Launched initially on Daydream in early 2017, and now available on Gear VR, Oculus Go, and Oculus Rift, Virtual Virtual Reality’s smart interaction design gives players freedom and control which—combined with a narrative tying it all together—makes Virtual Virtual Reality one of the most immersive mobile VR games to date. This guest article by Mitch Mastroni, Interaction Designer at Tender Claws, the studio behind the game, explores how the game achieved significant immersion even on more restrictive mobile VR headsets.

Guest Article by Mitch Mastroni

Mitch Mastroni is an Interaction Designer at Tender Claws, where he handles all aspects of systems design and programming across both VR and AR experiences. He pulls from his background in performance art—ranging from improv comedy to jazz percussion—to create compelling interactive experiences. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science: Game Design from UC Santa Cruz, where he developed the 2016 IndieCade finalist Séance. You can find him in the corner of a networking event, waxing poetic about theme park design.

Our game Virtual Virtual Reality is a comedic adventure that is both love letter to VR and playful commentary on the tech industry. Players are welcomed by their manager Chaz to Activitude, a virtual service where humans are tasked with assisting AI clients. These AI, which appear in various forms ranging from a tempermental artichoke to a demanding stick of butter, have increasingly bizarre requests for the player to perform. The story unfolds as the player travels between virtual realities, diving deeper and deeper into the machinations of Activitude.

If you haven’t had a chance to play Virtual Virtual Reality, check out the trailer below to get a taste of the game, which also recently launched on the Oculus Rift:

Object Interaction: The Leash

When players pick up objects in Virtual Virtual Reality, they see a curved line connecting their VR controller to the object in question. This ‘leash’ is the only tool that players have at their disposal for the full duration of the game. All other object interactions in the game (plugging a plug into a socket, watering flowers with a watering can, etc.) are performed with the leash. Even simple interactions—like tossing a ball in the air or dragging your manager by his robotic legs—are very satisfying to perform with the leash.

The leash helps the player understand the relationship between the controller’s movement and the object’s movement. It also enhances game feel by giving virtual objects weight. Instead of instantly moving the object to the position where the player’s controller is pointing, the leash applies a constant force to the object in the direction of that position. Heavier objects will take longer to arrive at their destination and will sag the leash downwards. By swiping the trackpad forward and backward, players can also push and pull objects towards and away from themselves, enabling 6DOF object control from a 3DOF controller.

Virtual Virtual Reality was originally developed for Daydream VR and its 3DOF controller, leading us to consider control schemes found on other devices with 3DOF controllers (see this article for an introduction to 3 DOF vs 6 DOF ). We were inspired by the ‘Capture Gun’ in Elebits, Konami’s 2006 Wii-exclusive title. Elebits achieved a surprisingly intuitive use of the 3DOF Wiimote that we had yet to see implemented in any game: VR or otherwise. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the leash is also comfortable while using multiple controllers and 6DOF controllers. We designed unique visual and haptic feedback for the leash to fit each of Virtual Virtual Reality’s platforms and to leverage their respective control schemes.

SEE ALSO
Exclusive: Designing 'Lone Echo' & 'Echo Arena’s' Virtual Touchscreen Interfaces

The choice of the leash was also informed by the distance between players and the objects that they interact with. Early VR experiments at Tender Claws resulted in us constraining object interactions to the “mid-range.” Most objects that the player grabs are at least one meter in front of the them and and no further than six meters away. This tends to be the most comfortable range for modern VR headsets. Some players have trouble focusing on objects closer than one meter. Further than six meters away, there is no clear sense of depth and small objects are clearly pixelated. The leash closes the mental gap between the player and their object of focus, allowing that object to become an extension of the player.

World Interaction: Headsets

The most recognizable gameplay mechanic of Virtual Virtual Reality is the ability to put on and take off any VR headsets in the game at any time. Virtual reality inside of virtual reality. Yes, in fact, it is kind of like Inception.

