separately.

Is there a way to create a friend only/private session?

Not yet, it will be coming. (Until recently there wasn't even a way to join friends)

How is Valve okay with Viveport?

Valve generally isn't scared of other distribution methods because they know Steam is better.

(That's a bit glib, but I also think it's generally correct)

 

[E-flux]

Ok, finally got my vive working after deleting every usb device and drivers for vive and the software. Moving in Onwards is super jarring, more than once i felt like i was going to lose my balance in that game. and reloading weapons is super weird, i know how to reload a pistol but in bigger weapons i have no idea how to remove the clip.

Bought a few of those "experiences" on the vive shop, the mars lander one was badass, probably going put my friends who don't play games through the deep blue one.

 

[Business]

Got theBlu on Viveport, for 1eur it's pretty cool but I think it's not even close to worth it for the normal 10eur pricetag.

 

[Zalusithix]

Experiences like theBlu aren't necessarily worth their normal cost for a single play through by yourself, but are great for introductions to VR for people that have never experienced it before, and also aren't avid gamers. Safe, high fidelity, interactive - but not confusingly so, and brief. Then in the case of theBlu, since it has multiple experiences, you can rotate between them if you have multiple people.

 

[Raticus79]

Valve generally isn't scared of other distribution methods because they know Steam is better.

(That's a bit glib, but I also think it's generally correct)

Yeah, this one isn't exactly a contender. No search box on the store home page, no shopping cart? (https://www.viveport.com/)

Grabbed Firebird, Mars and TheBlu for demo purposes. I didn't want it to store my card info so I had to enter it three times, lol

 

[BrettWeir]

This isn't a shitpost on Vive........because I absolutely adore mine, but........

I'm incredibly excited for the 13th, when I pick up my PSVR. In sitting back and pondering why, I realized that all it really boiled down to is content. I'm dying for some new content. As each month goes by, I look on here, on Reddit, and on Steam, clamoring for new titles. My Vive sits on a shelf gathering dust, unless I feel like playing Audioshield.

I really wish there was more solid content for the Vive. I can only handle so many "early access" titles on Steam. It makes me sad because I absolutely adore my Vive.

Here's to the future, all! Hopefully we see more content sooner than later.

 

[terandle]

Yeah I'm glad PSVR is here if only so that Vive can eventually get ports of some of the PSVR games.

 

[Wrestlemania]

There will be another influx of PC software in the next couple of months alongside Touch as well, although for you guys it'll depend on how well Revive handles Touch if much of it is Oculus exclusive.

 

[elyetis]

Audioshield actually got an update too:


Speculation is Soundcloud support is going to need to be dropped because of their merger with Spotify..

Tried the new update, new difficulty is nice in itself, but while I can be ok with the almost inhuman speed it can require, it make even worst the fact the game doesn't really care that we still have a pretty limited field of view. That's probably my biggest problem with the game.

 

[Zalusithix]

Tried the new update, new difficulty is nice in itself, but while I can be ok with the almost inhuman speed it can require, it make even worst the fact the game doesn't really care that we still have a pretty limited field of view. That's probably my biggest problem with the game.

I didn't have much difficulty with the FoV before, but the new difficulty certainly pushes the limits of what you can humanly expect without whiplash. Orbs can come from further extremes and alternate between them quickly. It pretty much requires frequent turning of the head to get a feel for what's coming. Relying on peripheral vision alone will cause misses.

 

[Wallach]

haha, STEM got delayed yet again

the title for that update is basically "manufacturing has started but we are delaying it anyway"

 

[Zalusithix]

haha, STEM got delayed yet again

the title for that update is basically "manufacturing has started but we are delaying it anyway"

I wouldn't be surprised that if by the time that product is available to consumers, a lighthouse based equivalent made by somebody else will already be out the door.

 

[Raticus79]

Bailing out of that was worth the hundred bucks. Sheesh

 

[Wrestlemania]

I wouldn't be surprised that if by the time that product is available to consumers, a lighthouse based equivalent made by somebody else will already be out the door.

I know you'll be aware of this, but for anyone who isn't - http://www.roadtovr.com/valve-third...vr-tracking-htc-vive-dev-kit-license-royalty/

Valve opened up the lighthouse tracking API in August.

Unless there's something I've missed, with a few extra lighthouse sensors on your body STEM would be entirely redundant, right?

 

[Lord Griegous]

Vive Port 48 Hour $1 Sale:

Firebird - La Peri (Retail $9.99)
The Music Room Mini (Retail $29.00)
Mars Odyssey (Retail $7.99)
The Blu (Retail $9.99)
Stonehenge VR (Retail $2.99)

Edit: Should mention most of these are not extensive games. More like $1 is the appropriate price, if not free. So don't expect much.

I this only US? I see full prices in EU. Pretty stupid if true...

 

[jokingbird]

I this only US? I see full prices in EU. Pretty stupid if true...

Sale is over already. It was only the first 48 hours when the storefront launched.

 

[kinggroin]

Performed in Job Simulator by one of the devs

https://youtu.be/pVaGXYevTxw

 

[catabarez]

Considering buying one of these. Any must own accessories?

