Hardware & Technical Facebook buys OculusVR
- Thread starter Toumal
- Start date
- Status
I can't understand why somebody can't understand why you'd want one.
Is it not obvious? The ability to actually feel like you're in a created game or world, rather than peering at a facsimile through a flat, 2D screen.
The closest thing to Star Trek's holodeck we're likely to see for a long time I reckon, and for a couple of hundred quid? Bring it on!
Approaching the 60's, there is not too many decades left, unless health sciences creates miracles, to wait for that holodeck. The Rift is, as you write, probably the best crutch until then so it is a very appealing product.
True I suppose, but there's plenty around here to whom 'immersion' is their watchword. You can't get much more immersive than your brain actually thinking you're 'in' the game world.Not everyone feels drawn to that though
So tempted, as I would use it not only for ED but also other sims, such as iRacing etc... already use TrackIR but this is just another level.... not really bothered about the FB buyout, what's the worst that can happen? Farmville will look awesome...
Does anyone know roughly when CV1 will be due out?
Must. Resist.
Farmville will look awesome...Does anyone know roughly when CV1 will be due out?
Must. Resist.
I think the most important factor is that old chestnut FUN.
The gadget looks FUN. People who have used it say it is FUN, and watching them playing Elite using it, they seem to have FUN doing it. It's like people saying "Why buy a 3D TV?". Because it adds an extra dimension (literally) and makes watching a film more fun than in flat 2D.
I'm still waiting for CV1. In the meantime, for the pure hell of it, I ordered one of these which I'm expecting delivery of tomorrow.
Totally agree!I think the most important factor is that old chestnut FUN.
The gadget looks FUN. People who have used it say it is FUN, and watching them playing Elite using it, they seem to have FUN doing it. It's like people saying "Why buy a 3D TV?". Because it adds an extra dimension (literally) and makes watching a film more fun than in flat 2D.
I'm still waiting for CV1. In the meantime, for the pure hell of it, I ordered one of these which I'm expecting delivery of tomorrow.
Those durovis things look pretty interesting, think I saw them on Gizmodo. If I had a smartphone I'd be tempted.
Yeah, but just to play devil's advocate for a mo, not everyone's idea of FUN is the same. I've yet to find many films where my enjoyment was increased by the addition of 3D
Yeah, but just to play devil's advocate for a mo, not everyone's idea of FUN is the same. I've yet to find many films where my enjoyment was increased by the addition of 3D
Same here. But 3D TV is not the same thing as VR. It's not even close.
Yeah, but just to play devil's advocate for a mo, not everyone's idea of FUN is the same. I've yet to find many films where my enjoyment was increased by the addition of 3D
Comparing a 3D TV with immersive VR are as comparable as:
Staring at a Mona Lisa vs Watching a Blu-Ray
Do you even know how VR affects your state of mind when you are immersed? The sense of "presence" allows you all the feelings you get from actually travelling to that place.
For instance. If you are falling down in VR, you will actually feel like you are falling down - you've had the dreams where you fall, so you know you can experience the sensation without actually doing it.
If you're standing near a huge castle, you will actually think you are there, and you will be in awe at the size of it.
Seeing mountains in the distance, makes you actually think they are in the distance. Seeing a cockpit around your body, makes you think you are in fact surrounded by this cockpit.
It doesn't even fade away the more you use it. The sense of vertigo from standing at a ledge doesn't fade one bit, regardless of how many times you've tried it.
All this happens because of a trick of the mind called "presence", which overrides your conscious and rational mental faculties. The "primal brain" which governs your sense of presence are much older parts of the brain, older in terms of evolution. So it's like the BIOS (when you boot up your computer). If you disable a hard drive in the BIOS, it doesn't matter what a higher operating system like Windows tries to do. If BIOS is told that the hard drive is disconnected, Windows won't even have a chance at booting up. Similarly, if your brain's temporal lobe is convinced (by the eyes) that it is falling, it will overrule your brain's higher systems (the rational parts). So you will be rationally aware of the illusion going on, but you won't be able to affect how the visual cortex -> temporal lobe -> goes directly to your limbic system, and makes you fearful, sweat and feel like you are falling.
That's my way of explaining how a sense of "presence", however irrational, can completely convince your body. Even though your rational mind knows it's just a trick, because you're wearing the VR headset.
In order to achieve Presence, you need to fulfill certain criteria. And you can't break even one of these criteria:
So please, try to get some knowledge on the subject before comparing it to a 3D TV
Last edited:
I'll be having a test with 3dfilms on my DK2 when it arrives.
I heard there was some software that put you in a virtual cinema, but I'm hoping VLC player will be able to be used with the OR.
Some films in 3D look like a popup book of 3 layers, but when it's done right i.e. Madagascar 3, it can really bring a film to life.
I heard there was some software that put you in a virtual cinema, but I'm hoping VLC player will be able to be used with the OR.
