During C.E.S. 2014 I first played the Oculus Rift in a game of Half Life 2. While I do not get dizzy easily, playing the game through the devise made me queasy and I had to place my wrist on a counter to keep from falling over while playing.
I was told this was due to the older software not having the higher refresh rates of newer units and that I was playing an older game. My question was ok, knowing this then why would you use this setup and title for showcasing when there were better options.
Flash forward to 2015 when at E3 and PAX Prime we got a new look at what many think could be the future of gaming if properly supported. I played the Project Morpheus, now Playstation VR from Sony, The Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vive and was happy to say that they were all amazing and no issues with being dizzy or queasy while playing any of them.
They were simply amazing, addictive, and highly immersive and interactive. However, a few concerns remain, some that not many people have really addressed. My wife noted it first while I was playing Headmaster on the Project Morpheus for the Playstation 4. The video she took was quite funny of me whipping my head around trying to hit targets with a Soccer ball in a virtual setting and holding the unit to keep it on my head.
My wife said it was a good thing they had a person there watching you as when you get in the game; you really have no idea of your surroundings and could fall very easily.
When she took a turn playing another game, she noted that some are ideal for sitting down and playing but for those that require you to stand and interact, you could really have issues without a spotter to keep an eye out on you.
I thought about this, and realized that she was on to something. At every game, we had a helper to put the unit on and off, tell us when to sit and stand, and who was next to us the entire time. This is especially obvious with the HTC Vive that allows users to walk around while in a virtual setting.
So looking at our front room which has a sizeable amount of space, I would have to move the table, clear out the pets, and make sure I have plenty of space and a helper if I was going to play some of the games that we demoed.
The seated Eve space game of Oculus would be fine as all I had to do was put on the unit and hold a game controller so no issues, there but for games like London Heist on The Playstation VR where I had to sit, stand, duck, and so on, not to mention Headmaster, you would not want to play this alone without seriously safety proofing your area. I would wonder if there is an app players could get that is akin to the famous “I have fallen and I can’t get up” commercials.
All kidding aside, safety is a concern as many Kinect and Wii users learned from not having enough allocated space and properly secured straps. Now factor in minimal visual ability once in the gaming world and how interactive and immersive the games are, you will see what I mean. While I am sure that most gamers will think ahead and plan accordingly, we all know there are those who are not going to think and as such accidents are bound to happen which I hope does not happen as I do not want to see this promising tech compromised by easily avoidable safety issues.
Game safely everyone.
Me playing Headmaster at PAX Prime 2015 Press Hour. I had about 1.5 hours of sleep prior due to a late flight in and the time it took with the rental car, getting to where we were staying, catching up with family, leaving early to meet with the Seattle staff and getting ready to cover. I guess I am saying proper rest is key as well.