 

[E-flux]

Holy shit, i accidentally dropped one of my lighthouse sensor from the top of the shelf when i was changing it's place there, thankfully i have some books on the ground and it fell right on top of a "soft" leather covered book.. Seems to be still working fine.

 

[SimplexPL]

Mine fell from 2m closet on hard floor and survived. They are really sturdy.

 

[cakefoo]

oooh this is coming out soon.

SuperVektoroids! AlphaTrailer

 

[Salamande]

Unfortunately, it seems like Viveport and its games are pretty glitchy. I've seen a lot of people on Reddit get CTDs and bluescreens, and I personally got a bluescreen playing Mars Odyssey (right after entering the capsule to go down to Mars). Glad I only paid a buck for it.

On the other hand, Pearl is highly recommended, and it's free. It's different from the YouTube version - it's fully realtime 3D. If you get double vision after running it the first time, just quit out and try again - it should fix itself.

 

[E-flux]

Mine fell from 2m closet on hard floor and survived. They are really sturdy.

when the motor is buzzing inside them they don't feel like it. That would have sucked so hard if one of those broke the second day of owning the vive.

 

[Durante]

Considering buying one of these. Any must own accessories?

I don't think anything is "must own", but if you want to demonstrate it to a lot of people (or just play some strenuous games for longer time periods) then getting some additional (washable/interchangable) covers isn't a bad idea.

 

[bj00rn_]

I love the Vive, but I'm doing a prestige project at work with long hours, and a two-year old kid at home.. So I'm starting to think that the Vive may be a bit too expensive to just sit in its box most of the time..
However, I have no problem taking a 300-400 dollar "loss" if I could upgrade to a new HMD at a later stage and reuse the basestations and controllers. Does anyone have a guess what the chance is for the lighthouses and controllers being compatible with next generation HMDs?

TLDR; Is there any chance that the base stations and controllers will be re-used for a next- coming gen HMD?

 

[Zalusithix]

I love the Vive, but I'm doing a prestige project at work with long hours, and a two-year old kid at home.. So I'm starting to think that the Vive may be a bit too expensive to just sit in its box most of the time..
However, I have no problem taking a 300-400 dollar "loss" if I could upgrade to a new HMD at a later stage and reuse the basestations and controllers. Does anyone have a guess what the chance is for the lighthouses and controllers being compatible with next generation HMDs?

TLDR; Is there any chance that the base stations and controllers will be re-used for a next- coming gen HMD?

Lighthouses? Extremely likely IMO. Controllers? Maybe. Would be smart marketing to make them capable of syncing at least. That way they can sell a headset on the cheap to existing customers.

 

[Onemic]

Does Raw Data still run like absolute garbage for anyone else? The game is unplayable unless I turn reprojection on and put the settings to medium or lower.

I have an i5-6600K and a GTX 1080 SC

 

[mrklaw]

Performed in Job Simulator by one of the devs

https://youtu.be/pVaGXYevTxw

That totally reminded me of 'look and read' which was a kids educational show in the 80s and they often had little songs around grammar and spelling. Also the main character was a disembodied head and arms

 

[mrklaw]

I love the Vive, but I'm doing a prestige project at work with long hours, and a two-year old kid at home.. So I'm starting to think that the Vive may be a bit too expensive to just sit in its box most of the time..
However, I have no problem taking a 300-400 dollar "loss" if I could upgrade to a new HMD at a later stage and reuse the basestations and controllers. Does anyone have a guess what the chance is for the lighthouses and controllers being compatible with next generation HMDs?

TLDR; Is there any chance that the base stations and controllers will be re-used for a next- coming gen HMD?

I'd just sell it and rebuy later (considering the same). The kit is likely to be iterated and the lighthouses and controllers shouldn't add much cost

 

[Zalusithix]

I'd just sell it and rebuy later (considering the same). The kit is likely to be iterated and the lighthouses and controllers shouldn't add much cost

Shouldn't add much cost... Have you looked at what they're charging for them as stand alone accessories? It's not unique to HTC either. Look at the $200 that Oculus wants for the touch. Regardless of what it costs to manufacture them, if they want the same profit margin the second time around, you're not going to get off cheap having to buy them again.

That and if they provide a healthy discount for a headset only Vive 2 that's compatible with the current Vive accessories, it acts as an incentive to stay with HTC. If the difference is negligible, people could easily rationalize jumping ship to a competitor.

 

[mrklaw]

Shouldn't add much cost... Have you looked at what they're charging for them as stand alone accessories? It's not unique to HTC either. Look at the $200 that Oculus wants for the touch. Regardless of what it costs to manufacture them, if they want the same profit margin the second time around, you're not going to get off cheap having to buy them again.

That and if they provide a healthy discount for a headset only Vive 2 that's compatible with the current Vive accessories, it acts as an incentive to stay with HTC. If the difference is negligible, people could easily rationalize jumping ship to a competitor.

What they charge as accessories vs what it costs them to pack it in can be very different

Also quite a gamble hoping for a headset only option for vive 2. I suppose a calculated gamble if they target existing owners though..