Early into our development of the headset transition mechanic at a 2015 hackathon, we realized that the experience of taking off and putting on headsets had potential beyond a narrative framing device. We wanted players to interact with headsets as often as possible.

One key characteristic of headset transitions is that they are completely seamless without any perceivable loading time. To achieve this, every accessible virtual reality, or level, is loaded into memory before its associated headset appears. Although this required significant performance optimizations to reduce the memory footprint of each level, it also lead us to an artistic direction that reduced the workload of our artists.

We experimented with various visual transitions to reduce the jarring effect of leaving one level and entering another. Ultimately we chose a fisheye lens effect that warps the edges of the screen, paired with a single frame cut between the two levels at the peak of the warping. The fisheye effect is accomplished through the use of a vertex shader: the geometry of the world is actually stretched away from the player to emulate the familiar look.

The interaction language and logic is consistent for the VR headsets in the game. They can be picked up like any other object in Virtual Virtual Reality. To take off their current headset, the player points their controller at their head and grabs that headset. Drawing attention to the presence of the player’s real headset does not compromise immersion, in fact it reinforces their connection to the experience.

We decided that the action of moving between virtual realities should be a valid choice at any point. Any headset in the game can be picked up and put on, and at any point you can take off your current headset to ‘go up a level’. These choices are also recognized and validated by other systems in the game. For example, characters will comment on you leaving and returning to their virtual realities, which helps reinforce the relationship between the headset system and the narrative.

Localization and Subtitles

We began the process of localizing Virtual Virtual Reality into eight languages after the game launched on Daydream. The spoken and written words of Virtual Virtual Reality are central to the experience and we wanted to give more players an opportunity to comfortably enjoy the game.

The decision to use subtitles instead of recording dialogue in new languages was a matter of resources and quality control. We worked with an extremely talented cast of voice actors who recorded over 3,000 lines of dialogue to bring the characters of Virtual Virtual Reality to life. The task of re-recording and implementing that dialogue in eight additional languages was simply beyond the scope of our team. Instead, we focused our efforts on creating the best subtitle system ever conceived by god or man. Or at least by a mobile VR game in 2017.

The Virtual Virtual Reality subtitle system was designed with two guiding principles. First, subtitles should be comfortably visible at all times. Second, it should always be clear who is speaking. Neither of these are novel concepts (see the game accessibility guidelines and this excellent article by Ian Hamilton), but at the time of development there were virtually no examples of these principles being applied in VR.

The key to our approach is dynamic positioning. The subtitles are repositioned to best fit the direction that the player is looking. When the player is looking at a speaking character, the subtitles appear directly below that character. When the player is looking elsewhere, the subtitles appear at the bottom of the player’s view with an arrow pointing in the direction of the character. The arrow is particularly helpful for players who are hard of hearing. Subtitles smoothly transition between the two states so that reading is never interrupted. Scenes with multiple speaking characters utilize different colored text for additional clarity.

Next Steps

Designing Virtual Virtual Reality was an incredible learning experience for our whole team. We all have backgrounds in gaming but none of us had ever worked on anything quite like this—a dense three-hour narrative adventure in VR. We are currently working on several new projects that leverage our lessons learned from Virtual Virtual Reality and further our integration of systems and narrative. The state of interaction design in VR has come so far in the past few years, and we’re excited to continue exploring and innovating as we create new experiences.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


  • dk
  • JJ

    So the issue here is that to allow such fast transitions to the next headset they state that they must have those other levels all preloaded and that has caused them to significantly reduce the size of each level so that your memory isnt all full. So each level can only really be a certain small size which is very limiting and as they said has already caused the dev’s to limit their creations..

    • benz145

      In the context of the game and narrative it doesn’t feel limiting, it actually feels more freeing than simply having one large space, because each space feels very different, as if you’re jumping between many different realities.

      • JJ

        thanks for the reply, thats good to hear.

    • Laurence Nairne

      I don’t think a single game was ever developed without having to get creative in optimisations. Limitation is a creative compass.