Some films in 3D look like a popup book of 3 layers, but when it's done right i.e. Madagascar 3, it can really bring a film to life.
Thought provoking high art masterpiece vs brain melting dumbed down mass entertainment?
Just joshing. I get your intent.FWIW, I'm not a fan of 3DTV and am dubious about VR - not because it isn't brilliant (I'm sure it is) - but because I don't see it being a practical option in my house. You appear to need zero disturbance (hassle getting the thing on and off every few minutes, I'm guessing?) and that's just not the situation in a household with two small kids
Thought provoking high art masterpiece vs brain melting dumbed down mass entertainment?
FWIW, I'm not a fan of 3DTV and am dubious about VR - not because it isn't brilliant (I'm sure it is) - but because I don't see it being a practical option in my house. You appear to need zero disturbance (hassle getting the thing on and off every few minutes, I'm guessing?) and that's just not the situation in a household with two small kids
I forsee a regular fight between myself and my kids on who's going to use it.
I will of course lose.
I wasn't the one who introduced that comparison though
Yes, but not everyone wants that feeling. I don't doubt for a minute that OR is utterly amazing, but I do find it strange how people keep insisting that everyone else has to want to play games with it.
My thoughts exactly. It's the new religion of "immersion", as if being completely 100% immersed in a game is the one true holy grail that all players should aspire to. I'm sure it's great for those who want it, but I don't feel like that. I'm happiest playing a game where I'm having fun but am able to multi task with other stuff at the same time. I just don't especially enjoy (these days - used to when younger) "losing myself" completely for hours in a game.
I wasn't the one who introduced that comparison though
Yes, but not everyone wants that feeling. I don't doubt for a minute that OR is utterly amazing, but I do find it strange how people keep insisting that everyone else has to want to play games with it.
I don't understand your feelings here. But if I can try to make sense of this:
- A new technology comes along that can finally make VR possible
- People get excited
- People try it out, and they get even more excited
- It gets mentioned a lot in the news
- Some people (X) don't want to hear about it (for unspoken reasons)
- The more X-people hear about it, the more they feel a peer pressure and feel annoyed.
- The X-people go to public forum thread with the topic "Oculus Rift" and talk about how they don't want it or don't find it interesting, and complain about other peoples' excitedness as it perturbs them..
- In efforts to "debate" the topic, they bring ignorance to the table
Really. If you're one of those who don't want the feeling of immersion, you could just stay away from this thread if you don't want to hear people rave about how great VR is. Nobody is forcing you to try it. I've not read a single post insisting to people, saying something like "well, you should get one, you really should get one!" - besides, most games won't be good in VR. Only the games made with VR in mind will be amazing in VR.
Sorry if this crude timeline didn't represent you, but that is the sense I'm getting from people such as yourself. It just seems comes across as ignorant and petty. Especially the comparing to a 3D TV.
About the question of "borders", there are some black borders around your eyes, similar to how it feels like wearing ski goggles. But they are at the edge of your peripheral vision. FOV is 90-110°. The sense of presence is uncanny. I hope you get to try it one day, maybe you will change your mind.
Last edited:
I think some of the issues with being cut off maybe come from people using headphones. I don't and therefore still always have that connection to the real world - I can hear the phone ring, or the doorbell, etc. Personally I think I would find headphones much more of an isolating experience than the Rift itself, but maybe I'm just weird!
There are borders TJ. Imagine it's a lot like wearing ski goggles in the real world - if you look left or right (or up and down) by moving your eyes, not your head, then you will naturally see the body of the goggles blocking your vision... it's similar in the Rift.
There are borders TJ. Imagine it's a lot like wearing ski goggles in the real world - if you look left or right (or up and down) by moving your eyes, not your head, then you will naturally see the body of the goggles blocking your vision... it's similar in the Rift.
Sorry but there is plenty of chatter along the lines of "it's the way everything will be played soon" and "it's totally superior to every other form of display" and "it's the single best way to play a game" etc, as though that's true for every player regardless of preference. Currently those of us who know (or suspect) that VR won't "work" for us for one reason or another get the impression that all design and all gameplay decisions revolve around VR and making that work optimally with little consideration for alternative displays and controls.
We get that VR is important strategically for FD and vital for marketing, and also that many players are excited about it. We're also just worried that people without a VR setup will get "second best" or completely ignored in terms of attention from the dev team with their setups. [example - OR has tonnes of dev time put into it to give optimal play using it, but multimonitor has had virtually zero effort despite being (currently) much more widespread; it has a really rudimentary setup and nothing in the way of gameplay allowances to support it - e.g. the side menu panels aren't visible in your peripheral monitors until you "head look" towards them, which defeats the purpose of having side monitors really; there's also no support for multiple viewport angles meaning the peripheral view is weirdly stretched].
Well I didn't want to mention it but.....
Sounds as if it's something thats not going to be much of a issue then. Looking forward to getting the DK2 more and more.
Playing ED and hopefully watching to occasional film will be a experience to say the least.
- Status