Zero to Start Podcast: VR development for beginners

I recorded this episode on the afternoon of Election day in the US...

During the storms of change and chance I take shelter in making VR, buying vinyl and listening to The Cure. 

So I’m in the midst of making a creepy crawly experience based on Lullaby from The Cure’s Disintegration album to match my post-halloween haunted garden. 

However, on today’s episode I wanted to briefly reflect on what I learned - and earned - from returning the Apple Vision Pro back in February. 

We highlight a couple of Apple Vision Pro takes on the latest development challenges. 

On the next episode I’ll dive into building a quick demo with Meta’s newest VR headset, the Quest 3s, the stand-alone, mobile mixed reality headset with color pass-through starting at just $299. 

The new Cure album, Songs of a Lost World is all cued up for listening later, so let's get started!

You can support Zero to Start by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating, and share this episode with your community.

Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn!

Thanks for listening, happy installing!

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA:
LinkedIn
sicilianatrevino.com

DESIGN TOOLS: 

• FIGMA
• BEZI
• SHAPES XR 

FEATURED LINKS:
Songs of a Lost World - The Cure

Meta Quest 3S - Meta

Tim Cook Admits Truth About Vision Pro Following Lackluster Sales - MacRumours

Vision Pro, W#F is happening? - Tom Krikorian

Apple Vision Pro Development - @tina__nigro

Elevtr.com

VIDEO: The Secret Money Saving Rule I Learned in Japan - Vincent Chan
 
VIDEO: You'll Save More Money As Soon As You Watch This - Vincent Chan

PODCAST: Retail Therapy: My Inner Child Said No to a $4,500 Apple Vision Pro

PODCAST:#1489: "Gorilla Tag" Design Philosophy & Embodied Gameplay Deep Dive with Kerestell Smith - Kent Bye, Voices of VR podcast

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Since 2018 Virtuleap has been at the cutting edge of combining neuroscience and virtual reality to help increase attention levels, and address cognitive illnesses, disorders, and learning challenges. 

On this episode, Amir Bozorgzadeh, Cofounder and CEO of Virtuleap is back to tell us all about the release of Cogniclear VR, an immersive cognitive screening test that uses gamified scenarios to assess a wide range of crucial cognitive abilities and collect extensive cognitive and behavioral data to enable early intervention, for better health outcomes. 

We dive into the ongoing challenges of:

• designing accessible apps for cognitive testing
• sustained attention decline and mental health with the rise of "TikToK Brain"
• the double-edge sword of leading a start up at the intersection of emerging tech and healthcare 

And how Virtuleap has survived industry changes like “a reed in the wind.”

You can support Zero to Start by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating, and share this episode with your community. Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn!

Thanks for listening, happy installing! 

FEATURED LINKS:

Virtuleap.com

VIDEO: Cogniclear VR Trailer

Impact of EnhanceVR on working memory and inhibitory control of young adults with intellectual development disabilities.

BLAST FROM THE PAST:

Improving Brain Health with Enhance VR - Zero to Start podcast episode

Birdly simulator

CONNECT WITH AMIR
LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA
LinkedIn
sicilianatrevino.com 

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Former NASA AI scientist turned VR creative director and producer, Nathalie Mathe, has been pushing the boundaries of VR since the early days of the Oculus DK1 and DK2. 

From creating visual effects on blockbuster films like Total Recall, Fast & Furious6, Skyfall, and The Dark Knight Rises to directing and supervising cutting-edge VR projects for Google, Facebook, JauntVR and Condition One, Nathalie is a powerhouse of innovation and artistry.

She’s also the founder of NativeVR, an independent VR studio in California, and has taught VR & Immersive Media at UC Berkeley, Drexel University, and University of the Arts. 

She currently teaches at Northeastern University’s College of Art, Media, and Design, in The Game Science and Design MS program at Mills College.

On today’s episode, Nathalie shares how her Hollywood work propelled her to the forefront of pioneering techniques in photogrammetry and 360 video to create groundbreaking entertainment and social impact stories—including U-Turn, her award-winning interactive VR comedy that raises awareness of the gender gap in tech.

She takes us through the importance of transparency, ethics and scientific approaches to studying immersive tech and AI, and how following her intuition about the future has shaped her successful career. 

Plus Natalie offers her advice for aspiring creators looking to break into the rapidly evolving industry. 

