BA5 - Advances in AR (Augmented Reality)

Can Virtual Reality Really be the Next Step,

or is it Simply a Novelty?

"The promise of virtual reality has always been enormous. Put on these goggles, go nowhere, and be transported anywhere. It’s the same escapism peddled by drugs, alcohol, sex, and art — throw off the shackles of the mundane through a metaphysical transportation to an altered state. Born of technology, virtual reality at its core is an organic experience. Yes, it’s man meets machine, but what happens is strictly within the mind." - Matthew Schnipper

Virtual reality is becoming more and more of a reality for more of us. It's already open to the public in the form of the Oculus Rift Development Kit. This is a piece of kit developers can buy for a mere $350, which, when you think about it, is quite a low price considering the package you're receiving.

Why is virtual reality being funded so heavily? What is it about VR that makes us all want it so badly? I believe there are several reasons behind it, although possibly not what is expected. Video games are a large motivator behind it, people want to play in virtual space driving a car or shooting someone on the front lines, it's just a fact, gamers would find it cool. However, whether this will become the new way to play video games, I'm not so sure. I created a survey to ask a few basic questions about Virtual Reality and the answers surprised me, most people would want to try one, also that it would take off in games as well as other sectors, most would play their favourite game and entertain the idea of VR, however the answer that shocked me most was that the majority thought that VR would overtake the traditional way of playing games. Maybe it's simply because I can't envision people playing their favourite Call of Duty for hours on end in a VR environment. I think the problem with VR in games is that gaming is designed around minimal effort, take someone playing a game like League of Legends, without looking at the screen and simply observing the actions of the player, besides a few finger movements on the mouse and keyboard, they're doing nothing, whereas on the screen, it's hectic. Minimal input and maximum output is what a lot of video games today are based around. The Oculus Rift, Smart Glass etc threaten that and I don't know if the gaming audience would take to the extra effort. Admittedly it isn't much but comfort plays a big part in video games, a lot of people will want to stay in their own ways of playing video games as they've gotten comfortable with the routine. You'd argue that they had to get into that routine at some point but it would've been because it was a new thing to do, it wouldn't have replaced anything because video games are relatively new. VR would be introducing a new form of gaming, not a new form of entertainment, therefore I don't think they'd be a satisfactory replacement.
An answer on my survey to the question relating to whether or not VR will take off, gives an accurate answer, 'Yes, but it will require dedicated content, ported games won't be able to provide the right experience due to problems deriving from controls, optimization and game design related problems.' I think this sums it up very well, as video games stand today I cannot see it taking over, the VR market will need it's only specialised array of games based on unique content.

It's an unfortunate, but necessary, side to it all, but I believe money is a big motivator behind it. Some of these companies will be throwing money at it and buying out various rights so they can make money off them at a later date. So when VR does become mass market, there will be a lot to be made from those people buying some VR device for their daily lives.

"Sources say Google is leading what could be a $500 million funding round for the Florida-based company; Andreessen Horowitz may be one of the other investors in the consortium. Magic Leap already announced $50 million in funding earlier this year."

The article then goes on to talk about Facebook's acquisition of Oculus Rift for an eye watering $2 billion dollars.

I conducted a survey in which I ask participants several questions based upon their opinions of virtual reality and where they might think it'll go. I go some solid results with some definite trends.

This one did surprise me, personally I don't see it but it's quite likely when you consider how games are moving forward. It also comes down to the people I'm asking, those who are heavily into video games and how they work would be more excited for the change or at least the idea of it, whether or not they'd choose VR over the traditional way of gaming is yet to be seen.

Once again for this one it comes down to the generation and the people I'm asking. I think in 20 years 100% would be Yes. 

This was a fairly predictable question, it shows that people know what it is and what it can do. When explained to people it's a very appealing idea, being able to move around in your own virtual space.

I feel this was also a fairly obvious question, but it's clear that this isn't a stunted technology. Virtual Reality will take off and be the next thing. I think this is why so much money is thrown at it, it's an amazing idea when you consider it's uses and how it's already been implemented into a professional environment.

This was one I really wanted an answer for, and it certainly gave mixed results. I think because it's such an advanced piece of kit at the moment, and quite rare, it hasn't been seen in the public eye, there hasn't been many examples of it being used in a day to day environment so it's hard to picture it.

This was a very clear cut question, it may have something to do with the people I asked, mostly being game students, but it definitely shows a trend that people do want this and it's something to look forward to.

