===Background===
'''Global VR, Inc.''' (officially stylized as '''GLOBAL VR''' and shortened as '''GVR''') is an American developer and distributor of arcade games based in Milpitas, CA. Founded by Ken Bayer (who currently serves as its longtime president)<ref name="linkedin">{{cite web | url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbayer | title=Ken Bayer - President - Global VR | publisher=LinkedIn | accessdate=December 8, 2023}}</ref> in San Jose, CA on May 1, 1998,<ref name="casos" /> it originally focused on creating virtual reality-based experiences (hence the name), most notably the ''VR Vortek'' family of multi-game machines (most of the games were based upon existing PC games). On January 9, 2001, GVR was bought by fellow arcade developer GameCom, Inc.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/gamecom-to-acquire-global-vr | title=Gamecom To Acquire Global VR | publisher=Game Developer | date=January 9, 2001 | accessdate=December 28, 2023 | author=Dunne, Alex}}</ref> Additionally, on January 31 of the same year, it bought older arcade developer Interactive Light (known for ''Kick-It'', ''Swing-It'', ''Home Run Derby'', and ''Slide-It'').<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.globalvr.com/news/c_news_jan30-2001a.html | title=GLOBAL VR signs four game agreement with Activision | publisher=Global VR | date=January 30, 2001 | accessdate=December 28, 2023 | author=Harris, Wes}}</ref> By the mid-2000s, GVR had shifted most of its focus towards traditional arcade cabinets, where it became well-known for games based on licensed properties, including those of [[Electronic Arts]] (''Need for Speed (GT)'' (2002/2003/2004), ''Need for Speed Underground'' (2003/2005), ''EA SPORTS Madden Football'' (2005), ''Need for Speed Carbon'' (2006/2008), ''[[EA Sports|EA SPORTS]] PGA TOUR Golf Team Challenge'' (2005/2006), ''EA SPORTS NASCAR Racing'' (2007), et. al.), 20th Century Fox (now [[20th Century Studios]]) (''Aliens: Extermination''; co-developed with [[Raw Thrills]]' [[Play Mechanix]]) (2006), and [[Ubisoft Entertainment|Ubisoft]] (''Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII'') (2008/2011).
==={{Ordinal|1}} Logo (1998-20012002)===
<center><gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
GLOBAL VR original logo (1998-2001).jpg|As seen on the website's former landing page
'''Variant:'''
*On [[Activision Publishing|Activision]]'s ''Heavy Gear II''{{efn|''Heavy Gear II'' is referred to in the cinematic as ''Heavy Gear Extreme''.}} (1999/2000) for the VR Vortek II, the logo is rendered in 3D, and appears at an extreme closeup with a small "spotlight" on the top left of the circle's inside. As it gradually zooms out upwards, the "spotlight" shifts away towards the right in a circular motion. At the same time, the shining light on the logo shifts towards the right. Just as the logo settles into place, a large "P R E S E N T S" in gray slams right below it, causing the logo to be fully visible, and gaining a top-right shine from inside on the circle, as well as the "P R E S E N T S" wordmark shining from left to right.
**At the end of the game's cinematic, the logo's same opening shining animation from before plays, before rapidly shrinking away into the top of the "A" in "GEAR" and the credits appearing.
'''Availability:''' Seen on GVR's earliest arcade machines and games, including the original ''VR Vortek'' and its successor ''VR Vortek II'' (both of which are incredibly rare to find). It has also been used on ''Heavy Gear II'' for the latter.
