What ever happened to virtual reality?

[rickbishop]

Originally Posted by Whisper

Virtual Reality ran into Reality, thats the problem

The reality that VR sucks
The reality that VR requires far more processing power than we even have now to be even come close to being compelling
The reality that VR still looks like a glorified pong despite all other things considered
The reality that VR interfaces suck with nothing on the near horizon to alleviate the problems involved
The reality that VR is costs a fortune!

Damn tootin.

The problem is this. Even if they've got the graphics rendering techonlogy down, and if they've got the graphics delivery system down, and IF they've got the motion tracking down, it still won't be good enough for one simple reason.

Touch.

Humans are naturally very tactile, and until they either come up with some kind of funky body suit that can simulate every single scenario and stimulate every single nerve, or they come up with a brain-interface (eg: the matrix) it'll always be crap. I want to be able to run and feel the wind in my hair, and my leg jarring against the concrete. I want to feel the kickback from firing that .44 magnum. I want to feel that womans lips around the base of my......

[iNeLuKi]

Originally Posted by dexx

10 years ago VR was a buzz word thanks to movies like 'The Lawnmower Man'. At the time VR headsets were expensive and cumbersome. The computers driving them were'nt powerful enough. LCD tech has progressed majorly since then and home computer power is huge. But there seems to be little interest in VR.

I would love to play something like World of Warcraft on a VR headset. Something little bigger than a pair of sunnies; with 1280x1024 resultion in each 2cm x 2cm eye panel. I'm sure a decent system for head motion recognition and other interaction details exists somewhere. Even $900 wouldnt be too much to ask if the headset delivers.

You're looking at around $20k for a 1280x1024 HDU with motion sensors (yes they are around and have been for a while now). I saw a doom3 VR package with an 800x600 HDU, motion sensor, impact vest and control device for about $1400 US. In six to twelve months time you should be able to get a 1280x720 HDU for a similar price.

A lot of the comments seem to be made by people who have never experienced VR. It may seem like a very small thing but when you turn your head instead of moving the mouse to see whats around you the level of immersion increases drastically, even with an 800x600 display.

[lagmaster]

I tend to reside in real reality rather than a headset.

[dexx]

Originally Posted by iNeLuKi

You're looking at around $20k for a 1280x1024 HDU with motion sensors (yes they are around and have been for a while now). I saw a doom3 VR package with an 800x600 HDU, motion sensor, impact vest and control device for about $1400 US. In six to twelve months time you should be able to get a 1280x720 HDU for a similar price.

Thats just the thing. Its only technology. Moores law has done wonders to the power and cost of computing. Yet VR is dragging its heals. I think todays systems would easily have the processing power to drive a dual 800x600 display even with head motion tracking. If the visor Loche linked could be bought for under $800 and work well (ie good game support) then it would become very popular.

[CaillinS13]

Originally Posted by iNeLuKi

You're looking at around $20k for a 1280x1024 HDU with motion sensors (yes they are around and have been for a while now). I saw a doom3 VR package with an 800x600 HDU, motion sensor, impact vest and control device for about $1400 US. In six to twelve months time you should be able to get a 1280x720 HDU for a similar price.

A lot of the comments seem to be made by people who have never experienced VR. It may seem like a very small thing but when you turn your head instead of moving the mouse to see whats around you the level of immersion increases drastically, even with an 800x600 display.

I'll second that. I used to have one of the original VFX-1 VR headsets. Even though it was very simple (proper VR throug) in that it only tracked head movement, games at the time were just amazing (Quake 1 and original Mechwarrior).

Ever since I've been waiting for the tech to mature, would be awesome.

It really needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

[shredder]

Dan has written a couple of good columns on this subject.

[Invader_Stu]

I agree - years and years ago I was at a video arcade where they had a VR setup, with a helmet and gun. The game was Rise Of The Triad (great game! ) and while the graphics were average, and you had to turn your body around to move, it was so much fun! It really put you into the game (albeit a blocky one).

Vote 1 for VR.

[Rzeractor]

theres always that E-Dimension 3D glasses thingies
kind of neat, cept a bit hard to get used to
FPS play well with em though

[Jay]

VR's still alive and kicking but not so much as the overglorified form of Virual Reality 10 years ago. In industry it's refered to more as Virual Environments, there's a lot of technology still going into it but its very specific areas that VEs target, most specifically training such as mining equipment, rail system workers, etc.

For gaming the technology just isn't viable(read: affordable) still, I suppose people have used those active stereo glasses that come with some video cards, but they're not really useful for such small viewing areas, only good when you're coming into screens that are along the lines of 9m wide sitting 4-5m close.

[yoink]

There is an interesting product here.

French start-up XkPad has come up with a way to move mayhem off the video screen and take it into the living room.

The company's BodyPad--which could end up a big consumer electronics hit this holiday season--is a group of wearable sensors that essentially turn a person's arms and legs into a joystick for PlayStation 2 or Xbox fighting games.

Thrusting your right arm forward at shoulder height prompts your onscreen counterpart to whack his opponent in the head with a fist. Stepping forward and pushing "down" on one of the handheld directional controllers that comes with the package results in a knee kick.

That would be pretty cool, although I'd like it if it were compatible with older style games, such as street fighter ][. *executes an imaginary fireball with hands*
Really though, if those "gloves" work as well as they claim, a game written for them would rock! and more importantly, perhaps it could help our populations obesity problems

BTW, it sells in France for USD $80 or so, so the price range is right - has sold over 50,000 so far, so you would think they could pay some attractive models to show off their goods...

[Skit]

Some other people into the 3d world for you guys to check out.

www.ddd.com

Used to work for them and they were producing some cool 3d stuff.
Not so much VR but 3d on screen. They've developed a player to turn ordinary DVDs into 3d movies, no glasses.

[archie]

speaking of VR.. whatever happened to VRML? all the range back in the mid 90s.

[yoink]

Originally Posted by archie

speaking of VR.. whatever happened to VRML? all the range back in the mid 90s.

It died in the ass. X3D is all the rage now, till it dies in the ass, and something else becomes the rage.

[gloonk]

Originally Posted by Invader_Stu

I agree - years and years ago I was at a video arcade where they had a VR setup, with a helmet and gun. The game was Rise Of The Triad (great game! ) and while the graphics were average, and you had to turn your body around to move, it was so much fun! It really put you into the game (albeit a blocky one).

Vote 1 for VR.

I could not agree more, i remember going to a Time Zone ? in Miranda Fair perhaps 10 years ago and paying something like $5 for a couple of minutes on this VR game where you stood up on a small round platform with a gun and the goggles.
Now the graphics were fairly blocky but the game play immersion was awesome. i still to this day can rememeber looking directly up and looking at a tube going upwards and shooting up the tube at a thing i saw up there.
Now i'm shooting madly and having a fairly great toime, and then i get a tap on the shoulder to stop playing. Only then did i realise how much of a complete cock head(my girlfriend agreed that i did indeed look like an absolute cock head)i must have looked with a pair of big goggles on my head and shooting at nothing on the ceiling
Immersed you bet. Do i want more?, oh hell yes! so all the people who have perhaps read heaps about VR but never actually experienced it should give it a try before bagging it out.

[grum00]

Originally Posted by lagmaster

I tend to reside in real reality rather than a headset.

Hello augmented reaility, well it's at least half reality .