Volumetric Kombat: a Case Study on Developing a VR Game with Volumetric Video

This paper presents a case study on the development of a Virtual Reality (VR) game using Volumetric Video (VV) for character animation. We delve into the potential of VV, a technology that fuses video and depth sensor data, which has progressively matured since its initial introduction in 1995. Despite its potential to deliver unmatched realism and dynamic 4D sequences, VV applications are predominantly used in non-interactive scenarios. We explore the barriers to entry such as high costs associated with large-scale VV capture systems and the lack of tools optimized for VV in modern game engines. By actively using VV to develop a VR game, we examine and overcome these constraints developing a set of tools that address these challenges. Drawing lessons from past games, we propose an open-source data processing workflow for future VV games. This case study provides insights into the opportunities and challenges of VV in game development and contributes towards making VV more accessible for creators and researchers.