You can support Zero to Start by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating, and share this episode with your community. Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn!

Thanks for listening, happy installing!  

FEATURED LINK:
Master of Science in Game Science and Design, Northeastern University, Oakland

BLAST FROM THE PAST:
VIDEO: Uturn Trailer
VIDEO: Jaunt VR app trailer
VIDEO: Oculus Developer Kit 2 trailer

MORE RESOURCES:
Unity
Unreal Engine
Godot Game Engine
Foundary / Nuke VFX Software - Compositing, Editorial and Review
Touch Designer   by Derivative

CONNECT WITH NATHALIE:
LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA:
LinkedIn
sicilianatrevino.com 

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GameDriver enables video game developers, testers, and producers to automate playtesting; improving time to market, test coverage, and overall quality and revenue.

The company brings over 30 years of test automation expertise to the massive gaming industry, as well as Enterprise - where next-gen user experiences are built using gaming technologies including AR and VR, to deliver consistent, repeatable testing to the app development process.

XRDriver is an Auggie nominated developer tool that addresses sector-specific needs with Advanced XR testing. 

Joining me on the podcast to tell us more about GameDriver's powerful results and how developers can increase productivity on their XR games and enterprise apps is Shane Evans, Co-founder at GameDriver, Product Strategy and Go-to-Market.

Shane is a pioneering Product Management leader who has led mature, market-leading products and introduced new products, and solutions to fit changing market and business needs for HP, HSBC and more. 

His ability to fuse a passion for games with cutting-edge innovation and enterprise solutions gives him a unique and invaluable perspective on the industry. 

You can find him at GDC, AWE and and other global conferences. 

Visit GameDriver.io to get your free trial of GameDriver and download their exclusive resource to discover the strengths and gaps in your testing process.

Thanks for listening! You can support the podcast by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating and connect with us on our LinkedIn page.

Special thanks to Noah Langer

FEATURED LINKS:

• Getting Started with Video Game Test Automation using GameDriver
• XR Driver
• GameDriver on GitHub

GAME ENGINES / MORE RESOURCES:

• Unity
• Unity: DOTS
• Unreal Engine
• Unreal Engine: MASS
• Godot Game Engine
• How to get a job as a video games tester  - GamesIndustry.biz
• The crucial role of software quality assurance in gameplay development - Software testing magazine 

CONNECT WITH SHANE:

• LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA: 

• LinkedIn 
• sicilianatrevino.com 

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In just a few short years, mobile gaming has exploded, now accounting for almost half of all gaming, with the market worth an astounding $90 billion dollars.

According to Statista, by 2026 the mobile AR market is predicted to reach $36 billion dollars in revenue. 

As mobile AR gaming evolves beyond Pokemon Go, one company is going all-in to redefine the space with a first-of-its- kind multiplayer augmented reality fighting game. 

Joining me on the latest Zero to Start is AR/VR pioneer Sarah Stumbo Huth, Gameplay Engineer at Jadu AR. Sarah takes us through the twists and turns of bringing this groundbreaking multiplayer augmented reality game to mobile and her personal journey in the industry. 

From her early VR days in 2014 to becoming a tech evangelist at Unity, and a software engineer at MSG Sphere, Peloton, and now as Gameplay Engineer at Jadu AR, Sarah has been at the forefront of AR/VR innovation. 

She also fills us in on Season One, Jadu’s first single-player campaign launching May 21st.

Download Jadu from the App Store or Google Play to experience your very own battle arena on the go and see why this exciting new game is setting the standard for AR gaming on mobile.

To support the podcast subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! 

Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy installing. 

FEATURED LINKS:

• JADU.AR
• Jadu on the App Store
• Jadu on Google Play
• Jadu Fight Club on Discord

MORE RESOURCES:

• Download Unity 
• Unity for Humanity 
• Agile Manifesto
• Beta made simple with Apple's TestFlight 
• 200 Mobile Games Statistics - Udonis
• Mobile AR market revenue worldwide from 2021 - 2026 - Statista

Special thanks to Troy Allen Norcross

CONNECT WITH SARAH:

•  LinkedIn 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA: 

• LinkedIn 
• sicilianatrevino.com 

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Apple Vision Pro doesn't have anything I really need, just everything I want. They're the coolest goggles on the planet. 

