Our new book Convergence went to the printer last night. A new phase of my life has begun. What am I going to do with all this extra time? How did I fill it before?
SuperData shows how much companies will save using XR training in 2019. According to SuperData’s recent findings, companies adopting XR based training could save $13.5 billion in costs incurred by traditional training. XR training, or training using VR, MR, and AR technologies, uses less physical resources, reduces risk of injury, and reduces the need for travel. My, that Stephanie Llamas at Neilsen (which bought SuperData last year) has been busy over there.
Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Teknopolis™ returns for its third year. This year’s installations feature work by many artists and technologists, including Zach Lieberman, Molmol Kuo, Gilles Jobin, Cabbibo, and Daily tous les jours. The digital arts playground will last three weeks and offer two different experiences: Teknopolis™ and Teknopolis™ + VR. Teknopolis™ + VR participants will have access to a selection of immersive VR and 360° films as well as the installations themselves. Visit BAM to experience Teknopolis from February 23 through March 10.
Dark Slope Studios raises $1.5 million in a seed round and opens doors to show off new free-roam VR title in Toronto. While nothing compared to the $68 million dollars Sandbox VR announced two weeks ago, Dark Slope's modest raise and opening shows the vitality of Location Based VR free roam VR, and its ability to amaze both customers and investors. We shall see how they fare after the introduction of wold scale free roaming from the Oculus Quest later this spring Dark Slope's new multiplayer free-roam VR title, Scary Girl Mission Maybe, puts four players together in VR inside Dark Slope’s 3000 sf motion capture studio. The studio opened its doors February 13 for media only and will open for the public on Feb 28.
Zero Latency adds PvP to its list of free-roam LBVR titles. The new title, Sol Raiders, is a 4 versus 4 VR shooter with its sights squarely aimed at e-sports. Zero Latency intends to foster competition between its locations with its new PvP title.
Halo: Outpost Discovery is traveling fan experience kicking off this summer in Orlando. The experience was created in partnership with 343 Studios and will include multiple immersive Halo universe offerings such as a competitive LBVR game pitting players against each other in 3v3 battles. Halo Outpost Discovery Begins July 5th – 7th in Orlando, Florida. Learn more at halooutpostdiscovery.com.
Accenture and Qualcomm partnered with Kellogg's to test product placement in VR using eye tracking. Before Kellogg’s launched its new Pop Tarts Bites product, it placed potential customers inside a virtual grocery aisle using VR. The headset, a Qualcomm reference design, sported eye tracking so when wearers perused the virtual aisle their eye gaze data could be tracked and used to optimize product placement and layout.
RE’FLEKT raises €5 Million ($5.7M USD) in series A funding. The funding round was capped off by €1.25M from Prosegur, a multinational security company who aims to integrate AR into their training, daily operations and maintenance activities. The initial €3.75M of the €5M series A came from BASF Venture Capital. RE'FLEKT is focused on using AR for repairs and maintenance of industrial equipment.
"This Week in XR" is written and edited with Michael Eichenseer.
