cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Rift is not about games any more (for the time being)

Peteo
Expert Protege
I think I chastised some one else for posting this earlier (sorry). But it looks like they were right

http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/26/story-studio-oculus-vr-sundance/

If it sounds like Story Studio is the beginning stage of Oculus VR pivoting away from a focus on gaming, that's because it's partly true. Iribe admits that without a solid input solution for VR, there's still more work to be done to perfect the gaming genre and get it consumer-ready. As the technology currently stands, the viewer's main entry point and point of control in the VR space is Oculus' headset. Given that, he says that a near-term shift to entertainment makes sense for the company.

"The camera needs to be locked to your head. Your head movement needs to move the camera absolutely perfectly in sync," Iribe explains of Oculus VR's entertainment epiphany. "You need it all to work as close to human vision as possible. And the closer you get, the more comfortable it is. Suddenly, this caused us to rethink gaming as what we're after. And as we were rethinking it and we're making these demos, we were starting to make these experiences ... that felt a lot more like cinematic experiences than they did video games. And I think a lot of that is because we don't have VR input."
63 REPLIES 63

HiThere_
Superstar
"PatimPatam" wrote:
Oculus are in the perfect position to define a MINIMUM standard for input, they already have the tracking tech in place, they could easily make controls that basically accomplish the same as Sixense STEM (minus 360 turning) for about a 10th of the cost, and they could have perfect positioning of the hands relative to the head because it would all be the same tracking system.

I'd be happy if they can come up with a wired version of the razor hydra, maybe two completely separate hand controllers that can plug separately straight into the bottom of the VR Headset : Cheap, possible, no CPU consuming finger tracking required, don't need to hold your hands in front of a camera to maintain the tracking, works 360°, can double as both a gamepad for body movement and dual hand tracking when required or even used as a 2D mouse.

That provides a critical default 3D input for CV1, then you're left free to go buy yourself the latest high end wireless heptic controller (basically Sixense STEM at this point, because those direct bare hand tracking solutions just aren't there yet, in either tracking accuracy or providing VR body movement), which can cost more then the CV1 itself... with the full confidence it will be fully supported because every CV1 will come with the cheap wired starter version.

For the CV1 they could even put a single wired hand controller (even less knots), with the second one as a gaming option to spread the game controls of one hand controller over two hand controllers (and adding the ability to simulate two independent hands instead of either one hand or two hands doing the same thing).

It might not be the best solution, but it's certainly the best working dirt cheap one.

Also even a single hand controller like that can be configured to replace both the keyboard AWSZ/mouse input or the gamepad input of almost any existing application based on those inputs (with no application update required), which is always good to have at launch until VR content catches up : What more could you ask for from a CV1 default controller in 2015 ?

But leave out any kind of default 6D hand tracking controller for the CV1, and you might as well go buy yourself a Morpheus for your gaming instead.

Fortunately I remember an interview in which Oculus VR was confirming something like "there are no examples of a successful new media that came out without it's default controller" : Hopefully they didn't mean a 2D gamepad stuck to the side of the CV1 ^^°

"CV1's default controller must provide 6D input... or it will fail" 🙂

danknugz
Superstar
"saviornt" wrote:
A keyboard/mouse control system for gaming has not been adequate for me to since the first time I got the DK1. It's not so much that I cannot type without looking at the keyboard, as I am doing right now.. it's about the initial hand placement when you start typing. I'm probably not an "old timer" like alot of us and my gaming with keyboard probably isn't as embedded into muscle memory as everyone else since I've only been computer gaming since 1988..

Now, with that being said,



look at your keyboard. look at the "f" and "j" keys. see that little stubby plastic thingy on them? they're there for a reason :roll:
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on forums?

RirtualVeality
Adventurer
"danknugz" wrote:
"saviornt" wrote:
A keyboard/mouse control system for gaming has not been adequate for me to since the first time I got the DK1. It's not so much that I cannot type without looking at the keyboard, as I am doing right now.. it's about the initial hand placement when you start typing. I'm probably not an "old timer" like alot of us and my gaming with keyboard probably isn't as embedded into muscle memory as everyone else since I've only been computer gaming since 1988..

Now, with that being said,



look at your keyboard. look at the "f" and "j" keys. see that little stubby plastic thingy on them? they're there for a reason :roll:

I guess my Dell keyboard didn't know the reason. 😐

TheAsimovInitia
Honored Guest
These are my thoughts:

I think the Control VR solution is where it is at. http://controlvr.com/

Being able to see your hands and move your fingers will greatly increase immersability. And also provide natural controls.

Combine this with a single hand control (such as a wii mote) for moving or a weapon prop with walking controls on it and we are good to go.

