Their home page: so much information, but so little information. I guess it's one of those situations where you're supposed to know the thing before you go there.
Is it VR? Or confusingly is it virtual instrument racks?
Equally confusing is the English word, "sanction". Sanction is a very bad thing, unless it's the sanction which is a very good thing!
This native English speaker is with you, I thought RacquetNext was some new-fangled racquetball racket that was banned because it has carbon fiber plates that…do $SOMETHING, ala the Nike Vaporfly/Alphafly running shoes. You know, “sanctioned”.
Instead, it turns out to be some poorly-designed web page that tells me little about what they’re trying to sell.
Yes... it is VR.
The site was designed to appeal to those who do know what Racket:Next [aka Racket: Nx is, and those who want to know a LOT more.
And "sanction" is one of those crazy words... but it's the one the International Federations use... the good kind.
Thanks for commenting.
> There are more racquet sports players in the world than soccer players.
Are there? I (or at least I think that’s being played) only know it from US American TV shows, where business people or mobsters usually play it. But I’m in Germany, maybe it’s very regional, but massive in regions it’s big in? Does anyone have some information for me?
There's fewer than 10,000 professional Tennis players, and that's far more popular professionally than squash and other racquet sports so at a professional level you're talking more than 10 times football than tennis.
I was hoping that someone would challenge this,
There are around 50 million more racket sports players than world football players [!!!] Who knew?
And tennis is not the largest... badminton is, dominated by China and India.
This is true even if you don't count table tennis, which is also a racquet sport.
I was floored when I realized this.
Football probably has more SPECTATOR/FANS... I don't know. but the player numbers? Not even close.
Thanks for commenting.
Seems to be a VR game where targets light up and you hit balls at them using the VR controller.
It doesn't look like there's any force feedback, or measurement of how hard you hit, which will avoid the problems suffered by things like Zwift where issues like poorly calibrated power meters limit the possibilities for serious competition.
Some games easily trigger VR sickness, other can be scary for the (younger) player for various reasons (fear of height, monster, etc.) not this one.
Racketnx is basically the vr version of arcanoid.
The strong point of the game is that the learning curve is extremely low. Almost anyone can pick the remote, put on the helmet and start hitting the ball.
Someone mentionned there is no feedback. There is very natural and well done haptic feedback. Speed of the swing matter in game. That is of course tracked in game (has to be).
I agree.
That's a great article, and Sonya Haskins is a great writer and person.
When you have a minute though, hover on "Images and Video" and dive in to a cornucopia of Racket:Next delights...
Thanks for commenting.
What do y'all think are the odds VR Racquetball is the next big thing? I could see it happening -- it's a pretty clever idea. It might just be a niche thing like drone racing though (or is drone racing catching on?). These "future sports" are an interesting market.
Actually, Racquetball simulations don't work in VR, nor any other racquet sports simulations except table tennis.
Racket:Next is an ANALOGUE of conventional racquet sports... have a look at www.racketnext.com/playing.
Thanks for commenting.
International Racquetball Federation [IRF] Officially Sanctions Racket:Next
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA: In a decisive vote of the IRF Board of Directors, Virtual Reality racquet sport game Racket:Next [aka Racket: Nx] has become a fully sanctioned sports discipline of an IOC-Recognized global sports federation, effective April 1, 2022.
With this action, Racquet:Next becomes the first electronic game of any sort to become an official global sport.
IRF [Colorado Springs, USA]; Racket:Next developer One Hamsa [Tel Aviv, Israel]; and the Metaverse Sports Association [San Francisco, USA]; signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2021. At that time, the IRF endorsed Racket:Next and committed to progress toward full sanctioning of the game as a sport.
IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge said at the time: “When we realized what this combination could mean not only for our federation but for all of racquet sport, we jumped all over it. This will be a game-changer both for us and for world sport. We look forward to sharing so much more as this exciting partnership unfolds.”
As St. Onge predicted, the partnership has unfolded and “the game” has changed. Dean Schear, IRF Chief Financial Officer and Chair of the IRF Virtual Sports Committee, added, “Bottom line, we have a great vision, a great team, and the sense of urgency and commitment to act now.”