==={{Ordinal|2}} Logo (Early 2001-)===
<tabber>
2002-2003=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
GLOBAL VR logo (on-screenPGA TOUR Golf; 2002).pngjpeg|Normal''PGA on-screenTOUR logoGolf''<br>(2002)
GLOBAL VR (PGA TOUR Golf rev. 1.2; 2003).jpeg|''PGA TOUR Golf'' (rev. 1.2)<br>(2002/2003)<br>(w/ EA byline)
GLOBAL VR logo (NFS Underground; 2005).png|EA byline variant (used on ''Need for Speed Underground'' [2003/2005]) ▼
GLOBAL VR (Operation Blockade) (2002_2003; Before).jpeg|''Operation Blockade'' (''VR Vortek V3'') (2002/2003)<br>(before)
GLOBAL VR logo (NFS GT variant; 2003).png|Used on ''Need for Speed'' (''GT'') (2002/2003), ''EA SPORTS PGA TOUR GOLF Championship Edition III'' (2004), and ''EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Golf Challenge Edition'' (2005)
GLOBAL VR (Operation Blockade) (2002_2003; After).jpeg|''Operation Blockade'' (''VR Vortek V3'') (2002/2003)<br>(after)
GLOBAL VR logo (PGAGTC; 2006).png|Used on ''EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Golf Team Challenge'' (2006) and ''EA SPORTS NASCAR Racing'' (2007) ▼
GLOBAL VR (Beach Head 2000; 2000_2003).jpeg|''Beach Head 2000'' (''VR Vortek V3'')<br>(2000/2003)
GLOBAL VR Windows XP boot screen (2002).png|Bootscreen variant ("global VR xp.bmp";<sup>[sic]</sup> also stored within NTOSBOOT.EXE) ▼
GLOBAL VR (Beach Head 2002; 2002_2003).jpeg|''Beach Head 2002'' (''VR Vortek V3'')<br>(2002/2003)
GLOBAL VR logo (Setup variant).png|Still version, used as a splash screen for game installers (setup.bmp) ▼
GLOBAL VR (Incoming; 1999_2003).jpeg|''Incoming'' (''VR Vortek V3'')<br>(1999/2003)
GLOBAL VR desktop background (2000s).jpg|Semi-transparent variant, used as a wallpaper on the Windows XP Embedded desktop (Gvr_Desktop.jpg) ▼
</gallery>
GLOBAL VR Play to Win bootscreen (2006).png|"Play to Win" bootscreen (boot.bmp) ▼
|-|
2003-2005=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
GLOBAL VR (PGA TOUR Golf Championship Edition; 2003).jpeg|''PGA TOUR Golf Championship Edition'' (2003)<br>(w/ EA byline)
GLOBAL VR (Beach Head 2003_ Desert War; 2003).jpeg|''Beach Head 2003: Desert War'' (''VR Vortek V3'')<br>(2003)
GLOBAL VR logo (NFS GT variant; 2003).png|''Need for Speed GT'' (2002/2003/2004)<br>(w/ EA byline)
GLOBAL VR (PGA TOUR Golf Championship Edition III; 2004).jpeg|''PGA TOUR Golf Championship Edition III'' (2004)<br>(w/ EA byline)
GLOBAL VR (PGA TOUR Golf Challenge Edition; 2005).jpeg|''PGA TOUR Golf Challenge Edition'' (2005)<br>(w/ EA byline)
</gallery>
|-|
2004-2005=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
GLOBAL VR (PGA Tour Golf Championship Edition III; 2004).png|''PGA TOUR Golf Championship Edition III'' tournament operator video (May 5, 2004)<br>(w/ EA byline)
GLOBAL VR (Invasion Earth; 2004).png|''Invasion Earth'' (''VR Vortek V3'')<br>(2004)
▲GLOBAL VR logo (NFS Underground; 2005).png| EA byline variant (used on ''Need for Speed Underground'' [(2003/2005 ])<br>(w/ EA byline)
</gallery>
|-|
2006-2007=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
▲GLOBAL VR logo (PGAGTC; 2006).png| Used on '' EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Golf Team Challenge'' (2006) <br>(w/ and ''EA SPORTS NASCAR Racing'' (2007byline)
GLOBAL VR (America's Army; 2007).png|''America's Army''<br>(2007)
GLOBAL VR (EA SPORTS NASCAR Racing; 2007).png|''NASCAR Racing'' (2007)<br>(w/ EA byline)
