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From his blog, Abrash seems to be much more interested in AR than VR, and seems to lean toward VR being a parallel (but mutually supportive) path to AR, rather

From his blog, Abrash seems to be much more interested in AR than VR, and seems to lean toward VR being a parallel (but mutually supportive) path to AR, rather than a step along the way. Also, I think Newell might offer Abrash the entire company before he lets him slip away from Valve.

angersock 13y ago
Hah, perhaps he would, at that--as I recall, it took a long time to finally cajole him over.
themstheones 13y ago
What's AR?
- dangoldin 13y ago
  Augmented Reality (AR) vs Virtual Reality (VR).
- angersock 13y ago
  Augmented Reality.
- daraul 13y ago
  Augmented Reality. For a good example of current projects representing each field: Virtual Reality - Oculus Rift Augmented Reality - Google Glass AR sits on top of/alongside the real world, where VR tries to replace it.
  - sbarre 13y ago
    I'm not sure I'd call Google Glass "AR". It's just a small screen in your vision, it doesn't analyze or enhance your existing viewpoint in any way (unless I am mistaken). Cast AR is a better example: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/18/cast-ar-hands-on-with-jeri-ellsworth-at-maker-faire-2013/ http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/18/cast-ar-hands-on-with-jer...
    - mistercow 13y ago
      Google Glass could be called a kind of "proto-AR". It could certainly be a first (significant) step toward real AR.
      - untog 13y ago
        Not really. In terms of AR, Google Glass is doing absolutely nothing new, so it wouldn't be the first.
        lightbritefight 13y ago
        Nothing new by default, but its opening up a lot of hardware potential. Its not just a screen and camera that's at eye level, its also setting new social norms that make that acceptable. Even now, Glass isn't far from Bluetooth levels of socially okay, which is say annoying to most but acceptable. Once it reaches that point, I expect AR to be a focal point of development. It only makes sense. A simple street view overlay + wikipedia filter would be basic AR, and that doesn't seem difficult at all. Google could monetize with virtual window ads that businesses would buy for glass+streetview users.
        untog 13y ago
        A simple street view overlay + wikipedia filter would be basic AR, and that doesn't seem difficult at all. It would be extremely difficult. It would use a lot of processing power to examine the camera input and attempt to extrapolate positioning for overlayed elements. I'm not sure Glass has that power.
        coldtea 13y ago
        >It would use a lot of processing power to examine the camera input and attempt to extrapolate positioning for overlayed elements. What camera input? Why go all in such a roundabout way, processing the image to determine the location? What he proposes just needs the GPS/compass (if Google Glass has one, else it's trivial to add one). You get relevant wikipedia articles for your location (including the direction you're looking) using Glass's GPS, and the screen displays them.
  - mpyne 13y ago
    Nintendo 3DS actually has basic demonstrations of AR as well. They use cards with images on it that can be replaced in real-time by simulated 3-D objects using the 3DS camera.
- 205guy 13y ago
  For one vision of an augmented reality (AR) future, see this music video (no need for sound if you don't like it): The Toxic Avenger feat. Orelsan - N'importe Comment (French hip hop/electronic/dance) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEolW1x9O3k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEolW1x9O3k
sbarre 13y ago
Didn't Valve recently ditch their AR-related work when they fired Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson? I thought they were shifting focus away from that for now..
- socialist_coder 13y ago
  FWIW their AR stuff was really weird. It looked stupid when I saw it at a convention. I would have dumped them too. If they had been doing Oculus Rift type stuff I'm sure they'd still be at Valve.
  - nrp 13y ago
    I was actually pretty impressed by CastAR. It's certainly the most compelling AR-esque experience I've tried. It opens up a different set of game possibilities than a VR headset like the Rift. Think augmented multiplayer tabletop games rather than immersive worlds.
    - socialist_coder 13y ago
      The market for those types of games is slim. The tabletop market is already small and the only reason they can turn a profit is because their costs are low. AR tabletop games would have an even smaller market and also be more expensive to produce.
      - KVFinn 13y ago
        >The tabletop market is already small and the only reason they can turn a profit is because their costs are low. It's bigger than ever and steadily rising. Blocks for building dungeons made 2 million on Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwarvenforge/dwarven-forges-game-tiles-revolutionary-miniature http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwarvenforge/dwarven-for... I can see a single mind-blowing tabletop demo selling pretty damn well. The audience isn't huge and mass market, but it's decent sized, and willing to drop very high amounts of money on cool stuff.
      - 13y ago
Dn_Ab 13y ago
I think he is focusing on VR. Though he prefers AR, he does not consider it as productive a way to spend one's efforts in the near term. "So my personal opinion (which is not necessarily Valve’s) is that it makes sense to do VR now, and push it forward as quickly as possible, but at the same time to continue research into the problems unique to AR, with an eye to tilting more and more toward AR over time as it matures. As I said, it’s not the definitive answer we’d all like, but it’s where my thinking has led me. However, I’ve encountered intelligent opinions from one end of the spectrum to the other, and I look forward to continuing the discussion in the comments." http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/two-possible-paths-into-the-future-of-wearable-computing-part-2-ar/ http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/two-possible-paths-int...
jasonkolb 13y ago
If you look at some of the recent demos with the Oculus you'll see that AR is not necessarily mutually exclusive with a full field of vision headset. Some of the most exciting demos in my opinion involve moving around in a real physical space while wearing the headset. The headset shows a digital re-creation of the physical space along with anything else that the developer wants to overlay onto to the scene. You're basically using the physical world as a skeleton on which you can hang the digital meat. Check out this kickstarter for example: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/62367895/atlas-virtual-reality-made-real http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/62367895/atlas-virtual-r...
- mercer 13y ago
  Wow, even with what it can do now I can imagine using it for AR/VR games of laser tag or paint ball. The only thing missing would be feedback on your body for hits you've taking. At the right price, this might even turn out to be cheaper than proper paintball arena's. You can charge more, and there's no cleanup involved. You could even host these 'games' in real-world environments (with permission or otherwise). Imagine hosting counter-strike style games in empty buildings!
  - jasonkolb 13y ago
    That's what I'm saying. After I sell my company for over a billion dollars I'm starting a VR theme park :)

