I am curious to see if an ALS patient with only limited eye movement (and literally no other muscle) could experience this device. I am guessing that currently that is not the market, but all of the snarkers who are commenting "why not go outdoors?"-there are many many homebound people for whom this would be a Godsend.
I hope that the designers are at least working on a device with that capability.
I hope that the designers are at least working on a device with that capability.
It might have some useful application in martial arts training... an expert virtual opponent to train against who will not bruise you.
When personal computers first came out, we thought "Wow, now I can keep my checkbook account on a computer." Well, yeah, but that's now about .0001% of what it's used for now.
I think that's where we are with VR. Sure, it will be great for immersive gaming. But, also, what a great tool for seniors confined to wheelchairs, to have their infirmities replaced by another reality. Or crowd-sourcing for projects such as Zooniverse.
And, of course, the hood/goggle will be ridiculed in 20 years, the way we laugh now as we watch TV shows from the 90's and see the huge CRT monitors or 3 lb cellphones. Soon, VR will probably morph into a Google-Glass sized instrument that will switch from reality to VR with the wink of an eye. No more switching tabs, or hiding your phone when the boss walks by.
Of course, most will use it as the preferred method to watch Duck Dynasty and Real Wives. Sigh.
I think that's where we are with VR. Sure, it will be great for immersive gaming. But, also, what a great tool for seniors confined to wheelchairs, to have their infirmities replaced by another reality. Or crowd-sourcing for projects such as Zooniverse.
And, of course, the hood/goggle will be ridiculed in 20 years, the way we laugh now as we watch TV shows from the 90's and see the huge CRT monitors or 3 lb cellphones. Soon, VR will probably morph into a Google-Glass sized instrument that will switch from reality to VR with the wink of an eye. No more switching tabs, or hiding your phone when the boss walks by.
Of course, most will use it as the preferred method to watch Duck Dynasty and Real Wives. Sigh.
Brian Chen refers to the Oculus Rift as "the first virtual reality product of its kind to reach consumers, before similar ones coming this year from HTC and Sony." What about the Samsung Gear VR that costs $100?
Stretch your horizons. Unleash your imagination. Read a book.
1
I wonder how much this thing is going to turn out to be a kind of new addictive drug.
What's wrong with reality?
6
I prefer real reality.
2
Considering that at the beginning the target audience are 'hardcore' PC gamers (I prefer the word 'enthusiast' myself tbh) it only makes sense that the majority of the games available at launch are tailored to that market.
Perhaps the New York Times would have been better off having a reviewer that is an enthusiast PC gamer doing this review instead..?
Perhaps the New York Times would have been better off having a reviewer that is an enthusiast PC gamer doing this review instead..?
5
True, but Mr. Chen did a good job of explaining the concepts and features to non-enthusiasts. A little of both aspects is nice.
4
I surveyed most of the reviews on the rift, and I would say that out of the 20 or so reviews I've seen this is one of only 2 or 3 i would put in the category of less than enthusiastic in its concluson. From a technical perspective the reviewer here takes issue mostly with things everyone knew going into the release like the lack of the touch controllers (which I personally think will actually work to the Rift's advantage by having a second "launch" rift owners can look forward to). Most of the bigger negatives here seem to be with things like how silly the wearer looks during and after use, or how isolated they are, which which may be important to him, but I suspect don't matter to most of us who are seriously thinking of buying this thing. Also his issues with setup are at odds with most of the other reviews which praised the ease of setup, and considering its only gong to take an hour or less I think the focus on that is misplaced. The to things that matters to me most are the software and the technical ability of the hardware to simulate reality. At least on the second point the review seems to be positive though conclusory.
4
yes, exactly the things he barely addressed
One of the most ridiculous reviews I've ever seen but unfortunately from NY Times. This critic does not like Oculus Rift because a Windows PC is too big for his living room, and the game is sending him to the outer space, instead of on a beautiful beach watching huge whales jumping around.
6
"After a long session, the Rift left two sets of parallel horizontal lines under my eyes."
This is going to make it easy to tell who's been lying about staying home sick.
Also: breaks every 30 minutes? Puh-leeze. Gamers only take breaks when their bladders give out -- a fact once immortalized in id Software's advertisements for Quake III Arena, which featured a toilet (rather well-used looking at that) strategically substituting for a desk chair. If eye problems turn out to be associated with Oculus Rift use, we won't have to wait long for a large test sample.
This is going to make it easy to tell who's been lying about staying home sick.
Also: breaks every 30 minutes? Puh-leeze. Gamers only take breaks when their bladders give out -- a fact once immortalized in id Software's advertisements for Quake III Arena, which featured a toilet (rather well-used looking at that) strategically substituting for a desk chair. If eye problems turn out to be associated with Oculus Rift use, we won't have to wait long for a large test sample.
2
I still can't find a list of where I can try before I buy. And no, I don't live in a city where there's big tech conferences.
1
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are old ideas. The Oculus Rift is not a game-changer -- it is simply another iteration of a head-mounted display, and it happens to be backed by one of the "Big Four" technology companies. Wikipedia lists a page of head-mounted displays. My own first experience with a head-mounted display was in the late 1960s at the University of Utah, where it was suspended from the lab ceiling and nicknamed the "Sword of Damocles".
VR and AR have been useful in quite a few applications, and immersion may add an interesting dimension to games, but the best comparison is probably to 3D movies and television. After a period of marketing-fueled enthusiasm, the technology has found its niche, and it is not a very large niche.
Adding a new dimension to a technology can sometimes be a game changer, but Mr. Zuckerberg is about to find that the Oculus Rift doesn't change much at all.
VR and AR have been useful in quite a few applications, and immersion may add an interesting dimension to games, but the best comparison is probably to 3D movies and television. After a period of marketing-fueled enthusiasm, the technology has found its niche, and it is not a very large niche.
Adding a new dimension to a technology can sometimes be a game changer, but Mr. Zuckerberg is about to find that the Oculus Rift doesn't change much at all.
6
3D films and TV and Virtual Reality are two very different animals. The former is basically 2.5D instead of 3D. You basically have a window with a little depth to it and occasional objects appearing to float out of the screen a little. The latter is true 3D. Rather than a window the user is actually inside the experience, so much so that he or she - through what's known as presence - believes that they're actually there.
4
I agree with Randy's comparison of the Oculus Rift with 3D Films and TV, because in both cases the manufacturers of the devices have - mistakenly, in my opinion - promoted them with scads of "in your face", "Hey! Look! This is WONDERFUL 3D" content
I think sales of both types of equipment would have benefited from promotion with a more subtle approach - the sort that made Avatar a record-breaking movie.
I think sales of both types of equipment would have benefited from promotion with a more subtle approach - the sort that made Avatar a record-breaking movie.
I don't think the person that wrote this article likes video games. But it sounds awesome to me. I haven't played video games in 20 years but I think I am ready to start again.
2
Gaming kicked off demand for graphics cards. Graphics cards turned out to be useful for artificial intelligence. Virtual Reality gaming will generate demand for components that will be used for unintended purposes: e.g. robotics.
I'm glad Oculus built a higher end system. It gives us an idea of what the technological limits are for now.
I'm glad Oculus built a higher end system. It gives us an idea of what the technological limits are for now.
3
Gotta say, it's OK to approach things from a critical eye but the reviewers' tone really does not lend itself well here. What is with all of the negative comments about geeks, nerds, and gamers? Whatever valid points the reviewer has about the current state of commercial VR is pretty much lost in suffocating skepticism and negativity. Get with the times or get left behind (or at least find a reviewer with a more open mind).
5
This is -not- the beginning of virtual reality.
Back in the early '90s, I tried out a gizmo like this one (called X-Specs) for the Commodore Amiga. The game I tried was a fairly simple flying shooter -- vector graphics in the fashion of Battlezone -- but the feel of it was novel. A little "out of body."
But not $1,500 worth of out of body.
Back in the early '90s, I tried out a gizmo like this one (called X-Specs) for the Commodore Amiga. The game I tried was a fairly simple flying shooter -- vector graphics in the fashion of Battlezone -- but the feel of it was novel. A little "out of body."
But not $1,500 worth of out of body.
1
Interesting perspective on the Oculus. I really liked it the Oculus when I last tried it out, and it was quite the experience. What I find interesting is the way that this is being used and applied to different industries. I recently read an article that talks about how the Oculus and virtual reality in general is impacting the architecture, engineering and construction industry. It's becoming a really great way to also sell real estate so that buyers can experience and unbuilt space.
You can read the article here: http://bit.ly/1MAf0KV.
I think it will be interesting to see where the VR techology goes in the future.
You can read the article here: http://bit.ly/1MAf0KV.
I think it will be interesting to see where the VR techology goes in the future.
I found it pretty disappointing that the author of this review made a point to establish that the device is $1500 dollars (when paired with a new computer), and use this price is a comparison to the Sony product. I understand that very few of the PCs on the market today have the minimum specs to be able to handle the Oculus, it's not fair to push the device as costing thousands of dollars right of the bat. It's the equivalent of saying that a new stereo system for your car costs $30,000 dollars since you'd need a new car to be able to fit the amp and woofer. Also if you want to be "on a beach where I can look at whales" - I imagine the Oculus is perfect for this, despite your negative slant (especially with the 360 degree camera rigs coming down in price as well).
4
Me. Zuckerberg made billions of dollars by designing a cheap and easy tool that helped college students get laid. In the case of Oculus, he seems to have done the exact opposite. Perhaps he feels he has made enough money.
6
I wold want this for shopping. A virtual grocery store with no check out and 1 hour delivery would make me interested in this.
1
"The Rift works with technology that some might find anachronistic: a Windows PC, monitor, keyboard and mouse. "
Stopped reading after this line. I assume the rest of the article is complaining about how the reviewer couldn't play farmville on the Rift.
Stopped reading after this line. I assume the rest of the article is complaining about how the reviewer couldn't play farmville on the Rift.
13
When the NYTimes sent me Google Cardboard to experience the newspaper's stories in VR, I was completely blown away. In that initial moment of my first VR experience, I saw what the future holds and that is transporting this reader/viewer to places I may not otherwise have the opportunity to in reality, such as a helicopter ride above the high rises of the Big Apple. Sure there are things one must participate in through our reality and not a virtual reality, but VR has the potential to give us a glimpse of things that may not be accessible to the common person for reasons that are economical or geographical.