      • JJ

        Well as a game designer I can say that your correct, but the way they explain it is a large compromise to the overall experience.

        • Laurence Nairne

          I guess it would just depend on what they stripped. If the end product is a solid experience that maintains the intended spirit and entertainment of the starting concept, then the compromise is just part of the creative process. If not then you’re right, the trade off is too much to justify.

    • Lucidfeuer

      Optimisation is hell. The only way to overcome that would have been to develop a meta-optimisation scheme, with user prediction, nothing fancy, just anticipating the next scene the user would load depending on context, and only preload what the users sees first in the scene rather the the whole of it.

      But then that’s very tedious and complicated to develop.

  • I like the UX of Virtual Virtual Reality, but actually after half an hour of playing I found it slow and boring. It is well made, but it is not my genre.

  • gacl

    VVR is the only great game I’ve played on Daydream VR. I would love more game/games from this team. I’m disappointed with the library selection overall on Daydream. Gear VR has this and several other good games. PSVR and Rift/Vive have a ton more.

    • Scott Patterson

      Check out Eqqo..amazing!

      • toi

        Recent survey demonstrates that over 75% individuals are active into internet activities. Online world has become bigger and even better and giving a lot of make money online opportunities. Working from home online jobs are becoming poplar and developing people’s day-to-day lives. The reason why it is really well known? Mainly because it lets you work from anywhere and any time. You are able to get more time to spend with your family members and can plan out tours for vacations. Individuals are generating wonderful income of $44000 in one week by utilizing the effective and smart methods. Doing right work in a right path will always lead us towards success. You will start to earn from the first day at the time you have a look at our website. >>>>> HURRY

  • Unable to sell Bitcoin on Binance
    Interested in selling the Bitcoins on Binance? Want to know the reason behind the existence of such errors? If yes, you can immediately reach the experts who have years of knowledge and can deal with all the queries in no time. All you need to do is dial Binance support number +18332281682 and get pertinent solutions from the experts. The experts are functional throughout the year without any discontinuity so reach them for enjoying seamless services.Get the Best Binance customer support provider for Binance account issues. https://www.cryptophonesupport.com/exchange/binance/

  • Olivia

    Your blog is having the subsequent submit and for this I was looking for it. You are making great efforts while writing these kind of content. Thank you so much for posting it. Visit my given link if you have query regarding quickbooks cloud hosting services. Call our QuickBooks Cloud Hosting phone number we have highly skilled technicians who assist you with proper support and help. We provide the best QuickBooks cloud hosting service. For more details click here : http://www.quickbooksusasupport.com/quickbooks-cloud-hosting-support/

  • Christina mooney

    Coinbase customer Service is the only legit number available on Bing or Google. do not go anywhere else as you know there are a lot of scams going on of late together with crypto. so you can’t trust the other number available anywhere. so as to avoid this coinbase itself announced support number line to fix all your issues or your queries.

    Coinbase is a secure online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency. Coinbase customer service works hard towards providing their customers with the best-suited solutions and make the customers satisfied after the call. The questions that bother you. The services related to money, especially when it is in digital form tends to make a person worry.

  • Crypto Exchanges

    Informative blog post. Really wanting forward to browse a lot of. Fantastic. For more information go on This Link

  • Oliver Harry

    It’s good for me to come back to your blog, it’s been a few months for me. Well, this article which I have been waiting for so long, I need this article to complete my work in college, and it has only one topic with your article Thank you for sharing the best article post.
    Some Rehab Treatment Centers offer age- and gender-specific programs.

  • I am terribly happy to ascertain this post as a result of it’s terribly helpful on my behalf me, as a result of there are such a lot of data in it. I forever wish to browse quality and I am happy that I got this factor in your post. Thanks for sharing the simplest article post. Om Mantra Chants for Positive Energy

  • I am also playing virtual games on my mobile phone but some time i face issues while using it. That’s by I m looking for this type of individual information so I read out and understand how it will done. Thank you so much for sharing this information with us and I have also one site Quicken Support Phone Number.

