Game development legend John Carmack quits Meta

Legendary game developer John Carmack has quit his executive consultant position at Meta.

Carmack, the co-founder of id Software and lead programmer of gaming classics including Doom and Wolfenstein, posted a scathing letter detailing his decision:

This is the end of my decade in VR.

I have mixed feelings.

Quest 2 is almost exactly what I wanted to see from the beginning – mobile hardware, inside out tracking, optional PC streaming, 4k (ish)...

20 December 2022 | Gaming

Apple may unveil its mixed reality headset in January

We could finally see Apple’s much-anticipated mixed reality headset in just a couple of months.

According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up to unveil the headset early next year. The headset is expected to offer a seamless transition between virtual and augmented reality.

Unlike efforts from Meta, Apple has reportedly designed its mixed reality headset for short stints of communication, content viewing, and gaming. The metaverse is...

15 November 2022 | Gaming

Kuo: Don’t expect Apple’s mixed reality headset at WWDC 2022

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says not to expect Apple’s anticipated mixed reality headset at WWDC 2022.

Kuo’s comment arrives after a trademark filing for ‘RealityOS’ – Apple’s OS for its mixed reality headset – was uncovered. The filing suggests an official announcement of the headset is getting close, but Apple isn’t quite ready for the grand reveal.

https://twitter.com/mingchikuo/status/1531518877498490880

As with any current hardware launch,...

1 June 2022 | iOS

Tim Sweeney: The App Store is a ‘disservice’ to developers

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has continued his company’s fierce criticism of Apple and called the App Store a “disservice” to developers.

In an interview with Financial Times, Sweeney explained his reasoning behind taking Apple to court.

The long-running feud between Epic and Apple is the result of the latter’s infamous “walled garden” mobile ecosystem that many see as anti-competitive.

While Google has faced similar criticisms, its relatively open approach...

26 May 2022 | App Stores

ARCore Geospatial API helps developers build immersive experiences

During I/O 2022, Google launched its ARCore Geospatial API to help developers build more immersive, richer, and more useful experiences.

Augmented reality experiences are beginning to gain traction beyond Pokémon Go. Now there are AR apps for making floorplans, seeing how furnishings will look in your home, understanding the world around you, and even getting real-time information about the night sky.

Google showed off enhancements to its own AR solution, Lens, during...

12 May 2022 | Android

Epic Games raises $2B a week after Unreal Engine 5’s release

Epic Games has raised $2 billion in a funding round just a week after its release of Unreal Engine 5.

Epic – known for its hit titles, popular game engine, and high-profile spats with Apple – says the funding will support its continued growth and vision to build the metaverse.

Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder of Epic Games, said:

“As we reimagine the future of entertainment and play we need partners who share our vision. We have found this in our partnership...

12 April 2022 | Development Tools

Niantic acquires WebAR experts 8th Wall to expand metaverse platform

Niantic is continuing its evolution from an AR game developer to a complete platform for building metaverse experiences.

Once upon a time, Niantic was an exciting but relatively unknown company behind the pioneering (and highly underrated) AR game Ingress. Niantic then released Pokemon Go and was catapulted into the spotlight.

The hype around Pokemon Go may have faded but Niantic hasn’t stopped working. The company has been using its experience in live, large-scale AR...

11 March 2022 | Development Tools

Omniverse Code helps developers to build 3D design and simulation tools

Nvidia has announced Omniverse Code, a new app to make it easier for developers to build advanced tools for 3D design and simulation.

The app includes the Omniverse Kit SDK runtime along with foundational tools, templates, and documentation. Developers won’t have to build from scratch with hundreds of Omniverse Extensions available to edit, modify, or integrate into their own extensions or applications.

Interactive documentation helps users to experience features like...

2 February 2022 | Development Tools

App Annie: Users downloaded 230B apps in 2021, spent 3.8T hours using them

A report from App Annie highlights the staggering growth the mobile app ecosystem witnessed last year.

According to the analytics firm’s State of Mobile 2022 report, users downloaded around 230 billion apps in 2021.

Theodore Krantz, Chief Executive Officer of App Annie, said:

“The big screen is slowly dying as mobile continues to break records in virtually every category - time spent, downloads and revenue.”

Chinese users downloaded the most...

12 January 2022 | Android

Kuo: Apple’s AR headset to have ‘significantly higher’ computing power than iPhone

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the expected Apple AR headset will have “significantly higher” computing power than iPhone.

In a research note for investors, Kuo wrote: “Our latest survey indicates that each Apple AR/MR headset will adopt two CPUs made of 4nm and 5nm... which is higher than our previous estimation and market consensus of one."

The computing power of the device will mean that it will use the same 96W charger used for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The...

11 January 2022 | Gaming