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OMG, Scientists Invent Holodeck!

ananova.com — You get in the sphere so you can roam freely in any direction, and the VR headset can display any environment. This is amazing.

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  • undeadwarrior, on 03/15/2008, -10/+159Wow, i want to play Crysis in this! They need to hurry up and make these.
    • zinc6471, on 03/15/2008, -22/+2multiplayer is were is all at...

    • SceptreData, on 03/15/2008, -7/+46I think the hardest thing to do properly inside this contraption will be to control the momentum of the ball. I mean, lets say you sprint away from an object, in real life, you can't stop immediately, but you can stop your movement pretty quickly. Inside this ball thing however, you probably can't do that, as the ball would keep rolling. You might even have to run the opposite direction for it to stop quickly enough. And what happens if you fall? I can't imagine tripping inside that thing would be very fun.
      • LovelyNeko, on 03/15/2008, -41/+4Yeah and what about if I has a BONER and suddenly I FALL... =(
        • Verz, on 03/15/2008, -2/+31I've been looking through your comment history for the past few minutes..
          Please stop doing it. You have not given any valuable or humorous input on anything ever since you signed up.
      • capiCrimm, on 03/15/2008, -5/+2or strafing. I imagine it's fairly hard to move sideways in a crouch.
      • HaoTian, on 03/15/2008, -2/+10Tripping would be especially unfun since you can't see the real world around you to reach out and break your fall at all. Yikes!
      • DaHuuuuuudge, on 03/15/2008, -3/+9And what about jumping up ledges?
        • Tahiri, on 03/16/2008, -2/+3You'd jump. Wow, so hard
        • DeathfireD, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1they could probably add springs onto the wheels or wheel holder so you can really jump and detect it. It doesn't seem like it would be all that hard to implement.
          • DaHuuuuuudge, on 03/16/2008, -0/+0You would land in the game before you land in real life though.
      • Locke2053, on 03/16/2008, -2/+18There could be sensors which put push "breaks" against the ball when you are stopping. That would solve the momentum problem.
        • pkfx, on 03/16/2008, -1/+11brakes
          • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4He meant breaks in the software that kept the ball moving.

            /god awful programming joke... stfu, I've been up for hours coding
      • raquo, on 03/16/2008, -1/+8The ball must have small mass -> small inertia. Hope so at least.
        • mrASSMAN, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3Of course it does, I think it's safe to assume that they took this into account. it's just a light plastic dome.. probably weighs no more than 15 pounds.
      • LeeSoong, on 03/16/2008, -9/+5Quark's Bar is only a few years away...

        Somebody better wash out those people sized hamster balls after every customer.

        p.s.

        Title is inaccurate. It Should Read: OMS! Scientists Invent Holodeck

        (Oh My Science!)

        The only thing ancient book readers ever invent is yet another holy war . . . yawn.
        • jaynemother, on 03/16/2008, -6/+2What a doosh
        • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2...What?
        • dopplerdog, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2In fact, it should read "Engineers invent Holodeck". This is applied technology, not science. It has nothing to do with studying nature.
          • LeeSoong, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Agreed.

            Engineers are the ones who take science and turn it into useful products.
      • awesty, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1They probably made it so that doesn't happen.
    • emailingRob, on 03/15/2008, -2/+30I don't finding tripping anywhere to be much fun.
      • stoanhart, on 03/16/2008, -1/+20I like tripping balls, but that's about it.