  • Thanks for share this post for us. Its very very helpful all of us

    Youtube Tv Customer Service

  • SJ

    Gemini Support Phone Number : +1 (833) 464-7652

    https://www.geminidesk.com/

    With the immense growth of the digital currency world, Gemini has become one of the renowned names to provide complete cryptocurrency services while allowing users to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency. The company as the digital currency exchange platform is controlled by the New York State Department financial services in the year 2014. The company beside offering their amazing services, they also provide top
    notch customer service via Gemini support number so that a user can immediately get the solution whenever they face trouble while using the exchange platform.The company as the large cryptocurrency exchange services is currently serving in more than 45 American states along with the other countries places like UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and South Korea. The company has become the first licensed company for Ether in 2018. The exchange platform allows the users to trade fiat and cryptocurrency just with one platform where a
    user also has the facility to transfer USD from the bank account. The company with its convenient trade features and minimal exchange charges has become the most favorable choice for the people world wide. There are many stunning features that make it the most favorable platform for the users.

  • Geek Squad Support helps those customers who face technical issues in own gadgets anytime and unable to sort out at this place Geek Squad Support Team Aid your issues by manually or through the software on Remote. Call on (+1)855-554-9777 for technical issues in Gadgets.

  • Good share! Check out this interesting article, Binance Clone Script

  • Amazing article describing the virual reality. If you want to automate your business with blockchain, ping us at Blockchain Development Company

  • amara sophi

    LocalBitcoins Clone Script
    Binance Clone Script

  • WOW!! Thanks for sharing by Stablecoin Development & PancakeSwap Clone Script providers….

  • I liked the content of your blog is useful and interresting Calculator

  • Veronica Gilbert

    Hello there, it was very interesting and informative article.. Thanks for sharing!! Doctor On Demand App Development

  • Great impacts on your article .cryptocurrency-exchange-developers

  • Thanks for posting PolkaSwap Clone Script. Cheers!

  • Emily Jacob

    An interesting article for gamers. Nice to read. If you choose a crypto exchange software business, click here https://bit.ly/3c18kLV

  • Nithi Vandhana
  • joyce watts

    VR games are trendsetter nowadays. It will be more popular among kids as well as adult too. Even streaming trends also changed according to the OTT platform providers

  • Jason Staurt

    To promise with equal quality in order to maximize productivity with scalability selecting one of the pioneer online video platform providers suitably is a prime concern.

  • Bep 20 Blockchain Developement

    Thanks for sharing such information with us very informative article.
    Bep-20 Blockchain Development Token

  • Ashwin harry
  • Thanks a lot
    Zed Run Clone Script

  • diabetesmantraa

    very interesting post about virtual virtual reality game . Through this post , we got to know about VVR game .Thanks for sharing
    also visit – https://diabetesmantra.com/

  • John Peterson

    Thanks for the Article. Coin Listing Services

  • Nice blog! your blog is very informative. The best VR headsets you can buy today. If you’re planning to trade in your old smartphone, it’s worth thinking about VR. If you want to know about top 5 latest VR headsets for 2022 read our blog.
    Top 5 latest VR headsets for 2022

  • Anika Edward

    Useful Blog Content! Also Read >> Kraken Clone Script

  • Avalaauren

    Good to hear!

    Launch your oen Crypto Exchange platfrom like Binance. Get a live Demo of Binance Clone Script

  • Jack Winstan

    Nice Article

  • P2P Crypto Exchange Developmen

    Nice article

  • yamini

    In the context of the game and narrative, the segmented spaces don’t impose limitations; rather, they offer a sense of liberation. Each distinct space feels like a portal to a new reality, enriching the experience with diverse environments and narratives. It’s akin to navigating through multiple dimensions, each offering its own unique essence and adventures.

  • Jayasuriyan

    Nice article