Before the release of the Oculus Rift, the media treated virtual reality as the “next big thing”. When the first VR headsets finally hit the market, though, the product has proven not to be as sought-after as some would have expected.
It is the “next big thing”, of course, yet its spread will not be as speedy and spectacular as that of smartphones, for example – and the promoters of the technology didn’t expect it to be either. For VR, it will be a marathon rather than a sprint, the technology taking its time to spread to as many users as possible.
The effects of virtual reality on our world will also begin to make themselves felt in the long run. Today, the price of a VR headset can be prohibitive for many, not to mention the cost of a computer capable of running VR content. In the future, though, the technology will find its place on the market, spreading to a larger group of users, and will begin to make its presence felt in the entertainment market, too – especially when it comes to video games.
New gaming environments
The charm of virtual reality is not necessarily that it offers a new way to play but a new, immersive environment to play in. Imagine playing a game at the Vegas Palms surrounded by the flying rocks from the movie Avatar, or perhaps next to amazing Niagara Falls. Today, many people take their favourite mobile casino games with them in a variety of environments, yet these are limited to what they can physically reach.
Thanks to the emerging VR technology, Vegas Palms players will be able not only to enjoy the illusion of actually playing their favourite games in a real life casino – any real life casino, really – but to choose one of the many pre-rendered environments to play in, ranging from outer space to the surface of the Moon, if that’s what makes them enjoy their games more.
Thanks to VR, the Vegas Palms and all other providers of casual online entertainment will be able to break out of their current boundaries and offer their players experiences they’ve never even imagined to have before.
New games to play
Part of the charm of VR is that it allows its users to step inside the world of the game. Being fully immersed in your preferred video game universe can be a great thing already. But imagine what it would be like to escape from your everyday life into the world that’s tailor-made to your needs and dreams? Thanks to VR, this will perhaps become a possibility sooner than you can imagine.
Linden Lab, the developer behind the famous virtual world Second Life, has already started creating what might become a virtual meeting point for users all over the world. Project Sansar is surrounded by secrecy right now but it promises to democratise virtual reality as a creative medium, allowing its users to create, share, and even monetize VR experiences.
A new, virtual world awaits – and it’s right around the corner. Will you be a part of it?
