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Pool Nation VR (HTC Vive) will launch on June 1

K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Update 3: Game is up on Steam. Some reviews:

https://www.vrfocus.com/2016/06/review-pool-nation-vr/
http://www.thegamerholics.com/pool-nation-vr-review-2/

Update 2:Some more videos with 1 day before release. Here is some "incomplete impressions" - 30 minutes of gameplay and a lot of fooling around which show how much attention to the details have the developers put into this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2uWiq-h82Y

And here's an archived stream that had also the developers participating and answering some questions:

https://www.twitch.tv/togamerholics/v/69617750

And another impressions video, but this time in Spanish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtjkUtesDfU


Update: nice video from Arstechnica showing the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhNkN90HonA

http://staticmultimedia.com/video-ga...ing-this-june/

unnamed.jpg


Pool Nation VR Gameplay Features

  • Play Real Pool – Delight your senses with an immersive and accurate representation of the sport using motion control and real pool physics (be careful not to lean on the table, it’s not really there)
  • No Consequences – Enjoy the pleasure of throwing a bottle at your opponent or breaking one against the wall. We won’t make you clean-up in VR.
  • Customize Your Game – Choose from several variations of pool and snooker with popular rule sets, or just hang out and hit some balls in free play
  • Online and Offline Opponents – Play against the AI or with your friends globally online
  • Kill Some Time – Play VR darts while waiting for your turn at the table, change the music or just explore the bar
  • Go Crazy – Grab, stack, and smash objects in the world. Create a tower of bottles, stack ’em high and launch a pool ball at your creation
  • Enjoy a Polished VR Experience – Years of VR / AR know-how help provide a fun and comfortable VR space to hang out in with your mates from the comfort of your own home

Available on Steam for the HTC VIVE starting June 1 for $19.99 USD
Click to expand...

You can watch the cool preview trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAo2FoifcSE

And some more images:

ss_303c0b6c56f5e8c6cc556b0d3bbc8b9ae6e83f40.1920x1080.jpg

ss_b98630247610dd0a32c37977990e02851a60107d.1920x1080.jpg
Click to expand...

I hope there are more cool hats. To compensate the bruises from leaning on the (virtual) table.
 
F

Fried Food

Banned
im not really a fan of pool video games, but this I can see myself getting into. I wonder if it would make you any better at pool in real life. I imagine it could probably have SOME benefit.

Man I want a table tennis game.
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
I wonder how it controls. I assume your right hand (if you're right handed) handles shot power and aiming, but how do you put your other hand on the table? Just move around a virtual bridge/cue rest?
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
Holy shit yes. This looks really good. Pool Nation is already awesome but VR will take it to another level.
 
K

King_Moc

Banned
Fried Food said:
im not really a fan of pool video games, but this I can see myself getting into. I wonder if it would make you any better at pool in real life. I imagine it could probably have SOME benefit.

Man I want a table tennis game.
Click to expand...

If their programming is solid, then it shouldn't be a million miles away from actually playing pool.

The Vive controller tech put into an actual pool cue though...that could be pretty amazing. It'll never happen though, I guess.
 
K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
mrklaw said:
I wonder how it controls. I assume your right hand (if you're right handed) handles shot power and aiming, but how do you put your other hand on the table? Just move around a virtual bridge/cue rest?
Click to expand...

I think there were 1-2 gaffers in the beta so maybe they can clarify that. But from the first picture it seems that with one controller you fix the front and you set the direction and power with the back controller.
 
Mihos

Mihos

Gold Member
Having a really good pool table in real life, I don't know how I feel about playing a vr version... looks awesome though.
 
D

Dex815

Member
How will this work with no space to rest the hands on? Even with the precision of the Vive controllers I imagine that the shots will be terrible :/ Or will the game have some assistance?
 
K

King_Moc

Banned
Dex815 said:
How will this work with no space to rest the hands on? Even with the precision of the Vive controllers I imagine that the shots will be terrible :/ Or will the game have some assistance?
Click to expand...

You could just find something to rest on. Play next to a table or something similar I guess.
 
K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
King_Moc said:
If their programming is solid, then it shouldn't be a million miles away from actually playing pool.

The Vive controller tech put into an actual pool cue though...that could be pretty amazing. It'll never happen though, I guess.
Click to expand...

I don't know, their base game (not the f2p one, the full one) seem highly praised, so I guess they got a good handling of the physics. But I agree, VR adds a new dimension to that.
 
bloodydrake

bloodydrake

Cool Smoke Luke
ok I hope theres a demo so we can see how your suppose to hold the controller in your supporting hand. If it doesn't need to be part of the aiming just held steady I think i found the pefect left hand accessory for this game

k2-_7bbe2c9e-360b-4f42-bc49-009f850a32fa.v1.jpg


hold it in your support hand as you walk around the table..(adjust height of cane to match table edge height) when you lean forward to do a shot it will support you...
 
