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Cool application of technology, or cash grab based on a miserable premise and dated technology?

I'm curious to hear what people expect from it. For those who aren't aware, it's a new HMD (head mounted display) which raised a ton of dough on Kickstarter, and is scheduled to start shipping early next year.

As someone who has tried an assortment of HMDs and hated each one with a passion, I'm not sure I understand why people are excited for this one over a Sony HMZ for a few hundred bucks, or even a Rockwell Collins $50k one. They tend to feel clunky, wear poorly, not deliver on any immersion, and just ends up beating out a helmet with a brick on the front, with a CRT monitor dangling off of it.

As you can tell, I'm not enthused, but I'm wondering if others are following this, and if they are impressed. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by berzirk Occulus Rift or Occulus Shit?

I guess neither, since the devices is called the Oculus Rift.

However, I don't think it can be classified as a cash-grab. The Kickstarter had a relatively modest goal of $250,000, and it's not the creator's fauilt that it ballooned up to $2.5 milliion. In any case, the creator was actively discouraging regular consumers from buying the developer kit. From the FAQ:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-into-the-game

Should I wait for the consumer version? If you are asking this question, the answer is probably "Yes".

As for your other concerns, a lot of the negatives you list for HMDs are precisely what the Rift is trying to address. Hands-on review of a prototype:
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/in...us-rift-931087

Originally Posted by marsilies I guess neither, since the devices is called the Oculus Rift. However, I don't think it can be classified as a cash-grab. The Kickstarter had a relatively modest goal of $250,000, and it's not the creator's fauilt that it ballooned up to $2.5 milliion. In any case, the creator was actively discouraging regular consumers from buying the developer kit. From the FAQ: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-into-the-game As for your other concerns, a lot of the negatives you list for HMDs are precisely what the Rift is trying to address. Hands-on review of a prototype: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/in...us-rift-931087

Ahh, whoops. One C.

I get that they are trying to overcome the issues that HMDs have, I just don't see a single way that it does that. It's sort of like everyone is being told it's revolutionary, but the resolution still sucks, it's still two staggered screens trying to spoof a higher framerate, and it's still some dorky-ass goggles in a nichey-gimmick market, trying to go mass appeal. Maybe it's because I've used so many HMDs, but I can't get my brain around why in the hell anybody smarter than our military would have any interest in researching or using HMDs.

I guess we'll see what the finished product is like, and if those problems are solved and HMDs no longer suck as bad as they have for the past 25 years. I remember being told the Sony HMZ set was finally the future, and those were terrible.

Originally Posted by berzirk Cool application of technology, or cash grab based on a miserable premise and dated technology?

I think it's in the middle. Cool idea, ambitious approach, too early to know if it will pan out.

I dont like it.. It will end up giving you eye cancer like the virtual boy

Not interested in it, but this is one of my favorite subject lines of the year.

Originally Posted by berzirk I get that they are trying to overcome the issues that HMDs have, I just don't see a single way that it does that. It's sort of like everyone is being told it's revolutionary, but the resolution still sucks, it's still two staggered screens trying to spoof a higher framerate...

The resolution they're using is for the developer version, but it's from one solid screen split between the two eyes. Recent update regarding the screen:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...e/posts/361519

Slightly older update that also has info on the screen:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...e/posts/357600

Note that they wanted a 60hz refresh rate. The original PAR article mentions 60fps:
http://penny-arcade.com/report/edito...d-change-the-w

That article also mentioned that the optics they use mean that the resolution gets bunched up near the center of vision, and looser out towards the edges, meaning the low resolution isn't as much of an issue as it could be. But they also mention the consumer release will have higher resolution; the panel they're using now is mostly because they want to make the developer kits using cheap off-the-shelf parts.

They've seemed keen on constantly improving the hardware. Here's a PAR hands-on where the hardware was already improved from the first prototype, but not as good as what the developer kits will have:
http://penny-arcade.com/report/edito...-of-the-oculus

...and it's still some dorky-ass goggles in a nichey-gimmick market, trying to go mass appeal.

I'm not sure if they're trying to go for mass appeal. They're certainly looking to deliver a consumer product, but I don't think they're under delusions that their display is going to become the dominant form of gaming.