Bruno 1 Thomas Bruno Professor Erin Dietell-McLaughlin Writing and Rhetoric 13300 April 7, 2014 Oculus Rift and

Video Games At the most recent Electronic Entertainment Expo, colloquially referred to as E3, guests were invited to try out an exciting new piece of technology known as Oculus Rift. Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that birthed from a Kickstarter project that raised $2.4 million for its development (Firth). The headset provides an image for each eye that even fills the wearers peripheral vision; a head-tracking sensor and a very high frame rate than ensure that the picture remains clear even as the wearer turns his head (Firth). The headset provides such an immersive image that guests at E3 often reported getting lost inside the world they saw in front of them while wearing the headset and forgot exactly where they were standing in reality (Heaven). One such guest said of his time with the cutting-edge technology, You get into a trance, its very trippy (Heaven). Many say that Oculus Rift could single-handedly bring virtual reality back into the mainstreams consciousness after many years of dismissal from the public (Firth). Indeed, game developers are also eager to test the potential of the new technology as nearly 75 existing games, including the highly revered Half-Life 2, are currently being adapted for use with Oculus Rift (Heaven). Other game developers are looking to make unique experiences designed specifically for the technology, including a guillotine simulator (Heaven). Understandably, Oculus Rift and similar products in development at prominent video game companies, such as Sony, have many video game industry pundits and consumers discussing what sort of impact virtual reality can have on video games and the video game

Bruno 2 industry. For example, Robin Arnott has said that the video game industry and video games in general could be in for some major changes and praised Oculus Rift as a gift (qtd. in Heaven). In many ways, virtual reality seems to be the next logical step for the video game industry. Oculus Rift would satisfy the medium of video games need for transparent immediacy. According to Bolter and Grusin, a medium has more immediacy the closer said medium comes to perfectly replicating our daily experiences, especially on the visual level (22). Virtual reality also could provide more immediacy then any of todays mediums that are held back by slow frame rates, crashes, and jagged graphics among other issues (22). Psychological studies also support the argument that virtual reality will significantly change the way video games are played. Although virtual reality will significantly change how games are played, a significant amount of evidence exists that supports the notion that virtual reality will not catch on right away and that the video game industry will not be noticeably altered in the foreseeable future. Recent industry trends indicate that the video game industry is not very receptive to change and that the relatively high price tag of Oculus Rift and similar devices could serve as a barrier to entry, especially with the emergence of what many industry pundits refer to as casual gaming. Oculus Rift will enhance the experience of playing video games by satisfying gamers growing desire for more immersive experiences; however, the industrys refusal to change will ensure that the technology will not become widespread in the near future. Considering the fact that virtual reality and especially Oculus Rift are extremely new technologies, very little scholarly evidence exists that directly addresses how virtual reality can change video games. For this reason, a more indirect approach is needed to substantially analyze this subject and derive a legitimate argument about virtual realitys potential in the video game industry. When examining the potential of virtual reality in the video game industry, one should

Bruno 3 first examine why gamers play video games and how developers attempt to cater to those needs when crafting their games. This claim makes sense on an incredibly simple level; if a new idea is introduced to the game industry but the people who play the games do not embrace the idea because it does not suit their personal reason for playing, the idea will soon go out of style because no one will buy the product associated with the idea. Similarly, developers will abandon the idea because they will not be able to sell the product and make a profit off of it. In order for someone to convince someone that virtual reality can impact the game industry, he or she needs to show that gamers will embrace virtual reality because it caters to their personal gaming needs; in turn, developers will embrace virtual reality as it caters to their bottom line. Many people play video games because they desire to escape from the real world and indulge themselves in a fantasy setting (Klug and Schell 92). In many ways, this makes video games extremely similar to other forms of entertainment popular in todays society (Klug and Schell 92). People also read books and watch films in order to find an escape from reality (Klug and Schell 92). However, Klug and Schell point out that the major difference between video games and other forms of media is that video games encourage players to become actively involved in the worlds that they are presented with; in other media the consumers participate merely as spectators (92). They note that this aspect of control present in games makes 3-D virtual worlds especially compelling to the people who play them (Klug and Schell 92). Although most gamers will say that they desire control, it should be noted that gamers instead want the illusion of control, which makes them feel that their actions actually have an effect on the game (Klug and Schell 92). This is logical considering the context of what was said before; since gamers play video games to escape from reality, they do not actually want to control but rather just to feel like they are in control of something. Ultimately, as the virtual world presented

