‘Luna’ is a whimsical puzzle game that takes place in the stars

Not every VR game involves battle or fighting. Some titles, like I Expect You to Die or Fantastic Contraption, are more fun puzzles than violent shoot-em-ups. At the Oculus Connect event last week, I played around with Luna, a game that’s more reminiscent of the former. It’s a title by Funomena, a San Francisco-based independent studio, and even though it was on display at PAX a couple of months ago, this was the first time I’ve seen it in person.

The premise behind Luna is as whimsical as its quirky origami style. It all starts when an owl tricks a young bird into swallowing the last piece of a waning moon. The bird is then blown away by a storm, and is lost and confused. It is the player’s job to recollect the bird’s memories through untangling constellations of stars, unveiling bits and pieces of the bird’s home. Using the Oculus Touch controllers, I crafted shapes from stardust by dragging lines from one glowing point to another. When I was done, a victory song would play and a piece of nature would emerge from the constellation, like a tree or a leaf.

And once you’ve uncovered all the parts of the bird’s memories, you’re brought to a terrarium to build up the bird’s memories even further with those nature objects. Plant trees, leaves and grass and scatter floating water lilies around, populating the small little world with life. You can make them big or small, and as you brush through them, they’ll even play a little tune. The whole experience is beautifully charming, like a children’s book brought to life.

Luna will be available for the Oculus Rift — though not an exclusive — and will be one of the titles to launch with the Touch later this year. If you’re tired of the blood and the gore of Killing Floor:Incursion or Arktika.1, check Luna out — the peace and serenity will have you feeling like a child again.

The VR reading library Oculus hid at its developer conference

Oculus’ annual developer conference serves as a touchstone for its community; a time to see how far virtual reality has come in the last year and to inspire, motivate and help developers build the VR experiences of tomorrow. Most of that comes in the form of announcements, panels and software showcases, but in the media demo rooms, the VR company hid dense sources for inspiration in plain sight. Stacked just above the TV in at each demo station was a small collection of books — all of them about either games, game development or the effect of virtual reality on our culture.

Executives at Oculus have been pretty open about the books that inspire them. Both Ready Player One and Snow Crash have been name-dropped by the company’s founders on multiple occasions, and the former novel is almost required reading at the company: every new employee gets a copy. It’s supposed to get employees motivated about building great virtual reality experiences — but it seems like the team at Oculus gets inspiration from more than just science fiction.

Between game demos, one could read about the perils of game addiction in Edward Castronova’s Exodus to the Virtual World, or bone up on the value of games as an artistic medium in Tom Bissell’s Extra Lives. There were books on the effect of virtual reality on the human psyche, the lives of pro-gamers, how commerce in video games is effecting our real-world economy, and more. It’s not an official reading list by any means, but it’s clear that Oculus’ set dressers chose the conference’s display books carefully. Through the course of three days, we counted sixteen different books on gaming or VR, all catalogued in the gallery above. If you’re looking for something to read now that Oculus Connect 3 has come to an end, take a look — there are plenty of options.

Watch ads to tip your favorite Twitch streamers

Just when it looked like Twitch was looking to reduce the amount of ads on its site, the live-streaming service has introduced a new way for users to tip their favourite casters that relies heavily on them. It comes as an extension to the “Cheering” emotes announced in June and lets viewers accumulate Bits — a Twitch currency where emoticons translate into donations — by simply sitting through a 30-second interactive ad.

Currently, Twitch is in the process of rolling out this new way to “Get Bits.” Users can still choose to purchase 100 Bits for $1.40 (up to a limit of $140) but can now earn Bits by viewing a sponsored video or completing a short survey. Twitch says the cashless route will typically reward users 5 Bits but some offers will be worth up to 100.

To stop people gaming the system, the company is putting a limit on the number of ads users can watch. Currently, the program is available in the US but Twitch says Bits can be placed in any chat channel that has Cheering enabled, regardless of where the streamer is located. Should it prove to be a success, the company hopes to expand its updated Cheering platform “to more users in the future.”

Source: Twitch Blog

Why ‘teleportation’ makes sense in virtual reality

Getting around in virtual reality is a bit tricky right now. Even in room-scale VR, players are restricted by the physical size of their play space. Trying to walk to a point on a digital horizon might cause you to crash into a very real wall — which is why VR games like Robo Recall and Budget Cuts allows players to teleport through the experience, rather than walk. This works surprisingly well, but I could never put my finger on why it worked. At Oculus Connect 3 this week, VR filmmaker Eric Darnell gave me an answer: teleportation in VR works because I grew up watching television.

