Octopus Overlords

We're a week away from the release of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, and Playstation VR preorders sold out in 10 minutes on Amazon and are now just about sold out at every other major retailer even though it doesn't launch until October. People are about fly around in virtual spaceship cockpits and have holodecks in their rooms, have virtual computer desktops and other various other magical things straight out of our favorite sci-fi movies. Just about every tech website is covering this stuff now, as are youtube and twitter personalities who (I'm told) are extremely popular with huge audiences.

But people here are barely talking about VR! What's up with that? Are people here thinking of it as another fad? A modern day Kinect that'll seem neat for a year and then fizzle out? Or is it being seen as just too early, too expensive? Or is it just not being seen at all? It's just not yet on the radar for OO?

I think we're all just old and jaded. We're waiting for the idealistic-with-money crowd to experiment this time around.

I don't think it's a fad. But, I don't think it's ready for prime time either. I think it's this:



It's going to need another decade of iteration and improvements to fix the current problems and introduce more functionality (not to mention the size and form factor issues).

We are. The problem is that you are the only one here who does not realize that he is stuck in the matrix, and we have been trying to figure out how to break this to you without sending you into some type of shock.

VR is all we're talking about in the secret forum.

I'd love to get a Vive, but between the headset and the new video card I'd need, it'd be an $1100 investment, and I totally can't justify that, especially on first gen tech. I hope it does well so when the price comes down to a level I can afford, it'll be awesome. Until then, I'm kind of ignoring it.

Waiting on my free GearVR from my Galaxy S7 Edge pre-order. They said 4-6 weeks.

As to Computer/Console VR, I'm waiting as the xbone hasn't committed yet, and my PC video card is probably underpowered.

I am also waiting until they develop the holodeck safety protocols. I certainly don't want to be the first person murdered by a Moriarty hologram.

I am connected to the Internet via a 5 Mbps DSL line. Virtual reality? I can barely stream HD to a single TV in my house.

Too expensive.

Another factor that's holding me back is that gaming is a family activity around here. A console or game is an investment that is shared by the whole family. You can't share VR. One person plays alone.

monetary outlay too significant (i still don't own any real-life property, even.)

I have never been an early adopter of any technology. I have no need or even interest in being on the cutting edge, or working through the problems and early limitations. While price is always a factor (I'm not made of money) I doubt I would jump on board at this stage even if it were free.

I'll happily read other peoples' opinions though.

I'm out until they develop a groin attachment.

How does it work when you have jilted vision and need reading glasses and have slow reflexes?

I need a sample before I think about it.

: old dude with a long beard shaking his cane:

LordMortis wrote:How does it work when you have jilted vision and need reading glasses and have slow reflexes?

I need a sample before I think about it.

: old dude with a long beard shaking his cane:

Are you still seeing the world in 3D? You should be ok.

GreenGoo wrote:Are you still seeing the world in 3D? You should be ok.

My jilted vision prevents me from seeing 3D with 3D glasses and I have no depth perception. Historically, things that are presented in 3D end up as two images that never quite align. I haven't engaged the technology in maybe 15 years so things may have changed drastically since then. I also had a large chunk of muscle removed from right eye to stabilize it about a decade ago, so that may help. *shrug*

That shit costs $800. I'll wait for the paperback version.

killbot737 wrote:That shit costs $800. I'll wait for the paperback version.

Request granted.

Between the stupid high prices and the lack of the tech thats really needed its a total fad other than looking around in certain game types like air and space games and perhaps racing. I say wait 50 more years.

LordMortis wrote:... I also had a large chunk of muscle removed from right eye to stabilize it about a decade ago...

Jesus. Sounds radical. I cringed when I read that.

Chaz wrote:I'd love to get a Vive, but between the headset and the new video card I'd need, it'd be an $1100 investment, and I totally can't justify that, especially on first gen tech. I hope it does well so when the price comes down to a level I can afford, it'll be awesome. Until then, I'm kind of ignoring it.

This is pretty much me.
Along with bits of pretty much every other post in the thread (except Mortis' eye muscle thing), but this post comes closest to why I've been pretty much ignoring it.

Too expensive, and not a fan of wearing a big honking headset. I don't even like to wear 3D glasses in a movie theater. Plus I don't foresee strategy games benefiting much.

I might be persuaded if I had a chance to try it out first, but it would still take a real killer app to make me part with that kind of money -- like maybe when Civ 7 comes out for VR. Until it matures I would worry too much about buying into the latest equivalent of Betamax or laser discs or HDVD or whatever.

Right now it strikes me as an expensive novelty. Ask again in five years.

LordMortis wrote:

GreenGoo wrote:Are you still seeing the world in 3D? You should be ok.

I have no depth perception.

Uh...

LM: Doc, will I be able to play the piano?

Doc: Yes.

LM: Well I couldn't before!

Giles Habibula wrote:

LordMortis wrote:... I also had a large chunk of muscle removed from right eye to stabilize it about a decade ago...

Jesus. Sounds radical. I cringed when I read that.