Bruno 4 inside a video game becomes increasingly genuine to the player, the players decisions inside that world become more important both to the player and the virtual world itself (Klug and Schell 92). The ultimate conclusion one can make using the above information is that games that gamers feel are the most real offer the greatest illusion of control, which in turn allows gamers to escape into the virtual world easily and thus motivates them to play those games. The idea of gamers playing video games because they desire the illusion of control definitely supports the argument that virtual reality will enhance the experience of playing video games. As stated above, those who used the Rift at the most recent E3 reported that the device put users into a state that they perceived to be almost dream-like (Heaven). Game developers say the technology has the ability to make abstract, unreal environments to look like reality to those who utilize Oculus Rift for their gaming experiences by presenting the virtual world devoid of the visual distractions that occur outside ones television set (Heaven). Since Oculus Rift provides such a lifelike and immersive experience, the Rift should effortlessly be able to allow gamers to get immersed inside the virtual worlds crafted for it. The Rifts near flawless recreation of reality will give gamers a greater illusion of control that they crave and motivate gamers to buy the Oculus Rift and games that are adapted for use with the Rift. The immediacy that Oculus Rift provides will convince many gamers to add Oculus Rift into their gaming experiences. The development of the immediacy of other media such as paintings, photographs, and television also support the potential of the Rift. These media types evolve by increasing their transparency through the use of techniques like linear perspective, automaticity and transparency (Bolter and Grusin 24). By examining the evolution of older media through the use of these techniques, one can form a clear idea of the impact virtual reality will have on the medium of

Bruno 5 video games. Linear perspective revolutionized paintings and their transparency using mathematics to measure space, making the surface of the canvas seem more like a window because the image used similar dimensions to our world (Bolter and Grusin 24). However, linear perspective alone was not sufficient because it failed to erase the surface of the painting (Bolter and Grusin 25). Erasure was used in order to make the painting seem like a continuation of the real world outside the painting; the viewer should look at the painting and not think the painting has a surface (Bolter and Grusin 25). Virtual reality and Oculus Rift can use similar techniques in order to increase the transparency of video games; by erasing the surface of the television Oculus Rift will make users forget they are actually wearing a headset. When art moved from paintings to film, photographs, television and video games, the linear perspective achieved perfection because the perspective was automatic and required no work on the artists part (Bolter and Grusin 25). Virtual reality can achieve a similar style of automaticity that photographs and film have because computer generated images are mathematically perfect in regards to linear perspective; in fact, synthesized images can almost perfectly replicate photographs in this age (Bolter and Grusin 26). By using these techniques and applying them to the medium of video games, virtual reality creates a sense of transparency and immediacy never before seen in the medium video games and legitimizes itself as the next logical step for video games. With the elimination of the television screen, gamers will finally be able to fully immerse themselves in a virtual world. Although the above arguments show the potential of virtual reality, one may argue that video games can still not provide a completely immersive experience due to the nature of games themselves. Video games still have rules and limitations just like games played outside a virtual world, and players are bound by those limitations. One can compare these limitations to a game

Bruno 6 of chess; for example, a rook can only move side to side and up and down and will never be able to suddenly move diagonally because those are the limitations provided by the game of chess (Klug and Schell 92). These limitations can break the illusion of the virtual world by providing unrealistic phenomenon such as a fat Italian plumber being able to jump over objects three times his height. However, many games have already developed to the point where the rules and limitations imposed by the game almost perfectly mirror our reality. A great example of such a game is Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world created Linden Labs that debuted in 2003 (Griffiths 98). In the world of Second Life, players create an avatar that can perform functions just like they would in the real world; avatars can run businesses, trade goods with other avatars, visit faithful recreations of global landmarks, attend a concert performed by their favorite band, or even date and marry other avatars (Griffiths 97-98). The world presented inside Second Life immerses players to the degree where the relationships players develop inside the game actually feel genuine (Griffiths 99). For example, the relationship that the avatars Laura and David developed in the game caused their players Amy and David to get married both in real life and the virtual world; when Dave, the avatar that is, cheated on Laura with a prostitute in Second Life, Amy and David eventually filed for divorce over the incident because Amy felt that David was in a relationship with the woman behind the prostitute avatar (Griffiths 97-99). Using reality as a model, Second Life almost completely immerses its users inside the virtual world; the only limitation it has is that its world is still presented to users on a computer monitor. Oculus Rift can break this barrier as shown above and can make games like Second Life completely immersive. While the aforementioned facts presented in the previous paragraphs make a strong case for the future of virtual reality, many arguments also exist that indicate that no one should expect everyone to be wearing a virtual reality headset every time he or she plays a video game. The

Bruno 7 reality of the video game industry paints a picture that does not doom virtual reality but significantly hampers its ability to change the industry wholeheartedly in the near future. Both consumers and developers alike contribute to the current stagnant state of the video game industry that is not very receptive to new ideas. With regards to virtual reality, the headset may not cater to many consumers tastes and gaming styles, while developers bound themselves to policies that do not encourage risk and change. As mentioned above, many gamers play games in order to find an escape from reality and seek the illusion of control; while this holds true for many gamers, studies show that this does not apply to all gamers. For example, some gamers play games to vicariously insert themselves into an experience but only wish to participate as an observer (Klug and Schell 94). A genre of video games that attracts a noticeable amount of such gamers is sports games (Klug and Schell 94). The elements found in many sports games today that allow players to take control of a team as the general manager but not actively participate in the on-field experience (Klug and Schell 94). Another type of gamer can be classified as competitors (Klug and Schell 95). These gamers play video games for the thrill of winning (Klug and Schell 95). Competitive gamers also enjoy games with structured rules that give them the adrenaline rush that comes with an intense competition and satisfy their need to establish dominance (Klug and Schell 95). Notably, virtual reality and Oculus Rift can do little to satisfy the needs of both of these types of gamers. Competitors care only about winning and dismiss immersion, which is an important part of virtual reality. On the other hand, the vicarious observer often indulges in the simulation aspects of games that require little onscreen action; they desire immersion as well but virtual reality does not tailor to their specific needs. These types of gamers among others will not support Oculus

