Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that is experiencing a rebirth at the moment with developers looking to harness advances in software to offer a more appealing and realistic VR product but what impact will this have on the gaming world?
The concept of virtual reality originally entered the mindset of the public in 1935 when author Stanley G. Weinbaum released a story called “Pygmalion’s Spectacles” that first entertained the idea of virtual reality goggles that could display holographic images of fiction. It was only 27 years later in 1967 when the reality of this idea came to a step closer with the release of the Sensorama which was developed and patented by the innovative cinematographer Morton Heilig.
The Sensorama was a huge arcade machine type of contraption that allowed users to feel like they were riding through the streets of Brooklyn in New York on a motorbike with an array of tools on the machine allowing users to feel the wind in their air and the smells of their surroundings to create a realistic portrayal of the experience.
SEGA VR headset never really took off as expected.
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Years passed before VR became an area that was advanced by developers. It was the gaming industry that took the initiative and aimed to develop VR technology that could be used by players in computer gaming. 1991 saw the launch of the SEGA VR headset on the Mega Drive computer console. LCD screens and stereo headphones offering surround sound in the headset took VR technology to another level and it led to a huge surge in interest in VR technology once again being used across the mass market.
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Sadly, as time passed, the quality of the VR headsets came under fire for not offering the realism that the players demanded. Poor graphics and impractical headwear meant that the VR technology was criticized for giving players headaches and just looking a bit too artificial for it to completely take off.
A couple of decades passed once again with VR not really entering the public conversation except through the medium of sci-fi programs such as Star Trek and Red Dwarf. The idea of it being used for gaming purposes took a back seat but then in 2007, the release of Google Street View brought the topic back to everyone’s attention.
The Oculus Rift signaled the start of a new era for VR technology
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Google Street View allowed people to browse through the streets and landscapes of different parts of the world thanks to a four-sided camera that had recorded all these places. It was a form of VR that had once again come back into the mainstream. A number of patents were filed for pioneering VR technology by parties such as Nintendo, Oculus, and Virtuix Omni. The year 2013 saw the game Vendetta Online by software developer Guild Software become the first computer game title to take advantage of this new era of VR technology by allowing their game to become compatible with the Oculus Rift headset.
A number of intriguing events have taken place relating to VR technology since then. Facebook has moved to purchase Oculus for a sum of $2 billion in 2014. HTC released its Vive VR headset in partnership with Valve Corporation in 2015 and in the second quarter of 2016 it was confirmed that developer Mojang had made their popular Minecraft title compatible with the Gear VR.
The question is now being asked about what lengths can the VR technology be taken to? Jaunt VR has managed to release footage of live music acts such as Paul McCartney and Jack White to give users the feeling of being involved in the gig using their VR technology. So it is now being suggested this approach could be expanded to things such as experiencing historic sports events or even something as close to home as casino gaming.
Live casino gaming can bridge the gap to full VR casino gaming.
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The live casino technology took online and mobile gambling into a new realm. But if it was possible to not only recreate the visual aspects of a casino but also the other sensory experiences such as smell and touch from the comfort of the player’s own home, on any device. then it really would revolutionize online and mobile casino gaming.
What Impact Will VR Technology Have On Gaming in the Future?
It is an old cliché to use but the sky really is the limit as far as VR technology in gaming is concerned. Advances in the social and online side of gaming over recent years means the platform is now set up to allow VR technology to thrive. Open world gaming environments, realistic graphics, and high-quality recording technology allow the potential of VR to be fulfilled.
There is certainly a range of hurdles to overcome but VR technology is enjoying a massive renaissance right now and the amount of investment being plowed into VR gaming over recent years is almost certain to increase and that indicates that exciting times lie ahead for VR technology in the gaming world.