        Ok, that was bad even by my standards...
      • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Melee in this thing is safe. Brawl requires hardhats. :3
    • SceptreData, on 03/15/2008, -1/+16So apparently on the main website they answered all those concerns I just asked. Now I want one.
      http://www.virtusphere.com/FAQ.html
    • DiggzDE, on 03/15/2008, -1/+3The only issue with this is the fact that there is no actual physical response to the surroundings. You can still keep running forward, even if you are running into the wall in the game, and the ball will keep rolling. To truly make this a holo-deck style system, there needs to be some sort of force feedback to allow for "actual" interaction with the game. Still, would be an awesome thing to try.
      • undeadwarrior, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4I bet that will be in the 2.0 version.
    • mickstephenson, on 03/15/2008, -1/+14This is far cooler
      Omnidirectional treadmill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQw1tsgrJOs
      • ZeroFive1, on 03/16/2008, -3/+4WTF?? That's not rick roll!
      • mrASSMAN, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1That's what I thought this would be about. More expensive though I'm sure.
      • dacheetah, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1I want to put someone in the middle of that, and put cakes around them, and set it so that they can't get off the treadmill.
    • Wuss, on 03/16/2008, -1/+24It ain't a holodeck until you can screw 50 Scarlett Johannsens.
      • grimward, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2... that brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "the burly brawl" ...
    • Cryoniq, on 03/16/2008, -10/+2if it wasn't for CRYSIS SUCK DIRTY BALLS YOU NOOB!
    • solique, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3I'd prefer it if my 15000 pound machine didn't melt.
    • freepizza48, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1Crysis!? Dude, use it to play CS:Source to get the HEADSHOTS!
    • Schmich, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1I hope it comes with the hat.
    • johnsmith3210, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1Grand Theft Auto IV
  • thetzfreak, on 03/15/2008, -3/+22That looks intense.
    • dinostabOMG, on 03/15/2008, -1/+14I think I saw something similar recently, with a two-dimensional treadmill... which seemed to be a lot less of a hassle than keeping a giant manster ball around.
    • Audacitor, on 03/15/2008, -0/+9Can't wait until we get the inevitable flood of videos on Youtube involving people falling over in that thing.
    • Mootabolife, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1Ya.. how exactly to you slow down your run when the sphere is just going to keep rolling?
    • hugeego, on 03/16/2008, -8/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpu44no3uO8&NR=1
    • elnerdo, on 03/16/2008, -0/+6The first game to come out for the GiantSphere will be "Help me! I'm stuck in a sphere!"
  • suremoneysaver, on 03/15/2008, -27/+1dugg my dear friend
  • SciFiDrive, on 03/15/2008, -2/+113I'm not leaving. ever.
  • MartinR, on 03/15/2008, -5/+339That's about as much a holodeck as a Cesna is a starship.

    ...pretty cool though.
    • rz8472, on 03/15/2008, -1/+31But hopefully there will be a program where you can order everyone on a starship to "make it so" and to "engage".
    • ArchiTech, on 03/15/2008, -0/+17Indeed... where are the holo-emitters?
    • dood, on 03/15/2008, -0/+35Where's the ability for the safety interlocks to go offline at exactly the wrong time, causing photonic bullets to become lethal?
      Man I'm bored today.
      • rootneg2, on 03/15/2008, -0/+14Lt. Barclay is *not* impressed.
      • AngryAngryBrian, on 03/16/2008, -0/+10I agree, it isn't a holodeck unless it can malfunction and kill you and everyone in your house.
    • honkaform, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1I am intrigued by the spherical shape, though. How did Star Trek ever account for someone simply hitting a wall outside the simulation? That always bugged me.
  • acrodev, on 03/15/2008, -1/+69A few generations down this product line I can picture actuators in the ball edges to create real 3d obstacles.
    • trogdor282, on 03/15/2008, -4/+87by actuators you mean boobs
    • robdiggity, on 03/15/2008, -16/+2hhhhhuhuhuhuuhuuh... you said actuate
    • tobikow, on 03/16/2008, -0/+5You could realistically emulate force feedback with actuators too...kinda like putting an e-brake or motors on a hamster wheel. May be kind of painful though.
  • GhostWithToast, on 03/15/2008, -24/+4OMG that thing is total BS!
  • drmobutu, on 03/15/2008, -3/+70They need to replace the treadmills at my gym, with these...
    • yunus, on 03/16/2008, -1/+11And you just hit the fatal flaw. Imagine playing GTA in this thing and ACTUALLY running for miles on end. These are video gamers not athletes. Plus theres no where for your drink to go :)
      • dynelol, on 03/16/2008, -2/+5Gamers will get off of their asses for more immersive experiences. I know i'd bust ass playing GTA like that. Actually, i want a 3D Lunar using one of those.
        • blindmonkey, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2I'm wondering how you'd drive in that thing... Wouldn't be the most realistic experience, that's for sure.
      • tobikow, on 03/16/2008, -0/+6Beer helmet?
        • yunus, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1good call, just no flying games or you get beer all over
    • darlyn, on 03/16/2008, -0/+3yunus, do you know how incredibly awesome that would be? Play GTA and get a cardio work-out at the same time?? This would definitely do some good; I'm normally to lazy or socially inept to go outside and run.
  • VladislavIII, on 03/15/2008, -9/+81The best thing is how the title of the post didn't overstate the content of the article. Not like some Digg whores who use sensational headlines for really lame articles.
    • NSResponder, on 03/16/2008, -2/+11Best sarcasm of the day.

