Ever since going hands on with an early Oculus Rift headset, I’ve been incredibly hyped about virtual reality and how it could augment my future gaming experiences. Is this something you guys and girls are also excited about?
Because to begin with I sensed a real momentum surrounding virtual reality, but now I’m also starting to get a feel for those who are a little cynical about the endeavour. I don’t think that’s necessarily a problem — the cynicism is justified. Virtual Reality has more than a few hurdles to leap before it even has the chance of becoming a mainstream thing.
I just thought I’d ask directly: are you excited about Virtual Reality?
Comments
45 responses to “The Big Question: Are You Excited About Virtual Reality?”
noooooope.
Like the Wii controller, Kinect, 3DTV and Leap Motion, there will be some fad-ishness about VR, it will sell like hotcakes for a while. After some time, people will realise that its a little tiring and awkward (if not sickness-inducing). Not only that, they will find that they acclimatise – the more they use the VR, the less forthcoming will be the oooohs and aaaahs of delight (this aclimatisation is a psychological fact of life). People will slowly (sometimes quickly) but often quietly find that they are spending more and more time with the VR headset off, and it will spend more and more time on the side of the desk, Every now and then a cool new VR application or demo will come out, and you’ll stick the VR headset on again, say “cool!” to yourself as you explore the application/demo for 30 mins. Then you will go back to playing the fun, addictive, well-crafted games you have always played, using a traditional controller or keyboard/mouse, because ultimately, persistent gaming is about the gameplay, not what it looks like – its why many people turn the graphical settings down on their favourite FPS after a while, so they can play it better.
I’m still excited, but that doesn’t mean i’m not heavily cynical. Won’t be a pre-orderer on this.
The one tech upgrade that really has stuck in the last decade is HDTV. The reason for this is: 1) HDTVs eventually came down in price, and 2) you use an HDTV pretty much exactly the same way you use a normal TV, so even once you acclimatise to high definition and are no longer super amazed by seeing it, that doesn’t mean you need to then switch back to your old TV, like you will with a VRheadset making your forehead feel hot and sweaty.
Rather.
Indeed.
I’m worried I’m going to throw up………if I can use it without throwing up or feeling sick then I’m leaving reality behind……..anyone know how to get a feeding tube put in?? Possibly some sort of pee bag will be needed too……
I did a presentation in 1992 in Year 12 on how Virtual Reality was going to be the next big thing. I would never have thought it still wouldn’t be available everywhere after 22 years.
I was excited in the early 1990’s when it was first touted as a game changer (remember VRML?)
Now? Not so much.
Absolutely. After trying the rift at PAX I have been waiting for the consumer release.
Can’t wait until I can play starlancer or similar with that level of immersion.
Still not 100% sold on the treadmill, kinect combo kinda things. Looks really cool but I’m not sure, would have to see how it worked and felt. Although trying it out might mean I need to get the full kit.
Nope. The idea of a completely immersive gaming experience of the future with hi fidelity headsets that can give me realistic visuals and sound sounds great, but I feel like this will never be more than a gimmick with limited practical application even to massive fans of games and for the most part I don’t think people can really be bothered with it. It sounds exciting now, but many things do on paper, then we lose interest. Even if it took off commercially it would likely be an indulgence most people won’t be bothered to really make use of on a regular basis. Like the Wii U.
I am. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the Rift fares when it comes out. I’ve got the dev kit and (aside from the crippling headaches) I’m in awe of the sense of scale it delivers – something you just can’t get from a screen.
I’m more excited about Augmented Reality to be honest. Using the same technology but with a more “real” feel to it because it’s merging real objects with virtual ones. Of course, once they start improving the ability to have tactile feedback in VR I’ll be changing my opinion. In terms of other fields such as medical science though, VR has some very interesting potential applications.
It’s interesting tech but I haven’t tried anything like the Rift so can’t speak with experience as to how well it works.
But the idea of strapping myself into various contraptions doesn’t appeal to me, I’d prefer something like the holodeck.
I’m excited by what virtual reality might offer in the far future but I’m not particularly hyped by what’s immediately available or will be available in the short term. I tried the Oculus Rift at PAX Aus last year and while it was a fun device with some interesting ideas it still has a very long way to go before it becomes anything more than a neat gimmick.
hell yes!
for simulations (of which i play a fair few) i cannot wait…
Racing games, flight simulators and Star Citizen?
GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME!!!!
can’t really see a practical application for anything else unless you have excess spare space at home…
Omni directional treadmill is cool and all, but i would rather just have my mouse and keyboard to be honest…
but then again that might just be me… who knows, a jog through Skyrim would beat the hell out of a normal treadmill i guess 😛
STAR CITIZEN.
