Althouse: "There's zero doubt in my mind that when the final version of this device comes out it is going to change the world."

January 7, 2014

"There's zero doubt in my mind that when the final version of this device comes out it is going to change the world."

"For me, today, already has."

30 comments:

Revenant said...: Want.; 1/7/14, 4:15 PM
mccullough said...: Next generation porn delivery system.; 1/7/14, 4:20 PM
Robert J. said...: Frontiers in teledildonics.; 1/7/14, 4:22 PM
YoungHegelian said...: It's just amazing what gets crammed onto high-end graphics processors now.

It's like it's a whole 'nother PC right there on your high-end graphics card.; 1/7/14, 4:22 PM
Original Mike said...: You could hook that thing up to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data file and fly through the Universe.; 1/7/14, 4:25 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Wow. Nerd^3.; 1/7/14, 4:29 PM
Anonymous said...: The start of the 20th century saw the birth of a new art form in moving pictures.

We should take the idea that video games are also a new art form seriously, and if so, this kind of device could be a key development in that art form.; 1/7/14, 4:31 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: One of my friends has one of these. He's a pro gamer who wins money at tournaments. It's not that great. Here's why-

1. It's heavy. It takes effort just to wear it. Your neck hurts after a short time.

2. You can't wear it without hurting your eyes. My friend managed to wear it up to one hour at a time after several days of building up his tolerance.

3. The game interface is buggy. The few games that support Occulus don't do it very well. The few that do work, notably Half Life 2, still have major bugs that make certain parts of the game very difficult. Many games that have the menu in the lower corner simply can't be played because the device won't let you reach there.

4. The 3D stereo vision is really cool.

It's nowhere near ready for mass release, and even when it is it will be a long time before game developers support it. Even then, Occulus won't be usable by a large proportion of gamers because of eyestrain and neck fatigue. It's not a fun experience. It takes too much effort to wear.; 1/7/14, 4:32 PM
George M. Spencer said...: I test drove Jaron Lanier's virtual reality system at TED2 back in ancient times.

It was utterly immersive.

With the goggles and hand gloves I found myself inside a Bugs Bunny-type animated reality interacting with objects. I especially remember throwing a virtual ball. Within a minute or two I was all contorted around and on the floor lost in cyberspace. It was amusing to watch other conferencegoers before and after. They did the same things, utterly unaware of the real world around them.; 1/7/14, 4:35 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Oh yeah, and the resolution was really low. It was like playing at 600x480. That's going to be fixed.; 1/7/14, 4:36 PM
rehajm said...: Can I wear it riding on my Segway?; 1/7/14, 4:47 PM
David said...: Watching the Winds War of War.

Now that was a try to change the world.

Robert Mitchum!

Polly Bergen!

Yow.; 1/7/14, 4:56 PM
Patrick said...: Video games as art. Seemed ridiculous to me.Then, a couple of years ago,a local radio station started a show reviewing video games. Now, one of our NPR affiliates (the classical station) has a short show on which they review video game soundtracks.

I don't play them, but I gather some of them are very serious works, even if they are "just
games."; 1/7/14, 4:56 PM
Michael K said...: Some adaptation of this will be used to train surgeons. The Army has been using VR technology to train trauma surgeons for years, even before there was all the real trauma to use.; 1/7/14, 4:57 PM
paul a'barge said...: Wake me when they release pornography for it.; 1/7/14, 5:02 PM
Revenant said...: I forget who said it first, but it went something like "for people creating something that 'isn't art', game developers sure do hire a lot of professional artists".; 1/7/14, 5:14 PM
madAsHell said...: Masturbation without gratification.; 1/7/14, 5:38 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: I think games are closest to film when thinking about whether they are art or not.

Just like in Hollywood, huge blockbusters with big budgets will be made for the lowest common denominator. That doesn't mean that they aren't well crafted.

GTA V is the video game equivalent of the 1997 movie "Titanic." Very well made, but not terribly complex. The level of detail is amazing, and the execution of the various stories is pretty good. But it isn't something deep or life changing. Mostly you drive around, explore, be rude, and shoot people. That's fine, it's just like a Hollywood blockbuster. The art is in execution, not message.

There are indie games just like there are indie films. A lot are crap, many are pretentious crap, and a few are fun.; 1/7/14, 5:40 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: If film is art, video games certainly are. The only difference is, in the latter you get to be the protagonist.; 1/7/14, 5:43 PM
Strelnikov said...: Having just read "The Circle", a dystopian novel by Dave Eggers set 15 minutes into the future, this is an unsettling piece.; 1/7/14, 5:49 PM
PB said...: Does it come with a blue pill?; 1/7/14, 5:59 PM
Larry J said...: They've been working on this technology for the military for several years. The F-35 was designed with a helmet incorporating this kind of technology. The plane has sensors mounted all over it. A pilot can tilt his head down and "see" through the bottom of the plane. No more blind spots. You can not only see a plane that might be below or behind you - you can shoot a missile at it.

They've had a lot of trouble with blurring when a pilot turns his head quickly. It has delayed the F-35 quite a bit and they even brought in a second vendor to try and fix the problems. They ended up cancelling the second vendor about a year ago. Without this technology, the F-35 has less visibility than planes like the F-16, especially to the rear. They have to make this work.; 1/7/14, 6:15 PM
Michael K said...: " A pilot can tilt his head down and "see" through the bottom of the plane. No more blind spots. You can not only see a plane that might be below or behind you - you can shoot a missile at it."

Anybody see "Firefox?"; 1/7/14, 6:23 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Думать по-русски; 1/7/14, 6:33 PM
Sigivald said...: ... and the comments there remind me why Gizmodo is worthless.; 1/7/14, 6:35 PM
wildswan said...: Doesn't it seem a little weird that the guy thinks he has experienced an air stunt because his stomach flipped? Would he join the Army if he was good at Call of Duty - the game - and expect a real battle to be the same? Isn't this Don Quixote all over again?; 1/7/14, 6:42 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: What's the opposite of virtual? Vicious?; 1/7/14, 6:54 PM
Writ Small said...: You think Japanese women are having trouble finding suitable men now?

@ John Lynch - The device your friend has is the predecessor to the one discussed in the article and the newest, 1080P version is still not consumer ready. I've heard about issues of using the device for long periods of time, too, but I'm withholding judgment until a I can buy one from Walmart.; 1/7/14, 7:17 PM
Geraldus Maximus said...: I have a dev kit (first generation Oculus Rift), I agree that the current available iteration is not ready for prime time. However, it is only the first iteration. For those who wonder what the future is google "infinite realities vimeo" -- tasteful NSFW or "veiviev vimeo" -- WARNING VERY NSFW! The future of computer graphics, and porn, is bringing in reality to your computer. This video is of a nude woman, stills taken from hundreds of cameras, bring her exactly into 3d. Watching the video through the Oculus Rift puts you right there next to her. The creator says that 4D - a motion version of this advance - is on the way. Helen Smith's book on the plight of men is a call too late. I predict even further abandonment by men from society. If you can afford food, a computer and a Rift then what else do you need? As a married older man I know the answer to that question. The kids don't and the world is stacked against them. Why bother when virtual reality is much more immediately fulfilling? Sex, power and complete freedom are there for the taking -- affordable by any guy with a minimum wage job and a bunch of room mates.; 1/8/14, 12:41 AM
Peter said...: The end-stage virtual reality machine will be wires in your head.; 1/8/14, 8:48 AM