It was just a few years ago that the idea of virtual reality, or a simulated 3-dimensional world we view and interact with through a clunky and awkward set of goggles strapped to our heads, well, it sure seemed like just another passing phase. Now, with everything from the high-end Oculus Rift to the cheaper offerings of Google and Samsung, it looks like VR is going mainstream. Even Xbox recently launched its own virtual reality headset after the success of Sony PlayStation’s. From play-at-home PC and console games to international e-sports to online casinos, everyone is passing up real reality for a little taste of something better. What’s in store for the traditional gamer?
Video games have come a very long way in a pretty short period of time, all within my not so long lifetime. One of the very first was the simple Pong, which came out in 1972. The idea caught on and before long, many electronics companies were creating video game development departments. Other industries got involved in the video game craze as well. In 1979, International Gaming Technology brought video games to another industry. They introduced video poker slots which quickly expanded to video slots and then online casino games.
Video game companies were outdating themselves quickly with each new development. Video arcades turned into affordable home consoles. I still remember rocking out to AC/DC while playing on my Atari 2600 in the early 80s. I also remember when I first bought Warcraft for my home PC – back in the days where they actually gave you a disc and some instructions. Those days have gone the way of the dinosaur. Hell, even MOBA is starting to lose its freshness.
According to video game pioneer Otto Berkes, one of the partners who first developed the Xbox, gaming is entering the next “golden age,” and it is being driven by VR and AR. “One of the aspects of VR that has incredible potential is interaction and communication – interacting with characters that are both artificial and virtual, being able to blur distance and geography, you can be anywhere and literally in any time,” Berkes said in a recent interview. With hundreds of games out already using any one of the six headsets available, the Xbox One will fit right into the new popular crowd.
E-sports have also started turning to VR. Microsoft, Oculus, and Insomniac Games announced the first national esports tournament for The Unspoken, their magical VR game for the Oculus Rift. While certainly not the level of Dota 2 or Hearthstone tournaments (yet), these matches will be played in 80 Microsoft Stores throughout the US and Canada and cash prizes are valued at around $7500. Chump change compared to the $9.1 million Wings Gaming walked away with at 2016’s Dota 2 TI6, but hey, it’s a start.
On April 3rd of this year, industry leaders, insiders and worldwide attendees came together for the very first VR/AR Gambling Conference in Prague to discuss the latest developments and possible future opportunities that virtual and augmented reality technologies bring to the world of online casino gaming. While live streaming gaming is widely known and very popular, VR casinos and mixed reality gaming is still relatively new. Conference moderator Konrad Gill of ViARsys spoke strongly on how this gaming industry could have significant impact on VR technologies being accepted by the masses.
Virtual reality is here to stay. With billions of dollars being poured into development by corporations such as Google, Facebook, Sony and Microsoft, this technology will not go quietly into the night. In fact, I’m pretty sure it will soon make real reality look faded and dull. So much for human interaction, right?