2
I apologize for bringing up the elephant in the room, but won't the porn industry pick this up and run with it?
3
They already have. There already exist porn for the Rift.
3
I wonder why this reviewer was picked. They don't seem to be a 'technology' person. Also they seem a bit bigoted against the technology crowd, "nerd paint" seems needlessly derogatory. Why the slur?
5
Another layer of unreality pervades the world. Before long reality will be strange. May be this will cure addicts. Seems like it can be made to simulate any kind of trip.
The current presidential election, and you are saying "before long" reality will be strange? IMO we passed that milestone months ago . . .
1
Wow, this article is unduly harsh. "...what an eyesore..." You mad, bro? By the droning sound of the techno-entitlement, I can only imagine that the author MUST be under 30. Hate to break it to you, kiddo, but YOUR children are going to regard those quaint, little phones & tablets that you put on your imaginary pedestal as ponderous antiques that only have a place in a "Kids React" video twenty years from now. Apologies for burdening you with the next paradigm shift in entertainment. Have fun with scoffing at the next few generations of self-made millionaires based on the virtual reality industry. The vision you lack will be your undoing. Pessimist.
5
Exactly. NYT should find another reviewer. A blanket of skeptic negativity does not equal discerning judgement.
1
A "self-made millionaire" is a person who's biography has been fabricated by a self-aggrandizing egomaniac, with or without the help of a public relations worker. The term itself is pure fiction to all but he who thinks himself one.
The reviewer is only pointing out that this is ugly and painful to use.
Its not a game changer, its a game accessory.
Its not a game changer, its a game accessory.
I believe there might be other uses for this technology than playing games.
If I am correct this will be a game changer.
This will revolutionize how things are taught.
It might even make it possible to get an education without having to go to school.
This can therefore be used by someone who is incapable of going to class because of a disability for example.
You can learn how to do things that can not be taught in a classroom.
You can teach people how to fly a plane or a medical student can learn how to perform surgery.
This can bring down the cost of getting an education where even the poor can get a college degree.
If I am correct this will be a game changer.
This will revolutionize how things are taught.
It might even make it possible to get an education without having to go to school.
This can therefore be used by someone who is incapable of going to class because of a disability for example.
You can learn how to do things that can not be taught in a classroom.
You can teach people how to fly a plane or a medical student can learn how to perform surgery.
This can bring down the cost of getting an education where even the poor can get a college degree.
1
"He said downloads were paused while apps were running on the Rift to avoid compromising performance."
But it is compromising download performance.
But it is compromising download performance.
2
Which really doesn't matter at all, as PC games are multi-hour things, not tiny little cellphone apps.
No. Apparently they are 30 minute chunks.
I give this tech fad about 3 years to get going, then fade from view. A waste of time for all but the well-to-do gamer set among us. No traction w/ wider public, who see things in 3-D just by going outside.
4
never underestimate the laziness of the american public.
2
Amazingly, one of the most insightful reviews of the Oculus Rift was written by an unknown time traveler, 2,000 years before it was invented.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face."
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face."
3
I see a design flaw. The Oculus rig needs a little cup under the chin to collect drool dribbling from the open mouths of users. And perhaps the occasional burst of vomit.
2
As an "old" tech guy, I understand some of the negative comments about the virtual reality aspect, but if you don't want to experience virtual reality, don't use them. However, I also enjoy talking face-to-face with friends and family, but, speaking on a phone is easier, more frequent, and cheaper. Thus it allows me to enjoy speaking with people I don't see often. Skype also adds a dimension of visual to the experience. Should we not have Skype because it's better to talk face-to-face? Also my mobile phone allows people to catch up with me when I might not be sitting at home. You know otherwise experiencing the world in reality.
I can say with almost 100% assurance, I will never sit courtside at an NBA game. However, getting to experience that in VR sounds like a lot of fun. I also got into the Disney Star Wars ride. It didn't move but a few feet, however through the virtual reality of the video and slight movements of the ride, I felt and experienced an amazingly realistic journey at very fast speeds. Yet I hardly moved.
I'd say don't knock it until you try it. While this 60 y/o techie isn't the target audience, he does understand the appeal. So if you buy a pair, why not invite me over and we can talk face-to-face and then go someplace amazing--virtually that is.
I can say with almost 100% assurance, I will never sit courtside at an NBA game. However, getting to experience that in VR sounds like a lot of fun. I also got into the Disney Star Wars ride. It didn't move but a few feet, however through the virtual reality of the video and slight movements of the ride, I felt and experienced an amazingly realistic journey at very fast speeds. Yet I hardly moved.
I'd say don't knock it until you try it. While this 60 y/o techie isn't the target audience, he does understand the appeal. So if you buy a pair, why not invite me over and we can talk face-to-face and then go someplace amazing--virtually that is.
5
Seems like another technology just waiting to be launched by the pornography industry! Especially since, as the author alluded, people look pretty ridiculous when they're using these things. It's probably something most people would only want to do in private.
4
I'm gonna wait to see what else comes down the pipe. Once it's platform independent and self-contains the processing power it needs to run, I'll start considering it.
As it is now - Windows only, and completely dependent on a PC's graphics processors - it has a ways to go.
As it is now - Windows only, and completely dependent on a PC's graphics processors - it has a ways to go.
1
Funny thing about being reliant on a PC's graphics processors; they allow you to do way more than a smartphone/tablet that overheats the instant you try to do anything somewhat complex.
3
After reading this article and several of the comments posted, I can't help but feel that the majority feel there are only two apparent positions to take on this topic. One, it is the next great evil and/or a complete waste time; or two, it is just the beginning of the next great technological innovation.
I for one am very excited about it, and even more excited with what it will bring in the future. I am a gamer but the applications for this technology go well beyond gaming. In fact, I'm willing to wager gaming is just very tip of the iceberg of what VR will become.
My biggest issue with all the haters and a lot of the negative comments in response to this article is that those that are opposed to this technology seem to think that those that are for it do little more with their lives than sit in front a computer or game system and avoid actual reality. I think this is unfair to the vast majority. Don't get me wrong, there are some people that are truly detached from society, and this technology, for them, will be the next level of their isolation. For most of us though this is the next great innovation that can and will be used from an entertainment standpoint in a reasonable and responsible manner. However, we will still carry on with our lives, being valuable contributors to society, taking care of families and ourselves.
As time goes on this tech will advance well beyond just gaming. This isn't a gimmick, and it will extend to many facets of society and culture.
I for one am very excited about it, and even more excited with what it will bring in the future. I am a gamer but the applications for this technology go well beyond gaming. In fact, I'm willing to wager gaming is just very tip of the iceberg of what VR will become.
My biggest issue with all the haters and a lot of the negative comments in response to this article is that those that are opposed to this technology seem to think that those that are for it do little more with their lives than sit in front a computer or game system and avoid actual reality. I think this is unfair to the vast majority. Don't get me wrong, there are some people that are truly detached from society, and this technology, for them, will be the next level of their isolation. For most of us though this is the next great innovation that can and will be used from an entertainment standpoint in a reasonable and responsible manner. However, we will still carry on with our lives, being valuable contributors to society, taking care of families and ourselves.
As time goes on this tech will advance well beyond just gaming. This isn't a gimmick, and it will extend to many facets of society and culture.
5
I'm unfortunately shocked by the amount of negativity in the face of a potential game-changer on the technological landscape.
The emotional intensity and presence these devices can provide is unlike any other medium of entertainment, digital or analog.
And as much as I love to actually travel, as much as I like to live in "reality," - so often my reality is working for my family and hoping to have one memorable vacation a year. Mind that none of my vacations will ever take me to space, or in a deep-dive submarine, or on the sidelines of the superbowl.
It will never replace the close relationships I have out here in "reality," but to shun the mindblowing potential to enrich my life and experience both real and unreal locations with more intimacy than ever before from the comfort of my home...? I can't fathom looking down on that possibility.
The emotional intensity and presence these devices can provide is unlike any other medium of entertainment, digital or analog.
And as much as I love to actually travel, as much as I like to live in "reality," - so often my reality is working for my family and hoping to have one memorable vacation a year. Mind that none of my vacations will ever take me to space, or in a deep-dive submarine, or on the sidelines of the superbowl.
It will never replace the close relationships I have out here in "reality," but to shun the mindblowing potential to enrich my life and experience both real and unreal locations with more intimacy than ever before from the comfort of my home...? I can't fathom looking down on that possibility.
19
Excellent, articulate, and concise comment, Mike W.
I can only imagine what the negative commenters would have had to say about the telephone in 1880, the automobile in 1900, the airplane in 1910, etc. etc. All these advancements were initially viewed as mildly interesting entertainment for the rich.
Currently, for about the price of a high-end dinner for 4 in Manhattan, one can buy a computer containing 250 BILLION transistors. Combining this with hi res 3D wide angle graphics will profoundly influence many activities - vacationing is just one.
I guess that, among other things, the readers of this paper are wealthy enough that when they want to go to Rome, they just go. I'm happy for them, but their "reality" is pretty unreal for a lot of people, including me. Remotely viewing the Colosseum for an incremental cost smaller than the rental fees for an audio guide gets my attention. Further, I could see what the building was like 2000 years ago, and see renditions of the gladiator contests, and how the elevators worked etc. etc. all put together by people who have studied the Colosseum and can give their best rendition of how it really was.
Video games are just a primitive example of fiction that can be composed. We already see this in the (currently) primitive attempts in the movie industry to simulate events, real and imagined.
This is big stuff.
I can only imagine what the negative commenters would have had to say about the telephone in 1880, the automobile in 1900, the airplane in 1910, etc. etc. All these advancements were initially viewed as mildly interesting entertainment for the rich.
Currently, for about the price of a high-end dinner for 4 in Manhattan, one can buy a computer containing 250 BILLION transistors. Combining this with hi res 3D wide angle graphics will profoundly influence many activities - vacationing is just one.