      -jcr
    • S1ngular1ty1, on 03/16/2008, -4/+3Agree, looks more like holo soccer ball where you have to wear stupid looking virtual glasses.
    • undeadwarrior, on 03/16/2008, -8/+2If you think about it, it is similar to a holodeck in many ways. You can see any environment, and walk freely in it. Sure it isn't the same exact holodeck in a square room with yellow grid lines, but imagine if this is the Atari 2600 version, what the ps3 version will be like. I totally understand where the submitter was going with the title. If they were to develop this and add things like force feedback, rumbling, multi player, it could really have potential.
    • thzae, on 03/16/2008, -4/+2FUNIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN.....CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER....CAPSSSSSS
    • Ignotus, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2100% agreement. This looks like you can do anything involving walking or running, like track and field. A holodeck would allow me to sit, lay down, drive, fly, and most importantly, have sex. When I read 'holodeck', I thought "virtual room". This is a giant hamster ball with a VR headset.
      I think holodeck tech will involve directly stimulating the brain and will work similar to how dreams work. Really, the world is what our brains perceive. The same thing could be faked sort of like in the Matrix.
  • Devan612, on 03/15/2008, -2/+51It's a holodeck for your pet giant hamster.
    • baylorbear, on 03/16/2008, -0/+3or your giant, pet hamster. either way.
  • insomniac8400, on 03/15/2008, -2/+200Hopefully they poked a few air holes into it.
    • edein, on 03/15/2008, -10/+1imagine a few people with gas play together in that...
    • franksands, on 03/15/2008, -8/+6"The large hollow sphere sits..."

      It would be a real trick to create a *hollow* sphere without any holes.
      • strictnein, on 03/15/2008, -0/+28A ping pong ball is hollow, and has no holes. Amazing what science can do!
        • KingGorilla, on 03/16/2008, -0/+5how do they do it!
        • blast_flame, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1Well technically it does have holes. Just tiny atomic level ones.
        • int19h, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1It does have a hole, inside of the ping pong ball... :P
      • Mysrt, on 03/16/2008, -0/+5owned
    • nycmac247, on 03/15/2008, -2/+13NO - they need to put it in water after its sealed so you can float on top and freely rotate
      • blindmonkey, on 03/16/2008, -0/+8.... Did you forget about breathing?
    • notouch, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1And I was wonder what happens if the player released some gas.
  • metalkills, on 03/15/2008, -2/+62looks slightly better than virtual boy!
    • RazorEye, on 03/15/2008, -0/+5VB...... ahhh, thanks for the flashbacks!
    • aberon1, on 03/16/2008, -0/+0Virtual Boy?!?! Yes! TeleroBoxing in a roly-poly ball! Wait... I don't feel so good... how do I get out... oh no...mmMMSPLAARRRP!!!
  • HalsMyPal, on 03/15/2008, -4/+10anyone wanna play super smash brothers?
  • Evildudetx, on 03/15/2008, -23/+15Holodeck my ass. There is NOTHING new here other than some dumbass can now shell out for a giant hampster wheel to run around in.
  • kenvsryu, on 03/15/2008, -7/+21What happens if you fart?
    • earthceltic, on 03/15/2008, -2/+15Your ball becomes a stationary terrorist weapon of mass destruction.
    • dynelol, on 03/16/2008, -2/+9What the hell do you think happens? You fart, it stinks and is held in a bit better depending on how well ventilated it is.
    • pinchies, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2You die.
  • donjuan571, on 03/15/2008, -2/+110What happens if you are killed in the matrix?
  • xGuerrillaRadio, on 03/15/2008, -2/+63Hot virtual alien sex, here I come!
    • HeDiggMe, on 03/15/2008, -0/+51When the holodeck is really invented, porn will never be the same
      • kahrytan, on 03/16/2008, -0/+8When I read your comment, i broke out in laughter that made my sides hurt.
      • dynelol, on 03/16/2008, -0/+16porn will become sex and porn surfing will actually be cheating.
    • Locke2053, on 03/16/2008, -0/+37Holodeck porn = the end of the human race.

