The Immersive Wire - 23 January 2022 (Sunday edition)

By Tom FfiskeVR/AR and metaverse analysis every Wednesday and Sunday 

// 23 January 2022

The Power of the Dog was not as good as I expected. While Benedict Cumberbatch acted well, I was really unsure about character motivations until the last fifth of the movie.

More details on The Metaverse: A Professional Guide

MAIN STORYShooting zombies and robots 

With the growth of location-based VR (LBVR)

, it was high time for me to touch base on the state of the area post-pandemic. DNA VR kindly invited me and two friends to come to their site in London, to try out their immersive experiences and shoot some zombies and robots. 

While fun, there were some technical issues that hampered the flow of gameplay

. Backpacks ran out of battery which caused the game to resent, and headsets needed reconfiguring a few times. The issues could be a one-time concern, but I worry for others who try VR for the first time and are befuddled by unexpected hiccups. The headsets also worked via streaming. Gone are the bulky backpacks and processors, it’s just a headset, two handsets and a battery pack. Yet the trade-off is that there’s not much room to manoeuvre, even by VR standards. So the games are more stationary than other VR experiences but, in fairness, this does make for a less sweaty and exhausting experience combined with the lack of heavy equipment.

The zombie game was a rudimentary survive the night scenario

, players are dropped into an open space with zombies coming in from three sides, you have access to a pistol, uzi or shotgun. Dual wielding is available for all weapons except the shotgun however one hand probably should be reserved for the flashlight. An item that is pretty damn important when night falls and suddenly zombies are coming in from VERY close range. It’s a fairly basic Unity looking game with your standard human zombies and one set of upgraded shoggoth looking creeps. The graphics won’t blow you away, neither will the lack of variety in attack patterns, but quantity trumps quality as the screen very quickly fill up with zombies as you desperately mow them down before they get to your small square of safety.

By comparison, the robot game was a bit more cerebral,

if lacking the atmospheric entertainment of zombie horror. You’re on a platform in some futuristic-looking funhouse, guarding a crystal that some enemy robots want. To aid you, friendly drones (I’m assuming friendly, even if you do have to shoot them) drop health boosts and a variety of different weapon types to supplement your starting dual pistols. With enemies using cover and ranged weapons and a variety of attacks, strategy becomes the watchword of the day and it makes for an enjoyable experience all told!

All in all, it was a lot of fun and shows the strength of LBVR in 2022.

£32 for three rounds may seem a bit steep but the well balanced 90 minutes or so strikes a solid balance of engaging fun without overstaying its welcome. The tech has legs, and I hope more people try out LBVR in 2022. 

The Metaverse: A Professional Guide sorts the sense from the nonsense, giving experts insights and guidance on how to navigate the burgeoning world of immersive technologies. By the end, you will have a firm grasp of the metaverse and all the contingent technologies that link to its foundations.Out 2 February. Keep an eye on this newsletter for exclusive peeks and updates. 

Q&A

Markus Levin, Co-founder of XYO

What is your background?  I’m originally from Germany and specialize in maximizing company potential by implementing innovative, data-driven systems. I believe in utilizing the key talents of each employee to get the best out of my team. I have over 15 years of experience in building, managing, and growing companies. After dropping out of my PhD studies at Bocconi University, I began working with and leading companies in hyper-growth industries around the globe. What are you working on, and what’s a key learning that you’ve had from it? We are currently developing location-based data software and devices that empower users to participate in the worldwide digital economy. Current location data systems can be inaccurate, out of date, and can be spoofed. By combining cryptography and blockchain, XYO aims to address those issues in a transparent, global manner.The metaverse is growing at a rapid pace, with both big companies and average consumers embracing it. An open metaverse lets everyone participate and is shaped by its participants, allowing everyone to theoretically connect to it. Crypto is a key part of the metaverse because it allows individuals ownership of digital assets, which in turn incentivizes people to invest in metaverse tokens.Currently, people only experience the internet when they log on, but the metaverse will allow us to experience it on an entirely new level. The internet will bleed into our physical world, changing how we consume, produce, and socialise. With the concept becoming more mainstream, we can expect a large segment of individuals will choose to model their image and socialise within this alternate universe. Web 2.0 led to the rise of big-tech entities serving as gatekeepers of our data. However, the metaverse will allow us to pivot from centralization, towards an open-source internet. If executed correctly, the metaverse will allow users to take control of both their own data and content.If you had to give one piece of advice, what would you give? Follow your passion and leverage your skills, and the rest will usually fall into place. There's a reason the most successful people in the history of the world can often be quoted with similar sentiments.If you want to know more about Markus, visit the team here. 