</gallery>
|-|
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
GLOBAL VR logo (Beach Head 2000 variant; 2002).png|''Beach Head 2000'' (2000/2002) variant
GLOBAL VR logo (Aliens_Beach ExterminationHead variant2002; 20062002).pngjpeg|''Aliens:Beach ExterminationHead 2002'' (20062002) variant''
GLOBAL VR logo (Aliens_ Extermination variant; 2006).png|''Aliens: Extermination'' (2006) variant
</gallery>
|-|
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
▲GLOBAL VR Windows XP boot screen (2002).png|Bootscreen variant ("global VR xp.bmp";<sup>[sic]</sup> also stored within NTOSBOOT.EXE)
▲GLOBAL VR logo (Setup variant).png|Still version, used as a splash screen for game installers (setup.bmp)
▲GLOBAL VR desktop background (2000s).jpg|Semi-transparent variant, used as a wallpaper on the Windows XP Embedded desktop (Gvr_Desktop.jpg)
▲GLOBAL VR Play to Win bootscreen (2006).png|"Play to Win" bootscreen (boot.bmp)
</gallery>
|-|
Videos=
{{YouTube|id=o9lpZGhw1Gc|id2=7oLgieXrPIs|id3=r-IxzBjVc1U|id4=HwJVhisb60I|id5=huCfdG5ZgJI|id6=1rs9yixLebY|id7=qDQGsRiJ4J8|id8=_PytMTkdgbI|id9=QVYB5EWV32A|id10=OdNK4iat81k|id11=Ztoz672Pt9U|id12=DyeB7_FXdDc|id13=l5FX55Jk684|id14=TC2Lo_YJhkY}}
{{YouTube|id=XOhdIiGnimY|id2=tRdf3WQXht8|id3=_PytMTkdgbI|id4=QVYB5EWV32A|id5=7oLgieXrPIs}}
</tabber>
'''Visuals:''' Same concept as before, but the circle's outline is now blue and has an inner thick white outline. The "tailfins" from before have also been thickened and shortened, and the rest of the circle is colored blue from the inside. The wordmark was also updated, now rendered in all caps, and the words "''GLOBAL VR''" are now italicized and in white, and broken into 2 center-aligned lines, complete with a blue outline around them. This logo has seen different animations over the years. Here are some:
*<u>200?2002-200?2003</u>: OnOver a whiteblack background, the GVRGlobal VR logo, rendered in 3D, zooms out fromsideways, facing towards the "V". andIt shiftsthen tilts itself slightlyupwards up,and zooms out towards the center. The end product castinghas a dropshine shadowon inthe right half of the process"L" in "''GLOBAL''".
*<u>200?2003-200?2005</u>: OverOn an animated grayscalea cloudwhite background, the aforementionedGVR Globallogo VR(now logoflat) zooms out from the center"V" ofas theit circle,shifts leavingitself trailingslightly lights in the process. At the same timedown, thecreating clouda backgroundmotion fromblur insideeffect. fadesAs intoit theshifts blueitself color.slightly Onceupwards the logoand settles in place, a bluedrop aurorashadow lightis flashes behind it. The logo then shines with the light traveling from right to left as the aurora dies downcast.
*<u>200?2004-200?2005</u>: OnOver aan blackanimated background,grayscale acloud largebackground, brightthe whiteaforementioned flashGVR rapidlylogo zooms out from the center of the circle, whichleaving thentrailing morphslights intoin the GVRprocess logoand revealing a black background. ItAt thenthe zoomssame intime, atthe acloud slightlybackground fastfrom inside fades into the blue pacecolor. Once the logo appearssettles largein enoughplace, a different blue aurora light glowsflashes outbehind ofit. theThe logo. Asthen itshines dies down,with the logolight shinestraveling infrom aright clockwiseto fashionleft andas graduallythe zoomsaurora indies continuouslydown.
