This is why VR is a game changer.

[Dusk]

Scoobes said:

Dusk said:

Scoobes said:

You know there are full games with VR support added into the experience? War Thunder for instance feels like a completely different game in VR. I nearly didn't recognise it when I played it normally on the PS4 vs the Oculus version I played. The simple act of turning your head to locate the aircraft shooting at you completely changed my immersion and experience of the game.

This isn't just a gimmicky tech for video games. This is a whole new medium for art and entertainment in which video games play a part. We're eventually going to get movies (both real footage and graphical) designed for VR, virtual skype meetings, educational experiences etc.

First off, gimmicks are not bad things like so many are lead to believe. They are selling features and every part of gaming that we love today has started as a gimmick. 

I'm not worried about the head turning for the VR stuff, that is a fundamental of VR, plus it's already done with different systems. The 3DS uses this same technology in a bunch of its games, even the Wii U does this as well. 

The problem with something like a 'virtual skype meeting' is that it's virtual, so avatars are going to be used, especially with the likes of VR. That's extra money that will need to go into it, I'm not saying it won't happen cause it likely will, but it won't be viably used in business. A huge part of business is seeing the other people directly, seeing their reactions, seeing how they are dressed and their composure. Many businesses at times uses skype (or the like) for interviews. A huge part of an interview is body language and how people are dressed. Using a virtual avatar would remove that completely. It's also similar for business meetings especially when it's meetings with other companies. Everything you just said can already be done, just without the headset and the headset adds nothing to the experience. Unless of course you want to watch a perspective movie with a helmit. You aren't going to be able to look around at the world around you in a movie because it's a movie, you will move your head but it won't change the perspective of the movie at all because there is no 'world' around you. It's generally a set with mic booms, directors, coreographers, stunt people, other actors, skips and of course a warehouse or area that doesn't have the set decorations in it. It would be completely unviable and unrealistic, certainly cost wise, to attempt something like that especially with how much movies cost already. 

It will definately have it's place with the likes of google earth, or google maps street view and museum tours ect, it will be very much like that, the pros and cons that go with it because that is where technology is at so far. This is not a new jump in technology, it has been around for a long time, it has only just become more economically viable but it's uses are still quite limited. You can already experience much of this on a Wii U. Grab it, put the gamepad up to your face and go to Google Street. You can turn, walk around, look up and down and all over the place. It's essentially the same technology, just with a much lower resolution screen and the controls are built into it. 

That actually brings me to my next point. Screens so close to the eye... This has been tried again and again but there is often the same result. Long uses cause massive eye strain, and can cause permanent damage. It has nothing to do with the resolution of the screen, it has to do with such a close focus. Even when there are lenses to make it look more distant that only provides a slight improvement. Put you hand up to your face, 3 inches from it, and focus on it. You will almost instantly feel the strain of it. 

I don't think you realise some of the work that's started in the creation of 360 video cameras and how the indie movie scene has embraced VR already (on top of Sony and Oculus obviously). Sony in particular have been working on films where the world reacts to where exactly you're looking (almost like a movie video game hybrid due to a limited amount of interaction). I thought these was quite interesting articles about it from the Sundance festival:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-virtuality-reality-oculus-vr-lost-pixar-felix-paul--20150206-story.html#page=1

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/26/7919177/oculus-lost-virtual-reality-film-sundance

We even have promotional stuff like this being made already:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/virtual-reality-plunge-divergent-series-article-1.2132201

Film is a major area for VR.

You're right, the tech has been around for a while, but until Oculus Rift's kickstarter campaign, most of it was overly expensive and not commercially viable. We're now on the precipice of the tech becoming viable for general consumer use.

As for the eye strain, I'm pretty sure the engineers have this covered:

https://support.oculus.com/hc/en-us/articles/201721053-Will-the-Oculus-Rift-cause-eye-strain-after-extended-use-

The Oculus Rift causes very little eye strain, particularly compared to other standard displays or headmounts.

Normally, when you take a break from using a monitor or TV, the idea is to give your eyes a chance to focus and converge on a distant plane. This is a natural position of rest for your eyes.

With the Oculus Rift, your eyes are actually focused and converged in the distance at all times. It’s a pretty neat optical feature.

I'm aware of pretty much everything you linked. It's all well and good. Some of this has already been done with some bluray discs and some are neat features, but they aren't quite what you would necessarily expect and can really pull you out of imersion instead of what it is meant to do. It's a feature that is far from being widely adopted and even when it is, it often isn't to the same quality as one might expect. Most of it is CG and not to what many would consider an acceptable level. Of course that's how it is now, not what the future will hold. What the first article was referring to is still an animated short though, that's a far cry from a full movie and lends itself to being more of a tech demo again. 

I'm not sure if you have ever tried any VR stuff. I have. The amount of eye strain is rather intensive. I haven't tried any of this new stuff, and I have heard it is better but it's still far from being perfect. Similar to using 3D glasses in a movie. For most, one movie is enough in a day due to the strain.