6 ms·

Every discussion about movement in VR reminds me of an old Penny Arcade Comic about Wii Sports. https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/13/you-know-it-to-be-

by dexwiz 4y ago

Every discussion about movement in VR reminds me of an old Penny Arcade Comic about Wii Sports. https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/13/you-know-it-to-be-true https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/13/you-know-it-to... Sure, it looks really cool to make big sweeping motions, and have them reflected in the digital world. But in reality, most people want to minimum input/maximum result. We need the power steering UX for VR.

filbo 4y ago
SebastianKra 4y ago
VR may open up a totally new field that is independent of current games. The best examples are Echo VR and BeatSaber. Some call them Exergames, but i think "exercise" discredits the amount of fun you'll have. When the movement of your body itself becomes a major component of the gameplay (beyond gimmicky reload sequences), VR begins to shine. For example, EchoVR has players dribbling, precisely throwing, pushing themselves off walls and even _physically jumping_ to catch a disk.
- dexwiz 4y ago
  The article's argument, and mine, is this is actually a very limited view of VR. Some people want to do these active things, but most people just want to hang out. Even in the much tamer example from the article, playing cards at a table, the game forces you to mimic the in game setup in real life. If the player has any a11y needs or just doesn't want to sit that way, then there aren't any good alternatives.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- gs17 4y ago
  Yeah, I got the Creed VR boxing game in a bundle at some point and VR sports is honestly a combination of too fun and too sweaty for me to play much of. I haven't needed to stretch to prepare for playing a video game before, even with the Wii.
- falcolas 4y ago
  > EchoVR has players dribbling, precisely throwing, pushing themselves off walls and even _physically jumping_ to catch a disk. I get how this can be fun (I do enjoy Beat Saber), for short stretches of time and if you're in decent physical condition (my knees hate crouching-heavy songs). But if you're in a wheelchair, you can't jump. You can't crouch. Heck, if you're over 40, you probably don't want to jump on a carpet with something blocking your view. Bad landings can easily result in permanent injuries. I've seen more than a few colleagues quit after-work basketball games for this very reason. So, while there's definitely a place for physical games in VR, there also needs to be a place for more Moss-like games in VR too.
  - marcosdumay 4y ago
    > Heck, if you're over 40, you probably don't want to jump on a carpet with something blocking your view. Whoever wants to do that is thinking completely out of inexperience. 20 years olds can permanently injure themselves too, and it's not much harder.
    - falcolas 4y ago
      I can't disagree with this point, at all. But I also remember my "I'm invincible" years where I did a lot of stupid shit because it was novel and/or entertaining. I'm mildly shocked that it's just my knees that I gripe about.
      - marcosdumay 4y ago
        Yep. I don't disagree that many people will want that. I'm just saying that they shouldn't. It's not enough fun for the risk.
  - SebastianKra 4y ago
    I think where we disagree is whether there is a large enough demand for these non-physical games. VR is selling bad enough as it is. Having seen friends drop out of VR for various reasons, I believe that the main draw, more so than immersion and more so than social presence, _is_ the physical movement. Oculus' top sellers list seems to confirm that belief. I'm not denying that there is demand outside of exergames, but contrary to the articles clickbaity headline, they're not "the point". Edit: *Currenty. This will change once VR becomes accessible and comfortable.
AgentME 4y ago
A lot of VR games have features for grabbing objects at a distance (Half Life Alyx makes this canon by giving you "gravity gloves"). Many games have menus where you point your hand and pull the trigger instead of moving your hand all the way to touch a virtual in-game button. I think a few more innovations like these would help.
chaostheory 4y ago
Not true for many if not most people. More physical effort is a feature for me. I can now have a really enjoyable workout by simply playing a video game and I’ve lost 20 lbs so far. Also I find myself playing a lot less video games since it tires me out within 2 hours

by dexwiz 4y ago

filbo 4y ago

SebastianKra 4y ago

VR may open up a totally new field that is independent of current games. The best examples are Echo VR and BeatSaber. Some call them Exergames, but i think "exercise" discredits the amount of fun you'll have. When the movement of your body itself becomes a major component of the gameplay (beyond gimmicky reload sequences), VR begins to shine. For example, EchoVR has players dribbling, precisely throwing, pushing themselves off walls and even _physically jumping_ to catch a disk.

dexwiz 4y ago
The article's argument, and mine, is this is actually a very limited view of VR. Some people want to do these active things, but most people just want to hang out. Even in the much tamer example from the article, playing cards at a table, the game forces you to mimic the in game setup in real life. If the player has any a11y needs or just doesn't want to sit that way, then there aren't any good alternatives.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
gs17 4y ago
Yeah, I got the Creed VR boxing game in a bundle at some point and VR sports is honestly a combination of too fun and too sweaty for me to play much of. I haven't needed to stretch to prepare for playing a video game before, even with the Wii.
falcolas 4y ago
> EchoVR has players dribbling, precisely throwing, pushing themselves off walls and even _physically jumping_ to catch a disk. I get how this can be fun (I do enjoy Beat Saber), for short stretches of time and if you're in decent physical condition (my knees hate crouching-heavy songs). But if you're in a wheelchair, you can't jump. You can't crouch. Heck, if you're over 40, you probably don't want to jump on a carpet with something blocking your view. Bad landings can easily result in permanent injuries. I've seen more than a few colleagues quit after-work basketball games for this very reason. So, while there's definitely a place for physical games in VR, there also needs to be a place for more Moss-like games in VR too.
- marcosdumay 4y ago
  > Heck, if you're over 40, you probably don't want to jump on a carpet with something blocking your view. Whoever wants to do that is thinking completely out of inexperience. 20 years olds can permanently injure themselves too, and it's not much harder.
  - falcolas 4y ago
    I can't disagree with this point, at all. But I also remember my "I'm invincible" years where I did a lot of stupid shit because it was novel and/or entertaining. I'm mildly shocked that it's just my knees that I gripe about.
    - marcosdumay 4y ago
      Yep. I don't disagree that many people will want that. I'm just saying that they shouldn't. It's not enough fun for the risk.
- SebastianKra 4y ago
  I think where we disagree is whether there is a large enough demand for these non-physical games. VR is selling bad enough as it is. Having seen friends drop out of VR for various reasons, I believe that the main draw, more so than immersion and more so than social presence, _is_ the physical movement. Oculus' top sellers list seems to confirm that belief. I'm not denying that there is demand outside of exergames, but contrary to the articles clickbaity headline, they're not "the point". Edit: *Currenty. This will change once VR becomes accessible and comfortable.

AgentME 4y ago

A lot of VR games have features for grabbing objects at a distance (Half Life Alyx makes this canon by giving you "gravity gloves"). Many games have menus where you point your hand and pull the trigger instead of moving your hand all the way to touch a virtual in-game button. I think a few more innovations like these would help.

chaostheory 4y ago

Not true for many if not most people. More physical effort is a feature for me. I can now have a really enjoyable workout by simply playing a video game and I’ve lost 20 lbs so far. Also I find myself playing a lot less video games since it tires me out within 2 hours