The IRF has been asked to participate in the E-Gaming Pavilion at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, in July. The IRF is also a candidate to participate in the Olympic Virtual Series later this year.
Metaverse Sports Association CEO Victor Bond, who drove and facilitated the agreement, commented, “This is a marriage made in future-sport heaven: a world-class developer and a unique, successful, and wonderful game with a fully global international IOC-recognized sports federation that has the vision and the grit to not just look around the corner but to go there.” Bond added, “This is one big step in our collaboration and one gigantic leap for the new technology of sport.”
One Hamsa CEO Assaf “Usul” Ronen added: “This first-ever sanctioning act supports Racket:Next’s core design principles as a fully athletic and visceral game, allowing players of all racquet sports – not only racquetball – to make every racket sport move, except for those that would not work in the average living room (like a racquetball dive or a clay court tennis slide), immersed inside a lighted, responsive, audio-filled dome, in a game that is purely skill based.”
Ronen continued, “Racket:Next has already surpassed 300,000 players worldwide, led by the fastest-growing VR headset, the Meta Quest 2, in which it’s been a top-rated title since its launch in 2019. Since 2021 we also witness a surge of players on emerging China-based platforms. Racquet sports, all together, is the largest sports category in the world, eclipsing even world football.
For more information:
web: www.racketnext.com email: racketnext@gmail.com
International Racquetball Federation: www.internationalracquetball.com
One Hamsa: www.onehamsa.com
Metaverse Sports Association: www.metaversesportsassociation.world
###
International Racquetball Federation: The International Racquetball Federation is the governing body for all internationally sanctioned racquetball events. Racquetball is an extremely fast sport where balls can travel in excess of 150 mph in a 40 ft. long, 20 ft.
wide, and 20 ft. high court.
One Hamsa: Born to the deserts of the middle east, One Hamsa is a game design studio formed to craft quality VR games. We care about unique content, and unreasonable levels of polish.
Metaverse Sports Association: The Metaverse Sports Association is dedicated to the development of high-quality athletic virtual reality games into officially sanctioned global sports. Racket:Next is our and the world’s first success. There will be more.
I know... "sanction" is one of those words that means it's opposite too... a "contranym"
But it's the word they use in international federations.
You are right... the first ever electronic game of any sort to be officially recognized as a sport. Extremely cool.
Thanks for commenting.
blunte|4 years ago
Is it VR? Or confusingly is it virtual instrument racks?
Equally confusing is the English word, "sanction". Sanction is a very bad thing, unless it's the sanction which is a very good thing!
mikestew|4 years ago
Instead, it turns out to be some poorly-designed web page that tells me little about what they’re trying to sell.
shireboy|4 years ago
victorbond|4 years ago
Semaphor|4 years ago
Are there? I (or at least I think that’s being played) only know it from US American TV shows, where business people or mobsters usually play it. But I’m in Germany, maybe it’s very regional, but massive in regions it’s big in? Does anyone have some information for me?
iso1210|4 years ago
https://colors-newyork.com/how-many-professional-footballers...
There's fewer than 10,000 professional Tennis players, and that's far more popular professionally than squash and other racquet sports so at a professional level you're talking more than 10 times football than tennis.
https://tenniscreative.com/how-many-people-play-tennis/
For non-professional, Based on 2019 data, 87 million play tennis worldwide, and far fewer squash players (20-30 million)
https://squashezine.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-many-people-pla...
But them together and you're less than half of the 250 million football players
victorbond|4 years ago
michaelt|4 years ago
Seems to be a VR game where targets light up and you hit balls at them using the VR controller.
It doesn't look like there's any force feedback, or measurement of how hard you hit, which will avoid the problems suffered by things like Zwift where issues like poorly calibrated power meters limit the possibilities for serious competition.
kitd|4 years ago
rootsudo|4 years ago
rich_sasha|4 years ago
victorbond|4 years ago
nuclearwast|4 years ago
Some games easily trigger VR sickness, other can be scary for the (younger) player for various reasons (fear of height, monster, etc.) not this one.
Racketnx is basically the vr version of arcanoid.
The strong point of the game is that the learning curve is extremely low. Almost anyone can pick the remote, put on the helmet and start hitting the ball.
