The Future Of Gaming Sure Looks Silly

31 responses to “The Future Of Gaming Sure Looks Silly”

1. 

   toasty_fresh

   April 28, 2013 at 11:22 am

   Didn’t realise I gave a damn about how I look when I’m playing games. Thanks, Patricia!

   Reply
2. 

   chrobaciky

   April 28, 2013 at 11:24 am

   Who needs it. I’m happy with my tv.

   Reply
3. 

   weresmurf

   April 28, 2013 at 11:25 am

   It wasn’t the future of gaming in 1992 and it’s sure not the future of gaming now. It’s a nice little device that’s just a gimmick like it was twenty years ago.

   Reply
   1. 

      lumen_melano

      April 28, 2013 at 11:28 am

      Oh really? You tried it and it was no good?

      Reply
      1. 

         weresmurf

         April 28, 2013 at 11:41 am

         I tried the old VR headsets extensively back in the 1990s and I’ve seen exactly how these work. It’s not to say they ‘suck’ or anything like that, they’ll have a niche but they won’t overtake gaming because they’re too cumbersome. As a peripheral they don’t allow a social experience, which is where gaming lays these days.

         So yeah, I did try these back in the 1990s 😛

         Reply
         1. 

            lumen_melano

            April 28, 2013 at 11:46 am

            So you don’t really know then right? I can’t wait to try it out at PAX. I look forward to new things.

            Reply
            1. 

               weresmurf

               April 28, 2013 at 11:57 am

               Of course I look forward to new things, new things that push the industry forward. This looks nice but at the same time I just haven’t seen anything about it that screams revolutionary yet. Sorry but we’ve seen lots of gimmicks come and go over the last few years and we’ve not seen anything yet about the rift that says anything about it otherwise. God forbid someone has a differing opinion to you guys… love how you’ve all just jumped on me screaming ‘NO YOURE WRONG!’ because I’m not impressed by it 🙂

            2. 

               lumen_melano

               April 28, 2013 at 12:06 pm

               You are wrong, because you are making an assumption. You are not stating fact, you are claiming ignorance and proudly. I am not saying it is great because I don’t know, but it seems pretty awesome and if it turns out to be awesome when I try it out I will definitely get one.

            3. 

               weresmurf

               April 28, 2013 at 12:51 pm

               I’m not ‘wrong’. I have an opinion. That’s quite arrogant and very rude of you. It’s not ignorant of me as I have used technology like this before and have seen what is able to be done in the past. I haven’t said ‘I will not use it!’ all I have said is I’m not impressed yet and I won’t buy into the hype machine.

               Learn some manners, that was exceedingly rude. You should know better.

            4. 

               benjamasm

               April 28, 2013 at 3:03 pm

               *** deleted because other people pointed out the same things as me ****

            5. 

               tiberath

               April 29, 2013 at 8:50 am

               Yeah. I base all my opinions of processors in the AMD K6. Because judging tech based on nearly twenty year old technology is pro.

               Btw, y’all ‘feels’ too much…

            6. 

               weresmurf

               April 29, 2013 at 8:55 am

               If by feels you mean I dont act like a troll, hey I’ll take that distinction. Respect goes a long way. See the comments below to destroy your 20 year old argument. Have a great day.

         2. 

            toasty_fresh

            April 28, 2013 at 11:46 am

            Yeah and twenty year old technology sure is comparable to what we can produce today.

            I’m sure it’s advanced to some extent, at least to the extent that it’s worth waiting until you’ve actually tried it before dismissing it as a gimmick.

            Reply
            1. 

               dogman

               April 28, 2013 at 12:24 pm

               Well that’s the thing, it’s advanced from 1992 but it’s just a streamlined version of the old stuff and it’s still hitting the same walls. Like motion control it can’t ‘put you in the game’ because there’s no feedback. Even if you take the Kinect setup that guy had where it tracked his full body there’s still no true interaction. Without that it’s doomed to be a gimmicky monitor substitute.
               I’m not trying to crap all over it or tell anyone not to buy one, if you’re interested I hope you get one and play with it. I’m sure it’ll be a fun toy but when people say it’s the future of gaming they seem to be talking about the idea it inspires, full body immersion, not anything actually related to the tech we’re looking at now. It’s about as close to that as an IMAX screen.