While hot takes about the price, the returns, the meaning of this moment continue to light up our news feed, I’m still integrating the 3 days I spent with The Vision Pro. 

Using Apple's spatial computer for the first time consumed me with intense, satisfying, emotional connections between software place and time. 

So after all my excitement why did I return it? The answer might surprise you. 

February 12th was Zero to Start's 4 year anniversary. Thanks to all our listeners in over 44 countries! 

FEATURED LINKS:

• Apple Vision Pro
• Here's How Much it Costs Apple to Make a Vision Pro Headset - MacRumors
• VIDEO: How to become the BEST at Gorilla Tag - jmancurly

FLASH BACK:

• SPOTLIGHT SERIES sponsored by Meta
• Episode 25  Presence Experiential Design and the Ultimate Potential of Virtual Reality with Kent Bye 
• Episode 23  Sam Altman, OpenAI and the quest for ethical AGI with Avi Bar-Zeev, Founder and President Reality Prime, XR Guild
• Episode 22  Metaverse Safety Week Dec.10th-15th 2023 with Kavya Pearlman, Founder and CEO, XRSI
• VIDEO: New User Experience - Setting Up the Oculus Sensor - Meta

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

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It's Apple Vision Pro Day! 

• Will it be as paradigm shifting as the first iPhone? 
• If Apple is hedging its bet on spatial computing, did oculus/Meta do the hard excavation work to prove there is an innovative market for XR?
• Does an early adopter really need another headset in their vast collection of goggles, glasses and gadgets?

These are some of the questions Ash Baccus-Clark, Director, Keynote Speaker & Creative Strategy Consultant at ABC Worldwide asks as she contemplates whether or not to spend over $3,500 to get Apple’s first spatial computer. 

Ash is a molecular and cellular biologist, brand marketing professional and multidisciplinary artist who uses new media and storytelling to explore themes of deep learning, cognition, memory, trauma, and systems of belief within the framework of intersectionality. 

She was formerly the Director of Research & Marketing at Hyphen-Labs, an international team of engineers, scientists, architects, and artists who created ‘NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism’, an award-winning virtual reality project that was screened at Sundance, the American Film Institute, and Tribeca Film Festival, and more. 

Join us as we dive into why it's time to start creating for spatial computing and XR. 

Thanks for listening, happy Vision Pro Day!

CONNECT WITH ASH:

• LinkedIn
• This neuroscientist uses art to fight hate - Vice

AVP REVIEWS: 

• I spent 24 hours wearing Apple's Vision Pro Headset - Wall Street Journal
• Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it’s not - The Verge
• Why Tim Cook is going all in on the Apple Vision Pro - Vanity Fair

FEATURED LINKS:

• Apple Vision Pro
• Apple Announces More than 600 new apps built for the Vision Pro - Apple News
• The Inside Story of Oculus Rift and how Virtual Reality became Reality - Wired, 2014
• Why Virtual Reality is about to change the world - Time, 2015
• VIDEO: Andrew Ng, Opportunities in AI 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

Send us a note!

The Apple Vision Pro presale on Friday Jan.19th was a resounding success, erasing any doubt about Apple’s ability to capture the public’s imagination - and their wallets, with its first spatial computer. 

The Vision Pro marks a new day in the XR industry, or rather, a new tune that has the potential to transcend the friction and failures of the last decade. 

Despite some early device limitations and the steep price tag, speculation is rampant about the Vision Pro selling out its preorder stock in just under 20 minutes, with early revenue estimates reaching $630 million dollars. 

Today’s show is part two of our Apple Vision Pro series reflecting on the presale experience, sales results, the features we’re most excited about, and how you can begin exploring the magic of Vision Pro without a headset. 

Thanks for listening and happy Installing!