 

[Zalusithix]

What they charge as accessories vs what it costs them to pack it in can be very different

Also quite a gamble hoping for a headset only option for vive 2. I suppose a calculated gamble if they target existing owners though..

The cost to make them is the same either way. Profit margins can differ, but generally speaking the two aren't going to be massively different. I don't see a Rift + Touch bundle going for much less than buying them separately for instance.

There is no "if" about targeting existing customers though. They'd be crazy not to in some form. Try to keep what you have and grow further: business 101. They have no lock in from a store, so they have to rely on other things. They could make something so good that nobody could conceive of jumping ship, but that's a gamble in a highly competitive market. Obviously they'll shoot for that, but there's no guarantee they'll actually manage it. By allowing certain parts of gen 1 to carry forward and reduce the buy in cost to gen 2, however, they could provide an incentive to people to stick with them even if they're not the absolute best. If it'll cost hundreds more to jump ship, you'd have to weigh whether the benefits of the competition are worth the extra money. If there's no monetary incentive to stay, then your existing customers will jump ship for the most minor of reasons.

Honestly as I see it, the lighthouses have a 90%+ chance of carrying forward with little to no changes. The controllers will probably see a redesign ergonomically speaking, but remain mechanically compatible so that the old ones can continue to be used.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

The cost to make them is the same either way. Profit margins can differ, but generally speaking the two aren't going to be massively different. I don't see a Rift + Touch bundle going for much less than buying them separately for instance.

There is no "if" about targeting existing customers though. They'd be crazy not to in some form. Try to keep what you have and grow further: business 101. They have no lock in from a store, so they have to rely on other things. They could make something so good that nobody could conceive of jumping ship, but that's a gamble in a highly competitive market. Obviously they'll shoot for that, but there's no guarantee they'll actually manage it. By allowing certain parts of gen 1 to carry forward and reduce the buy in cost to gen 2, however, they could provide an incentive to people to stick with them even if they're not the absolute best. If it'll cost hundreds more to jump ship, you'd have to weigh whether the benefits of the competition are worth the extra money. If there's no monetary incentive to stay, then your existing customers will jump ship for the most minor of reasons.

Honestly as I see it, the lighthouses have a 90%+ chance of carrying forward with little to no changes. The controllers will probably see a redesign ergonomically speaking, but remain mechanically compatible so that the old ones can continue to be used.

I'm kind of hoping lighthouses get upgraded to allow for more than two per play area. This could prevent controller screwups, which are still common.

Don't have the link on me, but there's a reddit post where a Vive engineer said more than two lighthouses "wouldn't be possible in gen 1"

 

[Zalusithix]

I'm kind of hoping lighthouses get upgraded to allow for more than two per play area. This could prevent controller screwups, which are still common.

Don't have the link on me, but there's a reddit post where a Vive engineer said more than two lighthouses "wouldn't be possible in gen 1"

Controller screw ups are almost never from too few lighthouses (pure occlusion where the device has no clear line to any lighthouse), but instead from just sensing errors or reflections. More lighthouses would allow a larger coverage zone, but I don't think too many people need more. Beyond that, the existing lighthouse firmware can be upgraded. Unless a change requires a fundamental redesign of the lighthouse system (killing all compatibility), I don't see why the existing lighthouses can't be updated.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Controller screw ups are almost never from too few lighthouses (pure occlusion where the device has no clear line to any lighthouse), but instead from just sensing errors or reflections.

Maybe my situation is just unusual, but I'm relatively confident that my problems are due to occlusion. It happens in very specific spots, and the controllers lose tracking completely. I've had to make my play area smaller than it otherwise would be.

 

[vermadas]

It's quite possible that, by the time the gen 2 headsets come out, they may have solved inside-out tracking. Stuff like this shows that it could be close, as long as they can get the latency down to a tolerable level. I think Carmack has been working on it for some time, and it may come up at OC3. With Valve having a significant amount of manpower in VR research I'd be surprised if they weren't working on their own solution as well.

Though I guess what I've seen handles the HMD only and not tracking the controllers, which would be a substantial obstacle.

 

[Zalusithix]

Maybe my situation is just unusual, but I'm relatively confident that my problems are due to occlusion. It happens in very specific spots, and the controllers lose tracking completely. I've had to make my play area smaller than it otherwise would be.

It's certainly possible to have a setup where the room or objects in the room block the cast of a lighthouse creating an occlusion zone. I'd say that's less common than reflections and other sensor related issues causing tracking problems for people though.

Edit:

It's quite possible that, by the time the gen 2 headsets come out, they may have solved inside-out tracking. Stuff like this shows that it could be close, as long as they can get the latency down to a tolerable level. I think Carmack has been working on it for some time, and it may come up at OC3. With Valve having a significant amount of manpower in VR research I'd be surprised if they weren't working on their own solution as well.

Though I guess what I've seen handles the HMD only and not tracking the controllers, which would be a substantial obstacle.

The lighthouse system is inside out. It's not completely markerless though. I don't see self contained inside-out tracking that's simultaneously accurate, reliable, and fast, being viable by gen 2. At least not when it has to work with both the headset and every controller/tracked part of the body.