I just read another article on Valve's upcoming VR game:

https://games.yahoo.com/news/first-game … 02820.html

So... what's the deal? Are these games going to be released on consoles? PC? As far as I can tell Occulus Rift is only available as a development kit. Are consumers actually going to experience games at some point? Also, the graphics look like PSX quality. Granted, it's meant to be seen in a headset, but still, I hope that's not the best we can do...

From what I can tell, Occulus Rift is mainly PC, then there's another one that's focused around Sony. The technology is getting to the point where it can actually be affordable for people to buy into (so we're not shelling out for $2000 helmets).

As adverse to change as I usually am, I welcome this trend for 3D gaming and hope it catches hold. I never felt comfortable trying to use a flat screen to portray a 3D world, no matter what kind of setup I'm using, and I feel like this is a logical step. That said, it's going to have growing pains. It's not like VR has a long history of successes.

It's kind of funny how everybody is suddenly jumping on this Virtual Boy hype train. While the technology (high dpi screens, head tracking etc.) is definitely really nice it's still to be seen how many people will want to put a box in front of their head and lose sight of their environment. Can't really imagine how that's supposed to become mainstream.

It depends. For now, it's a "box", but I can see it become glasses, and most people would not mind. Of course, that always reminds me of the old Sega System glasses...

To me, that's part of the appeal. Being in front of a screen is not immersive, even with a good surround system, nor is moving the camera with a second analog stick. That sense of isolation, of escapism, is part of the appeal.

Virtual Boy failed for many reasons (mainly the red and black screen, the lack of games and overall discomfort), but I always felt like the underlying idea had merit.

I agree. It was ahead of its time in many ways. It was Nintendo's worst failure, and few people purchased it. Now of course, an unopened system sells for $1000-2000+.

I've tried a Rift. It's definitely an experience unlike any other I've tried before, but I'm not in love with the idea of being totally disconnected from my surroundings. Personally, I think the potential educational and medical applications of the tech are more interesting than the gaming ones. I'm curiously watching from the sidelines to see how this tech takes shape.

I can see that. But it's a niche appeal. I can see a lot of hardcore players and members of the industry loving it. But something of the mainstream scale that would justify the backing by Facebook as well as VR headset products by virtually every manufacturer of mobile phones and TVs? As something that will be used by casual people like grandmas in everyday life? No way.

But by that logic, I wouldn't expect grandmas to use Playstations and Xboxes either. And you know how divided opinions are with something like the Wii. At least, you know exactly where I stand on it and the idea of wiggling a controller at the screen....

To the GAMER audience, I think it will find its appeal. Although admittedly, no one in my group gives two shits about it yet. So who knows...It could end up as nothing. I think if they can scrounge some killer apps together, they might have something to sell people on better. I mean, Resident Evil with tank controls isn't something I'll play. Resident Evil where you literally have the dogs jump through the window and attack you? I'd try it, just for curiosity.

But again, if they find a way to keep it affordable, it will find market penetration. It has far more potential than Move or Kinect do.

Hands-on: Sony’s Morpheus Headset Is a Virtual Delight

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/hands-on-son … 84804.html

This sequence of sentences made me laugh out loud. Gamers will find the appeal of wiggling their head with a screen fixed in front of it while locking themselves out from their surroundings. I guess they just can't see themselves looking stupid that way.

By all indications plenty of Wii (and Kinect) tech is coming back thanks to VR (and the necessity to make up for the lack of awareness for the real environment from in there). I find the difference in public reception hilariously hypocritical to be honest.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you're trying to say?

That's okay, your intellectual dishonesty in this discussion has me both laughing and shaking my head. Seriously, you're saying VR's problem is "grandma" can't pick it up and use it, when she is clearly not the target audience for the device.

You seem fixated on pointing out people looking stupid with these things on their head. This is a given. So are you really that concerned what people look like when you are playing by yourself in your room? That does seem to be the main application. I can also see something to the effect of a passthru view added, if one needs to remain aware of their surroundings. But honestly, watch a Twitch stream where you have a self view of the player. They're not doing anything interesting the entire time except staring at their screen.

Wii, Move and Kinect are ways of controlling a game, VR is a different way of viewing and experiencing a game. And I think Wii and motion controls have had ample time to show they aren't an optimal solution for controlling anything. From being inaccurate to not have enough buttons to not having enough good software to showcase what it can offer.

But hey, as you say, Grandma can join the fun and play her 15 minutes of Wii sports by wiggling the controller at a TV screen before she doesn't get it and decides playing Bingo is more exciting (and this is not a knock on Bingo). And even kids can too! Before they get bored at the party and start doing something more exciting, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

Do people still play pin the tail on the donkey? Ahhh, the good old days

Pot calling the kettle black. All I was generally saying is that while the tech behind is undeniable great I just can't see VR becoming mainstream, making a stupid example that's often used with the Wii. And in my last post I was poking fun at gamers dissing the Wii tech for waggling (which ensured that the great part of the tech, the very accurate pointing, was mostly ignored) while jumping at the next best chance to praise another form of motion tech that is VR that tends to make one look odd to people unfamiliar to it.

As for Wii and Kinect tech being revived through VR, look at the tech that different VR is introducing to ensure that head tracking works consistently, or Valve's just announced Lighthouse that essentially maps out the surrounding of the player so he isn't in danger of stumbling over the furniture and stuff in his room.

But thanks for calling my input "intellectually dishonest", I likely won't make the effort to make another post in this topic.

Again, if your point is the fact that grandma (or any other typical non-gamer) isn't going to use it, I think you're missing the point of such a product. Gamers are the target audience.

I'm also not saying this thing is going to have 100% gamer penetration rates either. They'll be lucky to reach 10-20% of the market, if that. A lot of people feel VR is a fad and I don't blame them. My stance is that VR has been discussed for decades now (long before the current age of motion controls) and this might be the first time in its history they get it right, in terms of pricing and content. It's the first time people will be seriously considering VR. If they wanted this to totally flop, the helmets would be priced at $2000 and would have 1-2 games available to play.

As for Wii, I would offer the counterargument that if motion controls were strictly an option, a good share of people would opt not to use them. Also see: The amount of people that did not want to buy an Xbox One at launch because it was originally Kinect-only and priced higher as a result.

Grandma may have a heart attack playing Alien: Isolation in VR.

http://www.cnet.com/special-reports/ocu … he-future/

"Oculus Rift: Welcome to the future"