      But that last generation of men will have a good life. Women won't be able to use sex as a weapon against us anymore.
      • KingGorilla, on 03/16/2008, -0/+11Free at last!!!! Bitch you're buying your own dinner and movie tickets
      • MisterNetHead, on 03/16/2008, -0/+15And here I thought the end of the human race was tabbed browsing.
      • blast_flame, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2This is why we should legalize human cloning and start working on AIs.
    • Zephik, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5Even if they were to sanitize it like crazy after each "use", I still wouldn't want to use it. Just the thought of someone blowing their load in there before me... *shivers* blech.
      • darkphenox, on 03/16/2008, -0/+10the House, Apartment, Cottage that you are in, people blew there load there before too, unless its a brand new place.
        • MisterNetHead, on 03/16/2008, -0/+9And Zephik was never heard from again.
      • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -0/+7Your Dad blew his load in your mom before you were ever in there.

        /now has to pay for his therapy
      • blast_flame, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2Or you could just own one yourself.
  • n064, on 03/15/2008, -4/+7it looks like a big soccer ball
  • Shawshanksr, on 03/15/2008, -8/+6epic.
  • allyant, on 03/15/2008, -1/+15Where is the image of screenplay?
  • tails5280, on 03/15/2008, -2/+30How do you get in and out of that contraption!?
    • zspade, on 03/15/2008, -0/+53You don't, its more of a lifestyle decision. They build it around you and you are happy for the rest of the life. the matrix thanks you.
    • tobikow, on 03/16/2008, -0/+13How does Pikachu get in and out of its Poke ball!?
      • ClockworksNine, on 03/16/2008, -0/+7Trick question. He doesn't, he lives on the outside world.
      • KingGorilla, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1mirrors?
      • dacheetah, on 03/18/2008, -0/+1Theres a tiny hole in the ball and, lets just say it answers once and for all the question "Will it Blend?"
        (Yes, aparantly it will)
    • shadowblade989, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1Transporters.
    • Tahiri, on 03/16/2008, -0/+6The door
    • SkwidSpawn, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2You don't, they grow you inside of it with the goggles already on.
  • N256, on 03/15/2008, -9/+4OMG
    • LovelyNeko, on 03/15/2008, -9/+2HOOO LOOOOO DEEEEEEEECCKKK OOOOOOOH MYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
  • AzureRise, on 03/15/2008, -2/+9That's good and all, but when can I play Doom and Quake on it?
    • uberkling, on 03/16/2008, -0/+3Probably right now with some configuring of the hardware for input. I used to play Quake 2 DM at my local laser tag place on first generation VR headsets in the late 90's.
  • firkey, on 03/15/2008, -2/+163.. and suddenly WOW becomes the healthiest thing out there..
    • dynelol, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1can't just abandon 10 million people.
    • Zephik, on 03/16/2008, -0/+10Until you reach a high enough level to use a mount, then your back at square one. :)

      Although you would probably get a work out when fighting baddies. Well, unless your a hunter or mage or something.
      • Zarokima, on 03/16/2008, -0/+10Actually, once you get your mount you have to buy a horse (or kodo, raptor, ram, whatever) and bigger sphere.
        • OldJesser, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2I wonder if they could make some kind of animal VR goggles so your cat or dog could roam around in cyberspace....
    • RickyHo, on 03/16/2008, -0/+4**Tons of avatars bent over winded from running too much**
    • jimmick, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1Wow with gesture based casting system.
      Lol at rangers being ethiopian kids kiting like mad
    • blast_flame, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1Nah. People will just start cheating by using that strength augmentation suit the US army is working on.
  • nycmac247, on 03/15/2008, -7/+3WTF - SGI has been doing this since the 80s
  • motters, on 03/15/2008, -1/+29Welcome to the hamsterverse!
  • jeoncs, on 03/15/2008, -3/+12First the wii now this they're out to get the fat gamers I tell you.
    • CaptainTater, on 03/16/2008, -1/+16You seemed to have dropped your punctuation marks. I retrieved them for you: , .
  • Carrot1991, on 03/15/2008, -5/+6so I can cross the arctic plains, the amazon rainforest, the sahara desert...and as for gaming, the phendrana drifts, hyrule field...halo
    my god.
  • DavidStagno, on 03/15/2008, -1/+12I thought this was a BUBBLEBOY 2 leak.
  • NinjaPirateDude, on 03/15/2008, -5/+2i was about to bury but then i saw they werent 'tologists, browsing digg makes you a bit paranoid....
  • xMotu, on 03/15/2008, -0/+2This is what I've dreamed of.
  • cerealjynx, on 03/15/2008, -1/+10I can honestly say I have waited my entire life for this.
    About. *****. time.
    Now where's my flying car?
  • RyeBrye, on 03/15/2008, -2/+9how do you crouch? or jump? (in the game, obviously... I know how to do it in real life)
    • JudgeMonkey, on 03/15/2008, -0/+8It may not have it implimented ATM, but there is no reason the goggles couldn't detect this sort of thing in much the same way the wiimote knows how it is moving.
      • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1Actually, it would be vastly different from how the Wiimote works, for it only contains accelerometers; it can only tell if it's moving. They're going to implement full-body motion capture via camera according to their site, which will be how they achieve this.