Seeing all evolutions and new controls I summaries what I believe is the best basic start for vr.

* Helmet at good resolution and low SDE
* Upper body input with full hand and finger control, such as Control VR (would be great with some force feedback)
* 360 degree standing (or sitting) experience.
* I don't think feet controls are required, such as the omni, a simple control in one hand is enough to walk forward or backward and do some interaction. http://www.virtuix.com/
* For standing experience a 1,5m x 1,5m rubber math in which you can move freely (Like the demo of Crescent Bay). Normal forward and backward is done by a controller.
* By not being strapped on to something you are free to crouch or lay down on the math and hide under a bed ingame for example. The omni denies all that only to give you feet movement. And for most people it would be to much anyway.
* Stem doesn't have fingers, denying them as controls. http://sixense.com/wireless
* Control VR talked about using their control system in combination with optical (IR). Nimble VR is optical and is now owned by oculus. Nimble would be enough for simpler and easier interactions for basic users / usage. While adding Control VR would add alot to the more enriched experiences. They could use Nimble for better optical precision and recalibration. http://nimblevr.com/
* Single hand control used for interaction and weapons, something like http://tacticalhaptics.com/


/ TAI

saviornt
Protege
"danknugz" wrote:
look at your keyboard. look at the "f" and "j" keys. see that little stubby plastic thingy on them? they're there for a reason :roll:


Not a bad strategy when your typing normally,but when your actually gaming and searching for the I key to open your inventory, or the 9 key to use that health potion that will mean the difference between life and death (in game), you really don't have the time to search for a bump in the keys, so you can think about where the next key is.

When I suggested the STEM controller, all of the other positional sensors that you can get are not necessary for the typical use scenario. There's no strapping anything on, other than the "Drop Guards" paracord rope around your wrist so you don't drop them on the ground. And even that's optional!

ControlVR suffers the same pitfall as optical hand trackers, "long" term gaming with them and the lack of "holding something". Also, they're not real character controllers.. so using "skills" or "movement" or other types of controls are not available.

Good for a GUI, not so much for controlling.
Current WIPs using Unreal Engine 4: Agrona - Tales of an Era: Medieval Fantasy MORPG

VizionVR
Rising Star
Here's an option. A bit of a learning curve, but I'll bet it would work. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Braille-Keyboard-Stickers-Visually-Impaired/dp/B001BPYJQO
Not a Rift fanboi. Not a Vive fanboi. I'm a VR fanboi. Get it straight.

andrewtek
Expert Protege
"vizionvr" wrote:
Here's an option. A bit of a learning curve, but I'll bet it would work. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Braille-Keyboard-Stickers-Visually-Impaired/dp/B001BPYJQO


It is amazing how people can "make things work" when they need to. I wonder how long it takes to develop the tactile sensitivity required to feel the difference between the letters.

saviornt
Protege
Most keys are replaceable. Most keys are plastic. So it stands to reason that most keys can be 3D printed with bevelled letters.
Current WIPs using Unreal Engine 4: Agrona - Tales of an Era: Medieval Fantasy MORPG

VizionVR
Rising Star
"andrewtek" wrote:
"vizionvr" wrote:
Here's an option. A bit of a learning curve, but I'll bet it would work. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Braille-Keyboard-Stickers-Visually-Impaired/dp/B001BPYJQO


It is amazing how people can "make things work" when they need to. I wonder how long it takes to develop the tactile sensitivity required to feel the difference between the letters.

I'll bet if you placed certain stickers in key places (no pun intended) you'll be touch gaming in no time.

"saviornt" wrote:
Most keys are replaceable. Most keys are plastic. So it stands to reason that most keys can be 3D printed with bevelled letters.

True, but a sticker is a much simpler solution.

And as far as immersion is concerned, the simplest "fix" is to re-create the keyboard/mouse setup in game. Take Elite Dangerous for example. In the future, why can't you drive a starship with a keyboard and mouse? Hell, there's a QWERTY looking keyboard in the cockpit of the first ship you own.
Not a Rift fanboi. Not a Vive fanboi. I'm a VR fanboi. Get it straight.

willste
Explorer
Maybe they are trying to back peddle on what the first experiences will be on the rift, simply because the reaction they have gotten from their recent cinema style demos has been better than their xbox 360 controller games...

Its true it will take time to make to develop really good motion controls. Then it will take even more time to make games that use them.

Though I don't like it, the new marketing spin could be a way to cushion the blow of releasing a CV1 headset with imperfect gaming content and really good roller coaster cinema style experiences. Then shortly after starting to release motion control developer kits to get people building true VR games.