angersock 13y ago

Hah, perhaps he would, at that--as I recall, it took a long time to finally cajole him over.

themstheones 13y ago

What's AR?

dangoldin 13y ago
Augmented Reality (AR) vs Virtual Reality (VR).
angersock 13y ago
Augmented Reality.
daraul 13y ago
Augmented Reality. For a good example of current projects representing each field: Virtual Reality - Oculus Rift Augmented Reality - Google Glass AR sits on top of/alongside the real world, where VR tries to replace it.
- sbarre 13y ago
  I'm not sure I'd call Google Glass "AR". It's just a small screen in your vision, it doesn't analyze or enhance your existing viewpoint in any way (unless I am mistaken). Cast AR is a better example: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/18/cast-ar-hands-on-with-jeri-ellsworth-at-maker-faire-2013/ http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/18/cast-ar-hands-on-with-jer...
  - mistercow 13y ago
    Google Glass could be called a kind of "proto-AR". It could certainly be a first (significant) step toward real AR.
    - untog 13y ago
      Not really. In terms of AR, Google Glass is doing absolutely nothing new, so it wouldn't be the first.
      - lightbritefight 13y ago
        Nothing new by default, but its opening up a lot of hardware potential. Its not just a screen and camera that's at eye level, its also setting new social norms that make that acceptable. Even now, Glass isn't far from Bluetooth levels of socially okay, which is say annoying to most but acceptable. Once it reaches that point, I expect AR to be a focal point of development. It only makes sense. A simple street view overlay + wikipedia filter would be basic AR, and that doesn't seem difficult at all. Google could monetize with virtual window ads that businesses would buy for glass+streetview users.
        untog 13y ago
        A simple street view overlay + wikipedia filter would be basic AR, and that doesn't seem difficult at all. It would be extremely difficult. It would use a lot of processing power to examine the camera input and attempt to extrapolate positioning for overlayed elements. I'm not sure Glass has that power.
        coldtea 13y ago
        >It would use a lot of processing power to examine the camera input and attempt to extrapolate positioning for overlayed elements. What camera input? Why go all in such a roundabout way, processing the image to determine the location? What he proposes just needs the GPS/compass (if Google Glass has one, else it's trivial to add one). You get relevant wikipedia articles for your location (including the direction you're looking) using Glass's GPS, and the screen displays them.
- mpyne 13y ago
  Nintendo 3DS actually has basic demonstrations of AR as well. They use cards with images on it that can be replaced in real-time by simulated 3-D objects using the 3DS camera.
205guy 13y ago
For one vision of an augmented reality (AR) future, see this music video (no need for sound if you don't like it): The Toxic Avenger feat. Orelsan - N'importe Comment (French hip hop/electronic/dance) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEolW1x9O3k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEolW1x9O3k