I guess that, among other things, the readers of this paper are wealthy enough that when they want to go to Rome, they just go. I'm happy for them, but their "reality" is pretty unreal for a lot of people, including me. Remotely viewing the Colosseum for an incremental cost smaller than the rental fees for an audio guide gets my attention. Further, I could see what the building was like 2000 years ago, and see renditions of the gladiator contests, and how the elevators worked etc. etc. all put together by people who have studied the Colosseum and can give their best rendition of how it really was.
Video games are just a primitive example of fiction that can be composed. We already see this in the (currently) primitive attempts in the movie industry to simulate events, real and imagined.
This is big stuff.
Mr. Chen, I am very disappointed that this review fails to speak of technological advances of the new OR goggles. This does not seem to be an article introducing readers to virtual reality for the first time and I much expected to read how this new model compares to previous models, performance of new peripherals and layout of the products operating system. I am, of course, being a bit harsh because of your lack of enthusiasm for the genre, considering it is not aguarenteed that this technology will catch on.
My final and most sincere criticism comes when you do not mention the actual price of the unit, immediately turning less informed potential buyers away, when they may already have a computer powerful enough to utilize the headset.
I believe a revision is necisary.
My final and most sincere criticism comes when you do not mention the actual price of the unit, immediately turning less informed potential buyers away, when they may already have a computer powerful enough to utilize the headset.
I believe a revision is necisary.
1
True, but no need to be harsh because regardless of what he says, we're going to try it. . Some how, some way, just so we can say we tried it no matter what the obstacles. He's entitled to his opinion and although it's a bit "in fact" at least we know to wait for the better model. Bet I see you somewhere! Ha!
P.S. I'm 63, female, game and excited.
P.S. I'm 63, female, game and excited.
1
Yoda from wash, dc claims that this VR technology beats old school imagination because "this technology allows you to interface with the imagination of others!"
However, There's another, more ancient, technology that also allows you to interface your imagination with others. I'm doing it right now. It involves 26 little squiggly black things arranged in a very specific order. Remarkably, just rearranging those 26 squiggles (aka letters) can allow me to interface just about anything that goes through my head. And almost anyone can do it! You don't have to be a computer genius.
Now granted, it takes a bit more work than having it all defined and fed to you. But the exercise of interfacing with someone else's mind through reading expands your mental abilities. Rather than becoming a gluttonous mental consumer you participate in the creation process as your imagination creates it's own unique vision of what you read.
I am afraid that the concept of creating imaginative content will be more and more limited to experts as the popular creative formats become specialized and sophisticated. How many people can create an expressive, creative video? How many people can create a virtual reality video? And I say this as a professional digital artist who is capable of doing much of the above. The masses are becoming consumers of creativity and imagination rather than participants, each on their own level. There is a trade-off in this advanced imagine-for-you technology.
However, There's another, more ancient, technology that also allows you to interface your imagination with others. I'm doing it right now. It involves 26 little squiggly black things arranged in a very specific order. Remarkably, just rearranging those 26 squiggles (aka letters) can allow me to interface just about anything that goes through my head. And almost anyone can do it! You don't have to be a computer genius.
Now granted, it takes a bit more work than having it all defined and fed to you. But the exercise of interfacing with someone else's mind through reading expands your mental abilities. Rather than becoming a gluttonous mental consumer you participate in the creation process as your imagination creates it's own unique vision of what you read.
I am afraid that the concept of creating imaginative content will be more and more limited to experts as the popular creative formats become specialized and sophisticated. How many people can create an expressive, creative video? How many people can create a virtual reality video? And I say this as a professional digital artist who is capable of doing much of the above. The masses are becoming consumers of creativity and imagination rather than participants, each on their own level. There is a trade-off in this advanced imagine-for-you technology.
4
Being an avid gamer (and reader!) gives me a leg up in refuting some of these types of ideas. While it's absolutely true that TV and Movies give viewers no choice to "participate," I can cite many games that have intimately unlocked my creativity or given me new interests.
Minecraft and Besiege - build my own contraptions, find novel solutions to engineering and survival problems, create new forms of art through the medium (some amazing youtube videos of this!)
Cities: Skylines - I can craft my own cities, and I must take into account how to deal with the needs of an urban society - piqued my interest in community design.
Total War: Rome singlehandedly made me learn about Roman and classical history. I absolutely love learning about the larger than life personalities and the interesting political stories of the age.
Xcom and Xcom 2 forced me to slow down, identify trade-offs when making decisions, and learning how to cope with a bad roll - that some things, no matter how well you plan, are outside of your control.
Now with VR... who knows how my mind's eye can be empowered by the device. Fantastic Contraption, among other games that allow you to create art and share it with others, are on the horizon.
We'll always have the mindless, lizard-brain games as well (and I love them just as much, really... no shame in that.) Also, the barrier to participate will decrease with time. We take our ability to write for granted, most of us couldn't when novels were invented.
Minecraft and Besiege - build my own contraptions, find novel solutions to engineering and survival problems, create new forms of art through the medium (some amazing youtube videos of this!)
Cities: Skylines - I can craft my own cities, and I must take into account how to deal with the needs of an urban society - piqued my interest in community design.
Total War: Rome singlehandedly made me learn about Roman and classical history. I absolutely love learning about the larger than life personalities and the interesting political stories of the age.
Xcom and Xcom 2 forced me to slow down, identify trade-offs when making decisions, and learning how to cope with a bad roll - that some things, no matter how well you plan, are outside of your control.
Now with VR... who knows how my mind's eye can be empowered by the device. Fantastic Contraption, among other games that allow you to create art and share it with others, are on the horizon.
We'll always have the mindless, lizard-brain games as well (and I love them just as much, really... no shame in that.) Also, the barrier to participate will decrease with time. We take our ability to write for granted, most of us couldn't when novels were invented.
4
@Mike
Good points. Nice to have a content-focused intelligent debate rather than the reflex dogmatic defense of positions I often encounter in these forums.
I still think that reading engages imagination in a different, more collaborative way than visual communication. I am not saying that games and visual medium don't have their own mental stimulus, but not in the same way.
I am also less confident than you that the medium of video, which is rapidly becoming the most popular communication medium of our time, will lend itself to easy participation on a significant creative level for the average person anytime soon. The ability to express higher and inner thought is still much easier for the average person to do with words than with video production. I sense that the gulf between creators and consumers of creative content is widening because the new communication formats are so skill intensive. Word communication is becoming relegated to the most basic utilitarian usage for the average person and higher creative communication in the form of video production is becoming the domain of the experts.
In a way you might be correct that we are regressing to the beginning of the writing age where higher communication was dominion of a special cast of skilled creators - such as priests etc.
There is for sure a basic type of video sharing which is popular and easy to participate in, but I am talking about more profound communication than showing your cat on You Tube.
Good points. Nice to have a content-focused intelligent debate rather than the reflex dogmatic defense of positions I often encounter in these forums.
I still think that reading engages imagination in a different, more collaborative way than visual communication. I am not saying that games and visual medium don't have their own mental stimulus, but not in the same way.
I am also less confident than you that the medium of video, which is rapidly becoming the most popular communication medium of our time, will lend itself to easy participation on a significant creative level for the average person anytime soon. The ability to express higher and inner thought is still much easier for the average person to do with words than with video production. I sense that the gulf between creators and consumers of creative content is widening because the new communication formats are so skill intensive. Word communication is becoming relegated to the most basic utilitarian usage for the average person and higher creative communication in the form of video production is becoming the domain of the experts.
In a way you might be correct that we are regressing to the beginning of the writing age where higher communication was dominion of a special cast of skilled creators - such as priests etc.
There is for sure a basic type of video sharing which is popular and easy to participate in, but I am talking about more profound communication than showing your cat on You Tube.
2
At the same time, YouTube is bringing back forms of communication that are even older than writing, such as spoken-word storytelling. The spoken-word storytelling medium has had a pretty high barrier of entry over the years, being relegated to the niche markets of comedians and public speakers. As a storyteller, I can attest that even with a decent sized group of friends, and an active social life, you run out of people to share your passion with. People are quick to knock YouTube without really understanding it.
As for VR, it has a high barrier of entry, but allows you to share experiences in an incredible new way. I've ridden a bull, but for my more skittish friends, the closest they'll ever come to that experience is hearing me tell them about it. Strap a 360 degree on my head, and suddenly they can feel like they are there, thanks to this technology.
As for VR, it has a high barrier of entry, but allows you to share experiences in an incredible new way. I've ridden a bull, but for my more skittish friends, the closest they'll ever come to that experience is hearing me tell them about it. Strap a 360 degree on my head, and suddenly they can feel like they are there, thanks to this technology.
If the internet's history is any guide in matters of shared technological experience, 'virtual reality' will find its largest and most lucrative market in pornography. The possibilities are, well, numerous.
I could imagine this transforming flight instruction. As a pilot, naturally I prefer the real thing, but during training (or just poor weather) flight simulators can be useful. It's essential for VFR flight to be able to look to the sides (such as lining up with the the runway on downwind or looking over your shoulder when judging when to starting turning towards final approach) something that's klunky to do unless you have the space to set up a multiple-screen system, something few spouses appreciate. So much more realistic to just look around...
I wonder what effect this has on the brain?
5
I wonder if when you are studying in a classroom with teachers and students all over the world and you look around do you see a bunch of people wearing goofy looking Oculus headsets?
7
You see the real students in the real classroom with the real teachers. All the people with the goofy headsets are at home. Not having to pay the real tuition and rooming and cafeteria costs those who are there physically would have to.
Great, just what is needed, ANOTHER, unnecessary, entertainment gadget that will help everyone escape further and further away from having to face reality, becoming even more weak, naive, insecure, and easily manipulated than you are already, further exacerbating our serious social problems (domestically and internationally), and creating new problems.
7
Yeah, it would be awful for someone who can't walk to be able to feel like they can for a few minutes. It would be horrible to see someone who lost someone important use a VR video of old memories to relive the best moments of their time together. I can't even imagine how terrible it would be to see someone using this to relax themselves and treat their PTSD with calming sensations.
