Assignment 1 Thomas Viola

Assignment 1 Thomas Viola


The best way I can describe my VR experiences is as quasi-religious events. Every time I take off the headset, I feel like I have just seen the future. Putting on the headset creates an immersive experience on a level like nothing I have ever seen before. It is an amazing feeling, like you are actually in a game, not just watching it on a screen right in front of your face. Playing through Aperture Robot Repair made me truly feel like I was in the Aperture Laboratory.

Obviously VR is in its incredibly early stages as a technology, and one thing that sticks out to me is the fact that no one has really created any sort of full-length video game or movie experience for the tech yet. Everything I have done has been more of a tech demo. Some serious questions still need to be answered. How long can one stay in a headset before getting uncomfortable? How will full length experiences be controlled? Will the player use a controller? How will you move through the world?

How will developers bring the price point of headsets down? Oculus Rift went on presale for $600. In addition to the headset you also need an insanely powerful, several-thousand-dollar PC. Sony's Playstation VR looks a little more promising, as it looks to be more user friendly, and only will require a PS4, which many already have. Obviously, hardcore early adopters won't be deterred by the large buy-in, but eventually the price will have to come down.

Finally, how do you advertise for VR? Traditionally, video game developers show off their newest games at expos like E3. But live on-stage demos of VR games have consistently fallen flat. It is simply too awkward to watch these games be played on a stage by someone else. The only solution so far has been to put hundreds of headsets on the show floor and have people try it for themselves, then tell their friends. Advertising to the masses will be a huge challenge that these companies have to overcome.

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