Henry

Virtual reality has been a technology that I feel like I've heard a lot about over the years, but I didn't know what it would be used for other than sci-fi or fantasy video games. Obviously this new tech would make games cooler, more realistic, and maybe more fun (I wouldn't know; I've never tested out the Oculus). However, I didn't know until recently that Oculus VR has a film company called Oculus Story Studio.

Oculus Story Studio made a short film called Henry about a little hedgehog who wants to make some friends. (Adorable, right?) Henry is super cute and looks very much like a Disney Animation Studio or Pixar character.

In this video Saschka Unseld, the creative director, says, "We grow up, we kind of forget that as kids these characters in the films we watch, they're alive. And with VR, it makes me feel again like I'm a kid because I can see this character is real." This is one of the reasons I like animated films so much in the first place--they make me feel like I'm a kid again. I always go see animated movies with one of my sisters, Jess, who is six years younger than me. Now Jess is at the age where it's starting to be "uncool" for her to go see the newest animated feature with her friends, but I know she'll always see them with me.

Another part of this video I found interesting was when Ramiro Lopez Dau, the director and animation supervisor says, "Empathy, in VR, is the most important field that we need to explore." I had never really thought about this because I was so stuck in the mindset that VR would be used mostly for sci-fi video game users to see more of the game world. Perhaps the way VR films and VR games are created are not similar at all. I'll have to do more research to figure that out. After watching this short trailer, I'm more excited about VR technology and, of course, I really want to see Henry. 

Welcome back... TO THE FUTURE!

I dunno if you've noticed but the future is here people. Phones, tablets, tvs, computers... the more advanced they become the more integrated they become. Soon we'll be in the matrix. But until that day we must prepare! And we can start soon, once the Oculus Rift comes out later next year.

The Oculus Rift is a head-mounted display for virtual reality gaming developed by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey. That's right. Put on a set of goggles and get whisked away to your favorite video game and be immersed in strange new worlds while controlling the movement of the camera with your head.

It's not the first time that virtual reality has been attempted, but it is apparently the most fluid and natural feeling rendition to date. Its been endorsed by John Carmack, the founder of id software, and Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve. The Oculus is set to be fully functional with the re-release of Doom 3. I'm upset that I didn't jump onto the Kickstarter over the summer when it began; for those who backed the project in its infancy they will receive a working unit once it is commercially available. The company only asked for $250,000 and was blown away by nearly 10 times that amount. In fact the reason I'm posting about this now is because there has been  a delay of its release due to the overwhelming reception for the product; calling into question the effectiveness of the Kickstarter program and whether it is more helpful or hurtful to these start up companies. But that's another story for a more boring time. Right now too many exciting things are happening! Like virtual reality!

This isn't the only foray into the virtual world soon to be available to the public. Obviously we see things now like the Wii, the Kinect, and Playstation Move (Wii U is up there I guess with its tablet to tv integration... but we'll see about that one). Apparently Microsoft and Sony have been filling out patents for some serious tech. Maybe it won't land at first with the next generation, but you can be sure that add ons will probably come about for the next systems. Microsoft has plans for glove-based controllers, which will enhance and refine motion controls; as well as concepts for a projection screen device that would work on all 4 walls of a square room, to completely immerse oneself into a game. Wow. Some crazy stuff going on.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/19/is-microsoft-working-on-wearable-xbox-controllers
(Sorry no video)

So keep your eyes glued to your tvs, (and laptops and tablets and phones) and your heads in plastic buckets with pretty pictures painted on the inside in preparation for this glorious event. And in 10-15 years, when we're all plugging into a virtual world, we can talk about the good old days when trees existed.