There are many advantages to virtual reality. As well as it having the potential to revolutionise the way we spend our leisure time, playing video games or maybe watching films, it could also become extremely beneficial when used in training situations, in the fields of medicine, architecture or counselling for example. Doctors in training could be put through simulations in which you have to perform incredibly delicate surgery but in a totally safe environment. They would be allowed to make mistakes and learn as they go, with no risk to any patient. In the field of architecture it could be used to create buildings on building sites in a virtual space that allows developers to walk around the site and examine the building from certain angles in both a safe and cost effective environment. Also, a less desirable use, but in the military, it could be used to training purposes, generating various scenarios that may happen in a virtual space where, once again, it's totally safe.
Something that I think will be a large part of VR is the fitness side, people using it to get into shape, as the idea of incorporating some form of helpful program or maybe even game based system would be a very good motivator. Although whether or not this would be taken down the way of a full headset such as the Oculus Rift or the Google Glass is uncertain. Personally I believe it'll be both, smart glass for those already into fitness or want something sleeker, as it can be incorporated far more easily if you're already active. The full headset would be for people wanting to start, so you could pull up programs and exact instructions etc, being as helpful as possible.

Virtual Reality will generally make life easier as a whole I think, especially when it becomes integrated, my generation has been brought up with it and the generations above me are learning things about it everyday, it won't be too much longer before technology in our lives is even more so the norm than it already is. Whether or not this is a good thing, however, is what remains to be seen.

For all the advantages I think there is one major disadvantage to Virtual Reality and that is addiction. People get addicted to all manner of things, when Virtual Reality is in everyones day to day life for, lets say a mere £100, you'll get people who want to spend more time in a virtual world that they might be able to create for themselves than their real life. VR junkies will come around, those spending more time in their virtual worlds and not taking care of themselves because of how isolated/encapsulated someone could become within augmented reality.
It's a well known truth that people get addicted to video games, it happens all the time, stories of boys spending 15 hours straight on video games and emerging to eat, sleep and use the bathroom. I found a tragic story of an Xbox addict, ages 20, who died after having a blot clot for for sitting motionless for up to 12 hours a day, which eventually ruptured and killed him. It's incredibly sad but the truth, it happens, admittedly it's not common but it shouldn't happen at all. Which is why when VR hits the mass market I worry that this could happen more as games will become even more immersive.
With VR this will only get worse, imagine being given the opportunity, in 5-10 years, to be able to disappear into a virtual world that is yours. Take something like Second Life, being able to play that from a first person perspective will be incredibly enticing to people who already play the game.
It's also an incredibly isolated experience, even more so than games already are, you're literally creating your own world to be inside with a closed off headset.

"We are deploying powerful technology drugs to our young people and expecting that they will have no untoward impact on them or the world," he concludes, "even as data stream in telling us that these technology drugs are toxic - even in their current, relatively weak form."

A game exists called 'Second Life', in which you create, quite literally, a second life for yourself. I found an article talking about one particular woman who has become a millionaire through just the game and the virtual life she's created. Ailin Graef created an online persona called Anshe Chung who, over the space of two years and a half, became a real life millionaire through Second Life. Within the game in her time she created shopping chains, supermarkets and even invests in an in game stock exchange, combining all these she believes her total value to exceed one million dollars.

"Anshe Chung’s achievement is all the more remarkable because the fortune was developed over a period of two and a half years from an initial investment of $9.95 for a Second Life account by Anshe’s creator, Ailin Graef. Anshe/Ailin achieved her fortune by beginning with small scale purchases of virtual real estate which she then subdivided and developed with landscaping and themed architectural builds for rental and resale. Her operations have since grown to include the development and sale of properties for large scale real world corporations, and have led to a real life “spin off” corporation called Anshe Chung Studios, which develops immersive 3D environments for applications ranging from education to business conferencing and product prototyping."

According to this website, this woman isn't the first person to make real money off this game. Then again the same goes for other games in some ways, an old gambling host on the MMO Runescape used to make in excess of $3,000 a month, but that's another story.

Something similar to this would happen with the release of VR for the mass consumer, it'd begin with single person usage as video games did in the early days, then eventually we'll have virtual environments where you can mingle with other people using a VR headset in games like MMO's where people will begin to generate currency. Basically everything that's happen with video games in the past 10 years, I believe that we'll see something very similar with VR as it can be applied to such a wide variety of activities.

Virtual Reality is around to stay I believe, however we're still in the clumsy toddler stage, in the future it'll be more streamlined and integrated into our daily lives, similar to what Google has done with their smart glasses. A heads up display, for now, is far more appealing and likely to be taken forward.

Bibliography

- http://www.theverge.com/a/virtual-reality/intro

Matthew Schnipper

- http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-healthcare/advantages.html

Writer N/A

- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2020462/Xbox-addict-20-killed-blood-clot-12-hour-gaming-sessions.html

Rebecca Twomey 30th July 2011

- http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenkotler/2014/01/15/legal-heroin-is-virtual-reality-our-next-hard-drug/

Steven Kotler 1/15/2014 @ 8:41AM

- http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2006/11/second_lifes_fi.html

Rob Hof on November 26, 2006

- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-echochambers-27264418

Images

- http://www.readpt.com/2014/01/the-failing-of-an-industry/

- http://www.gameogre.com/reviewdirectory/reviews/Second_Life.php

Survey by SurveyMonkey