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Games

Tron-Worthy Gaming Comes to Life in Iceland

The makers of game 'Eve' tease footage of their new full-body VR eSport.
Screencap by the author

The virtual reality experience, as it exists now, is fairly passive. Viewers look around through the headset, interacting by turning in 360 degrees and manipulating objects with controllers. But the Iceland-based video game company CCP Games has a very different idea for virtual reality. They want to give players an active, full-body experience. At Fanfest 2016, the company’s annual gathering in Reykjavik, CCP premiered new footage and gameplay for Project Arena, a Tron-like VR game where players hit glowing virtual discs back and forth at each other.

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The version of Project Arena seen at Fanfest, which works with the Oculus Touch and HTC Vive controllers, has two modes. In the first, Road to VR’s Dominic Brennan reports, players use a virtual paddle to hit the disk into a central net with gravitational properties. Once the disc passes through the net, it is accelerated toward the opponent.

In the second, “brawl mode,” players use a shield to deflect the disc back at their opponent. The opponent can either do the same or dodge the disc. New mixed reality test footage shows off a player in “brawl mode,” which gives it a spectator-sport quality, which is reportedly what CCP would like to eventually see. Now word yet as to exactly how the company will make Project Arena an eSport for others to watch. But if they can pull it off, welcome to Final Fantasy.

Click here to check out more VR games from CCP.

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