I’ve long held that the technical (i.e. non-artistic) pinnacle that videogames’ can attain, when we’ve finally achieved the point at which technology no longer holds us back, is the complete virtual reproduction of an immersive world in the manner of Star Trek TNG’s Holodeck. If we’re looking to offer wholly-immersive experiences in a virtual environment, then this is the absolute zenith.
As such, my interest has been piqued for some time now by the affordability and accessibility of virtual reality’s second coming in the form of the increasingly popular Oculus 3D headset. I lapped up the VR-related talks at this year’s GDC, convinced the immediate benefits would outweigh criticisms from developers at Valve and the Oculus guys themselves – appreciating the latter’s “mea culpa” approach and the former’s assertion that while far from finished, this is the first step on the long road of virtual reality becoming a viable gaming reality by comparing the current situation to that of the early days of PC 3D accelerator cards.

















