![\"4](\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tudsc\/files\/2015\/08\/4-game-engines.jpg\")
<\/a>\nWhile there are some debates on whether Virtual Reality represented by Oculus Rift will become the mainstream of next generation video games long term, there are already more than 600 hundred apps\/games (data updated till July 13th, 2015) developed and displayed on Oculus Rift official website share community.<\/p>\n
Currently, Oculus Rift provides its API and SDK as open source for game developers. In order to develop a virtual reality game for\u00a0Oculus Rift you can code directly against the Oculus API.\u00a0The kind of programming language used to develop Oculus Rift games and programs also depend on what game engine you are using. Unity<\/a> and Unreal Engine<\/a>\u00a0are arguably two of the most popular game engines currently available in the market.\u00a0Unity mostly uses Javascript or C#, and\u00a0Unreal engine\/UE4 mostly\u00a0uses UnrealScripts or C++.<\/p>\n For newbies or originally non-VR content developers, programming or writing scripts is probably not the quickest way to get started. For new comers, using some existing game engines is\u00a0highly recommended. Below are some tips for beginners who are interested in developing basic Oculus Rift apps.<\/p>\n Step1: Get started with game ideas:<\/strong><\/p>\n First of all, explore some cool ideas that you want to carry forward to make it into a game. For example, try to watch some favorite movies or read some books and search for something you\u2019d love to experience in VR.<\/p>\n Step2: Find proper tools:<\/strong><\/p>\n In general, you need the 4 types of tools in order to build the game:<\/p>\n 1, Game engine ( to input 3D objects, all texture materials and sound effects and manage player view)<\/p>\n Other than the programming language you want to work with\u00a0when choosing a game engine, there are some other elements we can\u00a0consider.<\/p>\n Any of the engines can get the work done, but \u00a0depending on what you are creating, one engine might\u00a0feature more\u00a0in your work than another. For more comparisons of game engines, please refer\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2, 3D editor (to built all 3D objects): Blender<\/a>,\u00a03D studio max<\/a>, Autodesk Maya<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3, Image\/Texture editor (to build all texture on objects): Photoshop<\/a>, Gimp<\/a>, Paint.net(windows)<\/a>,\u00a0Pixelmator(osx)<\/a>.<\/p>\n 4, Sound editor (to add sounds and music effects which can be converted to game engines):\u00a0audacity<\/a>,\u00a0wavepad<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0Adobe audition<\/a>.<\/p>\n Step3: Watch demos or tutorial:<\/strong><\/p>\n After you have picked the game’s engine and other tools you want to use to develop the game it is always good to watch some demos or online tutorials to get your feet wet. There are tons of free online tutorials informative enough to teach yourself. Step 2 and step 3 are interchangeable, as sometimes you may want to watch some tutorials ahead of time to get some ideas about which tools are favorable to you.<\/p>\n Here are some basic tutorials to get you started:<\/p>\n UDK Tutorial list<\/a>\u00a0:\u00a0UDK video\/text tutorials covering the entire process from basics, to 3D modeling, texturing, material creation, kismet and gameplay integration of your game environment or level design.<\/p>\n UE4 Tutorial list\u00a0:\u00a0Epic offers about 200 professionally-made tutorials on Youtube.\u00a0They are organized into playlists by topic, so that you can easily retrieve the topic you want to learn.<\/p>\n Unity<\/a>: it provides a set of step-based tutorials covering up various projects and topics, including learning the engines; a good thing about it is: for each project, it is marked with difficult levels e.g. beginner, intermediate, advanced, so that it can be easier for you to make judgement and pick the project applicable to your level.<\/p>\n Blender<\/a>:\u00a0This tutorial series is aimed at the absolute beginner and takes you through everything from downloading and installing to modeling to lighting to render.<\/p>\n Some easy hands-on project tutorials:<\/p>\n Unity: How to create multiplayer oculus rift games<\/p>\n Unity 3D Simple First-Person Shooter Tutorial<\/p>\n Unity 3D Tutorial: Basic game in under 7 Minutes (Oculus Rift DK2)<\/a><\/p>\n Unreal Engine4 Tutorial: Baby\u2019s first VR app<\/a>: \u00a0(Very easy hands-on demo for starters from the very beginning, including how to download and set up the game engine software).<\/p>\n DIY 360 Degree Content:<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond\u00a0developing games, it is also possible to create a 360 degree video for viewing\u00a0on Oculus Rift. Here are some recommended tutorials and instructions:<\/p>\n DIY a VR Goggle Device:<\/strong><\/p>\n Amazingly, you can not just\u00a0DIY the VR content but also the VR goggle headsets. Unlike\u00a0many other VR companies trying to advance their headset to an exclusive premium level, tech giant Google has gone to a total open source route to allow people to contribute creatively by enjoying virtual reality without involving much expense. \u00a0They came up with “I\/O\u00a0Cardboard” – a cut-and-fold VR headset that integrates with almost any types of phones, including both Android and iPhone devices with only three steps.<\/p>\n\n
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