               I usually hunt for the slightest hint of potential in gadgets like this. For instance I’m still looking forward to seeing what Kinect does when people get the chance to really open it up next generation even though all the efforts so far have been pretty lackluster. However I just don’t see any potential for gaming in devices like the Rift. The Mirror’s Edge and Rift+Kinect video were the best things I’ve seen so far and both of them fell short of a controller and a nice screen.

            2. 

               weresmurf

               April 28, 2013 at 12:30 pm

               Could not have put it better. Ta.

            3. 

               toasty_fresh

               April 28, 2013 at 12:40 pm

               Well I don’t think it IS the future of gaming but it just annoys me when people give it the same label as, say, the Kinect. It surely deserves more respect than that.

            4. 

               weresmurf

               April 28, 2013 at 12:56 pm

               But then you’re doing exactly what you claim I am? I’ve seen an older tech and remain unimpressed by what can come about, you’re damning the Kinect because of its first generation and it could get a whole lot better. *shrug*

               I see potential for something like the Occulus in the future when it’s combined with something like force feedback (dual shock is not force feedback, I mean actual force feedback) and some sort of sensory immersion, as it stands, it’s just a set of goggles that allows 360×360 viewing like the older vr headsets but at a better res and a better rate (and not at 20 freakin kilos on your neck).

               Again, I’m not overly impressed, yet, but if they implement those other things, that’s when I will be. I get others are, but other people I know, like me, who have seen this tech before, are skeptical too about its potential longevity and the likelyhood it’s a gimmick.

               What I don’t think is right is a few posts here, not necessarily by you, that are outright rude because I don’t find myself sharing the same opinion and overwhelmingly impressed. I’ve been polite to all so far, I think that sort of manners and respect should be extended back to me.

            5. 

               toasty_fresh

               April 28, 2013 at 2:23 pm

               It’s because you said it was “just a gimmick”. This is the same thing Kinect was being labeled as, and what I and others still believe Kinect is. I think the two are completely incomparable. I think Kinect is a gimmick not because it is bad tech, but because it has no real implications that can improve the games we’re already playing. All Kinect has proven it can do is add tiny little things like voice activation (which isn’t really that special) and some motion capture games that no serious games enthusiast such as you and I really have any enthusiasm for.

               This thing has already proven (well, it seems to have to me), or at the very least implied, some large amount of improvement or enhancement to games that we already play. What did Kinect do for Skyrim? Added the ability to yell at your screen to do a couple certain things, that most people would probably rather just press the usual button. What does the Oculus do? It puts your eyes in a virtual space and gives you the illusion that you’re there. That’s the big difference to me.

               When I say something is a gimmick, I view it as something worth my attention for a little while, which really just gets old pretty quickly. The Oculus isn’t going to revolutionise games and I hope it doesn’t, because I don’t like the idea of being completely shut off from the outside world and more social gaming, as you mentioned. But I think it has a lot to offer, whereas an actual “gimmick” like the Kinect is a neat little thing that is kind of cool to mess around with but really won’t have any effect on playing games as a whole.

            6. 

               weresmurf

               April 28, 2013 at 2:59 pm

               All Kinect has proven it can do is add tiny little things like voice activation

               Well that’s not quite true. Hospitals have utilised the Kinect hardware in ways that surgeons have benefitted from, people have taken the kinect hardware and utilised it in some amazing ways. I think the fact is, that immersive gaming has far more to benefit from with something like the Kinect as it advances and becomes far more sensitive.

               Projects like Leap Motion originated from the idea of the Kinect,

               https://www.leapmotion.com/

               no doubt the next version of it will be better as well. The fact is, it was the first version of it MS put out and I give them credit for having balls enough to do something different rather than put out a Wii Clone (PS move anyone?)

               As far as improving the games, I don’t think replacing the handheld controller is the way to go, but I do think integration with motion controls can be done.

            7. 

               inquisitorsz

               April 29, 2013 at 10:03 am

               Wow, so many haters….
               I wish people would stop shooting things like this down before trying it.
               It’s that sort of mentality that keeps new technology down.
               I challenge every hater out there to actually give it a shot and then make an informed opinion.
               The rift level of immersion so 100x (if not more) than that of older VR equipment.
               I’ve not read a single review so far of people not liking it.
               One would think that the huge level of industry backing it’s getting would be enough to pique your curiosity.

