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John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

oculusvr.com

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Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#201

Post by driverdan »

venomsnake wrote: post #130
thenomad wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solutions to this problem might be really odd. Personally, I've been testing the Wii Balance Board as a useful input device for the Rift - and it's showing some promise. One tester did describe my test game as "Dungeon Segway Challenge", but we're getting there slowly...

Put a gun, sword into the hands of the player. Just think of the Neal Stephenson kickstarter with Rift VR.

This is what VRcade[1] is doing, but not for consumers since it costs too much. I've played their demo and it's very immersive.

[1]: http://www.vrcade.com/

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#202

Post by VintageCool »

dkersten wrote: post #138
Goronmon wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't use mouse/keyboard well if you can't see the mouse/keyboard. I can't imagine being able to properly play PC games while also having to constantly look at your mouse/keyboard.

I can touchtype, so I don't need to see my hands or the keyboard. But when I play a game, I never ever ever look at my hands - my eyes are clearly glued to the screen. I know this is definitely the case when I play games on my laptop but with an external screen that is to the side of the laptop because I sit in a way that I look right at the screen and to see the keyboard would mean I'd have to look to the side. In m…

I can touchtype with my WASD hand, but not with my right hand.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#203

Post by eli_gottlieb »

wcarss wrote: post #101
patrickk wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have my doubts about 3D revolutionising TV, as TV makers and content creators don't seem to be getting the reaction they'd hoped for from consumers. A lot of 3D movies are gimmicky, and some heavyweight directors like Christopher Nolan and Michael Scorsese have said it doesn't add anything to the storytelling nature of movies (unlike say IMAX). Gaming, on the other hand, will be simply amazing on the Rift, es…

As someone with a rift, I've experienced something really cool: Youtube videos in rift format. It's a way different experience than watching a 3D TV is, where you just get that fun little bit of pop. Just like when playing a rift game, you feel as though you're physically present in the world, and it's incredible. The thing they're missing is the ability to move your head around in the video -- it's a little bit diso…

Something like Half Life or Assassin's Creed basically works for (2). No real cutscenes, playable from a first-person POV, biiiig game worlds.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#204

Post by eli_gottlieb »

ssafejava wrote: post #184
incision wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a Rift. I'd say it's there. I haven't seen a truly "killer app" just yet, but if I wasn't totally sold on the concept when I backed the project, I certainly was the first time I strapped the Rift on.

It is certainly most of the way there now - the sensors are fantastic - and will be absolutely revolutionary with a higher-resolution screen and the addition of some yet-to-be-invented control schemes.

Actually, who says you need complicated control schemes and traditional video games?

Bizarre idea: strap on a Rift headset, instead of a treadmill you've now got some kind of thingamabob rigged to tilt and turn an exercise bike. The exercise bike has a few simple buttons for game input on it. You now play something simple that can really take advantage of immersion and graphics quality like Pokemon Snap, while riding the exercise bike.

I mean, sure, you could make this game with the treadmill version and walk down the safari trails, but that wouldn't be a very good workout.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#205

Post by 205guy »

themstheones wrote: post #21
mistercow wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From his blog, Abrash seems to be much more interested in AR than VR, and seems to lean toward VR being a parallel (but mutually supportive) path to AR, rather than a step along the way. Also, I think Newell might offer Abrash the entire company before he lets him slip away from Valve.

What's AR?

For one vision of an augmented reality (AR) future, see this music video (no need for sound if you don't like it):

The Toxic Avenger feat. Orelsan - N'importe Comment (French hip hop/electronic/dance) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEolW1x9O3k

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#206

Post by eli_gottlieb »

kayoone wrote: post #100
wesley wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess they could do some virtual reality meetings.

haha, good one!

What do you mean, "good one"? Add in some AR tech for bringing stuff from your office, and this is going to be an enterprise application.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#207

Post by eli_gottlieb »

prawn wrote: post #82

Is the level of immersion likely coming with the Rift going to really challenge parts of our interest in the 'real world'? Get Thalmic's MYO to the stage where two of them are enough to replace a typical game controller, and virtual worlds might be possible that reel us in tight with few physical reminders that it's all not real. As it is, games, gambling and social networks are sticky enough. I had to drag myself aw…

Two responses:

Cynical response: not until the fabled teledildonics is working.

Even more cynical response: that won't stop gaming companies who already attempt to deliberately addict players to subscription gaming from building highly immersive addictive games.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#208

Post by Azulsky »

angersock wrote: post #54
eterm wrote: post #9

This makes me want one. This is huge news for Oculus and I wish the team the best. I had a first glimpse of an Oculus watching someone use one on a Twitch stream the other day. He was just watching a tech demo thing of a rollercoaster ride but it was clear the tech was at or around that tipping point of interesting vs actually fun.

We've had one at our house for a few days now--even the relatively rough devkit delivers on the promise, in spades. The only thing it needs to is to be completely USB powered (probably not possible given the power envelope, or at least have a way of powering it from a battery pack for portability reasons). People using it (we had a party recently, showed it off) do feel disorientation, mostly due to a lack of seeing…

Should not be that hard given the expanding power rating in the USB 3.0 specification.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#209

Post by fudged71 »

frio wrote: post #168
JoshTriplett wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can't use mouse/keyboard well if you can't see the mouse/keyboard. Uh, what? Even if you don't touch-type, you shouldn't need to look at the keyboard and mouse to play a game. All the keys you need should be under your fingers or in easy reach, and a mouse especially should be easy to use without watching your hand and fingers. I do agree with your comments about HUDs; VR games lose a lot of immersion if you ha…

Sure, but the instant you take your hands off the keys (or the mouse), you're groping and flailing wildly to find them again. I didn't think it'd be an issue until I got my Rift, and it turned out it was :). I'm sure there'll eventually be a clever solution though.

Sounds like Rift needs a reverse version of Google Glasses inside of it! A camera on the front would show a small screen of what's in front of you IRL.

Re: John Carmack joins Oculus as CTO

#210

Post by keypusher »

sbarre wrote: post #22
mistercow wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From his blog, Abrash seems to be much more interested in AR than VR, and seems to lean toward VR being a parallel (but mutually supportive) path to AR, rather than a step along the way. Also, I think Newell might offer Abrash the entire company before he lets him slip away from Valve.

Didn't Valve recently ditch their AR-related work when they fired Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson? I thought they were shifting focus away from that for now..

Yes
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