Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Virtual Reality is going to change the world

notch.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 221 posts

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#91

Post by ekianjo »

weixiyen wrote: post #86
ekianjo wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He is right - "social", especially in the way Facebook is doing it at the moment, is terrible for VR. Terrible for any technology that has such an incredible potential to change the world. It's not just that. VR is not going to be a product that appeals to masses. I don't think it will change the world. It could impact the world of gaming, potentially, and only CERTAIN areas of gaming only. There are several reason…

You're going to read this in 10 years and look like the guy who predicted the iPhone to be a flop. Usable VR is absolutely world-changing.

Haha. Then I'll hope I'm wrong, but come up with clear reasons why this will be mainstream and mass market.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#93

Post by jrochkind1 »

calbear81 wrote: post #87
smacktoward wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And I did not chip in ten grand to seed a first investment round to build value for a Facebook acquisition He really puts his finger on one of the reasons why this deal feels so weird here, I think. Nobody who contributed to the Oculus Kickstarter did so because they were hoping Oculus would get flipped to a mega-corp. They didn't do so because they wanted the Oculus team to have a big, splashy VC-style exit. They…

How is pre-ordering not just a form of fundraising on Kickstarter that skirts the laws around crowsourced investing? Couldn't a startup just go on Kickstarter, promise some type of product to be delivered x months in the future, raise their seed and focus on getting bought w/o ever having to give up any equity?

Skirts the laws around crowd-sourced investing?

If it had been 'investing', the funders would have gotten a piece of facebook's two billion acquisition bucks, right? That's what investing means, right? As you mention, "without having to give up any equity."

I think kickstarter funders on technology projects are frequently suckers, but it's not got a lot to do with 'skirting the laws around crowdsourced investing'.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#94

Post by bloaf »

weixiyen wrote: post #86
ekianjo wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He is right - "social", especially in the way Facebook is doing it at the moment, is terrible for VR. Terrible for any technology that has such an incredible potential to change the world. It's not just that. VR is not going to be a product that appeals to masses. I don't think it will change the world. It could impact the world of gaming, potentially, and only CERTAIN areas of gaming only. There are several reason…

You're going to read this in 10 years and look like the guy who predicted the iPhone to be a flop. Usable VR is absolutely world-changing.

Some people predict that the instant we have complete VR, all human progress will cease. We will have no reason to seek new experiences in the real world because we can simulate any experience we want in the virtual world.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#95

Post by wernercd »

ekianjo wrote: post #75
qq66 wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your characterization of VR applications seems limited to near-term applications of current or immediate-term technologies. What about when the device is $20 instead of $400? When it doesn't make you nauseous? When it's so close to face-to-face contact that you can replace 10 or 20 percent of your business travel?

> When it doesn't make you nauseous? When it's so close to face-to-face contact that you can replace 10 or 20 percent of your business travel? That's what I am saying, we are FAR from being there. If we even get there.

We are far? Really?

15 years ago, how far were we from having a 6 inch super computer in my pocket that can communicate immediately with anyone in the world? A choice of a million apps? Music on demand? Movies? All in a touch screen device?

And Palm/BB/MS are bit players?

If we get there? not if... when. Maybe not next year, but you have to be BLIND if you can't see how far CELL PHONES have come in 5, 10, 15, 20 years.

Not a far stretch to say that we'll have mass market VR within 5-10 years.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#96

Post by magic_haze »

mcphage wrote: post #79
to3m wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See, for example: http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2013/02/27/our-incredible...

That is a seriously depressing tumblr.

Surprising how many companies Yahoo has been gobbling up... and shutting down. What exactly _are_ they doing with all the new hires?

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#97

Post by anigbrowl »

ekianjo wrote: post #70
skore wrote: post #4

For a guy who is otherwise rather easy going, Notch can be incredibly pragmatic and strident. Here, he has cut to heart of the issue. > And I did not chip in ten grand to seed a first investment round to build value for a Facebook acquisition. > Don’t get me wrong, VR is not bad for social. He is right - "social", especially in the way Facebook is doing it at the moment, is terrible for VR. Terrible for any technolog…

> He is right - "social", especially in the way Facebook is doing it at the moment, is terrible for VR. Terrible for any technology that has such an incredible potential to change the world. It's not just that. VR is not going to be a product that appeals to masses. I don't think it will change the world. It could impact the world of gaming, potentially, and only CERTAIN areas of gaming only. There are several reason…

Headphones were a niche product for a certain sort of music lover until the invention of the Walkman, now everyone has a pair. Obviously VR goggles are a bit different since you can't (safely) walk around wearing a pair, but imagine them in a Google Glass like package or with optical nerve transducers. Today's hardcore gamer is tomorrow's prosumer, is the day after's average consumer.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#98

Post by stormbrew »

bloaf wrote: post #94
weixiyen wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're going to read this in 10 years and look like the guy who predicted the iPhone to be a flop. Usable VR is absolutely world-changing.

Some people predict that the instant we have complete VR, all human progress will cease. We will have no reason to seek new experiences in the real world because we can simulate any experience we want in the virtual world.

And this means progress stops ... because...?

I could see making this argument for true AI, maybe, but even then I doubt it's true. When in human history has allowing people's minds greater degrees of freedom resulted in progress slowing down, let alone stopping?

This just sounds like "Kids these days..." kind of nonsense to me.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#99

Post by anigbrowl »

mjfl wrote: post #8

This seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I don't believe all the hype about VR. You are never going to be able to get sufficiently passable virtual reality to make up for the hardware hassle. If I want to have a conversation with a friend, I just want to see his/her face, I don't need the whole room simulated for me. Oculus will be a flash in the pan, and it's purchase by Facebook is just another example of the com…

I think it's a good way from photorealism and have no especial desire to look at friends' weird avatars. But things I would find it compellingly interesting for including examining architecture and 3d models in general (where it would mesh nicely with the Leap controller if they sort out the problems with that - a it doesn't work well with monitors); space exploration, because I loooove me some astronomy; and staring at fractals, preferably while listening to loud techno music.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#100

Post by nl »

whatisa wrote: post #82
paulhauggis wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this the equivalent of a fan hating an indy band for "selling out"?

A better analogy - fans pay an artist up front to record an album, said artist then uses the resulting success to produce a different genre of music for a major label under an exclusive contract.

A better analogy - fans pays artist up front to record album. Band records album and delivers it to fans.

Then band signs deal with record company. Fans hate band for "selling out".

Post reply on HN