I think i’m close to going all @hugo_the_hungarian_barbarian on that game 😛
@cakesmith and I already did, and we nearly infected @sernobulus, I think.
Haven’t preordered yet. =P
…”yet”
Not even a little bit. I haven’t actually tried the Rift, so it may be better than I think, but while ever someone else is deciding my focal point for me then 3D isn’t going to work for me.
Couple that with the total shut-out of the rest of the world and I’m just not interested. As a kid, that probably would have been fine, as an adult member of a household I need to be at least a little aware of my environment, even while engrossed in a game.
Focal points are only a thing for 3D movies, in the Rift it’s entirely up to what you and your eyes do.
Good to know, thanks! That’s been one of my biggest issues with 3D. From what I’ve read it’s probably the reason I get headaches from 3D movies.
Look, I gotta be honest, if I do get some kind of VR set, I suspect I would use it mainly for porn.
I think that goes without saying………….infact I’m reckoning its the porn industry that will start shifting these things into regular peoples homes.
Yes Absolutely! The time is now for Virtual Reality, and it’s the next logical step in making digital entertainment more immersive. I mean seriously, we’ve been staring at ‘flat’ television screens since, what, the 1930’s??!! Time for something new!
Absolutely, positively stoked about upcoming virtual reality devices. I’ve been very close to ordering the Occulus Rift even in its present form.
Sure I am.
The thing is, I’m still waiting for anything close to my idea of VR to come along. I see it as something I can experience in a similar way to how I experience reality. The Oculus Rift is a good step foward, but it’s like claiming the Wright brothers first flight was the start of galactic colonization. No where near what I want it to be yet.
Yes. Yes I am.
Yes, but only for driving, flying and space-simulator games, most other genres play like crap in VR and you get a disconnect. I’m excited for art installations and helping people with disabilities experience otherwise inaccessible experiences though.
Hopefully someone might come up with a new genre as well.
I want to be, but I’m not yet. For me, I’m lumping it in with 3DTV, which feels like a passing trend or a gimmick. I know plenty of people with 3DTV setups and they’ve rarely used it beyond watching a movie or two for ‘WOW SO FUTURE’ value, and never using it again.
That being said, I haven’t actually used a Rift yet. Every chance my hype levels would be totally reversed if I did! I certainly hope it works and becomes a real, mainstay thing. Just not sure if it actually will.
Tentatively. If they can make a version of the Rift with all the functionality of TrackIR (which it may well have already, I don’t know enough about it to be certain but its my minimum standard) and have a resolution of 2560×1440 for <$4-500, then I’d be pretty much certain to buy it for Arma3 alone.
I suspect it will live or die based on the commercial availability and software support within the next 12 months. We’ve been hearing about it a lot, seeing a lot of “ooooh wooooooow” youtube videos, its time it comes out before people start thinking of it as yesterdays jam.
I am, but not for gaming … I want to go to a virtual cinema with my friends in other parts of the world and watch a movie and we can all talk over voice chat and see other people’s avatars all the while I’m lying in my bed in my underwear
Did you see the post about the “trailer” for Game of thrones they did on the Rift.
Basically they strap you into the rift and put you in an elevator and you take the cage up to the top of the wall. Things like that would be really cool
Can’t say I have, although the VR/ARG possibilities would be pretty awesome. Just imagine you’re lead into a room for a demo of something, you put on the rift and it boots into a 1:1 scale of the room your in and you walk through an ingame door and BAM it’s a demo for some crazy spell slinging first person game with giant metal dragons
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/01/the-oculus-rift-put-me-in-game-of-thrones-and-it-made-my-stomach-drop/
I would be very interested in checking that out
OOoh shiny, that does look awesome and crazy immersive provided they mapped out the bumping and jostling to the video otherwise it’d be off putting if your bumping one way while the video goes the other.
Alternatively if they used the 1080p rift they could’ve just had a static video and the rift would take care of it with the z axis tracking now
WANT!
I got to spend a little time with it at PAX and fell in love immediately. Not sure about it for extended periods, not sure about it for all games.. but MAN I want it where its suitable. Certain genres will really benefit from this so yeah im hyped.
Bet your ass I am. Get me that final consumer rift and put me in my cockpit in Star Citizen already.
Nope. I enjoy my experiences as they are. The strain on your eyes would be too much.
The Oculus Rift was pretty great at first, but after using it often the novelty of it quickly wore off, and eventaully I preferred not to use it at all. I don’t think it will be the next big leap in mainstream video game technology.
I’m way into this. If this was an apple pie and my one-eye-monster was my interest, it’ll be balls deep into it.
Not at all, i personally think it will be a phase.
HENTAI.
To summarise: I’m sceptical. The idea of VR has always been limited to the Movies, and to be truly honest. I feel it likely stay that way.