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Virtual Reality is going to change the world

notch.net

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Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#141

Post by yaeger »

smacktoward wrote: post #32
kissickas wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. People are hating on social VR here, I think, just because they are upset to see the facebook acquisition and don't know how else to disparage the deal. Don't get me wrong- I'm extremely upset about it due to facebook's clearly evil history - I don't know how anyone could deny this, given user exploitation and tracking[0] - and the fact that Oculus Rim values the combined ideas of virtual reality and augment…

I don't even think they're hating on "social VR" as a concept, so much as they are on the specific involvement of Facebook. Facebook has accumulated enough ill will over the years -- with its cavalier attitude towards users' privacy, with the multiple times it's screwed over developers who bet the farm on their platform, and so forth -- that people just automatically assume now that if you lie down with Facebook you…

Bringing Google into this makes your comment especially funny.

I would hit anybody over the head who would dare to say "Yeah, I hate Oculus now. If only they had gone with Google instead of Facebook"

Really the pot calling the kettle black, here. And make no mistake, any of the other companies you mentioned should have resulted in just the same kind of backlash. Not a single one of them cares about you or your privacy. They are all out to collect as much information as possible. It is high time people realized this.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#142

Post by contulluipeste »

rpdillon wrote: post #106
ekianjo wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Simple: it provides a hyper-compelling experience that is completely unavailable through any other means, and does so for merely the price of a peripheral. Doubters will visit a friend's house and use it and be instantly sold. VR is a Big Deal.

You touched a very important point of promoting VR to masses. People have indeed to be "instantly sold" to it, but trying it to a friend's house won't be enough in my view. Broad and free public experience availability is crucial to promote it on "must-have personal gadget" level. I don't fancy FB and the current acquisition, but the heavy promoting will require heavy investment (like from someone who can afford to pay billions on a whim).

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#144

Post by kissickas »

masklinn wrote: post #120
kissickas wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. People are hating on social VR here, I think, just because they are upset to see the facebook acquisition and don't know how else to disparage the deal. Don't get me wrong- I'm extremely upset about it due to facebook's clearly evil history - I don't know how anyone could deny this, given user exploitation and tracking[0] - and the fact that Oculus Rim values the combined ideas of virtual reality and augment…

> I agree. People are hating on social VR here Uh? Notch very specifically notes social VR would likely be great, and that he does not mind, just does not care.

I said "people," not "everyone." Of course, Notch is more reasonable than most, and he's not who I'm talking about.

Did you see what is currently the top comment on this thread?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7470243

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#145

Post by moron4hire »

eloisant wrote: post #135
clef wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately there is a difference between "backer" and "investor", even if they both chuck money in the project. Would there be such a thing as a kickstarted kind of thing where backers can become shareholders? Or could this simply be a case of "if you invest 10 grand, you get x shares"? This way there could be a way for investors not to ride on the back of backers later on? Or am I being totally silly?

This is the problem I have with Kickstarter. * You can't see it as investing, because you're not getting any share. * You may see it as pre-ordering a product that doesn't exist (and I think that's how most backers see it), but you don't get any consumer protection if the project fails or doesn't live up to your expectation. * All is left is seeing Kickstarter as a charity. You're giving charity to a for-profit organ…

Kickstarter is patronage. It can't be considered anything else or they get into some legal trouble with one or more US bureaus. You can't see it as investing because then the SEC gets involved. You can't see it as prodding a product because then, as you said, consumer protection act gets involved. And you can't see it as a donation because then the IRS gets involved (more involved, as backers will want to take deductions).

Kickstarter, as a company, cannot and does not promote any view of backing except patronage. You are literally a sugar daddy for the people working on the project. Backing buys their time. Time they have promised to use to make a thing you want, but your only recourse if they don't is to not buy anymore of their time.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#146

Post by pjc50 »

interpol_p wrote: post #35

From Notch: > Don’t get me wrong, VR is not bad for social. In fact, I think social could become one of the biggest applications of VR. Being able to sit in a virtual living room and see your friend’s avatar? Business meetings? Virtual cinemas where you feel like you’re actually watching the movie with your friend who is seven time zones away? Do people really see this as the mainstream use of VR? Do people really se…

I think you're entirely right. As other people have said, we're forgetting the previous VR boom, and also the various times Hollywood has tried to make 3D films stick. 3D TVs are currently flagging in sales. In my cupboard of "tech that was once must-have", I have a Kinect, a Wii Fit, a dancemat, and an NVIDIA 3D shutter-glasses set. I suspect VR will end up there too.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#147

Post by microtonal »

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_machine

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#148

Post by rimantas »

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.

Actually I think the guys who predicted that iPhone will flop are the same guys who think VR is world-changing. The common theme is misunderstanding of the potential users and the problems the product solves. VR solves zero problems for me.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#149

Post by Nursie »

smacktoward wrote: post #27
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…

> 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…

Yet another reason that kickstarter should be equity based. At the moment it's basically a charitable donation to someone else's success.

Re: Virtual Reality is going to change the world

#150

Post by hjnilsson »

ekianjo wrote: post #128
anigbrowl wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Excuse me but the cost of producing stereo sound and the cost of producing stereo 3D world in fullHD on each eye has really nothing to do with each other. Cheap speakers are easy to make, cheap VR sets and cheap equipment to produce good enough VR is nowhere near available at a cheap price.

The first walkman cost 700$ in 2014 dollars (199$ in 1979). VR sets are not gonna be expensive forever, in 5-10 years your smartphone could probably power it and the device would not be larger than a a pair of sunglasses.
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