Audio Arena

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Audio Arena
Audio arena1.jpg
Information
VR/AR VR
Developer Skydome Studios
Publisher Skydome Studios
Platform SteamVR, Oculus Rift (Platform)
Device HTC Vive, Oculus Rift CV1
Operating System Windows
Type Full Game
Genre Action, VR
Input Device Tracked motion controllers, Gamepad, Keyboard / Mouse
Play Area Seated, Standing
Game Mode Single Player
Language English
Review Positive
Release Date Jul 25, 2016
Price $6.99
App Store Steam
Website http://skydomestudios.com/audio-arena/
Infobox Updated 09/15/2016
Audio Arena is a VR App. Audio Arena is a single player arena game in which the gameplay is generated by music. It was developed by Yorick van Vliet, who is the sole member Skydome Studios, for the GearVR, and it was a bronze prize winner in the Oculus Mobile VR Jam 2015.[1]

Contents

Features

Players are placed in an arena that stretches 360 degrees around their head. Enemies get spawned on the beat of the music, and the goal is to either avoid or destroy them using headtilt controls. Powerups are placed in the arena to kill foes. Picking them up on the beat of the music increases the sync bonus and allows players to achieve higher scores, which are counted at the end of each song.[2]

Audio Arena game started as an entry into the Oculus Mobile VR Jam 2015, where it received a bronze prize. It was subsequently developed into a full game for Gear VR and Oculus Rift. The full version features 20 songs, 25 unique quests, and it can be played either sitting or standing. [3]

Yorick van Vliet "wanted an arena game with as many things as possible synced to the music." He drew his inspiration from music visualizers and ended up with a short list of enemy types to implement in the game: All enemies spawn with a white flash; Red enemies spawn on the bass; Yellow and Purple enemies spawn on tones; Yellow enemies pulse their size on the beat; Purple enemies speed up on the beat; A pattern of enemies, like a circle or square around the player, gets spawned on important moments in the music; Weapons activated on the beat of the music give combo-bonus.[4]

He then proceeded to use a Unity Plugin called Visualizer Studio to perform frequency analysis and a beat detection to know where exactly the beats were in the music used for the game. However, this method turned out not to be as reliable as he hoped it would be, so he ended up doing everything manually.[5]

Most songs in the game are between 80 and 110 BPM (beats per minute). They have a clear beat and clear tones that are easily recognisable, but they also remain diverse enough to make the game fun to play.

Description

Audio Arena: Player versus Music.

Audio Arena is a single player arena game in which the gameplay is generated by music. The arena stretches 360 degrees around you and the enemies get spawned on the beat of the music.
Dodge your enemies using Gaze or Motion controls. Powerups are placed in the arena to kill your foes. Picking them up on the beat of the music increases your sync bonus for higher scores.
At the end of the song you score will be recorded, if you can make it that far.

System Requirements

Windows

Minimum

  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
  • Storage: 700 MB available space

Setup Instructions

Audio Arena is available via the Oculus Rift App Directory. Users are required to register on the site before they can download and install it on their PC. Another option is to purchase it the Oculus Gear VR store for $4.99.[6]

Images and Videos

References