               At the very least I’ll address some of your specific points.
               the low rez will be improved in the consumer version, but even the people using the dev kits say it’s not a deal breaker. It has 110 FOV compared to about 30-60 for older VR headsets, which means you get almost full peripheral vision.
               It weighs something like 200g which is slightly more than ski goggles.

               It’s all well and good to have an opinion, we all have them, but I don’t see the point in bashing something without being informed about it.
               It’s like complaining about a car you’ve only seen in photos, never sat it, never driven and don’t know the specs or price of.
               People aren’t annoyed because you don’t like it, you are allowed to not like something. They are annoyed because you’re putting it down, claiming it’s old tech, without any proof or facts.
               Read this:
               http://www.penny-arcade.com/report/article/we-spend-the-weekend-with-the-oculus-dev-kit-and-answer-your-questions
               I think it’s a very good down to earth review of the Rift.

            8. 

               weresmurf

               April 29, 2013 at 10:50 am

               I think it’s good that unlike the others, you went out of your way to have a decent conversation. You addressed the issues of the technology itself. It is a given the resolution itself is enhanced, the weight is reduced etc.

               Nowhere have I actually ‘hated’ on the product, that would be me saying I wish it would fail, that its ‘crap’, that I think it’s a piece of garbage. I have never said that. All I have said is I’m not overhyped by it, that I’ve seen this kind of thing before (I have) and it was a gimmick then and how it’s performing now as an individual item it’s still being used and marketed as one now (which hopefully will change with further games actually made FOR the rift rather than games retro-fitted for the rift). Too many people here are getting up in arms over the idea of someone having an alternate opinion to theirs, I say this:

               Chill out. Get used to it and stop being such a big bunch of keyboard warriors, you’re not always going to be agreed with. I’m not ‘hating’ on the product, I’m just not buying into the hype. Of course I’ll try it when it comes out, I may even love it. Who knows. Just for now, I’d rather be skeptical than blindly fantastical about something. Skepticism allows someone to approach from a sensible angle rather than a blind, uninformed angle when considering a monetary purchase.

               So seriously guys, chill out. A lot.

            9. 

               dogman

               April 28, 2013 at 1:07 pm

               Heh. That’s the odd thing to me. The Kinect has so much more potential to work parallel with traditional control systems. The Kinect actually has the potential to bring something to the table, even if so far it’s been wasted on gimmicky garbage. They’re flailing about trying to make it the next Wiimote, so for all intents and purposes the device sucks, but the potential is there if someone wants to get creative.
               The Rift? It puts your face to the screen and tilts it with your head. Like I said I can see why it’s fun once in a while, more fun than anything that’s been on the Kinect so far, but it reaches a dead end quickly. The motion control could go further but essentially the Rift+Kinect guy’s video really seems to be the end of the line until you completely rebuild the tech from the ground up.

            10. 

                xxryan

                April 28, 2013 at 1:59 pm

                Hmm, some interesting debate here.. So, I’m mega excited about this tech, and I do believe that it’s going to be HUGE.
                I also used the VR tech when it was first released and I loved it, mind you I was 15 at the time, so was easily impressed. Looking back, yeah it was pretty crap.

                You talk about true force feedback, and then state that we don’t have such technology yet….. How about a copy of Gran Turismo, a racing chair and a steering wheel. That would be the most immersive experience possible ( thus far ) and would provide the force feedback you say is non existent.

                I also don’t think complete immersion is totally neccesary. But to be “in” then game world as opposed to viewing it through a monitor would be amazing. I think pairing the rift, with the 360 controller and a good surround sound system would be a great start. Imagine playing Amnesia, Skyrim, or bioshock on this baby.

                There will be a huge amount of peripheral manufactures working on the best ways to provide force feedback. Just because something doesn’t exist today, doesn’t mean it won’t exist in a year or two.

                I’ve been waiting (im)patiently for the last 20 years for someone to release this tech, and I can’t wait to see how it goes.

                I think it will be massive, and will change the game industry like nothing else has. But it won’t be for everyone, and the great thing is, if you don’t like it, you don’t HAVE to buy it.

            11. 

                dogman

                April 28, 2013 at 2:58 pm

                Interesting. I hadn’t given it much thought since there’s so much focus on the obvious FPS genre but you’re right about racing sims/flight sims. Games where your character doesn’t move could work out. With a simulation panel setup to be in-sync it could be really cool.

