Author: Kat Valachova

For the assignment I decided to watch both the 2 hour long Day 1 Keynote of the Oculus Connect 6 and its 15 mins summary. After seeing both, I can assure the rest of the class, who only saw the short version, that they didn’t miss out on much.

In their opening speech, Oculus presented an overwhelming list of new features, updates and projects launching either by the end of this year, or by the beginning of 2020. With the motto

“VR is happening now”, it seemed more than ready to reassure its old content developers and entice the other ones to rope them over. 

The shorter version is concentrated more around the new key feature points, such as the remoteless hand tracking experience (with full range of motion) on Quest since the beginning of next year; their future-oriented plan of software support on any future Oculus devices that are to come; new feature of connecting Quest to a gaming computer and launching any software designed for Rift; launching of Horizon, a social/ creative platform; partial reality that uses the scan of a room and its following reconstruction (vital in Life maps) to create a better VR/real experience; facial expression transmission, and others.

The original version was designed in a way that many speakers came in, many times repeating what has been said before, adding a new feature to it.

We were told about the Oculus’ vision of developing a neural interface, which would allow the user to put on just a wristband, which would read all of the impulses of his neural system and allow the user to interact with virtual objects while just using his mind.

His another goal is to build on the physical closeness the VR offers and improve social interaction both in VR/AR. In VR, on basic level it would be done through better access to social media, sharing of experiences, creation of events right in the VR and messaging. For VR, they also introduced a new feature of “destinations”, which should allow users to leave behind deeplings (I’m not sure now if they meant on the internet or through Life Maps, which is another project they are launching really soon), which would allow the others enter the same space, working like portals. Another big and ambitious project is the aforementioned Horizont, which is meant to become a world built from experiences by all of the users, having the ability to be organic and expand “on its own”.

In terms of AR and social life, they admitted VR has its limits. They believe to bridge this by “just enhancing” the reality through AR glasses, which will allow the user be more interactive with his surroundings, rather than cut off by a headset, allowing “synchronized shared experiences” and “deepening of relationships”.

Great part of the video was devoted to PR,  reminding the audience over and over again about the qualities and visions all these new projects they are launching can offer. Many of the speakers were not directly from Oculus, but rather from the collaborators, such as top game producer companies (promoting upcoming projects like StarWars’ Vader Immortal), or businesses which see VR as a great way to progress in the future (Johnson&Jonson talked about the huge success the training of chirurg students in VR has). 

Oculus also plans to launch an ISV partner program Oculus Business, that will become a platform for regular businesses all around the world, improving their performance by allowing for group trainings, distance meetings etc. One of its features is the possibility to launch multiple devices at once, with the same preset and content access rights all decided by the businesses themselves.

1. Lucid Space Dreams – Oculus Quest

The Lucid Space Dreams is a close to 2 mins long video-based 360 degree VR experience, that brings the viewer into a very see-through, neon-like dark world, which in parts resembles the Avatar’s Pandora. This was my first experience with VR and I first felt slightly disappointed with the interaction this video provided, as it “only” allows the viewer to turn around his head and watch his “surroundings”. But after briefly experiencing other title on the VR Catalogue, that many times didn’t even offer the 360 view in the first place.

On the other hand, true to its name, this VR offers very authentic dream-like experience, where one is not in control of what is happening and can only watch as the space he finds himself in is constantly drifting. The result is a lucid-like feeling.

1. Knockout League – Oculus Rift

Knockout League is an arcade-like VR boxing game. Situated in a boxing ring, one  can fight against various opponents. The game is rather colorful and creative when it comes to the opponents one can fight. Each one has his own very specific looks and it felt as fighting style as well, so the player can fight with figures such as Captain Hook, an octopus or a wolf girl.

In terms of the experience itself, I learned it is hard to move in a way so the imaginary hand hits the target – it is not based on muscle memory as is natural for normal body, which is especially vexing, when one has more experience with boxing, but cannot implement them. On the contrary, only after multiple failed tries, I realized that in order to hit the target, the movement coordination must be based solely on my sight, meaning I first have to watch my imaginary fist in the VR, calculate the distance to the opponent and finally attack. This VR requiring of the player to distance himself from his body feels somehow unnatural but I guess one can get used to it. Otherwise playing Knockout League was really exciting.

1. The Night Cafe: A VR Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh – Oculus Rift

The Night Cafe is a rather boring 6 minutes long VR video experience, which lets one “have a peek” into what does it look like inside Van Gogh’s painting The Night Cafe and “behind the scene”, while being accompanied by slow piano music. This VR does its best to bring the Van Gogh’s 2D version into 3D, while leading the viewer around the room, further behind what would have been the painter’s back, showing what cannot be seen on the original painting. The VR version brings the painting into life by animating what Van Gogh tried to capture as motion, one can see the lamps radiate the light, the billiard player rigidly shifting weight from one leg to the other, then behind the painter’s back the pianist playing (it doesn’t feel as if he is the one who plays the background music, as they are not in sync). The room is filled with the inspirations and models of Van Gogh’s paintings, giving off the feeling of being in a place that Van Gogh frequented and from which he took inspiration. Then, the viewer can see Vincent Van Gogh himself sitting in a chair, getting up and gazing outside the window, seeing his famous starry night. The viewer is then led around the rest of the house, seeing people and places he cannot see just from the original painting, finally ending in an underground dark room/cellar, with a piece of paper in memory of Van Gogh.

Response to the “16 Lessons for a VR-First Future From ‘Ready Player One””:

Most agree with:

1. Network speeds and cloud computing capacity will be the key utility of the future.

I believe the pressing need for more powerful networks and the overall speeding up of computing capacities is something that is already very visible now and the trend will continue on in the future, as there are more complex and sophisticated technologies invented.

Most disagree with:

1. Everyone will become ‘Gamers’ & watching game streams will be a major pass-time.

My disagreement is not so much as with how popular implemented the VR/AR can become in our lives, as we can see the trend on the rise already. My disagreement is more about how not everyone will be able to, or will not be willing to implement VR into their lives as a major part of it. The human needs lie with implementation of all senses and social/physical interactions, which is, at least in the case of physical part, not something VR can offer at this point.

Response to the Mirrorworld Article:

Using augmented reality to implement the mirror world makes a lot of sense, as it enhances what is already existent. But what about when it is implemented in VR? My question is if we know how does the brain react, when only the visual senses are being constantly stimulated while the rest, especially the touch is being neglected for a prolonged period of time? Being able to “travel” to different place through the headset is one thing, but not being able to experience through other senses is, I believe, something completely different.

Chosen videos:

Lucid space dreams

The ghost in the shell

My mother’s wing