sbarre 13y ago

Didn't Valve recently ditch their AR-related work when they fired Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson? I thought they were shifting focus away from that for now..

socialist_coder 13y ago
FWIW their AR stuff was really weird. It looked stupid when I saw it at a convention. I would have dumped them too. If they had been doing Oculus Rift type stuff I'm sure they'd still be at Valve.
- nrp 13y ago
  I was actually pretty impressed by CastAR. It's certainly the most compelling AR-esque experience I've tried. It opens up a different set of game possibilities than a VR headset like the Rift. Think augmented multiplayer tabletop games rather than immersive worlds.
  - socialist_coder 13y ago
    The market for those types of games is slim. The tabletop market is already small and the only reason they can turn a profit is because their costs are low. AR tabletop games would have an even smaller market and also be more expensive to produce.
    - KVFinn 13y ago
      >The tabletop market is already small and the only reason they can turn a profit is because their costs are low. It's bigger than ever and steadily rising. Blocks for building dungeons made 2 million on Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwarvenforge/dwarven-forges-game-tiles-revolutionary-miniature http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwarvenforge/dwarven-for... I can see a single mind-blowing tabletop demo selling pretty damn well. The audience isn't huge and mass market, but it's decent sized, and willing to drop very high amounts of money on cool stuff.
    - 13y ago

Dn_Ab 13y ago

I think he is focusing on VR. Though he prefers AR, he does not consider it as productive a way to spend one's efforts in the near term. "So my personal opinion (which is not necessarily Valve’s) is that it makes sense to do VR now, and push it forward as quickly as possible, but at the same time to continue research into the problems unique to AR, with an eye to tilting more and more toward AR over time as it matures. As I said, it’s not the definitive answer we’d all like, but it’s where my thinking has led me. However, I’ve encountered intelligent opinions from one end of the spectrum to the other, and I look forward to continuing the discussion in the comments." http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/two-possible-paths-into-the-future-of-wearable-computing-part-2-ar/ http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/two-possible-paths-int...

jasonkolb 13y ago

If you look at some of the recent demos with the Oculus you'll see that AR is not necessarily mutually exclusive with a full field of vision headset. Some of the most exciting demos in my opinion involve moving around in a real physical space while wearing the headset. The headset shows a digital re-creation of the physical space along with anything else that the developer wants to overlay onto to the scene. You're basically using the physical world as a skeleton on which you can hang the digital meat. Check out this kickstarter for example: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/62367895/atlas-virtual-reality-made-real http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/62367895/atlas-virtual-r...

mercer 13y ago
Wow, even with what it can do now I can imagine using it for AR/VR games of laser tag or paint ball. The only thing missing would be feedback on your body for hits you've taking. At the right price, this might even turn out to be cheaper than proper paintball arena's. You can charge more, and there's no cleanup involved. You could even host these 'games' in real-world environments (with permission or otherwise). Imagine hosting counter-strike style games in empty buildings!
- jasonkolb 13y ago
  That's what I'm saying. After I sell my company for over a billion dollars I'm starting a VR theme park :)