Virtual Reality and Digital Games 28.09.2013 Christoph Anthes

Virtual Reality and Digital Games 28.09.2013 Christoph Anthes

Virtual Reality and Digital Games
28.09.2013
Christoph Anthes
© 2012 Leibniz-Rechenzentrum
Leibniz Supercomputing Centre of the
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
V2C
VR & Visualisation
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V2C Overview
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VR and Games
Overlap and interconnection on many levels
Hardware
VR technology for games
Gaming hardware for VR
Algorithms
Gaming algorithms for VR
VR algorithms for games
Some real VR Games exist
Typically research prototypes or installations
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VR technology for games (consoles)
SegaScope 3D (1988 – Sega)
Power Glove (1989 – Mattel)
Virtual Boy (1995 – Nintendo)
Nintendo 3DS (2011 – Nintendo)
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VR technology for games (PCs)
VFX1/VFX3D (1995 – Forte Technologies)
Elsa Revelator (1999 – Elsa)
P5 (2002 – Essential Reality)
Nvidia 3D Vison (2009 – Nvidia)
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New and upcoming Hardware 2013
Oculus Rift (http://www.oculusvr.com/)
Leap Motion (https://www.leapmotion.com/)
Myo (https://getmyo.com/)
Virtuix Omni (http://www.virtuix.com/)
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Gaming Hardware for VR
Gizmodo (2005 - MR Domain)
Wiimote (2006 - Nintendo)
Balance Board (Nintendo)
Playstation Move (2010 - Sony)
Kinect (2011 - Microsoft)
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Technology and Hardware Transfer
Transfer of technology from VR to gaming typically causes problems
Huge problems with gamer expectations
Try to lower HW cost, often reduces quality
Gaming hardware in VR research is often successful
Gaming devices typically in the input device domain
Mass production makes devices cheap
Desigend for actual use and not only functionality
Novel ideas
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Example Algorithms
Network
Dead Reckoning (SGI Flight and Dogfight)
Client Side Prediction (Half-Life)
Communication protocols (X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter)
Topology and data distribution
Graphics
Particle Systems (Star Trek III)
Shading (Tie-Fighter)
Dynamics
Swarming / Flocking (Dungeon Keeper)
Physics Simulation
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Transfer of Algorithms
Works in theory extremly well
Similar problems could use similar solutions
In reality works ok but could be much better
Often two little knowledge about the other areas
Gaming technology has a long history of not publishing results
Technology Related
• Gaming community often underestimates scientific community
• Scientific community often underestimates gaming community
Gaming community could learn a lot from algorithms
VR community could learn a lot from algorithms as well as game design
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Richard Gariott(1991)
"No ... you'll see why in a second... you've heard people throwing
around the phrase `virtual reality' lately, right? Well, Ultima X is going to
be using different forms of that. Data gloves, stereoscopic goggles, in
an Ultima world. In fact, they've started work on it a couple doors down
the hall here. We'll release it so that you can use mice and all if you
don't have that, but they're actually getting pretty cheap, now, about
$1000 for the goggles. We're also playing with some low-tech VR stuff.
Nintendo is starting to ask us for what we'd like to see in their goggles
which will be under $200."
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Dactyl Nightmare (1991)
First First Person Shooter?
Powered by an Amiga 3000
Multiplayer capabilities
Low Framerates
In general working arcade VR
Installation including tracking
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Net’o’drom (2005)
Collaboration between the University
of Art and Design Linz, and the Johannes
Kepler University
Gameplay focused on collaboration
Easy to use with simple user interface
Possible to connect different experience
levels
Strong in physics simulation
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Net’o’drom (2005)
No game engine used - full development from scratch
Physics simulation
Graphical effects
Animation
Network code
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Space Trash (2007)
Collaboration between the University of Art and Design Linz, and the
Johannes Kepler University
Focus on devices, gameplay,
networked physics
Collaboration on multiple levels
Gameplay and story
Interaction
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Space Trash (2007)
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Conclusions form a gamers point of view
Watch out VR is coming to the gaming community!
We have to look at the concepts and be realistic what is doable!
It is not going to be the next big thing!
There are and will be too many technical issues which cannot be tackled
realistically!
Not really comparable to 3D movie hype
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Acknowledgements
netOdrom
Project Management
Christoph Anthes, Alexander Wilhelm, Gerhard Funk
Coding and Software Architecture
Christoph Anthes, Helmut Bressler, Helmut Garstenauer, Martin Garstenauer, Adrian Haffegee, Franz Keferböck, Roland
Landertshamer, Stephan Reiter, Christian Wressnegger, Johannes Zarl
3D Artwork
Wolfgang Hauer, Marlene Hochrieser, Clemens Mock, Paul Pammesberger, Ivan Petrov, Georg-Friedrich Sochurek, Silke
Wiesinger, Alexander Wilhelm, Wolfgang Wögerer
Audio
Machinae Supremacy
Space Trash
Project Management
Christoph Anthes, Alexander Wilhelm, Mika Satomi
Coding and Software Architecture
Christoph Anthes, Philipp Aumayr, Clemens Birklbauer, Roland Hackl, Marlene Hochrieser, Roland Hopferwieser, Simon
Opelt, Robert Owen, Christoph Payrhuber, Stefan Simmer, Georg Stevenson, Roland Landertshamer, Bernhard Lehner,
Marina Lenger
3D Artwork
Clemens Mock, Ivan Petkov, Magdalena Reiter, Alexander Wilhelm
Physical Devices
Margit Blauhut, Anika Hirt, Dolo Piqueres, Ricardo Nascimento, Mika Satomi, Wolfgang Wögerer
Audio
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Martin Lenzelbauer
v2c.lrz.de