        I'd love to see what your in-game avatar would do if you tripped IRL using accelerometers, though... It's the 3D equivalent of your cat walking on your keyba;oitigfyue;fhaiop
    • finista, on 03/16/2008, -0/+5Press SPACE to jump.
  • Celeron, on 03/15/2008, -3/+23Totally gonna use this for cyber sex. :D
    • redbootrobinson, on 03/15/2008, -0/+27just like real life, youre going to have to chase the girls and get nowhere ;P
    • Verz, on 03/15/2008, -0/+39You have a pretty odd idea of virtual sex if it involves you running around in a giant hamster ball.
      • dynelol, on 03/16/2008, -7/+3he'll be jacking it in there and as he's running he'll keep stepping in his cum.
    • wesd, on 03/15/2008, -0/+3You have to literally chase them for it??
    • kahrytan, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3Just like Diggers, they have chase after girls, most likely paid for it, for sex.
    • MusicalGenius, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2Or you could go meet some girls and socialize OUTSIDE of the basement.
  • gfxlonghorn, on 03/15/2008, -1/+11Somehow I find it hard to believe that a big plastic ball that is just a scaled up hamster ball, with wheels that have as much functionality as a track ball should cost 30 grand. Not to mention the VR headset should cost no more than at most 500 bucks and the gun is effectively a wiimote.
    • jlewicki, on 03/16/2008, -0/+4the gun has to be a 6-dof unit (ie 6 degrees of freedom) to work correctly (ie x,y,z,pitch,roll,yaw) those units run somewhere between 5 -20 grand depending on how the unit is implemented. I dont want to pay for a the price of a wii remote to have to have my gun only be able to pivot from a stationary point inside your model. I want to be able to raise the gun up to my eyes, hold it like al pacino in scarface, or give some blind fire around a corner.
      • gfxlonghorn, on 03/16/2008, -2/+3If I am not mistaken, the wii mote does have 6 degrees of freedom, along with the ps3 controller as well..All it would take is some visual modifications for it to work.
        • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2In the context of these applications, you are mistaken. Sorry :(
        • DelMonte, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2"If I am not mistaken, the wii mote does have 6 degrees of freedom, along with the ps3 controller as well..All it would take is some visual modifications for it to work."

          The problem is that the Wiimote and ps3 controller get their "six degrees of freedom" using accelerometers. While accelerometers can provide somewhat accurate absolute rotation values when not moving, they can't be used to get the absolute position, only relative movement. And while you can normally derive absolute positions from relative movement if you know the starting position, accelerometers are not sensitive/precise enough to detect small and/or slow movements so it becomes impossible to get an absolute position.

          Also, accelerometers can't accurately detect both movement and rotation at the same time, because the rotation values are derived from the gravity vector which is always pointing down.

          That's the reason why the Wii remote needs an extra input device (an infra-red camera that looks for two spots) so that it can be used as a precise pointer, and the IR sensor wouldn't be practical in that sphere. This is also why you can't use a ps3 controller as a pointer.