Sorry you are so depressed about the world. Maybe you should use VR to cope with that. Or you can just continue on as a Luddite and blame your problems on technological advances. #burnthetextilemills
Sorry you are so depressed about the world. Maybe you should use VR to cope with that. Or you can just continue on as a Luddite and blame your problems on technological advances. #burnthetextilemills
1
Today corporate-channeled synthetic values are masked as "social"... and these stupid-means-predictable goggles will only isolate people further. It's Better than Real!! Microsoft!!!
1
Erik, there is so much wrong, and you are, clearly, far too lacking in real life experience, to begin to correct all that you have just said. Your comment regarding PTSD is more wrong than you could begin to understand.
2
When the price point becomes more reasonable, I would love to virtually travel to places I'll probably never be able to afford to visit in my lifetime. Or travel to places almost no one gets to visit, like to the moon or other planets in our solar system.
If you think of VR being at the same phase as when the first televisions came out in the late 1940's, you can imagine how crazy this technology could possibly be twenty years from now.
If you think of VR being at the same phase as when the first televisions came out in the late 1940's, you can imagine how crazy this technology could possibly be twenty years from now.
7
Can't wait....Ireland, Rome ( maybe a visit with rhe Pope) Scotland, B & B in the English countryside with Polish sisters making me breakfast. Eventually, we will be able to taste the food. Yes, traveling would be beautiful! Good thinking!
When it hits $49.99, I'll think about it.
'The Rift works with technology that some might find anachronistic: a Windows PC, monitor, keyboard and mouse."
Mr. Chen,
While you may be nothing more than an appliance user that doesn't have a reason to use a pc, your presumptuousness is striking. Enjoy your phone and tablet and stop musing about technologies that seem beyond you.
Mr. Chen,
While you may be nothing more than an appliance user that doesn't have a reason to use a pc, your presumptuousness is striking. Enjoy your phone and tablet and stop musing about technologies that seem beyond you.
9
I am sooooo glad I am going to be alive to experience this. This is going to change everything. Again.
2
"...it's going to change everything..."
Yes, it's the "Segway for the 21st Century".
Yes, it's the "Segway for the 21st Century".
3
Don't knock it til you try it. Better still: Try a Vive, which is a full room-scale system with integrated hand tracking. Stunningly good. The comparison to Segway is stunningly off-base. This tech is here to stay.
I wanted to buy an Oculus, until the thoroughly untrustworthy Facebook took charge. Nor does the perenially boycottable Sony--between rootkit-infested discs, generally DRM-tastic media formats, and easily-intruded networks--make me want the PlayStation VR.
I'll sit this aspiring headset "revolution" out for a while. There are plenty of fish in the sea.
I'll sit this aspiring headset "revolution" out for a while. There are plenty of fish in the sea.
1
There was a character in a William Gibson novel who continued to watch ordinary television despite the wide availability of "SimStim" virtual reality. To her it was just one more thing she needed to escape from.
1
NY Times should stop this Oculus free marketing campiagn. Just because Zuckenberg made a clueless $ 2 Billion investment does not mean that we have to read about this technology every two months. Hire some smart tech writers who can distinguish between real innovation vs gimmick.
5
Passed on FB at $19 did you?
I was talking with a student the other day (I'm a philosophy professor) who was apologizing for having to check his phone while expressing his amazement/shock/pity that I don't own a cell-phone. While his thumbs were-a-twiddling and his face was pointed at his hands, he said, "I can't imagine being so disconnected from the world." I didn't say anything. I was too busy looking at the odd triple V formation of the geese flying over our heads.
I am not a Luddite. I like my computers. But I like my mind a whole lot more. I try to avoid the instant memory machine that is google. E-mail has made life hell because now it seems I'm never not "at" my job. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - unimaginable to me.
But I totally understand the fascination with wireless communication and the technology that surrounds it. I was an amateur radio operator when I was a kid, and I was playing with flight simulators and writing code on the Commodore 64 and the old 386 series when most of the country was still struggling with the difficult transition from rotary dials to push-buttons.
When the Times sent out the Google cardboard VR thingy, I made it, wrapped it in a lot of duct-tape (a ham radio habit), and made my son download some VR content on his phone so I could check it out.
It was fun. For a while. I marveled at the technological advance. And it would be awesome for flight simulators and driving games. I just can't imagine it replacing a classroom...
I am not a Luddite. I like my computers. But I like my mind a whole lot more. I try to avoid the instant memory machine that is google. E-mail has made life hell because now it seems I'm never not "at" my job. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - unimaginable to me.
But I totally understand the fascination with wireless communication and the technology that surrounds it. I was an amateur radio operator when I was a kid, and I was playing with flight simulators and writing code on the Commodore 64 and the old 386 series when most of the country was still struggling with the difficult transition from rotary dials to push-buttons.
When the Times sent out the Google cardboard VR thingy, I made it, wrapped it in a lot of duct-tape (a ham radio habit), and made my son download some VR content on his phone so I could check it out.
It was fun. For a while. I marveled at the technological advance. And it would be awesome for flight simulators and driving games. I just can't imagine it replacing a classroom...
6
I totally agree. My Dad was an engineer for the early computers that took up entire blocks of buildings. And I too had a Commodore 64. I knew Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. I love my toys. But I love my view out my back door better.
I think VR can be a good thing. But it is only in its infancy. A headset does not fully immerse one. Right now it is Not a good training device as people are saying. Pilots, surgeons and others like myself who use their hands in their work rely on something called " muscle memory". A simple game controller just will not cut it. Later on I am sure that specialized devices will be created for remote controlled work. But so many fields call for using the direct sense of touch. A pilot can sense through his hands on the controller if something is wrong with the plane. A surgeon through his scalpel can feel if the cut is correct and how much force to use. After 36 years of sculpting I can hold a conversation and look someone in the eye while my hands continue working. I think this is a great start but for me I'll wait for my Star Trek hologram chamber.
I think VR can be a good thing. But it is only in its infancy. A headset does not fully immerse one. Right now it is Not a good training device as people are saying. Pilots, surgeons and others like myself who use their hands in their work rely on something called " muscle memory". A simple game controller just will not cut it. Later on I am sure that specialized devices will be created for remote controlled work. But so many fields call for using the direct sense of touch. A pilot can sense through his hands on the controller if something is wrong with the plane. A surgeon through his scalpel can feel if the cut is correct and how much force to use. After 36 years of sculpting I can hold a conversation and look someone in the eye while my hands continue working. I think this is a great start but for me I'll wait for my Star Trek hologram chamber.
1
The difference between cardboard and a good HMD (head mounted display) is similar to the difference between an old radio full of static and a live performance. I'd urge you to not conflate the two. There's a reason cardboard is essentially free, while a good VR setup costs hundreds of dollars.
One of these days you'll meet someone with an Oculus (or better yet a Vive) - give it a try and see if you don't agree ;)
One of these days you'll meet someone with an Oculus (or better yet a Vive) - give it a try and see if you don't agree ;)
Something I haven't really seen a lot of people talk about are all the new professional exercises that are made possible by the Oculus Rift. I get excited just thinking about all the great and productive ways it could be used!
Imagine an architect designing a 3D model of his new skyscraper and then getting to virtually explore his creation before building it...
Imagine a young medical student getting the opportunity to perform a virtual brain surgery as a part of his/her training...
The possibilities are endless. I, for one, think that this platform can change the world.
Imagine an architect designing a 3D model of his new skyscraper and then getting to virtually explore his creation before building it...
Imagine a young medical student getting the opportunity to perform a virtual brain surgery as a part of his/her training...
The possibilities are endless. I, for one, think that this platform can change the world.
3
I was involved in building VR hardware twenty years ago, and many of the possibilities you imagine were in use back then; we sold systems to large construction firms so that the client and architect could explore a new airport design, even though the client and architect were on different continents. People were developing systems for using VR for medical training and using the headset for 3D laparoscopic surgery. A company designing a new jetliner used VR hardware to identify parts that might interfere when the plane was in motion.
The difference is back then, the displays were small, expensive and had poor resolution. Now I can get a VR system as a newspaper giveaway (the Google Cardboard kit sent to me by The New York Times) and millions of us have the display technology already in our pockets (the smartphones used for the computer and display in some systems),
The difference is back then, the displays were small, expensive and had poor resolution. Now I can get a VR system as a newspaper giveaway (the Google Cardboard kit sent to me by The New York Times) and millions of us have the display technology already in our pockets (the smartphones used for the computer and display in some systems),
Imagine therapists helping their phobic patients overcome their fears through gradual immersion therapy.
By slapping an opaque scuba mask over their head.
Virtual reality is not designed to get you a date. It's a facilitator of onanism. These products, and the whole gaming industry that are hijacking this generation of teenagers and turning their minds to mush. It is infuriating that the government is not doing anything to limit the destruction of "the mind of the Americas teenager". Chinese don't have time to waste, they are studying to excel and take over the world. Where is America going to be when these kids grown up on virtual reality and incessant flow of internet gaming have to join the workforce?
6
What an ageist and racist comment! Do you really thing Chinese teenagers don't play video games? As their middle class expands and gains freedoms they will act the same. Also, just because a video game is a different medium of storytelling than a dusty thousand page tome, doesn't make it bad. Some of them are truly works of art. They also create tons of good jobs!
2
Sorry, but science doesn't back up your claims. In fact, multiple studies have shown that playing video games is actually beneficial to the brain.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/video-gamin...
http://science.dodlive.mil/2010/01/26/adults-benefit-from-playing-video-...
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/video-gamin...
http://science.dodlive.mil/2010/01/26/adults-benefit-from-playing-video-...
Virtual reality is not only about gaming, it brings tons of options to the table. The world is changing and people just fear change, you are one of them my friend.
Wake me up when OASIS is real. This is just the start.
The first time I had ever read about VR, was in an Alex Rider book I read as a kid. It was still just a concept back then. It hasn't been that long since, but it is crazy to think how this kind of technology is already here. Although the Oculus may not have a lot of games or apps yet, it will be exciting to see the amazing things the future has in store for it.
10
Brilliant engineering for sure, but the true user case for VR yet needs to be found. Easier to grasp for Microsoft's augmented reality product the Hololens.