Darnell has a lot to say about the future of storytelling in virtual reality — as the co-founder of Baobab studios, he’s made VR filmmaking his business. Teleportation, he says, is really just the VR equivalent of the “cuts” we’re used to seeing in TV and film. He credits Bullet Train for pioneering the practice in virtual reality, but seems to think the mechanic was inevitable. “Teleportation in games is like giving the viewer or player the ability to ‘edit’ their experience in film.” It feels somewhat natural because it’s a storytelling tool filmmakers have been using for over a century. Giving that control to the player, however, makes his job a little harder.

The challenge of VR storytelling, Darnell says, is that the filmmaker is forced up to relinquish control over the narrative to their viewer. The audience now has the ability to look away from the action, ignore the cues of the director or, in some cases, simply teleport away from the narrative altogether. The challenge of the VR storyteller is to be a director for the viewer, coaxing them to look, be and do what you want to move the story forward. Darnell thinks his team was able to accomplish that with their first film, Invasion, and hopes to get similar results from their follow up, Asteroids. The first film is available on the Gear VR store now, with the second coming soon.

Four questions with the founder of Fnatic

Sam Mathews founded the European esports organization Fnatic in 2004, after selling his car to send a group of players to a competitive gaming event in Las Vegas. A dozen years ago, esports were barely a blip on the mainstream radar, but Mathews was an early adopter — and the industry grew quickly. His teams continued to expand and succeed in tournaments for a range of games, including Quake, Counter-Strike, Dota 2 and League of Legends.

Today, Fnatic is one of the world’s largest and most popular esports organizations, consistently competing for millions of dollars and selling swag across the globe. As one of the first entrepreneurs to believe in esports, Mathews has a unique perspective on the industry’s history and how it will continue to evolve going forward. Professional video game tournaments are already being aired live on television, after all.

Last week, Mathews took a break from the ESL One Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament in New York to answer four questions about esports and the pressures of leading one of its most legendary organizations. We’ve recorded his thoughts below.

You’ve been in the eSports world for over a decade — what’s the largest or most surprising change to hit the industry over that time?

Apart from the small things, like moving from CRT to LCD, or the scale of the crowds, it’s really about speed at which things are moving. I didn’t expect real sport teams to get involved so quickly, especially how much it’s been progressing in the last 18 months. I always had a good inclination of how big this could be and would be, and still believe that it is probably bigger than most people expect, but the adoption by physical sports stakeholders is exciting, to say the least.

Have esports entered the mainstream or are they still a fringe activity?

I think if you look at the sheer scale in terms of number of participants, esports is technically mainstream. But in terms of perception and the amount of awareness in the public, I think it’s definitely still in the underground. I do think that this is quickly growing and changing and it’s only a matter of a year or two before it’s widely known and accepted globally. I liken it to the previous youth culture movements, such as skateboarding, which took hold in the eighties and nineties and created a subculture. The same could be said about surfing and even snowboarding, all of which started as amateur underground sports which have become legitimate multi-billion-dollar industries.

How do you handle the pressure of leading one of the world’s top esports organizations?

I think with anything that you put a lot of your heart into, sometimes emotions can get the better of you, but that’s why you have to keep them in check and understand what they are. This is especially the case when you own a sports team. You have a lot of highs and lows — and grey hair. However, I believe our fan base is aware of how much we try and strive to be the best, and trust we’re doing all in our power to keep our reputation and results. The beauty of esports, however, is that we have more than one game to keep us stable. So whilst we may be struggling in some games, we still have others that keep things balanced by being on the up.

Does any part of you wish pro gaming would stay small, or are you excited for it to continue growing?

This is funny because I do think that it’s been exciting seeing the growth. But, on the other hand, when it’s small it was nice, because you knew everyone in the scene and there’s less competition. However, I’m super excited about espots being a global phenomenon. We’ve started something special and I honestly believe that it will be one of the biggest entertainment verticals out there in the next five years. The possibilities keep me up at night.

The ‘Final Fantasy XV’ soundtrack was a decade in the making

What were you doing 10 years ago? Try to think back. Maybe you had a different job or lived in another apartment. I was still a college student, waiting tables at a pub in my spare time. It feels like a lifetime ago. Now, consider this: Back then, Japanese composer Yoko Shimomura had just been asked to work on Final Fantasy XV. She wrote the first track in 2006, while it was still called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Ever since, she’s been waiting. Waiting and working through 10 years of tumultuous development, for the moment that fans could hear her work as it was intended — as part of the full game.

“The basic scenario and story concepts haven’t changed that much,” she explains, speaking through a translator. “They’re quite similar to what they were originally. There have been some changes, small scenario tweaks and the game’s functionality itself has changed. But overall, from a musical perspective, the concepts that we wanted to use from the start, they’re pretty much as they were. It’s kept on the same theme, basically.”

