Are you ready for virtual reality gaming in 3D? It's coming,perhaps next year in fact. The Oculus Rift headset is being developed by Oculus VR Inc. right now in hopes of a launch of consumer products in 2014. They received nearly 2.5 million in funds from a Kickstarter campaign. The device was demonstrated back in June of 2012 at E3. Developer kits are ready to go. The device has an effective resolution of 640x800 in stereoscopic 3D. It employs an Adjacent Reality Tracker,which uses a combination of 3-axis gyros,accelerometers,and magnetometers. This allows the image to refresh instantly upon head movement. Uses a USB interface to send the tracking data to the host machine.The images shown here are of prototypes. the finished product will be much more streamlined and easy to wear. Much like a pair of those protective goggles you wear in the workshop.
The technology is based on the stereoscope. Each eye receives it's own data. This has been around a long time. Remember the View Master? I had one as a kid and loved looking at 3D images in it. This is simply a jump forward in the concept. Video is a bit more tricky,especially when it comes to fast paced games with superb graphics.
This is just a prototype model,but the final one could look very similar to it.
Seems like they tried virtual reality gaming once before. Remember this monstrosity? The Virtual Boy gave people migraine headaches. Really messed with their vision as well. The images were red and static. What did they think would happen? It was a mess. I only played it once,and that was plenty.
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My son ended up looking like this after a few hours with the Virtual Boy.
The fact that it will become so incredibly immersive is what I find interesting. People will get so addicted to the virtual worlds they enter. You know it will happen. At least now you see there is a room around you while gaming. And other people,too! Can people handle VR sensibly? And don't even get me started on how this tech will be used by folks for pervery. Talk about an addiction...yikes. The future is upon us it looks like. I guess the technology finally caught up with the visionaries.
What I'm listening to today.......
Comments
Super Step
Contributing Writer
03/30/2013 at 11:49 AM
Man, the 90s was so obsessed with Virtual reality. I remember we used to rent the Virtual Boy from Blockbuster, or we did once at least; I think I remember liking it, but I didn't play it for that long.
I loved those View Master things too, I wonder if I'll find mine as I continue my Spring cleaning today. Those reels are a staple of my childhood. lol
Maybe I'm crazy, but I also remember Tiger electronics or someone producing games that you wore on your eyes too. I think I had a Batman one. In any case, I'm excited that Billy from Power Rangers has finally gotten that device working and will be mass-producing it soon. I can't wait. Although, I too am scared of how much porn will go on these things inevitably. Yikes!
Great songs today, love me some rock ballads. Can't go wrong with Zep, and the Bad Company singer vaguely looks like Hugh Jackman to me there. lol
smartcelt
03/30/2013 at 09:52 PM
I think you're right about Tiger Electronics making a device like that. Seems I remember such a thing. I think a torrent of porn is inevitable,it's human nature. I just hope the game worlds they create are spectacular. As far as the music goes,to me Bad Company was just as important as Zeppelin. They were the first band signed to Swan Song,and they had the same manager as well. Led Zeppelin was just a more influential group worldwide.
Super Step
Contributing Writer
03/30/2013 at 11:23 PM
Oh yeah, they were definitely important, I just thought it was funny cause it looked like Wolverine was singing to me. lol No disrespect to the band intended, I've seen a lot worse, and more importantly they sound great.
smartcelt
03/31/2013 at 12:06 AM
Hey,I wouldn't mind being compared to Wolverine. He's cool as hell. No I got your point and you have a good one. Paul Rodgers was like Plant in that he assumed a certain posture onstage. Some called it " exaggerated masculinity". Certainly did the trick for the ladies,from what I've heard about them.
Coolsetzer
03/30/2013 at 12:16 PM
It has a chance to be awesome. For instance, attending university lectures without ever being there. Unfortunately, I don't really see a whole lot of benefits to it, other than being disconnected from the world. I see a lot more negatives than positive.
smartcelt
03/30/2013 at 09:57 PM
You may be right. Only time will tell if it becomes harmful,especially to kids. They tend to get drawn into things like that as if they are real. To them it is,because they don't know better. Parents will have to monitor their use of it.
Cary Woodham
03/30/2013 at 12:33 PM
I've been blind in my left eye since birth and can't see 3D effects, so I'll pass on this one.
smartcelt
03/30/2013 at 10:03 PM
You may not be missing out on much. The ability of companies to develop games for it that sell is a big factor. Sometimes the public is not ready for leaps in tech like this one.
angelfaceband42
03/30/2013 at 01:16 PM
I'll try VR at least once in the future but I don't think it will go over well for gaming....I think. The 3d function without glasses for Nintendo is Nice but I don't play with it on for a long period of time. I haven't heard a lot about the 3d tvs with glasses in a while........
I LOVEEEE me some Zep. Bonham, Grohl, and McBrain are my all time favorite drummers right now.
smartcelt
03/30/2013 at 10:08 PM
I heard a rumor that Robert Plant was asked about his plans for 2014 . He said something alluding to the fact he is not as resistant to a Zeppelin tour. I think at the Kennedy Center Honors something changed for him. I think now he would like to sing those songs live one more time. Jason Bonham has said he'd do it in a minute.
Ranger1
03/31/2013 at 08:48 AM
I have screwed up vision like Cary, and 3D usually just gives me a headache. Plus, I like my games to stay on a screen. I really have no desire to play VR stuff. My friend Michael, on the other hand is very excited about this project and has been telling me about it for a couple of months.
smartcelt
03/31/2013 at 02:07 PM
I don't know if I'm on board with it. Still has a long way to go to be widely accepted as a mainstream thing. I just hope it won't make gamers more isolated from stuff that is going on in the very place they live.
Surfcaster
04/01/2013 at 10:12 AM
Oh man, Bat Boy? Seriously, I used to see that image on those National Enquirer mags when I was a kid and I've have nightmares for a week.
I'm blaming my sleeplessness on you, Celt.
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