1
There was a film made in the 1980's (wish I could remember the name) that prophesied this very form of virtual reality. The movie was about how it was ruining civilization as people became addicted to virtual reality instead of living their lives. (The device used in the movie looked much the same as the one shown here).
There is no stopping the advancement of technology, but at what point will we become isolated beings because we no longer communicate even through social media (which itself is more or less a running commentary rather than communication)? Also, how easily could this become a mind controlling device? Just asking.
There is no stopping the advancement of technology, but at what point will we become isolated beings because we no longer communicate even through social media (which itself is more or less a running commentary rather than communication)? Also, how easily could this become a mind controlling device? Just asking.
1
Perhaps you are referring to Lawnmower Man? A true VR classic from 1991.
2
I'm pretty sure these vr games are going to end up being mulitiplayer, and Occulus already has several social apps that lets you "hang out" with people from far away. People have been worrying about "isolating new trends" since books came out, and this is no different. Humans are social animals, and technology isn't going to change that.
1
I was at a party over the weekend and these VR devices were being talked about. From what I could tell, It seemed like VR will just be a fancy way for people to watch Netflix. Instead of on a laptop or your home TV, you get the this grand big screen feel, watching a movie in some epic hall, volume just right, zero interruption from the kitchen. Pretty cool, I think.
1
Lately, I've been hearing kids say "the Santa Monica pier looks just like the one in GTA 5 (video game)". Just a scary thought that video games are beginning to resemble real life, and real life is beginning to resemble video games. But, the ability to use this device to be somewhere else, like a doctor's office, when you're just in your own home, is still dumb. The whole point of going to a doctor is so he/she can see you, not so you can look at the doctor.
3
Perhaps not the doctors office, but what about free education in a college far away from home? You can sit there and listen to the teacher
Except I've already had medical evaluations over video chat in the military. Think about it in reverse, what if the doctor wears the headset? Then they get the ability to look at things in a more organic way from a distance. Imagine a world where hospitals and emergency workers can enlist the help of elite doctors around the world without having to fly/drive them in.
Isn't this sitting WAY too close to the TV?
9
Probably not. I know people that would try to use both at the same time by peeking out though that small light under the nose piece! A bit overzealous but cute!
1
I have just completed a 3year DOD contract working with a much more sophisticated version of this system
Our systems included not just goggles & headphones, but had a very highend backpack mounted computer with WLAN connection to the Controller-System that created/maintained the 3D virtual environment that soldiers/MP were training/operating in. Beyond that, there were a total of 9-sensors mounted on Helmet, back, uppper & lower arms, on your thighs, so that you could stand, kneel, or go prone. There was a simulated weapon with a joystick that would allow you to walk or run, foward, backward, or sideways
I don't know the 'actual' prices of our system, but we were given some ballpark, shipping-insurance kind of costs. Goggles & Headset aprox=$10k, Backpack aprox=$3k, 9-Magnetically-oriented Sensors aprox=$20k, Simulated Weapons aprox=$10k, Software-per-station aprox=$2-5k
For a small number of people there will be a motion-sickness type of issue, from our surveys and experience this is somewhere around 5%
Many of those people have told me that they get 'sick' at OMNI-MAX, 3D-Movies, going to friends' houses and watching consumer-3D-Moviex, and also just playing intense 2D video games
FOR EVERYBODY, the first time you put them on, and get into a 3D Simulation, it is a mind-altering experience, and each time thereafter much less so. For some people, this is a physically exhausting & draining experience, for others it is not so. For the majority, they can do this for hours
Our systems included not just goggles & headphones, but had a very highend backpack mounted computer with WLAN connection to the Controller-System that created/maintained the 3D virtual environment that soldiers/MP were training/operating in. Beyond that, there were a total of 9-sensors mounted on Helmet, back, uppper & lower arms, on your thighs, so that you could stand, kneel, or go prone. There was a simulated weapon with a joystick that would allow you to walk or run, foward, backward, or sideways
I don't know the 'actual' prices of our system, but we were given some ballpark, shipping-insurance kind of costs. Goggles & Headset aprox=$10k, Backpack aprox=$3k, 9-Magnetically-oriented Sensors aprox=$20k, Simulated Weapons aprox=$10k, Software-per-station aprox=$2-5k
For a small number of people there will be a motion-sickness type of issue, from our surveys and experience this is somewhere around 5%
Many of those people have told me that they get 'sick' at OMNI-MAX, 3D-Movies, going to friends' houses and watching consumer-3D-Moviex, and also just playing intense 2D video games
FOR EVERYBODY, the first time you put them on, and get into a 3D Simulation, it is a mind-altering experience, and each time thereafter much less so. For some people, this is a physically exhausting & draining experience, for others it is not so. For the majority, they can do this for hours
This is an historic moment - the first iteration of a major change in the way humanity lives day to day. Think of Kitty Hawk, the first Model T, or even ARPANET. It's like that. In an increasingly crowded, frenetic and sometimes dangerous world, VR will allow people to roam freely in vast spaces, interact with fantastical creatures, and probably have satisfying if illusionary relationships. There will be no going back to the way it was before - except maybe in VR.
9
Most people here don't seem to grasp the significance. Sometime in the next 3 to 5 years, they will.
The author should have at least mentioned the Rift's unbundled price of $599 which includes two free games, EVE:Valkyrie and Lucky's Tale, or if you ordered it today it wouldn't arrive until July. My 5-year-old desktop, with a year-old graphics card upgrade, is more than adequate and a compatible graphics card costs about $350.
2
Regular reality makes me queasy. I can't see myself ponying up $1500 to get queasy from the virtual kind.
6
Wow, this is so compelling. Why waste your time kayaking, bicycling, swimming, reading a book, talking to real people, hiking, enjoying fresh air or taking in a concert or play, when you can just sit in a chair, staring at things which don't really exist?
Surely this is the culmination of 70,000 years of homo sapien tool-making. A sensory-deprivation chamber for the well-heeled. Have fun!
Surely this is the culmination of 70,000 years of homo sapien tool-making. A sensory-deprivation chamber for the well-heeled. Have fun!
18
What about people who have mobility issues? What about people who don't live in huge cities with world class operas and museums? What about people who are terrified of flying but would like to 'experience' the volcanos in Hawaii? Why all the cynical hate? Get off your high horse! There's a reason this is being discussed as a potential game-changer in the long term.
3
This article is insulting to me as an inventor and as a human being.
None of the happy CORPORATE PAID journalists spouting "Zucker" and "virtual" and "priced at" will tell you: This is nothing more than military-developed junk that will be in your 2021 garage sale.
It's boneyard junk- before it's even out there. I don't' care who makes it or how good the latency is handled. This goggle fetish is just another sick layer of "digital" isolation of people...into networks... content....corporate values that singularize you to make you vulnerable to more isolation as a human being from others. LOOK AT THE ART OF LAURIE LIPTON!
I have backgrounds in both military simulation and entertainment production. I've worked for Hughes on tank simulators, I've produced Orson Welles and today I own a cinema that is about to demonstrate "Neural Resonance Holography" and you don't know what that is. If you're smart and can figure out who I am: find my January 27, 2014 patent filing. HA HA.
Just imagine, all you fancy city people with your fancy goggles and smart buzzwords: I'm in Wyoming doing videos with Playmates in Santa Monica and am about to "paint" a movie audience with neural resonance that was formulated in ancient Rome...and bottled by a model who inspires stories of lightship pilots who return. I am a holographer, suspended in the unseen Universe of non-dimension. Goggles are for frogs, imprisoned in "dimensions"...who can't tell the illusion they're suspended in is boiling them.
None of the happy CORPORATE PAID journalists spouting "Zucker" and "virtual" and "priced at" will tell you: This is nothing more than military-developed junk that will be in your 2021 garage sale.
It's boneyard junk- before it's even out there. I don't' care who makes it or how good the latency is handled. This goggle fetish is just another sick layer of "digital" isolation of people...into networks... content....corporate values that singularize you to make you vulnerable to more isolation as a human being from others. LOOK AT THE ART OF LAURIE LIPTON!
I have backgrounds in both military simulation and entertainment production. I've worked for Hughes on tank simulators, I've produced Orson Welles and today I own a cinema that is about to demonstrate "Neural Resonance Holography" and you don't know what that is. If you're smart and can figure out who I am: find my January 27, 2014 patent filing. HA HA.
Just imagine, all you fancy city people with your fancy goggles and smart buzzwords: I'm in Wyoming doing videos with Playmates in Santa Monica and am about to "paint" a movie audience with neural resonance that was formulated in ancient Rome...and bottled by a model who inspires stories of lightship pilots who return. I am a holographer, suspended in the unseen Universe of non-dimension. Goggles are for frogs, imprisoned in "dimensions"...who can't tell the illusion they're suspended in is boiling them.
1
VR as a tool has some interesting applications, mostly in the architecture and molecular modeling fields where visualizing something in real space can help problem solve what is too abstract in a 2D world.
But as an entertainment consumption platform, I think it's probably going to fail largely because humans with access to even small amounts of disposable incomes are already overly wired. Not only does VR compete with easier to use platforms like a smartphone or a PC, it's coming at a time when there is a growing backlash against how invasive technology has become in our lives, how we're obsessively engaged with it and how unnatural that really is. VR seems to be unnatural to the next power and I don't see it being worth the human cost just to consume some low production value web videos.
But as an entertainment consumption platform, I think it's probably going to fail largely because humans with access to even small amounts of disposable incomes are already overly wired. Not only does VR compete with easier to use platforms like a smartphone or a PC, it's coming at a time when there is a growing backlash against how invasive technology has become in our lives, how we're obsessively engaged with it and how unnatural that really is. VR seems to be unnatural to the next power and I don't see it being worth the human cost just to consume some low production value web videos.
3
Wait... how do you completely fail to mention the superior HTC Vive- of which pre-orders ship in two weeks? Or were you just not invited to try one out? That would be equally perplexing, as HTC is going full... Steam (pun intended) to show off their system.
Oculus Rift was delivered today. Vive delivers in April. You'll see Vive reviews once people actually start getting them.
1
"Imagine enjoying a courtside seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home.”"
*Sigh*
1) You are NOT enjoying a courtside seat at a game. You're in your living room looking at pictures of a game.
