Is there such a thing as Virtual Reality gaming?

[proteus]

Is any one or company working on this?

[Slipdeath]

it depends on what you mean

[norkusa]

Nintendo did it a while ago with the Virtual Boy. Although, that was more of a 3-D system than a legitimate Virtual Reality machine.

[omnedon]

Well, if I put on my SEGA Master System 3D glasses, and put my Genesis Activator on top of my NES PowerPad, put on my PowerGlove, and finally... put my Genesis Menacer in my other hand... it's damned close


... and totally pathetic looking!

[YoshiM]

Well, VR has been around for a while:

http://www.absoluteamusements.com/productpics/dactyl_nightmare.jpg

Dactyl Nightmare puts you in a strange chessboard like arena with platforms and odd structures where the goal is to shoot your opponents and avoid being attacked by the Dactyl that flies overhead. Turning your head changes your avatar's direction and the gun acts as both weapon and walking controls. It was "alright", even when it was fresh and new.

Then there's The Cave:
http://gamedev.cs.colorado.edu/bpvis/bp04.jpg

Images are projected on screens in a square room and the people wear 3D LCD glasses to the images jump out at them.

Then there's the VFX 1:

http://www.digit-life.com/articles/vfx3d/helm1.jpg

I actually got a chance to use this when I worked at a computer store. It was hard as hell to get to work (designed for DOS and didn't like Windows 95) but I was able to get it to partially work with Rise of the Triad. The helmet actually tracks which way you are looking...when it worked. About a minute into the game the sensor seemed to "lock" and thought I was turning left so the world I saw was spinning. I got sooo sick. Very front heavy though, but was friendly for those with bad eyesight thanks to an adjustable lens.

Basically as a gaming platform it isn't a priority like it once was. It was a buzzword and that's all it was. Any VR work is usually worked on for science or medicine (with some of the staff who ARE gamers who will setup Quake matches when everyone goes home).

[Astro Lad]

Not since about 1990. :p

I blame 'virtual reality' for the demise of poor Gunpei!

RIP

[GrandAmChandler]

Guys virtual reality is already here. And its name is Tiger R-Zone.

[rbudrick]

Guys virtual reality is already here. And its name is Tiger R-Zone.

Dude...that was just wrong!

-Rob

[Ze_ro]

Sadly, Virtual Reality is a thing of the past. The technology never really got impressive somehow, and everyone lost interest. I've a lot of people found it disorienting and didn't take to it properly (Although I absolutely loved 'Dactyl Nightmare... maybe my senses are more gullible than normal). I guess it didn't help that headsets were awfully expensive.

I really wish VR was more popular... Games like Metroid Prime would kick ass with a headset! Oh well, when they finally get holodecks working, everyone will forget about VR.

--Zero

[SoulBlazer]

The military has some good VR machines for training purposes. The problem is that the 'fake' VR that was done in the early 90's was'nt good enough to fool most people and it had several drawbacks. Once they can make a good VR unit that is afordable, totally engulfing the user, and set in safe measures (to make sure no one starves or anything), we'll see them all over the place. My guess is another 20-30 years.