Jobs boardSENIOR COMPUTER SCIENCE and SOFTWARE DEVELOPER (3D, Linear Algebra, C++).  MetaVRse is a web-based 3D game engine for building immersive experiences without needing to code.   We are looking for a unicorn computer scientist from anywhere in the world who can help us improve the core rendering technology that will serve creators to build custom products in training, marketing, sales, retail and learning in photorealistic, real-time 3D delivered on any device in a browser. Working with our Head of R&D, you will be responsible for creating and implementing new 3D graphics solutions to push the limits of our technology stack.  Solid understanding of Real-time 3D libraries (OpenGL, Vulkan), Linear Algebra, C++ and 3D rendering and game engine technologies. Apply Here.XR SOFTWARE ENGINEER NETWORKING, Wikitude, a Qualcomm company. Qualcomm is a company of inventors that unlocked 5G ushering in an age of rapid acceleration in connectivity. Under this dynamic umbrella, Wikitude, a Qualcomm company, shapes the future of augmented reality by empowering businesses and developers. We are looking for an experienced XR Software Engineer Networking to drive the architecture, development, and deployment of core parts of our XR toolkit. A successful candidate has extensive experience in multiplayer streaming and can apply it to XR experiences. Do you have a solid technical background, a passion for the XR industry, and enjoy working with engineering teams? Apply hereXR CONTENT DIRECTOR, Pixo VR. The VR marketplace is exploding, and PIXO is leading the way in on-demand generation and adoption in our industry. With our groundbreaking PIXO ApexTM platform, we provide comprehensive, end-to-end VR content, distribution, and management solutions for enterprise. PIXO VR is searching for an XR Content Director to join our team. Reporting to the COO, the Content Director will manage the overall production, procurement and growth strategy for our XR content library. Working with a team of offshore and onshore designers, engineers, artists, marketers, and 3rd party content developers, the Content Director will ensure PIXO is delivering an exceptional content experience to all our end users. Check out further details here. SDK TECHNICAL ENGINEER, Pico Interactive Europe. As SDK Technical Engineer you will be responsible for investigating/troubleshooting issues reported, and collecting/consolidating customer requirements back to the Beijing DevSupport team. Through this role you will be the technical liaison between Pico Interactive Europe customers and Pico product teams to ensure Europe region's commercial success. In Europe, Pico is one of the premier enterprise hardware companies in the rapidly growing VR market. Click here for more.TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER, Pico Interactive Europe. As Technical Project Manager you will be responsible for evaluating improvements to the devices, services, logistics, and operations to continue the high growth business of Pico Interactive Europe. In Europe, Pico is one of the premier enterprise hardware companies in the rapidly growing VR market. The Pico Europe business is responsible for all business opportunities in Europe, Israel, Russian Federation and India. Click here for more. DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER. ArborXR is device management for AR & VR devices. We power some of the largest headset deployments in the world with Fortune 500, ISVs and companies around the world. Looking for someone with experience in the B2B SAAS marketing space who would enjoy working with a fully remote team based in the US, Canada and Europe. Would join a quickly growing marketing team with a hot product that is selling rapidly. Click here for more. WEB-AR DEVELOPER wanted to work with veteran AR agency. Experience in JavaScript, Three.js, A-Frame, and 8th Wall preferred. Ideal candidate thrives working remotely. Includes competitive salary and full benefits. To apply, send resume to [email protected].INTERNSHIP, US. The intern will be primarily focused on developing proficiency in the use and application of tools designed for experiences in VR/AR headsets. GRIP-IE interns will assist the Get Real management team and clients in the design, development, and implementation of features within both internal and partner platforms. Interns will follow industry best practices including continuous improvement through code reviews of existing and new code. GRIP-IE interns will also be responsible for managing communication with software vendors on a variety of topics including bug identification, feature requests, troubleshooting, and documentation materials. Click here for more. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, UK. Here at CIRCUS (an award-winning creative agency, specialists of Virtual Brand Experiences) we're on the lookout for an enthusiastic B2B Business Development Manager on a part-time, remote basis. If this sounds of interest and you love all things virtual, we'd love to tell you more. Click here for more. Display your vacancy in front of thousands of talented VR/AR professionals in just a few clicks. Click here for more info.

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That's all for this week! Want to have a chat, let me know about a news story, or talk business? Either reply to this email, or contact tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com. Have an excellent day!