2) You are NOT studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world. You are looking at pictures of people in a classroom somewhere you're not.
3) You are NOT consulting with a doctor face-to-face in any different way than I can now with Skype or FaceTime.
I don't mind the tech industry coming up with new and useless toys but for heaven's sake stop blowing smoke up my pants leg already. They've been spreading this nonsense since the first webcams when the tune then was: "You can actually go to France!" No, but you could look at pictures of France on your monitor. People lapped up this idiocy then and they're still doing it today.
*Sigh*
1) You are NOT enjoying a courtside seat at a game. You're in your living room looking at pictures of a game.
2) You are NOT studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world. You are looking at pictures of people in a classroom somewhere you're not.
3) You are NOT consulting with a doctor face-to-face in any different way than I can now with Skype or FaceTime.
I don't mind the tech industry coming up with new and useless toys but for heaven's sake stop blowing smoke up my pants leg already. They've been spreading this nonsense since the first webcams when the tune then was: "You can actually go to France!" No, but you could look at pictures of France on your monitor. People lapped up this idiocy then and they're still doing it today.
9
I suppose they mean to say "immersion experience", but the hype-mouth gets in the way. :)
I've used the VR Goggles and can tell you it is very different than just looking at pictures of France or seeing a person on a webcam.
With VR, you can see France, but not as a static picture. You can turn your head and see to your left and your right. Look over your shoulder to see who is behind you. You can look up and see the sky, or look down and see the ground below you.
Skype and FaceTime are nothing like VR either for the same reasons.
It's not perfect technology yet and has a long ways to go, but it's definitely the start of something very cool.
With VR, you can see France, but not as a static picture. You can turn your head and see to your left and your right. Look over your shoulder to see who is behind you. You can look up and see the sky, or look down and see the ground below you.
Skype and FaceTime are nothing like VR either for the same reasons.
It's not perfect technology yet and has a long ways to go, but it's definitely the start of something very cool.
1
Playing a virtual reality game featuring a WWII pilot?
I could see myself reading about WWII pilots. Or watching a documentary. Or taking a second to look at a memorial.
What would an actual WWII pilot think about Rift goggles? Well I guess an appropriate answer would be: "we're trying to get away from reality, so ummmm why remind us?"
I could see myself reading about WWII pilots. Or watching a documentary. Or taking a second to look at a memorial.
What would an actual WWII pilot think about Rift goggles? Well I guess an appropriate answer would be: "we're trying to get away from reality, so ummmm why remind us?"
Having worked in the area of VR for many years - I must say that there is too much hype about Oculus. Media has given it plenty of free publicity thanks to Facebook acquisition.
HMDs have many draw backs - including lack of situation awareness (you are cut out from the view of your surrounding) and motion sickness/nausea. Also no one talks about neck pain and stress which is bound to happen if wear a HMD for a long period of time.
If I were to buy a HMD - I would also consider HTC Vive which is IMHO a better system.
HMDs have many draw backs - including lack of situation awareness (you are cut out from the view of your surrounding) and motion sickness/nausea. Also no one talks about neck pain and stress which is bound to happen if wear a HMD for a long period of time.
If I were to buy a HMD - I would also consider HTC Vive which is IMHO a better system.
2
To my friends at the New York Times:
I know you are seriously pushing this whole idea of Virtual Reality (Google Box, NYTimes videos only available in VR format), etc., but did you ever think that your readership consists of people who are literate, who enjoy reading well-written and timely (and hopefully timeless) articles about the world situation around them?
Do we need another gimmick, another time-waster like VR, when it is still in its infancy? VR is the 21st century version of 1950s 3D…. too much of your limited financial resources is being wasted on this gimmick.
I would much rather see my paid paper subscription go to producing more in-depth articles, than follies like Virtual Reality.
I know you are seriously pushing this whole idea of Virtual Reality (Google Box, NYTimes videos only available in VR format), etc., but did you ever think that your readership consists of people who are literate, who enjoy reading well-written and timely (and hopefully timeless) articles about the world situation around them?
Do we need another gimmick, another time-waster like VR, when it is still in its infancy? VR is the 21st century version of 1950s 3D…. too much of your limited financial resources is being wasted on this gimmick.
I would much rather see my paid paper subscription go to producing more in-depth articles, than follies like Virtual Reality.
4
Have you tried it? Ive used the HTC Vive, and I can tell you that while the content is in its infancy, this is not a gimmick. This will be an important technology.
4
And are you waiting for this whole internet fad to blow over?
12
So stepping into the Holodeck for some recreation is a bad thing?
I have better uses for $1500 in Actual Reality.
Like an actual vacation to the beach, with an actual lobster dinner, and actual conversation with an actual woman.
You enjoy your pixels, I'll stay in actual reality.
Like an actual vacation to the beach, with an actual lobster dinner, and actual conversation with an actual woman.
You enjoy your pixels, I'll stay in actual reality.
9
Same here!!!!
1
But your 1500 bucks will be gone after one vacation. The VR set will be taking the user to many different destinations, minus the airfare and hassle.
When you're done with your actual vacation and and conversation, they're gone as well as your $1500. I'll still have my $1500 system after I've used it for vacation and conversation, be able to use it for more vacation and conversation without paying more, and use it for many productive things like business management, engineering, art design, etc. In fact, the main purpose for getting my system is because it's powerful enough for all that besides the VR, although it's designed for the VR, and won't go obsolete on me for some time. The VR is just a bonus.
People are killing each other in Chicago and Facebook comes out with another time sucking activity.
Something is wrong with this country.
Something is wrong with this country.
13
By that argument, nothing would ever be invented.
5
Poverty and lack of mobility is a real problem in this country; developing new forms of art, constructive culture, and technological advancement is not a problem. This is not a zero sum game.
6
Nonsense. Escapism is healthy.
2
The article seems to have a bit more of an edge to it than is justified.
Of course Oculus Rift is mostly for gamers. It only runs on a PC with a gamer level GPU. Maybe someday some killer app will attract a larger audience - VR will allow interaction across large distances - let's just wait and see.
The authors reaction to EVE: Valkyrie conveys a mindset that, shall we say, isn't representative of the initial intended audience. This is a demographic that talks kill/death ratios much as earlier generations dwelled upon arcane baseball stats.
Gamers and early adapters with the funds will select one of the three VR options as they become available. In a few years they no doubt will upgrade to the latest and greatest.
Great for the economy. Should be fun.
Of course Oculus Rift is mostly for gamers. It only runs on a PC with a gamer level GPU. Maybe someday some killer app will attract a larger audience - VR will allow interaction across large distances - let's just wait and see.
The authors reaction to EVE: Valkyrie conveys a mindset that, shall we say, isn't representative of the initial intended audience. This is a demographic that talks kill/death ratios much as earlier generations dwelled upon arcane baseball stats.
Gamers and early adapters with the funds will select one of the three VR options as they become available. In a few years they no doubt will upgrade to the latest and greatest.
Great for the economy. Should be fun.
4
There was a time when I would've been aching to try this out and fascinated by all the possibilities. Now, I just see these things as distractions from the world around us. It's bad enough that everyone is kept fixated on their phones - that going for any period of time without the information feed creates an underlying sense of anxiety. Our world needs a good deal of attention, perhaps we didn't need yet another way to slip into a corporate manufactured dream state.
10
The end user decides whether a technology will make their lives richer or stranger. Everything hitting shelves or in the lab has applicability right now, but it is up to us individually to intellectually remain a step ahead.
2
Any research or speculation how this might affect vision, that is, increase the risk of near-sightedness? There are of course many other questions and apprehensions . . . .
> "Any research or speculation how this might affect vision, that is, increase the risk of near-sightedness? There are of course many other questions and apprehensions . . . ."
I have just recently completed a 3 year Govt-Contract using a system, much more sophisticated than this one. This does not impact your vision in a manner you suggest, in fact, for me, somehow I see a little bit better inside the VR world than in the outside/real world. I now require eyeglasses to read almost anything, but have good distance vision- and I much prefer not to wear glasses while in the system
I have just recently completed a 3 year Govt-Contract using a system, much more sophisticated than this one. This does not impact your vision in a manner you suggest, in fact, for me, somehow I see a little bit better inside the VR world than in the outside/real world. I now require eyeglasses to read almost anything, but have good distance vision- and I much prefer not to wear glasses while in the system
1
I am sure it is fun, the ability to safely get thrills and chills and whatever. But really, how about actually living a life. There is more than enough substance in reality if you just choose to look for it or, in the alternative, seek it out.
4
The device is not the software (e.g. games) created for it. I've had a DK2 developer headset for over a year. I run a sophisticated flight simulator on it, and bought a pair of go-pro cameras to capture stereo images when I go biking and running (some of it racing in a crowd).
I watch my "homemade video" when running on a tread mill or using a stationary bike. It's a lot less boring, albeit with a fair bit of cognitive dissonance, and "Ground Hog Day" (the Bill Murray movie) deja vu disorientation.
Personally it's had the subtle psychological effect of making the record of reality (in my memory) less certain, and my remembering/wondering, "... have I been in this place before? more intangible.
Trying to make simple 3D-ish video shows you how hard it is to visualize in this new medium. That's where the hard work is going to be; harder than the devices. I looking forward to some hobby drone experts to put stereo cameras under their quadcopters; so I can experience "body flying" when I'm awake not just when I'm dreaming.
I watch my "homemade video" when running on a tread mill or using a stationary bike. It's a lot less boring, albeit with a fair bit of cognitive dissonance, and "Ground Hog Day" (the Bill Murray movie) deja vu disorientation.
Personally it's had the subtle psychological effect of making the record of reality (in my memory) less certain, and my remembering/wondering, "... have I been in this place before? more intangible.
Trying to make simple 3D-ish video shows you how hard it is to visualize in this new medium. That's where the hard work is going to be; harder than the devices. I looking forward to some hobby drone experts to put stereo cameras under their quadcopters; so I can experience "body flying" when I'm awake not just when I'm dreaming.
12
If we go by the picture accompanying this story, the best market for this might be dentists.
8
This seems to me another yet another example of technology that outpaces our needs.