K

kinggroin

Banned
This looks great. We'll have to use this thread to organize meetups.

Wish the bar had a TV we could load YouTube videos on...
 
W

wanderingprostheyltite

Member
I'm in the beta and it's a blast, feels very natural using the Vive controllers for the cue too. Physics feel pretty accurate for the most part, one thing that's lacking is some proper haptic feedback when striking the balls, though I'm sure they have plans to implement that before release. Probably the game I've come back to the most for the Vive, this one is gonna have some legs with the community for sure.
 
K

kinggroin

Banned
wanderingprostheyltite said:
I'm in the beta and it's a blast, feels very natural using the Vive controllers for the cue too. Physics feel pretty accurate for the most part, one thing that's lacking is some proper haptic feedback when striking the balls, though I'm sure they have plans to implement that before release. Probably the game I've come back to the most for the Vive, this one is gonna have some legs with the community for sure.
Click to expand...

Is there a YouTube player in the bar?
 
K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
wanderingprostheyltite said:
I'm in the beta and it's a blast, feels very natural using the Vive controllers for the cue too. Physics feel pretty accurate for the most part, one thing that's lacking is some proper haptic feedback when striking the balls, though I'm sure they have plans to implement that before release. Probably the game I've come back to the most for the Vive, this one is gonna have some legs with the community for sure.
Click to expand...

That's great to hear. Did you manage not to fall from leaning on the table?
 
K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
King_Moc said:
I've seen some vague mentions of this having Snooker in it as well. Anyone know for sure?
Click to expand...

Sorry for the double post, but the info about Snooker (which is in the OP too :p) is confirmed also by VRFocus:

The games will be customisable, being able to choose from several variations of pool and snooker with popular rule sets, or just hang out and hit some balls in free play.
Click to expand...
 
A

AbandonedTrolley

Member
Done by same guys as Hustle Kings isn't it? They implemented Move controls on that early on, I would imagine the Vive controls may be similar, was cracking on the PS3/4
 
A

Auto-Reply

Member
This game needs visually interesting cpu avatars you can play against, they need to react to how you play, the Bowling game that they showed on Giant Bomb also needs crazy groups of people that play on the other lanes. Would make these games way more interesting and appealing imo!
 
R

Raticus79

Seek victory, not fairness
Looking forward to hearing reviews on this one. Virtual pool was one of the examples I had thrown around as an intuitive application of roomscale. I'm curious to hear how well the mechanics of the supporting hand work in practice. No supporting surface, but then again, it doesn't have to deal with the friction of a real moving cue. A button to hold to lock the position of the supporting hand could resolve any issues there.
 
BigTnaples

BigTnaples

Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Really looking forward to this. Should be great. Hope it performs well and has good graphical settings like Supersampling.
 
T

Teknopathetic

Member
If I had to guess, I'd imagine concerns over potentially needing to support yourself with a physical table or cane are unfounded. When you play pool in real life, you don't lean on the table or support your body with your hands in any significant way (or at least, you shouldn't be!), you support your body almost entirely with your legs/lower body and the pressure on your hand is just enough to anchor it, which isn't much pressure at all.
 
B

Betta Lines

Member
Teknopathetic said:
If I had to guess, I'd imagine concerns over potentially needing to support yourself with a physical table or cane are unfounded. When you play pool in real life, you don't lean on the table or support your body with your hands in any significant way (or at least, you shouldn't be!), you support your body almost entirely with your legs/lower body and the pressure on your hand is just enough to anchor it, which isn't much pressure at all.
Click to expand...
Fair point, it would be a bigger problem with snooker tables. Even so, people do lean on pool tables for some shots (when the cue ball is away from the cushions, or if you have to reach over a big section of the table to hit the cue ball at the appropriate angle). I guess regular players with get used to clipping through the table to take such shots, but the newcomer will want to lean (with much hilarity ensuing).
 
bloodydrake

bloodydrake

Cool Smoke Luke
Betta Lines said:
Fair point, it would be a bigger problem with snooker tables. Even so, people do lean on pool tables for some shots (when the cue ball is away from the cushions, or if you have to reach over a big section of the table to hit the cue ball at the appropriate angle). I guess regular players with get used to clipping through the table to take such shots, but the newcomer will want to lean (with much hilarity ensuing).
Click to expand...

Bolded is what I wasn't considering, in real life I lean on the table alot for long corner shots.
but if you can just walk into the table to optimal range with no issue it can be a non issue.

I was assuming it wasn't going to let you clip thru the table, So you would be forced to reach like you do in real life
 
K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Some more videos with 1 day before release. Here is some "incomplete impressions" - 30 minutes of gameplay and a lot of fooling around which show how much attention to the details have the developers put into this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2uWiq-h82Y

And here's an archived stream that had also the developers participating and answering some questions:

https://www.twitch.tv/togamerholics/v/69617750

And another impressions video, but this time in Spanish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtjkUtesDfU
 
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