I remember how cool it was mastering the Play Station 1… And soon my parents had bought the handheld GameBoy Advance for my little brother. And before I could figure out how to play an xBox (or anything else for that matter), I realized these gaming systems were evolving way faster than I could imagine. And getting way more realistic at every possible opportunity.
Growing up in the internet age means that one is familiar with innovation and can expect so much from the future. And the future is coming fast! This year one company in particular is grasping the nation’s attention with its outstanding technology: virtual reality headsets.
The company is known as Oculus and it one that could and should change the world of digital entertainment forever.
Oculus has been revamping its creation over and over again this year and are starting to finish a product they can be proud of. But in all honesty, the headset is incredible. Each eye has it’s own screen dedicated to creating a more surrounding atmosphere of this virtual reality. Techies are excited about the techniques involved that tackled the problem of peripheral vision. Furthermore, sensors on the device have been another key element of the technology. These sensors are responsible for detecting movement and can use that information to create quicker responses to the way a person moves about in the virtual reality.
Virtual reality is defined as a “computer-simulated environment that can create a feeling of physical presence.” It has been the topic for science fiction novels since the 60’s and sometimes can get caught up with many negative connotations. Opponents of the successful product have a fear of how this exactly will effect the gaming community, namely… will it consume them too much?
But Oculus employees are adamant about their product and relay nothing but positivity about their company.
“[Oculus] opens up so many game play opportunities and changes fundamentally how you can develop content.”
-Nate Mitchell, VP Product (most recent promo video)
All in all one, must admit the amazing future technology like so can bring to the entertainment industry. Creativity through these platforms can only get more detailed from here! Furthermore I ran across an adorable news story and it involves our Oculus and an elderly woman.
A resourceful video game designer, Priscilla Firstenberg was devastated when she found out her grandmother was losing her ongoing battle with cancer. Even though she felt helpless to do anything for her grandma, who soon became bed-ridden, Priscilla didn’t give up thinking of ways to make her grandmother’s last months of life more bearable.
This is were our hero Oculus comes in. The young designer frequently made efforts to contact the company and after her moving story was finally heard, the company lent Grandma Firstenberg one of their virtual reality devices so she too could take a walk outside once again!
Just imagine the excitement of someone who had been born in 1924!