Pong introduced many people to wonders of video game technology while they were sitting in their living room. It may be time to introduce the rest of your living room to the latest in video game technology.
(Image Courtesy of: Otpco100.com)
In decades past, video games were limited by the technical aspects and enhanced by the player’s imagination. The basic Pong set up was nothing more than two paddles, a console, two lines, and a bouncing dot. This simple game could double as anything from tennis to ping pong, volleyball, hockey and more depending on the player’s mind. The gap between technology and imagination is getting smaller and smaller with each passing day. The newest display of ‘futuristic’ technology is upon us. It goes by the “Illumiroom” and words cannot do it justice. It must be seen in action.
Video via Microsoft Research
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re1EatGRV0w
At this stage of development, Microsoft’s “Illumiroom” is just a concept. It is something that they are working towards making a reality at some point in the next generation of gaming. The television will become the launching point for a totally immersive gaming experience. The system would look to make use of a high fidelity camera system that would optimize the display to the room in which the player is sitting. In the demo reel alone, gameplay can be seen escaping the edges of the television and providing the gamer with a larger game world. Little touches like snowflakes during a racing game through snow-capped trails help to enhance the ambiance and mood of the game.
For those who find the confines of a room to still be too limiting, there is an exciting product on the horizon. The Oculus Rift, whose beginnings can be traced to the crowd sourcing website ‘Kickstarter’, aims to blur the line between game and reality. It shares many similar design features with the ill-fated Virtual Boy from Nintendo. The Virtual Boy hoped to provide a game changing experience with a 3-D headset, but it was undone by the limited technology of the time. It featured a monochrome red and black color scheme and a headache inducing 3-D effect. The folks behind the Oculus Rift feel the time is right to introduce another gaming headset to the masses. The speed with which they reached their Kickstarter goal may indicate that they are right.
Video via Business Insiders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNLvgqZgUI
As you can see, tech demos for the Oculus Rift have progressed a great deal from the Virtual Boy’s modest effort. The reactions to the device are varied and intense. It showcases that the device might not be for everyone (One person did complain of naseau, but when replicating a roller coaster, that may actually be a positive review), but it does seem to totally envelop the person in the game. The headset uses two displays, one optimized for each eye, to create a realistic world presented in 3-D in a full 360 degree view. The people in the demo reel from Business Insiders react as though they are actually riding a roller coaster and experiencing the ups and downs from the safety of a conference room. The device is certainly on the cutting edge of technology and it is refreshing to see it gain support from numerous developers. Epic Games, the studio behind the ‘Gears of War’ series, and Irrational Games, the publisher of Bioshock Infinite, have already expressed interest in incorporating the device into their future projects. These studios have excelled at creating living, breathing worlds that transport the gamer into the middle of the action. With a device like Oculus Rift, it is exciting to think that they may have only begun to scratch the surface.
There is no word yet if Pong will be available on either device, but you can find the app on your smartphone or tablet, if you are feeling nostalgic.
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