Will virtual reality end up like 3D?

[Richard_Feynman]

baloofarsan said:

Richard_Feynman said:
My opinions:

- You can't comment on it if you haven't used it

- It's a game changer - literally and figuratively

- I played Killzone3, Uncharted3, Wipeout HD and more on a fantastic 3D display and it was not an outright better experience than 2D. I played Portal 2 with Occulus Rift for several hours and it was absolutely awe-inspiring. My conclusion is that 3D and VR are not comparable.

- Anyone who brings up the virtual boy should be completely ignored.

- People are scared of "missing out" and hence downplay the possibility of it being great even though they haven't tried it - see 1st point.

For those who are going to try it - they will be very happy. Of that I am convinced.

Does it feel strange to interact with the VR "reality" trough a gamepad? I would imagine it breaks the immersion but maybe it is easy to get used to.

...and moving around, with a gamepad, I imagine also could feel a little strange.

Tell us the good, the bad, the surprising.

Well, I played with mouse and keyboard, but I suppose the same applied:

 

The good:

- Having your entire peripheral vision covered by the game visuals. This is new to gaming. A new experience. Immersive and pretty.

- There is nothing odd about playing like this. You play as you usually would and it works as you'd expect. Nothing is lost.

- The head tracking! Oh my. You control the game as usual - moving your visual reticule with the mouse. But in addition to this the whole world moves around you (realistically) when you turn your head. This is also an entirely new dynamic at play. Immersive.

- (potentially) It frees up the TV/monitor.

- Everyone wants to play. It's a showcase. It's exciting and entertaining.

The bad:

- Ummm...

- I guess if you don't know the controller layout then you're in trouble.

- It looks very funny when someone is playing. They move there head around like aliens in a UFO. You look a little bit like a scuba diver on dry land.

- You can get the bejesus scared out of you if someone sneaks up on you.

- On that point - Survival Horror games might just end up being too scary.

- The resolution on the OR wasn't so great. I could see pixels. But that's been improved with the 2nd version, so I presume the point is moot.

- One person only.

Surprising:

- The (OR) headset doesn't way down on your head. You don't feel like you have this awkward thing on your face.

- The head tracking aids the gameplay.

- How much of a "new thing" it is. I can only compare it to playing 3D games on PSOne for the 1st time i.t.o the personal impact it made on me. I was not alone.

 

Addendum:

VR shouldn't be considered a replacement of the TV/monitor. It should be seen for what it is: Something very, very cool that can be used semi-frequently. If it isn't priced too high and there is good software support then I'd advise anyone to purchase it - after trying it of course.