Although I'm hard-pressed to even call myself a casual gamer, I am getting pretty excited about the imminent launch of Oculus Rift. Based on everything I've seen and read about the headset, it looks like it may finally fulfill a promise made many years ago that's since been meandering through the tech industry and pop culture zeitgeist. Of course I'm talking about myth, the legend, the hype machine called virtual reality.
If you're somewhere in your mid-30s or older, then you no doubt remember that virtual reality was something that promised so much (such as amazing and immersive game and entertainment experiences accessible to anyone), but delivered so little, like craptastic virtual reality movies like The Lawnmower Man and Virtuosity. Maybe it was the awkward headgear, the not-quite-there technical capabilities, or a combination of those and other factors. The bottom line was that the future hadn't really arrived yet for virtual reality environments for the consumer. In fact, there have been a few "immersive technologies" that I've experienced over the last 20-plus years that have laid a foundation of enthusiasm and skepticism as I patiently wait to get my hands on this century's attempt to bring VR mainstream with Oculus Rift. Come with me now for a trip down memory lane. Make sure you don't trip over the obsolete tech.
MechWarrior and the BattleTech Center
In the early 90s I went to a "virtual reality expo" in Boston. In terms of the VR headsets, I can't think of one memorable experience. However, they did have a row of MechWarrior pods, the kind you'd find at a BattleTech Center is you were lucky enough to live near one. This was probably my first experience with a technology I felt truly immersed in, mind and body. For five minutes or so, I was no longer in a convention center; I was in the cockpit of a giant robot, fighting other giant robots. I have yet to find such happiness.
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Disney Circle-Vision 360°
I've been to Disney theme parks many times since I was a kid. One of my earliest memories was stepping into a large room and experiencing an enormous flock of Canada geese in 360 degrees of honking splendor. Disney's Circle-Vision technology, utilizing nine screens and nine projectors, dates all the way back to when Disneyland first opened. It was used in a handful of theme park films, and there's been a rumor that it may be making a comeback.
Mission: Space at Epcot
Another Disney entry, Missionpace is a centrifuge-based ride that had a lot of press and eventually some backlash when it opened in 2003, largely due to guests becoming sick from the zero-g effects, eventually forcing Disney to offer a tamer option. Similar to be experience inside a MechWarrior pod, Missionpace was the only other time I can remember when I felt complete and total immersion. The 2.5 G forces were awesome, and it's probably the closest thing I'll ever get to blasting off into space, unless Oculus Rift can rise to the challenge.
Sony Glasstron
Now we come to the biggest disappointment. Back in 2000, buying a big screen TV was still considered a luxury for most. Some co-workers and I became obsessed with Sony Glasstron, and then one day one of them actually brought one into the office. Along with the glasses was a copy of the original Star Wars. We hooked it up to something called a "DVD" and took turns experiencing the magic. For my selection, I chose the final battle in the Death Star trench. I guess I had created a vision in my head that no technology could replicate. But needless to say, watching Star Wars on a simulated 52-inch screen through a pair of glasses that bled light from the sides was not the experience for which I was hoping.
Whether these decidedly older-school experiences were what I expected them to be, I consider them all precursors to what's next. I believe wholeheartedly that sooner or later I'll be able to watch that Death Star trench scene as if I was sitting in the cockpit with Luke Skywalker. I believe I'll be able to rekindle the enthusiasm I felt for those five or so minutes inside a MechWarrior pod. I also believe that technology like Oculus Rift, and maybe eventually Xbox Kinect's evolving 3D scanning capabilities, will transform how we do a great many things. Can you imagine living inside a future version of Android on Oculus? I can. Can you see yourself in a room where the movie is playing all around you as if you were part of it? Hell yes. And maybe finally I'll be able to say the words virtual reality without chuckling sarcastically.