          Devices that can get the precise absolute rotation and position of an object in a room are still expensive it seems, and this is why motion capture is still mostly done using reflective balls lit by infra-red and cameras.
  • jacksplatter, on 03/15/2008, -12/+1OMG OMG LOL WTF OMG. I mean like, OMG.
  • crashlock, on 03/15/2008, -0/+8http://www.virtusphere.com/videos/VS_Presentation. ...
  • LovelyNeko, on 03/15/2008, -10/+1VIRTUAL SEX AT LAST. HOOORAAAAAHHH AMIRITE!?
  • btornado, on 03/15/2008, -17/+0OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M SEEING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    buried as ***** lame
    • LovelyNeko, on 03/15/2008, -21/+1STFU TOWELHEAD, GO EAT SAND AND ***** A CAMEL.
      • mkling176, on 03/16/2008, -2/+3I buried you.
        • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1No u

          (Dear god don't Digg this comment like someone did mkling's)
  • Bighaugs, on 03/15/2008, -0/+8I'm in. Unless that mustache is required.
  • LovelyNeko, on 03/15/2008, -14/+3HOOO LOOOOO DEEEEEEEECCKKK OOOOOOOH MYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
    • Crumbles, on 03/15/2008, -0/+4Congrats. You have the worst comment on Digg EVER.
    • mkling176, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2LovelyNeko, looking at your comment history makes it clear how much of a failure you are.
  • remo2012, on 03/15/2008, -6/+1Don't need a holodeck with youtube
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBBErCi2dnY
    • oreo2123, on 03/16/2008, -0/+3shameless self plug.

      ...sigh...

      im just surprised you didnt link to your own blog with an embeded vid of yourself.....like all the others.
  • Brackhar, on 03/15/2008, -0/+6If they could stretch the base that you're walking on so there was no incline, then I'd be a bit more impressed. As it stands it will always feel like you're walking uphill, which would break the realism a good amount.
    • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1That's true, but I can picture getting used to it to the point your brain doesn't notice. If they were to add some haptic feedback when you're walking uphill/downhill in a game by applying the appropriate amount of brake to the pivot wheels, then the user would never be the wiser.
    • worldnick, on 03/16/2008, -0/+0That's what I was thinking. Imagine when you stop playing and you walk funny for a moment adjusting to normal. Maybe a larger ball? Actually better yet a flat smart floor that can produce new ground in 360 degrees while you are steadied by a belt fixing you in the center. I like the idea, but it also looks like if you fall the bubble will 'roll out' of the base.
  • LokitheComplex, on 03/15/2008, -0/+82The VR game he's playing is about a man stuck in a giant plastic ball.
    • LegalSatire, on 03/15/2008, -1/+7And that, right here, is the best comment in this thread. Skyward thumbs for you.
    • Ingulit, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2Flip Over: Turtle Edition

      ^ sequel
  • eightyk88, on 03/15/2008, -2/+2well thats a price to bitch about! im happy with my ps3 and how do you get into that thing?
  • parax, on 03/15/2008, -2/+9Neat? Sure. Holodeck? No. Even some of the most modern VR displays have the graphics of an NES game. Because the goal of manufacturers is to sell units (unlike with game systems where the goal is to sell software), the money they get doesn't drive the development of the software that powers them, the money goes into lowering manufacturing costs. The software and 3d model design that goes into these things stopped evolving significantly back in the early 90s. This is not helped by the proprietary nature of the system, so you actually have to work for the manufacturer to develop software for the system. You really can't expect any quality software for a system with no third-party publishers and developers.

    The lack of creativity that goes into the software is evidenced by the fact that their best ideas were to let you virtually roam The Kremlin even though the bubble is located in Russia. That's like going to a movie theater so I can see my apartment in high-def.
    • Tahiri, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3"Even some of the most modern VR displays have the graphics of an NES game"

      1) Virtual Boy was somewhat beyond the NES
      2) That tank arcade VR game was way beyond the NES
      3) Metal Gear Ac!d 2 with the Solid Eye attachment was exponentially beyond the tank arcade game
      • parax, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1Virtual Boy was a monstrosity. It was beyond Game Boy, but not beyond NES. It had a monochromatic display. The red nightmare. Reminds me of Rogers Chicken in Seinfeld. It gave people headaches, and it wasn't a VR system anyway. It was a 3D monochrome game with the monitor real close to your eyes.

        Every VR system I've seen uses angular polygons for graphics, basically all resembling Starfox.
  • antych, on 03/15/2008, -2/+20holodeck != lame sphere
    • grimward, on 03/16/2008, -2/+4So elegantly put dear sir.. sooo elegant.. :)
  • Yage2006, on 03/15/2008, -6/+6Ya its neat but its so so far from a holodeck.
    Its like comparing a candle to a laserbeam.

    /Buried inaccurate
  • CATSCEO, on 03/15/2008, -1/+1*****, civilization as me know it is ruined!
  • oriyn142, on 03/15/2008, -0/+4Now if only there were a replicator!
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