Thoughts about VR and the future of gaming

So some of you might know about the theory of technological singularity. The basic idea is that technology is increasing at an exponential rate. If you look at the way that video games have been advancing in the past 40 years, its all pointing to some rather incredibly amazing future for video games.

Soon enough, I'm sure we will have video games for the home where you wear some big helmet that has accelerometers and you can look around you and see full 360 view just as though you were in the game. This will eventually lead to even more technological breakthroughs for video games. I read on wired some time ago (sorry too lazy to find the source) that there is now some pretty nifty technology able to change thought patterns using electrodes on the outside of the head.

Suppose technology continues accelerating at this rate. Suppose at some point the technology is available to create a grid of electrodes to place on someones head that will allow a computer simulation to completely control the input of the senses for an individual. What this would basically mean is that you would be completely removed from this reality and placed into a simulation reality (yes a lot like the matrix).

Now, if you're in a dream and you believe to be experiencing something very fantastic, (like amazing sex or flying or whatever) your senses trick you into completely believing it and the resulting sensation is going to be the exact same sensation as if you were to experience the same thing in waking life. What this means in terms of my idea is that everything you experience inside this computer simulation would feel EXACTLY the way it would to your mind during that exact experience in reality.

still with me on this?

So that means we could have full VR video game consoles to come home and plug ourselves into after work. I'm going to kick it up another notch even and suggest the idea of MULTIPLAYER VR. Holy shit! The amount of things that you could do would be nearly infinite. Of course, developers would have to make these games first and there would be rules about what you can and can't do in a game, but theoretically you could go on a GTA style rampage with your best buddy with no consequences, not even pain.

Other implications include:

- The possibility to take simulated drugs, thereby allowing the user to experience the drug without any of the physical side effects

- The possibility to have a sex simulator in which ANY scenario you want is playable. I'm thinking a foursome with some sexy babes on top of a speeding airplane.

- The possibility to become another creature or object and feel the way you would fully imagine it to feel.

- The possibility to navigate large cities (possibly even yours) with supernatural powers and it feel 100% real

Of course, on the flip side there would be a lot of controversy. Drug games could get you hooked. Murderous rampages could really fuck people up. Also, since time in a dream-like state is not relevant to time in reality, it would theoretically be possible to speed up the thought processes to the point where you could potentially live a full lifetime in a few hours in the machine. What problems could that cause for individuals and society?

So yeah, there's my rant, here's a few questions to spur some discussion:

What would you enjoy doing in a simulation?

What moral problems would certain individuals have with this escapism?

Would you plug in? If not, why?

Do you think this technology or something similar will be available within our lifetimes?

Total immersion isn't easy. Even if you put 2 high definition screens in front of each eye and wear a fully motion detecting and force feedback suit. There are still problems that aren't easy to fix. How do you move around in a world that doesn't exist, how do you depth focus your eyes etc. Plugging in to the brain looks like the best way, but we don't even understand the brain, let alone manipulate it in meaningful ways. So I fear total immersion will not be something I'll ever see.

I'd plug in though. No doubt about that.

one of my favorite activities is simulating a new universe from initial conditions. my favorite part is the last 300 years. they recreate me every time.

I would do all the fucked up shit I want to do, but society won't let me. So would everyone else with balls.

  On 9/4/2009 at 1:23 PM, impakt said:

I would do all the fucked up shit I want to do, but society won't let me. So would everyone else with balls.

I agree, it takes real balls to escape into virtual reality

if you die in the matrix, you die in real life too

http://singularity.com/aboutthebook.html

Very interesting stuff.

Sony is bringing 3D games to all PS3 games in 2010

Ulillillia

terence mckenna

See? Its going to happen, just watch and wait.

If we don't get to the point of total immersion we should at least be getting somewhat close, and even if we don't get somewhat close, its still going to be LEAPS AND BOUNDS ahead of where we are now.

Just watch boys, video games are going to get really really awesome in the next 5-10 years

  On 9/4/2009 at 2:44 PM, lumpenprol said:

  On 9/4/2009 at 1:23 PM, impakt said:

I would do all the fucked up shit I want to do, but society won't let me. So would everyone else with balls.

 

I agree, it takes real balls to escape into virtual reality

I meant the balls to admit it of course :p

  On 9/4/2009 at 7:10 AM, thehauntingsoul said:

thinking a foursome with some sexy babes on top of a speeding airplane.

 

I'm going out on a whim here and going to say that I think this would be incredibly difficult.

the future is never predictable. I would say that we could all end up being plugged into stuff like that for most of our lifes. That would be pretty sad though

all of this stupid future stuff is stupid. nobody is going to want to screw with helmets or weird-ass controllers or any of that dumb stuff. people just want to sit down and play some fuckin games. with a REGULAR CONTROLLER. with buttons. that is the future of videogames.

  On 9/6/2009 at 1:34 AM, Pennywise said:

the future is never predictable. I would say that we could all end up being plugged into stuff like that for most of our lifes. That would be pretty sad though

Sadder than moping around in 2060 with all its problems and limitations? You could literally experience entire lifetimes in a single second of "real" world time! The possibilities are so limitless that anything less than spending time in VR would be a waste. Though it will/would be interesting to see the effects of how this sort of environment affects the human psyche. After exploring the VR realm long enough do you just get so jaded with everything that you go insane? Or would you just devolve into a consciousness perpetually delivering pleasure to itself until your synapses burn out like some transcendent junkhead.

  On 9/6/2009 at 2:11 AM, MAXIMUS MISCHIEF said:

all of this stupid future stuff is stupid. nobody is going to want to screw with helmets or weird-ass controllers or any of that dumb stuff. people just want to sit down and play some fuckin games. with a REGULAR CONTROLLER. with buttons. that is the future of videogames.

i hope so. we all better hope shit like project natal doesn't catch on.

I went to my local Fry's Electronics this weekend, and they had a Mitsubishi TV with 3D glasses (unfortunately, it wasn't working, and I didn't bother getting the sales guy to set it up), and they also had the PC version of Burnout Paradise with the same 3D glasses - I must say, the 3D effect was pretty cool - the background looked way farther than in 2D, and there was a true "depth of field" effect going on, made the game fun to watch. I imagine if the refresh on the screen was 100 Hertz or more, it would have been even better, as I did notice a bit of flicker going on from the LCD shutters on the glasses.

Reminds me of my old Sega Master System with Space Harrier 3D.