Simulation Games

Simulated baseball? Simulated football? Simulated golf? It is hard to imagine that simulations of these traditional outdoor games could ever eclipse the originals in popularity. However, with advances in virtual reality and human-computer interaction, simulated games may give people the chance to participate in the same game without being in the same place physically. They may also allow sophisticated training methods that are not possible in real world training. While Virtual Reality (VR) can be applied in several ways, amusement was among the early applications and still tops the list. The multi-dimensional and interactive features of VR make it a natural for virtual gaming. In the years to come, new virtual amusement ("virtainment") applications will come from hybrid combinations of online gaming, internet access, and television. These applications can be centrally coordinated, multi-user, interactive, and three-dimensional entertainment experiences. There is social value of physically gathering in one location, so there will still be a place for movies in the world of virtainment. Virtual movies ("virties") will go far beyond 3D effects with polarized lens glasses; they will feature realistic three-dimensional pictures and multi-sensory audience engagement. Sub-page virtual reality television covers further information on this topic.

Immersive and engaging virtual reality is a great platform for online gaming. Virtual reality games can be run centrally or in a distributed manner, multi-participant or single-user, and involve some or all human senses. During the 1980's and 1990's, hype concerning virtual reality gaming exceeded the ability of technology to meet public expectations. Limitations of image display systems using shutter glasses and image lag caused by under-powered computers, particularly the cheaper systems, caused eye strain and sickness. Since then, there have been significant advances and cost-reducing developments in both image projection systems and computer performance. With these improvements, Virtual Reality (VR) gaming is now starting to meet those early anticipated results. For more about VR, see the components of mixed reality .

Although technology now enables people to come in contact virtually at a distance, people remain social creatures. They will still enjoy gathering in one place for virtainment experiences. Accordingly, there will always be a role for movies, even as they evolve with interactive and 3D features. Virtual reality movies ("virties") will be quite different from the primitive 3D movies of the mid-20th century. Virties will feature realistic 3D pictures and audience interface. Additional VR discussion at texture mapping and ray tracing in virtual reality environments may provide further insight.

Virtual Reality is already a huge commercial sector with uses in amusement, information processing, design, medicine, robotics, trade, direction, military, real property, travel, dating, athletics and instruction. Several forces are likely to further accelerate growth in elementary VR technology and expand its use to diverse industries. Evolutionary and revolutionary (e.g. nanotech computing, holotechnology computing, living and quantum computing) advances in computing will enhance the performance and decrease the cost of VR platforms available commercially and the general public. Disruptive technological advances in computer-assisted sight and computer-neural connectivity will probably lead to advanced image display systems without shutter glasses and accompanying nausea. Progress in the field of telerobotics will grow the need for top-quality VR-based interfaces for human users. More: haptic communication in virtual reality environments for more on these VR topics.