6
The picture Zuckerberg paints is that VR is just 3D TV on steroids. The consumer "killer app" is likely limited to rich techies playing first person shooters, but he can't say that.
Not that Zuckerberg would paint this picture, but one possible new application would be drones that replace marines running around and getting themselves killed. A driver for a small flying drone or a humanoid robot that walks and shoots would likely do better if they had VR technology like this. VR helps with situational awareness so you don't bump into things and lets you see issues in your peripheral vision. I can imagine marines setting up outside a hostile building and then releasing their killer robots to clear a building out risk free, moving first person shooters and some dystopian movie visions into the real world.
Not that Zuckerberg would paint this picture, but one possible new application would be drones that replace marines running around and getting themselves killed. A driver for a small flying drone or a humanoid robot that walks and shoots would likely do better if they had VR technology like this. VR helps with situational awareness so you don't bump into things and lets you see issues in your peripheral vision. I can imagine marines setting up outside a hostile building and then releasing their killer robots to clear a building out risk free, moving first person shooters and some dystopian movie visions into the real world.
1
We tried an Oculus while in Bruges and it was an impressive sensory experience.
On the other hand it was beefy and from that perspective alone, I would not want to wear it for hours on end. The other thing worth noting is the health warnings that were posted other than neck strain...
It has great potential. Audio is already impressive, now it someone can perfect adding smells to an experience, ummm and environmental changes like intense heat, getting drenched, well we'd never have to leave our pods.
On the other hand it was beefy and from that perspective alone, I would not want to wear it for hours on end. The other thing worth noting is the health warnings that were posted other than neck strain...
It has great potential. Audio is already impressive, now it someone can perfect adding smells to an experience, ummm and environmental changes like intense heat, getting drenched, well we'd never have to leave our pods.
VR, wearable technology, drones, smart homes and cars, AI, and the list goes on. Judged on their own merits, none of these advances warrant much fanfare. "Solutions without problems," as someone upstream said. Taken as a whole, though, from a perspective in the not too far off future? They're vital incremental steps towards an irreversible evolutionary shift. I'm not sure we can change the path we're on, or even if we should, but we really ought to be giving serious consideration to where it will take us.
11
> "Solutions without problems . . "
I just recently completed a 3 year DOD contract using a system that was much enhanced over this, and was used for Soldier/MP training
1) We downloaded the AutoCAD drawings for a multiplex movie theater for our local MPs, and every month they would send a company through to simulate an Active-Shooter takeover of the building
And unless they went to the actual movie theater with paintballs, there is no closer, more realistic training available
2) Imagine that we could have gotten the building plans for BinLaden's compound. They could have trained as much as they wanted before the assault, and been nearly as familiar with the building as the people who lived there
3) We have maps for places all over the world, including Bagdad, Kandahar, Kabul, & etc. And can create new ones based on GoogleEarth
I just recently completed a 3 year DOD contract using a system that was much enhanced over this, and was used for Soldier/MP training
1) We downloaded the AutoCAD drawings for a multiplex movie theater for our local MPs, and every month they would send a company through to simulate an Active-Shooter takeover of the building
And unless they went to the actual movie theater with paintballs, there is no closer, more realistic training available
2) Imagine that we could have gotten the building plans for BinLaden's compound. They could have trained as much as they wanted before the assault, and been nearly as familiar with the building as the people who lived there
3) We have maps for places all over the world, including Bagdad, Kandahar, Kabul, & etc. And can create new ones based on GoogleEarth
It's very interesting to see some of the negativity in the comments here. Sure, going places and doing things and seeing people are preferable, but it's certainly not always possible. We should embrace new ways to interact with our world, our peers, our entertainment, and art, even when that interaction is virtual.
At $1,500 the system is far more affordable to schools, clubs, or even families than doing most of what it seeks to present. Virtually wandering the streets of Madrid or Sarajevo or Venice could spur children to have a wanderlust denied to them by economic circumstance. Inhabiting a Martian rover's camera might spark an interest in science that drives a student to buckle down or shift focus toward STEM courses. Playing a game, viewing a play, or experiencing custom VR art experiences can inspire a passion for narrative or creativity that other forms of media simply can't replicate.
Are we to throw this away because the headset looks silly? Or because the desktop tower looks odd in your mobile-friendly apartment?
At $1,500 the system is far more affordable to schools, clubs, or even families than doing most of what it seeks to present. Virtually wandering the streets of Madrid or Sarajevo or Venice could spur children to have a wanderlust denied to them by economic circumstance. Inhabiting a Martian rover's camera might spark an interest in science that drives a student to buckle down or shift focus toward STEM courses. Playing a game, viewing a play, or experiencing custom VR art experiences can inspire a passion for narrative or creativity that other forms of media simply can't replicate.
Are we to throw this away because the headset looks silly? Or because the desktop tower looks odd in your mobile-friendly apartment?
30
Most likely, the actual end result, will be people who can no longer tell the difference between Actual Reality and pixels in a screen.
Pair that with the increased use of drugs like marihuana, and we're right there heading for a Matrix type future, where people no longer know they are alive.
Pair that with the increased use of drugs like marihuana, and we're right there heading for a Matrix type future, where people no longer know they are alive.
2
I'm sure the same fears were raised when television and video games were first invented. Fortunately, reality is a much better story than The Matrix.
I bought the Samsung Gear VR (also made by Oculus) for my husband at Christmas, and he loves it. It works with Netflix, so he's enjoyed watching movies there, and using other kinds of apps (but not gaming). I mainly wanted to say, though, that I saw a great news story about VR headsets being used with children in hospitals to give them a break from the cold reality of being very ill. Seemed immensely successful, and made me think the potential of VR has barely been touched.
49
I have tried VR - it is a quantum leap in terms of your mind's engagement.
We need the industry creating these products to do something new: actually do the research and tell the truth on the long term mental affects of this technology before we wake up with a mental health nightmare.
We know enough about brain chemistry at this point to measure the incredible population health management nightmare - or benefit - that VR could create.
Does Facebook and the other companies leading this charge have enough eleemosynary genes to do the right thing for all of us?
We need the industry creating these products to do something new: actually do the research and tell the truth on the long term mental affects of this technology before we wake up with a mental health nightmare.
We know enough about brain chemistry at this point to measure the incredible population health management nightmare - or benefit - that VR could create.
Does Facebook and the other companies leading this charge have enough eleemosynary genes to do the right thing for all of us?
6
> "do the research and tell the truth on the long term mental affects of this technology before we wake up with a mental health nightmare"
I just recently completed a 3-year DOD contract working with a much more sophisticated version of this for military/MP training
REALLY, there are NO long term mental affects that come with this technology, other than that which users bring to the table with them
ANALOGY = HEAVY DRUG USAGE in the 60s-80s.
We had all kinds of scare-stories about how horrible this was going to be for the populace. REALITY-CHECK, for an extremely small part of the users, these warnings might have been relevant, however, as with many things, if they users saw that it was ruining their lives, they could've/should've stopped early on
For the people that moral-crusaders pointed to as being destroyed-by-drugs, my observation is that those people themselves were the problem, and they would/will be useless/worthless with, or WITHOUT drugs
For the vast majority that I saw, their drug usage was mostly neutral, or sometimes positive
I just recently completed a 3-year DOD contract working with a much more sophisticated version of this for military/MP training
REALLY, there are NO long term mental affects that come with this technology, other than that which users bring to the table with them
ANALOGY = HEAVY DRUG USAGE in the 60s-80s.
We had all kinds of scare-stories about how horrible this was going to be for the populace. REALITY-CHECK, for an extremely small part of the users, these warnings might have been relevant, however, as with many things, if they users saw that it was ruining their lives, they could've/should've stopped early on
For the people that moral-crusaders pointed to as being destroyed-by-drugs, my observation is that those people themselves were the problem, and they would/will be useless/worthless with, or WITHOUT drugs
For the vast majority that I saw, their drug usage was mostly neutral, or sometimes positive
Zip:
I could send you 50 of these research papers but start with this one as it's easy reading:
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic951141.files/cognitiveNeuroOf...
" A massive increase in the amount of dopamine released in the brain was indeed observed during video game play, in particular in areas thought to control reward and learning. The level of increase was remarkable, being comparable to that observed when amphetamines are injected intravenously."
We have vastly more understanding of the working of the brain.
There is a direct effect by intense video experiences on the neurotransmitters and the structure of the brain that has long term unknown effects (Google "SPECT scans").
To simply relegate negative cause and effect to " they could've/should've stopped early on" is to continue the behavioral cause fantasy hatched in the 40's and 50's about the root causes of alcohol and drug abuse.
I'm simply saying: someone had better look at brain impact now with the current science - not with assumptions made in the 40's and 50's.
I could send you 50 of these research papers but start with this one as it's easy reading:
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic951141.files/cognitiveNeuroOf...
" A massive increase in the amount of dopamine released in the brain was indeed observed during video game play, in particular in areas thought to control reward and learning. The level of increase was remarkable, being comparable to that observed when amphetamines are injected intravenously."
We have vastly more understanding of the working of the brain.
There is a direct effect by intense video experiences on the neurotransmitters and the structure of the brain that has long term unknown effects (Google "SPECT scans").
To simply relegate negative cause and effect to " they could've/should've stopped early on" is to continue the behavioral cause fantasy hatched in the 40's and 50's about the root causes of alcohol and drug abuse.
I'm simply saying: someone had better look at brain impact now with the current science - not with assumptions made in the 40's and 50's.
Thanks for the response Paul, I HAVE read lots and lots of research papers on this
Plus over 3 years I say probably 5,000 soldiers use our system
Plus, I have my own experiences over those 3 years probably logging several hundred hours in these suits, along with 4 other associates in my system, who, all combined, didn't spend probably as much time combined as I did
- -
Dopamine release. yeah sure. But the first time everybody gets into one of these systems is an instant mindblowing experience because your ears and eyes are sending signals to your brain, that are widely divergent from what your body/inner-ear are saying
HERE IS ONE DIFFERENCE: In our systems, soldiers usually spent about 2 or 3 thirty-minute sessions in this system, and only about 5-10% of them ever got the chance to come back again, although we did have a substantial number that may have come in multiple times
WHAT will happen when people get these systems in their own homes, and can spend as many hours in VR as they essentially want to?