*<u>2006-2007</u>: On a black background, a large, bright white flash rapidly zooms out, which then morphs into the GVR logo. It then zooms in at a slightly fast pace. Once the logo appears large enough, a blue aurora light glows out of the logo. As it dies down, the logo shines in a clockwise fashion and gradually zooms in continuously.
'''Variants:'''
*On <u>games based on EA properties</u>, the byline "GLOBAL VR is an authorized Electronic Arts distributor." fades in below or on the right as the logo settles in place.
*On some older games, the still flat logo (albeit smaller, and with a curved line stemming from the bottom-middle-left, and going around the progress bar) is used as a <u>full-fledged bootscreen</u> (dated July 17, 2002),{{efn|The raw bootscreen is titled "global VR xp.bmp"<sup>[sic]</sup>, which is stored at the drive root (dated July 17, 2002), while the rendered one replaces the default Windows XP bootscreen, as stored in NTOSBOOT.EXE (which is a modified version of ntoskrnl.exe; dated July 26, 2002).}} complete with the fade-in animation and progress bar from the Windows XP bootscreen that it replaces. Oddly enough, it uses the green progress bar, implying that it runs off the Home Edition, as opposed to Professional or Embedded.
**On newerlater XPe-based games, it is <u>completely still</u>, due to using boot.bmp to render the screen as opposed to fully replacing the default bootscreen within the kernel.
**On some newer games (including some revisions of ''Aliens: Extermination'' [2006] and ''EA SPORTS NASCAR Racing'' [2007]), the GVR logo is replaced by the Play to Win logo (referring to GVR's Tournament Play program; dated May 24, 2006), with "NOW LOADING_ _ _ _" on the bottom.
*A still version exists, where the logo is completely flat. This is used <u>setup splash screen</u> (setup.bmp; dated August 22, 2002) for the installation of the GVR games.
*A variant exists where the still logo is rendered in 3D and is semi-transparent on a black background. This is used <u>as a wallpaper</u> (Gvr_Desktop.jpg; dated July 8, 2004) on the [[Microsoft Windows (post-merge)#Windows Whistler/Windows XP/Windows Server 2003|Windows XP]] Embedded desktop after restoration, and on some games (other games, such as the aforementioned ''NFSU'' and ''PGATGTC'' have their own temporary "loading" wallpaper).
*On <u>''Beach Head 2000''</u> (2000/2002), theA logo,semi-transparent renderedring inof 3D,fire zooms outappears fromas the "V"GVR facinglogo upwards. It then rotates towardsin the right,1st facing the screen. As itversion zooms out into place, a semi-transparent ring of fire appears. The wordmark then fades out, along with the "tailfins", leaving behind a metallic circle.
*On the <u>arcade version of ''Need for Speed Carbon'' (2006/2008)</u>, the logo is still andlogo appears(using inan a glossyalternate 3D effectversion) (possiblygradually to fitzooms in with the game's atmosphere). A few seconds later, the EA byline from before fades in in small print on the bottom right of the logo, which is also zooming in with the logo.
*On <u>''Aliens: Extermination'' (2006)</u>, the still logo from the wallpaper variant is placed over a space background with green aliens on the bottom of the screen, coupled with the URL.
*<u>First version</u>: Seen on ''Need for Speed'' (''GT'') (2002/2003), ''EA SPORTS PGA TOUR GOLF Championship Edition III'' (2004), and ''EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Golf Challenge Edition'' (2005).
*<u>Second version</u>: Seen on the demo cinematic for ''Invasion Earth'' (2004) for the ''VR VORTEK V3'' (2003), when highlighted on the menu, and on the arcade version of ''Need for Speed Underground'' (2003/2005).
*<u>Third version</u>: Can be seen on ''EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Golf Team Challenge'' (2006), ''America's Army'' (2007), ''Global Arcade Classics'' (2007) and ''EA SPORTS NASCAR Racing'' (2007).
'''Legacy:''' This logo is memorable for those who grew up playing GVR's games in arcades.
[[Category:Video game logos]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:English-language logos]]
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