My first son had this done to him repeatedly when he was just a tot to get both his eyes pointed in the same direction. It was a bit ridiculous.

Kraken wrote:Too expensive, and not a fan of wearing a big honking headset. I don't even like to wear 3D glasses in a movie theater. Plus I don't foresee strategy games benefiting much.

I might be persuaded if I had a chance to try it out first, but it would still take a real killer app to make me part with that kind of money -- like maybe when Civ 7 comes out for VR. Until it matures I would worry too much about buying into the latest equivalent of Betamax or laser discs or HDVD or whatever.

Right now it strikes me as an expensive novelty. Ask again in five years.

Word on the street is that the VR porn is pretty good.

Anybody here around when quadraphonic sound came out? I remember going to a Radio Shack that was showing off the gear and everyone was talking about how it was going to be the Next Big Thing. Didn't happen.

Regarding VR, I have a number of issues:

• Cost - Can't justify spending money on a display interface I would only use for gaming.
• My rig - it's just not powerful enough and again, cost to upgrade. I got this computer in Feb 2014 so I'm going to have to live with it till probably 2018
• Motion sickness(?) - I normally don't have any issues, but recently I've had a bit of a problem with FPS and motion.
• Technology just not mature yet

And...

• I just can't get that excited about VR. I guess it's because I've never felt like I can't get immersed in a game through a conventional display, which might be a outcome of having lived and played through the entire history of video games starting with the Odyssey 4000 Console.

Of course, if someone fixed me up with the required rig and all the rest, I wouldn't say no to it

Daehawk wrote:Between the stupid high prices and the lack of the tech thats really needed its a total fad other than looking around in certain game types like air and space games and perhaps racing. I say wait 50 more years.

I don't think it will be a fad, but the 1.0 devices now coming out will be rapidly eclipsed. Consumer level VR cameras are also coming this year, so content will be arriving en masse soon. If I were a high end realtor I'd be getting ready fast.

I really want to try it, but the price was too steep. The free gear VR is just the ticket to dip my toes in the water.

jztemple2 wrote:Anybody here around when quadraphonic sound came out? I remember going to a Radio Shack that was showing off the gear and everyone was talking about how it was going to be the Next Big Thing. Didn't happen.

And yet how many of us have 5.1 speaker setups now? VR could follow the same trajectory from failed novelty to ubiquitous. I'll wait and see. Hopefully it won't take 30 years.

You people are old and stuff. I can't wait for my Rift to ship! I'll get my playtime out of Elite: Dangerous and Project Cars for sure.

This year is my cycle to replace my computer so I already budgeted for a $1,500.00 expense on a computer (plus it's a business write off) and I am all in this summer for a Rift or Vive (haven't decided yet). I have wanted to play flight/space sims like this since I was probably 12 years old. I'm waiting til summer to hopefully get a small price drop on the video card I want.

Yeah, I think that VR will eventually be major. Right now, its in its infancy so its both too expensive and underdeveloped. I read an article that explained how tech development has an exponential growth as it builds on previous tech. It wont take 50 years to refine and reduce the cost of VR but it may be around 5 years before it reaches the point where Ill be able to get into it.

To sum it up:

Too early (in its tech life)
Too expensive (for what you are getting)
Too few (games that use it)

My wife accuses me to trying to isolate myself from her and the kids if I put both headphones on while playing a game. A VR headset? Hells no.

I expect VR to achieve the same level of popularity and market share as 3D television.

NickAragua wrote:I'm out until they develop a groin attachment.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/vi ... msung-Gear

May not be too far behind after this news...

Exodor wrote:I expect VR to achieve the same level of popularity and market share as 3D television.

Hmm, TV is a passive activity. Gaming is interactive and often immersive. I would think VR would be a perfect tool to expand on that. I fully expect VR to become a standard in any home that would normally have a gaming console of some sort (which is a large majority of homes at this point).

That said, this is certainly not the first time VR has been the "next big thing!" so that also drives my wait and see attitude. It has been decades since the last time, and I still don't have my haptic suit and visor.

Grifman wrote:To sum it up:

Too early (in its tech life)
Too expensive (for what you are getting)
Too few (games that use it)

What he said but with the realization that there might never be enough games that use it in genres I like.

I think augmented reality is a bigger, better deal and it flopped.

With me:
-Given my motion sickness issues in virtually all FPSs (Killing Floor 2 the welcome, inexplicable exception) and an increasing number of 3rd person games, I just can't see myself enjoying VR due to likely motion sickness issues.
-I think given how every other new fangled form of gaming or gaming control or gaming format has not panned out, or the games past launch phase just didn't happen, it's not something I'd even try to get into until I see proof it's here to stay for the long term. Which if it is, then the prices should soon enough come down.

I will say Eve Valkyrie intrigues me (https://www.evevalkyrie.com/). Just makes me wish there was some place I could visit nearby to try it out.

I think we're waiting on the first-impressions thread.


Honestly, given the slow-adoption rate, I don't think we'll see all that much discussion on it until it becomes more mainstream.