My expectation is that the novelty of the experience wears off, as you acclimate to it. Some people will become consumed by it, and allow it to take over a large part of their lives. Any so-called downside will be on the order of a line from an old Kink's song:
"he's not a dandy, he's simply being what he wants to be"
Plus over 3 years I say probably 5,000 soldiers use our system
Plus, I have my own experiences over those 3 years probably logging several hundred hours in these suits, along with 4 other associates in my system, who, all combined, didn't spend probably as much time combined as I did
- -
Dopamine release. yeah sure. But the first time everybody gets into one of these systems is an instant mindblowing experience because your ears and eyes are sending signals to your brain, that are widely divergent from what your body/inner-ear are saying
HERE IS ONE DIFFERENCE: In our systems, soldiers usually spent about 2 or 3 thirty-minute sessions in this system, and only about 5-10% of them ever got the chance to come back again, although we did have a substantial number that may have come in multiple times
WHAT will happen when people get these systems in their own homes, and can spend as many hours in VR as they essentially want to?
My expectation is that the novelty of the experience wears off, as you acclimate to it. Some people will become consumed by it, and allow it to take over a large part of their lives. Any so-called downside will be on the order of a line from an old Kink's song:
"he's not a dandy, he's simply being what he wants to be"
I think the lil bit under the nose was meant for ppl to be able to breathe lol
The Dali museum in St Pete has a demo that takes you inside a Dali landscape, you can zoom around and see his stilt-legged elephants and other weird creatures in 3-D motion. This seemed to me to imply a very promising use for these gadgets, well beyond the landscape of shoot-em-up games. Along with live sports, how about dance and drama performances?
1
how was the dali app? Did it actually work?
I have to echo the other comments that the author may not be the target market. Oculus is definitely geared towards gamers at the moment. Considering it takes fairly powerful hardware to run, it's not going to run on your tablet or smartphone. If it did (like the Samsung Gear VR), it would have the power to run the games that would attract its target market. I understand you're writing for a general audience here, but it felt like it missed the point. Any first generation* technology like this is going to be targeted to a hardcore niche market.
*I know VR has been done before, but it makes sense to consider this the "first generation" of a new cycle.
*I know VR has been done before, but it makes sense to consider this the "first generation" of a new cycle.
13
"Any first generation* technology like this is going to be targeted to a hardcore niche market."
Can porn be far behind?
Can porn be far behind?
1
Human Blinders.
There something vaguely dystopian and horror oriented about these. For me it summons images of chains of VR Blinder clad slaves clinging to each other as they run, pulling some evil Fat Cat on his rickety coach through the Gotham streets. The clinking metal chains at their feet glistens in the shafts of sun that pierce the towering grey ruins around them. Blind leading the blind, mouths agape, they turn their heads awkwardly in all directions, hands outstretched, but they can only see what they are programmed to see. Only the privileged Fat Cats get to see non-virtually in the future.
See. We all have a virtual reality program in our brains. It's called imagination. Try it sometime. It's free and super cool.
There something vaguely dystopian and horror oriented about these. For me it summons images of chains of VR Blinder clad slaves clinging to each other as they run, pulling some evil Fat Cat on his rickety coach through the Gotham streets. The clinking metal chains at their feet glistens in the shafts of sun that pierce the towering grey ruins around them. Blind leading the blind, mouths agape, they turn their heads awkwardly in all directions, hands outstretched, but they can only see what they are programmed to see. Only the privileged Fat Cats get to see non-virtually in the future.
See. We all have a virtual reality program in our brains. It's called imagination. Try it sometime. It's free and super cool.
47
but this technology allows you to interface with the imagination of others!
12
If the image which accompanies this article portends our future, I'd rather get off the bus now.
5
VR? How 1996.
On the other side of this, and admittedly, I am a person who travels and has an active lifestyle, I would be interested in seeing how this technology interacts with something like google earth and google street view. It would be cool to, say, travel to Rome when you can't actually travel to Rome.
On the other side of this, and admittedly, I am a person who travels and has an active lifestyle, I would be interested in seeing how this technology interacts with something like google earth and google street view. It would be cool to, say, travel to Rome when you can't actually travel to Rome.
3
I went to Rome last summer and loved it but honestly, I'm not interested in putting on a gadget to make believe that I'm in Rome. I can watch a Rick Steves travel show on TV and I can be in Rome, London or wherever.
Imagination is a wonderful thing.
Imagination is a wonderful thing.
8
I agree with your general point Debra, but for someone like me who wants to plan the trip of a lifetme to Rome someday, it would be amazing to be able to use Google Earth a d these to plan actual walks through the city. I could see the streets themselves and map out what to do in person.
i have a better virtual reality machine --
my imagination
my imagination
Imagine actually enjoying a courtside seat at a game, studying in a classroom with real people and teachers, or actually consulting face-to-face with your doctor. You know, actually interacting with real people.
74
You know, there's no actual real interacting with people in that scenario, which is what makes it even scarier. And who cares how foolish you look doing it with what appears to be a boot on your head. Once we're all wearing them, the world will look to us like it must now look to fish who only encounter people who are wearing goofy looking scuba face masks. It looks torturous to wear, some form of enhanced interrogation device. Imagine the potential, in that regard.
1
this will unlock new horizons in that it will permit us to "be" in classes that are too far away geographically or cost wise. This is a big innovation. Imagine being able to sit in, like something resembling a real student, in a class taught by a nobel prize winner?
7
I hope you see the irony of communicating this sentiment through a comment on an Internet website.
28
This is a weird technological phenomenon.
There is nothing extremely new or innovative on the technology side of the rift. It is a pair of lenses, a screen, and some tracking sensors / emitters.
So if this product ends up being as big as it's backers seem to think, the major story will be how careful work on ergonomics and marketing can create a paradigm shift in consumer technology.
Or it could just be a bubble.
There is nothing extremely new or innovative on the technology side of the rift. It is a pair of lenses, a screen, and some tracking sensors / emitters.
So if this product ends up being as big as it's backers seem to think, the major story will be how careful work on ergonomics and marketing can create a paradigm shift in consumer technology.
Or it could just be a bubble.
2
Another mind numbing "device" designed to make automatons of the entire human species. The equivalent of Novocaine for the brain.
18
Bob, do you watch TV?
5
Lol, who gave Frasier an Occulus Rift and asked him to review it? Complaining about how the computer destroys the look and feel of your apartment or how you looking wearing it; all of this is massively beside the point.
I love the VR experience of the Occulus. Yes, your eyes do get tired, and yes, the immersion factor can be surprisingly draining, but all of that only highlights how intense the experience is.
In the end, I may be too old myself to be a great spokesperson for this device, although for me the impact of instantly standing in those virtual environments was completely amazing. But my 7 year old nephew who was visiting me this last weekend and his brother would literally not put it down. It got to the point where my sister was joking that I had better be prepared to lose the thing when they went home. And as they did leave he had already informed his mom and dad about his number one request for next Christmas.
Make no mistake, this device and others like it are the future. The effect is like nothing else you can get in the modern entertainment landscape, and the minor selection of experiences now will pale to what's available a year or two from now. I honestly think this is the "killer app" personal computing has been waiting for.
I love the VR experience of the Occulus. Yes, your eyes do get tired, and yes, the immersion factor can be surprisingly draining, but all of that only highlights how intense the experience is.
In the end, I may be too old myself to be a great spokesperson for this device, although for me the impact of instantly standing in those virtual environments was completely amazing. But my 7 year old nephew who was visiting me this last weekend and his brother would literally not put it down. It got to the point where my sister was joking that I had better be prepared to lose the thing when they went home. And as they did leave he had already informed his mom and dad about his number one request for next Christmas.
Make no mistake, this device and others like it are the future. The effect is like nothing else you can get in the modern entertainment landscape, and the minor selection of experiences now will pale to what's available a year or two from now. I honestly think this is the "killer app" personal computing has been waiting for.
33
You're writing to your audience, I understand that.
I think the current alternative is Oculus GearVR for the non-PC user.
I think the current alternative is Oculus GearVR for the non-PC user.
So.... you don't look 'cool' wearing it - it doesn't make your living room look 'cool' - it doesn't work with your smart phone - it isn't an app...
Why do I think the author is not the target market?
Why do I think the author is not the target market?
14
A solution looking for a non-existent problem. Aren't people 'immersed' enough already, heads buried in their phones every second of the day?
The devices will enjoy the wide support consumers have given to other tech miracles like Google Glass and 3D for the home.
Expensive, clunky, bulky, difficult to produce content for, late to market, these things will tank spectacularly, leaving a crater in Facebook's portfolio.
The only two places where they might prove useful is in real estate sales (virtual tours of properties), and of course the one thing that drives many tech innovations: pornography.
The devices will enjoy the wide support consumers have given to other tech miracles like Google Glass and 3D for the home.
Expensive, clunky, bulky, difficult to produce content for, late to market, these things will tank spectacularly, leaving a crater in Facebook's portfolio.
The only two places where they might prove useful is in real estate sales (virtual tours of properties), and of course the one thing that drives many tech innovations: pornography.
35
Actually, per Mr. Zuckerberg, the hope is that for example you could one day have a courtside seat at a basketball or tennis event for a price you could actually pay and no difference in the experience except for smells (which may be coming one day as well).
1
Other solutions to non-existent problems: tablet computers, smartphones, the internet ...
26
Actually, VR is becoming popular in the therapeutic community and of course gaming. Check out http://www.emblematicgroup.com/ who have used VR for social justice issues. I also recently attended a tech conference that demonstrated many possibilities for presenting music (imagine immersive 360 music videos) theater, dance and art. THe rift is big and clunky but so were the first iterations of mobile phones. As the technology develops, the products will improve and prices will reach consumer level. http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/wearables/gear-vr/
1
No doubt in some distant future when everyone is exulting about the transcendent experience of VR and digital watches (sorry, but the iWatch is so overwhelmingly 1980s it begs comparison to Douglas Adams' prescient observation), they will race to this blog to add a told-you-so comment ... about something entirely different.