                I also don’t think complete immersion is totally neccesary. But to be “in” then game world as opposed to viewing it through a monitor would be amazing. I think pairing the rift, with the 360 controller and a good surround sound system would be a great start. Imagine playing Amnesia, Skyrim, or bioshock on this baby.

                I don’t think complete immersion is required either (since most of it comes from storytelling anyway). I don’t need to be able to smell or taste, I don’t need super realistic graphics, I don’t need wind blowing in my face, but without touch and free movement you’re not really ‘in’ anything. You can play with a controller but that reduces it to more of a big screen experience. Again, I’m not saying that wouldn’t be fun to play with from time to time, but that seems to be the point where the tech hits a wall.

                I dunno, the Rift reminds me of those old predictions of future technology from like the 50’s. It’s cool but the tech itself is never going to live up to the ideas it inspires. It makes you picture running around Rapture like playing paintball, but the reality is more like the same experience we have now but from a different camera angle.
                Again, I can’t stress enough how that’s perfectly fine if you’re into it. I really don’t want to come off as being against people who brought it. I just don’t see it playing any significant role in the future of gaming or VR. True VR may end up having a headset, but however they pull it off the headset is going to be an almost insignificant part of a much bigger design. It’ll be like the windscreen. Vital to the machine but nowhere near the level of the engine, steering systems, etc that actually make up the car.

            12. 

                xxryan

                April 28, 2013 at 5:30 pm

                I think trying to shoe horn the current gaming structures into a VR type system will be a short term thing. It will be pretty lucrative for game manufacturers to patch their existing games to work with the Rift.

                Long term, when games are made soley with the Rift in mind, that’s when the real innovation and immersion will come out.

                I seriously can’t wait for it to come out, and hope that it lives up to expectations. We are finally at a point where the technology is available and cheap enough to be feasible on a mass market level.

                We realy do live in an amazing era, this is the sort of stuff that I was dreaming about 20 years ago.

            13. 

                inquisitorsz

                April 29, 2013 at 10:15 am

                I don’t think we are far away from strapping 2 cameras to the front of the rift, running everything from a laptop or smartphone in a backpack and taking a real walk in the real world.
                Yes that’s technically AR not VR but still. The possibilities with this tech are huge. Yes it still needs some polishing but the technology is there. It simply wasn’t there 20 years ago. Whether or not they can pull it off and for an affordable price remains to be see but so far things are looking good.

                I think comments like:
                It’s cool but the tech itself is never going to live up to the ideas it inspires. It makes you picture running around Rapture like playing paintball, but the reality is more like the same experience we have now but from a different camera angle.
                show that you should probably try it first. Immersion is something that’s really hard to explain without experiencing it. Our brains have an amazing capacity to “fill in the blanks” when we are missing one or two senses. Audio and Visual stimuli play a massive role in our perception even if you’re not physically moving.
                I think people have to realise that this is a first step in a new generation of technology. Of course there will be speed bumps and bugs, of course there will be something better later on, but for now, the future looks exciting.
                You mention the widescreen thing… yes the widescreen doesn’t make it feel like you’re in a car… but would you go back to watching something on a non widescreen tv? A step forward is a step forward.

4. 

   mikezombie777

   April 28, 2013 at 1:06 pm

   Until we have full blown VR gaming, with sensors and the hardware to produce the kind of games we have now, I can’t see it going anywhere. I also tried VR games about 10 years ago, with the headset, sensors etc and the game was terrible. There was next to no animation and the controls were so unresponsive it was atrocious. It’s going to take awhile before they can fine tune it to an extent that’s actually fun.

   Reply
5. 

   sprite

   April 28, 2013 at 2:48 pm

   I don’t mind if most of you are skeptical about it, but I myself enjoy games like Arma and would definitely enjoy the extra immersion. Bring it on I say 🙂

   Reply
6. 

   fletcher

   April 28, 2013 at 3:25 pm

   Love to give it a try, don’t think I’d buy one. A space-dogfighting game like they’re supposedly playing in the video would be cool with a VR headset though

   Reply
7. 

   xxryan

   April 28, 2013 at 5:31 pm

   OMG.. space games!!

   Imagine ( a modern ) Wing commander Privateer on the Rift!!!

   Reply
   1. 

      Monte

      April 28, 2013 at 7:57 pm

      It’s called Star Citizen!

      Reply
8. 

   hydroleks

   April 29, 2013 at 8:18 am

   Awesome. More to look forward too, will definitely be fun lol.

   Reply