VR & AR

My favorite guest lecturer thus far has to be Tom Furness probably because I have always been fascinate by virtual images and augmented reality. After his presentation, I started thinking about all of the ways that virtual images could be used in scientific research. Right now in my research project, I am trying to figure out the structure of a HIV RNA hairpin when it is bound to a potential drug target. What if I could have a projected virtual 3-D model that I could manipulate physically? It would be just like in Iron Man when Tony Stark was using his nifty virtual technology to design the suit. Then, I would able to display the model at symposiums or conferences.

Tom Furness also talked a lot about his fighter jet cockpit designs and target tracking mechanisms. It would be so cool to sit in a chair on the ground and control an airplane in the sky via eye movements, head movements, and thought processes. This would enable the military to conduct longer missions and avoid risking human lives in especially dangerous cases. Of course, I am not saying that human pilots should be replaced. I still think that if the pilot is actually in the airplane, he/she would have faster and better responses.

I also really want to do something related to virtual reality or augmented reality with the final project. Perhaps it could be a game like Yu-Gi-Oh and you would be able to see 3-D images on top of the cards when you use a webcam or headset. Pattern recognition technology already exists and you can download the programs, so it wouldn’t be hard to make a prototype.

Nintendo: the last one standing

Even though I am strictly a Sony person, I have some newfound respect for Microsoft and Nintendo following Alex St. John’s talk. First off is Microsoft’s strategy to force all the other platforms to go online, which pushes game players towards the computer, which means more sales of operating systems. Even though Microsoft has lost millions and millions of dollars with the Xbox 360, the company really doesn’t care. When the Xbox 360 started pushing online communities and online games, Sony and Nintendo followed suit. This obsession with being online pushed game players more and more towards the computer. Low and behold! Microsoft just happens to be a computer company.

There is also Nintendo’s strategy in making novel game controllers. Alex St. John reminded us of the arcade games and the amount of revenue they generated. People paid to play arcade games because of the large machines and controllers that they could not get at home. Similarly, people pay to buy the Guitar Hero guitar and Wiimote because they could not obtain the same experience any other way. I am not entirely sure about his prediction with regards to Nintendo’s consoles being the last ones standing though. Granted, the Wii controllers and games are pretty original, but I don’t know if they are enough. Are game controllers enough to extend the lifespan of a game console? I don't really think so...

Game Trends

This week, I want to talk a little about current trends of the game industry. First off is the sale of virtual goods. I just read that virtual goods micro-transitions could generate $500 million in revenue for game and app makers on Facebook this year. The top third-party company on Facebook, Zynga, is set to make $60 million and the same goes for Playfish and Playdom. I personally have witnesses these transactions. When it was my birthday last year, a couple of my friends sent me gift images. Each one costs about $1.

I think the concept of virtual goods is pretty remarkable. People are so convinced that they “own” something, when the items aren’t even real. How can pixels be worth so much money?

Even scarier is the rise of free games. There are thousands upon thousands of free games on social networks, the iPhone, etc. When a person has to decide whether to play a free version or a paid version, of course the free version will be picked. I got an iTunes gift card for Christmas and have yet to use it because I always end up downloading or torrenting free music. I always ask myself, why would I use the gift card if I can get it for free? So what is going to happen to newspapers, movies, music, and other media as reliance on the Internet continues to increase? The Seattle Post Intelligence already went out of business. I can only hope that other companies such as Seattle Times and Gamestop would be able to endure.