Game Immersiveness through Virtual Reality

The concept of Virtual Reality (VR) has been around since the birth of Atari. Players and developers alike have been searching for the technology that will allow the player to become fully immersed into an environment that does not exist within our own reality.

From the release of the Virtual Boy to the newly debuted PlaystationProject Morpheus, many attempts have been made to engross the player into a game. The Oculus Rift is the most wide spread Virtual Reality device that has come the closest to meeting the expectations of gamers when yearning to experience Virtual Reality. That enhances the game play and environment is that the environment around the screen (your home or play space and outside noise) has been removed. When these elements are removed the player is unable to break free from the gaming environment.

When I play a horror game in my home on a monitor I am able to jump back when I get scared and notice my surroundings, thus reminding myself that the game environment is not real. But when you remove the ability to remind yourself of your true environment you allow yourself to become immersed. While playing the Oculus Rift when I got scared I would jump back, but have a second instinctive scare because I was not able to break the environment of the game and for a moment believed it was real.

So how will this technology increase the game play of Skyrim? One of the elements of Virtual Reality that has not fully allowed the player to immerse themselves is the graphics. For most games they are bubbly and unrealistic. However, Skyrim has the leading graphics of its time. Even without the advantage of the Oculus Rift players would look at the smallest details, like the grains in tree stumps and say “That’s so realistic!”

If the Oculus Rift or Morpheus could intertwine the graphics of a PS4/Xbox One with their immersive technology while including the game to register body movements, like the Omni, them they will succeed in creating a true Virtual Reality.

My bet is on the Omni for creating the full VR experience. I cannot wait to involve my whole body with the mechanics of a game, especially Skyrim. I want to run around and become out of breath when playing. I want to physically swing my sword at my enemies. I want to become the character that I am portraying in the game.

Many joke that the Omni will solve America’s obesity crisis, because one thing many of us are not willing to give up is our video games. The Omni is to become what the Wii was meant to be, but couldn’t hold up too. There will be no way to cheat around physically moving your body to interact in the game, unlike the Wii and Kinect technology.

It is not until the players actions are fully registered and react fluidly with the players body’s motions that Virtual Reality will allow the player to become fully immersed. The player needs to believe that they truly are having the wind run through their hair or are about to be eaten by a dragon and have the initial body reactions that we humans express to properly experience Virtual Reality.