"Apple Vision Pro pre-orders begin today! We’re so excited for you to experience spatial computing for the first time! " - Tim Cook 

APPLE DEVELOPER + VISIONOS LINKS: 

• VIDEO Apple Vision Pro guided tour
• Learn about visionOS
• Human Interface Guidelines
• VIDEO Explore immersive sound design
• Q/A Spatial Design for visionOS
• Xcode Resources, tools, documentation, tutorials
• Apple Developer Membership and programs
• Realizing their vision: how DJay designed for VisionOS 

ARTICLES/BLOGS: 

• Apple sells up to 180,000 Apple Vision Pro, says Kuo - Apple Insider
• Making Apple Vision Pro video will mesmerize you - Cult of Mac
• VR market shrinking as even as Meta pours billions of dollars a quarter on the Metaverse - CNBC
• Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest sell-through shipments worldwide in 2016 and 2019 - Statista
• Five Years of VR: A Look at the Greatest Moments from Oculus Rift to Quest 2    - Meta Quest Blog
• The Virtual Genius of Oculus Rift - Time
• Magic Leap reportedly only sold 6,000 AR headsets in six months - Engadget
• Creativity and Imagination - Ronny Abovitz, Magic Leap Blog

YOUTUBE TUTORIAL

• VisionOs simulator tutorial - N

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"The new era of spatial computing has arrived."  Our first episode of 2024 brings you a readout of last week's proclamation from Apple CEO, Tim Cook on the news of the highly anticipated Apple Vision Pro launch, which is just hours away from pre-sale, on Friday January 19th at 5am pacific. Vision Pro will be available in the U.S. on February 2nd.

Are you walking up at 5AM tomorrow to pre-order? We are! (hopefully...)

What does the Vision Pro mean for early adopters, creators and consumers? If you're wondering why you need a $3,500 wearable computer, this episode is for you. And if you're already convinced, let's celebrate and welcome spatial computing to the AI, AR, VR, XR, Metaverse family.   

We'll have more reflections on the pre-order and dig deeper into developer documentation later this weekend.   We can't wait!

Until then, happy spatial computing

FEATURED LINKS:

• Apple Vision Pro - Official Site
• Apple Vision Pro available in the U.S. February 2 - Apple Newsroom
• New Apple Vision Pro Hands-on Reports Drop Ahead of Friday Pre-order - Road To VR
• Sorry but Apple Vision Pro isn't for you - Tech Crunch
• With $590 million in more funding Magic Leap looks to the Future - Venture Beat
• War of the Worlds for Bose AR - Game trailer

PODCASTS:

• Zero to Start #25  Kent Bye on spatial design and the ultimate potential of XR
• Voices of VR  #1320:  Plans for VisionDevCamp, an Apple Vision Pro Hackathon after Q1 2024 Launch

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

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This holiday we’re celebrating our 25th episode of Zero to Start with a very special guest, Kent Bye, host of the Voices of VR podcast.

Since May 2014, Kent has published over 1,300 Voices of VR podcast interviews featuring the pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists driving the resurgence of virtual & augmented reality.

Kent is an oral historian, experiential journalist, & philosopher, helping to define the patterns of immersive storytelling, experiential design, ethical frameworks, & the ultimate potential of XR. 

He travels the world to deliver in-depth coverage of the best from XR festivals, conferences and gatherings you can't find anywhere else.

Check out the link to Kent’s Patreon where you can support his groundbreaking work and gain access to the podcast's private Discord channel and more.  I've been a patron supporter of Voices of VR since 2021.

How will you think about presence in 2024?

Thanks for listening! Until next time, Peace on Earth! Goodwill to all.

CONNECT WITH KENT:

• Voices of VR Podcast
• Voices of VR on Patreon
• Kent on LinkedIn 

FEATURED LINKS:

• VIDEO: A Primer on Presence, Immersive Storytelling, & Experiential Design - Kent Bye's Storycon Keynote
•  VIDEO: Sensemaking Frameworks for the Metaverse & XR Ethics
• Voices of VR  #1320:  Plans for VisionDevCamp, an Apple Vision Pro Hackathon after Q1 2024 Launch

MORE SOURCES:

• Place illusion and plausibility can lead to realistic behaviour in immersive virtual environments - Mel Slater
• Reality+  David Chalmers
• VIDEO: Top 20 Oculus Rift VR Experiences of 2013 - Cymatic Bruce
• VIDEO: Descartes Meditation I - Of the things which may be brought into Doubt - Philosophy Vibe 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

WHAT WE'RE PLAYING IN VR

• Gorilla Tag - holiday update! 
• Asgard's Wrath 2
• Black Pink a VR Encore - Meta Horizon Worlds (Dec. 26th)
• Wallace & Gromit in the Grand Getaway
• Liminal - Relax. Unwind. Engage. Explore.

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