Mobile virtual reality (VR) has been the driving force behind public adoption of the technology since the release for head-mounted displays (HMDs) like Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR. Google proved its dedication to mobile VR with the announcement of a new headset last month called Daydream, at its I/O conference. That event revealed which companies and developers had already partnered on the project, and what type of content was in the works. Google’s also developing its own internal projects with a couple of new videos teasing that’s to come.
In a developers blog posting by Rob Jagnow, Software Engineer, Google VR, Jagnow shares what the teams at Daydream Labs have learned while developing VR projects. Two video demonstrations detail how certain principles can be applied in VR through simple mechanics.
The two videos look to be fully fledged mini-games of sorts, one based around Bowling and the other a puzzle game. The bowling title isn’t your run of the mill bowling alley style affair where players need to knock all 10 pins down. This version looks to have a greater puzzle element to it, having to knock a pin over by ricocheting the ball off various objects to succeed. And the difficulty is split into levels with the video showcasing level 4, so more levels probably exist.
While the Daydream Labs: Puzzle videogame mixes old-school kids entertainment with modern VR tech. It’s literally a puzzle game featuring 60 pieces that need to be fixed together, possibly making it the first puzzle piece game in VR.
The other factor linking both titles together is multiplayer. Both of them feature a friend to enjoy the experience with, helping build the puzzle or providing tips on knocking the pin over. And it’s this functionality of bring people together in VR that we’re likely to see more of as the year goes on.
Whether these two experimental projects will see a full release is unknown, but VRFocus will bring you the latest details as we get them.