Someone mentionned there is no feedback. There is very natural and well done haptic feedback. Speed of the swing matter in game. That is of course tracked in game (has to be).
victorbond|4 years ago
tantalor|4 years ago
victorbond|4 years ago
jackbravo|4 years ago
victorbond|4 years ago
claudiulodro|4 years ago
blunte|4 years ago
However, having slammed myself (too) hard against walls playing, I wonder how dangerous it would be to be flailing around blind in a normal room...
victorbond|4 years ago
victorbond|4 years ago
International Racquetball Federation [IRF] Officially Sanctions Racket:Next
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA: In a decisive vote of the IRF Board of Directors, Virtual Reality racquet sport game Racket:Next [aka Racket: Nx] has become a fully sanctioned sports discipline of an IOC-Recognized global sports federation, effective April 1, 2022.
With this action, Racquet:Next becomes the first electronic game of any sort to become an official global sport.
IRF [Colorado Springs, USA]; Racket:Next developer One Hamsa [Tel Aviv, Israel]; and the Metaverse Sports Association [San Francisco, USA]; signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2021. At that time, the IRF endorsed Racket:Next and committed to progress toward full sanctioning of the game as a sport.
IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge said at the time: “When we realized what this combination could mean not only for our federation but for all of racquet sport, we jumped all over it. This will be a game-changer both for us and for world sport. We look forward to sharing so much more as this exciting partnership unfolds.” As St. Onge predicted, the partnership has unfolded and “the game” has changed. Dean Schear, IRF Chief Financial Officer and Chair of the IRF Virtual Sports Committee, added, “Bottom line, we have a great vision, a great team, and the sense of urgency and commitment to act now.”
The IRF has been asked to participate in the E-Gaming Pavilion at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, in July. The IRF is also a candidate to participate in the Olympic Virtual Series later this year.
Metaverse Sports Association CEO Victor Bond, who drove and facilitated the agreement, commented, “This is a marriage made in future-sport heaven: a world-class developer and a unique, successful, and wonderful game with a fully global international IOC-recognized sports federation that has the vision and the grit to not just look around the corner but to go there.” Bond added, “This is one big step in our collaboration and one gigantic leap for the new technology of sport.”
One Hamsa CEO Assaf “Usul” Ronen added: “This first-ever sanctioning act supports Racket:Next’s core design principles as a fully athletic and visceral game, allowing players of all racquet sports – not only racquetball – to make every racket sport move, except for those that would not work in the average living room (like a racquetball dive or a clay court tennis slide), immersed inside a lighted, responsive, audio-filled dome, in a game that is purely skill based.” Ronen continued, “Racket:Next has already surpassed 300,000 players worldwide, led by the fastest-growing VR headset, the Meta Quest 2, in which it’s been a top-rated title since its launch in 2019. Since 2021 we also witness a surge of players on emerging China-based platforms. Racquet sports, all together, is the largest sports category in the world, eclipsing even world football.
For more information: web: www.racketnext.com email: racketnext@gmail.com International Racquetball Federation: www.internationalracquetball.com One Hamsa: www.onehamsa.com Metaverse Sports Association: www.metaversesportsassociation.world
###
International Racquetball Federation: The International Racquetball Federation is the governing body for all internationally sanctioned racquetball events. Racquetball is an extremely fast sport where balls can travel in excess of 150 mph in a 40 ft. long, 20 ft. wide, and 20 ft. high court.
One Hamsa: Born to the deserts of the middle east, One Hamsa is a game design studio formed to craft quality VR games. We care about unique content, and unreasonable levels of polish.
Metaverse Sports Association: The Metaverse Sports Association is dedicated to the development of high-quality athletic virtual reality games into officially sanctioned global sports. Racket:Next is our and the world’s first success. There will be more.
HstryrsrBttn|4 years ago
[deleted]
NoGravitas|4 years ago
victorbond|4 years ago
dgellow|4 years ago
In fact it seems to be a VR game recognized as an official sport?
jffry|4 years ago
I also misread the headline as the latter instead of the former, likely because of the latter type of sanctions being in the news as of late.
victorbond|4 years ago
unknown|4 years ago
[deleted]