I’m meeting Shimomura at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios. We’re in a room overlooking Studio One, where the London Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing the game’s tracks later that evening. It’s a cramped, gloomy space — a typical refuge, I suspect, for sound engineers — filled with squishy chairs, mixing desks and other high-end recording equipment. The downbeat atmosphere has had little effect on Shimomura’s mood, however. She’s a calm, dignified bundle of sunshine. Always cheerful, always smiling.

“I’ve been a fan of Final Fantasy for a long time, and I never thought that I would get the chance to do it,” she says. Shimomura is an industry veteran, having worked with Capcom, Square Enix and Nintendo for almost 30 years. Final Fight. Street Fighter II. Super Mario RPG. Breath of Fire. Kingdom Hearts. The list goes on and on. During that time, she never once considered what her own Final Fantasy score would sound like. Not until Square Enix called, anyway. “It wasn’t, not having a desire to want to do it professionally,” she offers. “It was just such a surprise.”

The franchise is steeped in history. Whether it’s the “Theme of Love” from Final Fantasy IV, or “One-Winged Angel” from Final Fantasy VII, every game has its share of memorable, distinctive tracks. Sweeping scores that underscore tense, mystical battles. Delicate melodies that reinforce a party member’s sadness, confusion or unrequited love. The tracks stand on their own but take new meaning when you know the characters, locales and events they were originally paired with. Many are the work of Nobuo Uematsu, one of the most respected video game composers of all time.

Nobuo Uematsu performs at La Cigale in 2012. Credit: Redferns via Getty Images

No pressure for Shimomura, then. Final Fantasy XV, which comes out at last on November 29th, is a slight departure from previous games. The combat is faster and more “active” than before. The universe is a curious blend of high fantasy and contemporary technology; modern skyscrapers and sleek sedans surround individuals who can teleport, cast spells and wield magical weapons. Smartphones and pinball machines exist alongside colossal, lumbering monsters. Similar contrasts can be found in other Final Fantasy games — Final Fantasy VII and its depiction of Midgar, for instance — but here, it’s a new take.

Shimomura loves this idea. She points to the steampunk elements of earlier Final Fantasy games and how they were paired with traditional fantasy tropes. Final Fantasy XV, she says, is “not quite as different as some people say.” It’s edgy and experimental but also respectful of the franchise’s long-held traditions. (Crystals! Chocobos! Summons!) That same philosophy can be applied to the new game’s soundtrack. “That’s how I approach, personally, the making of the music,” she says, “and I think that’s what makes the franchise. That attempt to keep a universal fantasy style of music but mix in new themes and influences each time.”

Final Fantasy XV is no exception. American blues, for instance, can be heard in some of the game’s locations. Bossa nova, a Brazilian style of music combining samba and jazz, plays jubilantly while Noctis and his friends set up camp. Both of these genres are new for Final Fantasy, adding another dimension to the world and your actions within it. As Shimomura explains all of this, her voice starts to quicken. Maybe it’s excitement, or pride. After 10 years of waiting, I would have both in abundance.

Each new track is a collaboration between Shimomura and the studio. Most started as a request from the writers — a song that was needed for a particular cutscene, battle or locale. Shimomura would go away, work on a demo, and then send it to the team for review. Some songs were given the okay immediately while others required a little extra work. The specifics were debated “quite late at night” on conference calls. “A lot of back and forth was done by email as well,” she says. “But I certainly did discuss with them. What went in and what small changes needed to be made.”

Her involvement extended to the recordings too. Some of Final Fantasy XV’s music was performed in Boston; Shimomura traveled there twice to listen and provide feedback in person. “Obviously, it’s quite difficult to get into every single session from there, so we set up a remote video satellite link, and I’ve been listening in real time from Japan. But generally I do like to participate and take part in all of the recordings,” she says.

Soon, Shimomura will hear those tracks once more. Only this time, the public will be able to listen to them, too. A small audience has been invited to Abbey Road Studios while thousands, possibly millions, watch a livestream at home. After a decade of toil, of suspense, I can think of no better tribute to Shimomura and her contributions to the game.

Who knows if Final Fantasy XV will live up to fans’ expectations. Final Fantasy XIII and its direct sequels were, for many, a low point for the franchise, with a story that made little sense and characters that were difficult to care about. Square Enix is aware that it needs to bounce back — this time, there’s no room for mistakes. And while the quality of the game is a mystery, there’s one statement I can make with absolute confidence: With Shimomura at the helm, the music is in capable hands.