Bruno 8 Rift right away because the technology simply does little to enhance their personalized gaming experiences. Another factor that could impede Oculus Rifts progress on the level of the consumer is a shift in the demographics of people who play video games. Specifically, I am referring to the increasing demographic that many refer to as casual gamers. The exact definition of a casual gamer is hard to pin down considering the varying tastes people have in games but a simple definition that works for the purpose of this argument is a gamer who possesses minimal knowledge of gaming conventions and seeks quick fun (Juul 28). Basically, these are the type of people who prefer to indulge themselves in a quick round of Candy Crush Saga rather than an extended session of a much more complex game such as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Developers have made numerous attempts to cater to this newfound demographic; for example, Reginald Fils-Aime of Nintendo when describing the goal of Nintendos Wii console emphasized that he wanted the console to run games that w4ere not intimidating (Juul 28). Juuls ultimate conclusion is that accessibility is an extremely important factor that determines what games each gamer plays; he cites Solitaire as the ultimate example of a game accessible to the all gamers because it was free, consumed less space then physical cards, had rules that almost all players were already familiar with and could be played in short sessions (146). Once again, virtual realitys strengths do not appeal to this demographic. Casual gamers are looking for short fun and not the immersion that the Rift provides. Also, the price of the Rift, while currently unknown, could seriously hamper casual gamers motivation to buy the product because a high price tag would seriously hamper the accessibility of the product that is so important to this demographic. Thus, the casual gamer is another type of consumer that will not embrace Oculus Rift quickly.

Bruno 9 Another problem facing the future of virtual reality is the nature of the game industry. Specifically, a major criticism of the game industry is the lack of originality and the multitude of sequels and licensed products, for example games based on movies, which flood the market (Newman 46). A prominent example of this trend is Electronic Arts series of well-known FIFA soccer titles, which merely change some statistics, check for errors, and change the suffix to match with the current year (Newman 46). The continuously increasing costs of developing games have scared developers into a culture that is extremely cautious and risk averse (Newman 46). Developers are afraid that consumers are addicted to the current methodology of creating games and are not willing to pour millions upon millions of dollars into a fresh concept that might not become widespread (qtd. in Newman 46). The video game industrys culture of riskaversion does not bode well for Oculus Rift and virtual reality. Developers will most likely stick to their guns and continue to develop the same types games; they most likely will not abandon Oculus Rift because of the technologys massive potential but at the same time they will not prioritize development of games specifically tailored for the Rift. At this point, my research into virtual reality, Oculus Rift, and the video game industry seems to support two conclusions that contradict each other. First, I outlined the immense potential of virtual reality because it has the ability to satisfy gamers desire for immersive experiences. On the other hand, I also concluded that virtual reality would have trouble catching on in the video game industry as the result of a culture of risk-aversion and a wide range of demographics that will not embrace the Rift. However, these conclusions are actually not completely incompatible and can coexist. A risk-averse industry does not necessarily imply that developers will completely ignore Oculus Rift; in order to satisfy gamers looking to immerse themselves in virtual worlds, developers should adapt both current and future games that could

Bruno 10 benefit significantly from the technology for use with the Rift such as the aforementioned Second Life and Skyrim. On the other hand, developers can continue to create games like FIFA and Candy Crush Saga for the consumers who would not be interested in Oculus Rift. The scenario I just presented would support both conclusions that I have reached without disproving the other in the short term. However, the long-term future for technology such as the Rift seems bright as the technology becomes more accessible. No one should be surprised if virtual reality becomes a staple of video games within the next 20 years.

Bruno 11 Works Cited Bolter, Jay, and Richard Grusin. Remediation: Understanding New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2000. Print. Firth, Niall. "Get Your Head In The Game." New Scientist 218.2922 (2013): 19-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. Griffiths, Devin C. Virtual Ascendance: Video Games and the Remaking of Reality. Blue Ridge Summit, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2013. Print. Heaven, Douglas. "Mind-Bending Games Let You Live Your Dreams." New Scientist 218.2922 (2013). Web. Juul, Jesper. Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and their Players. Cambridge, MIT Press, 2009. Print. Klug, G. Christopher, and Jesse Schell. Why People Play Games: An Industry Perspective. Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences. Ed. Vorderer, Peter, and Jennings Bryant. New York: Routledge, 2006. 91-100. Print. Newman, James. Videogames. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print.