This story is going to address a few of the top reasons Virtual Reality (VR) appears to be the beta version of Reality (R). The topics I will be discussing include VRChat and it’s community, a virtual show called The Hive, gender neutrality in VR and what the future probably holds for interaction within VR.
Without a doubt, after spending maybe 3 minutes prepping my VR headset to work with my large head it became clear to me that this was by far THE coolest technology I had experienced since the first Windows Smartphone I owned back in 2005.
It’s just like that scene in the Matrix when all the weapons appear behind Neo and Morpheous. You realize basically ANYTHING is possible sans actual physical sensations in VR. You simply WILL NOT be able to appreciate it until you experience it first hand.
Gone were the fears of my crippling motion sickness playing a factor in VR after about 20 minutes in it with no negative impact. Honestly, the worst part about the entire experience was the fact that the headset became a bit heavy overtime as well as somewhat sweaty. The manual states you should take 10 to 15 minute breaks every 30 minutes you play, but due to it being so immersive, you tend to lose track of time.
VRChat is the first “game” I really enjoyed. It’s incredibly basic at times and quite complex others. I tried to interact with a few people but found it easier to just lurk and observe how people interacted and what they were doing. Because my Oculus came with Touch controllers I could use simple hand gestures to communicate with others. For example, placing my hands over my mouth and quickly nodding forward represented laughing, or a thumbs up represented agreement.
The community reminded me of the early stages of the internet in the ’90s. There were a couple trolls but they were always outshined by a fellowship of nerds and artists all collaborating and sharing ideas about how to build this and modify that. Because I was new to basically everything, I didn’t even know where to enter most of the conversations. My solution was to simply dance and show off my moves while people looked on wondering how I was doing what I did. Not everyone had Touch Controllers or even a VR headset as VRChat is also a regular PC program. Also I’d like to think I was the best dancer out of everyone and probably deserve a virtual medal for it.
After lurking for a while, I found out about Vivian and her show “The Hive”. I happened to be exploring VRChat landscapes the night she interviewed Jay Bonansinga, co-writer of The Walking Dead series, and joined in on her show. The set was a custom designed, Walking Dead inspired, highway setting with Vivian and Jay sitting on top of a tipped over semi-truck. All of the VR avatars, Jay said in the interview, was worse than an acid trip. There were small animal avatars, anime avatars, large Domo avatars, the dude recording the show was a floating cube. The strangest avatar I saw was a voltron-like assimilation of cats with cats for the legs, cats for the arms, the lower and upper torso and head. Many of the avatars were the stuff both dreams and nightmares are made of.
It really is a completely mind bending experience. That in itself is exciting and scary due to the infinite amount of experiences this tech can and will do for the world. It’s going to change everything.
I truly did enjoy the process of listening to a virtual host and a virtual guest exchange words and all of the beta glitches that came along with it (there was a point where Vivian couldn’t get her character to sit down so she just went with it). Things like this happen all of the time in VR and you just have to shrug it off.
It all just adds to the acid trip.
After the interview we all got to ask Jay a few questions (myself included). I raised my virtual hand to be called on to ask my question. After the Q&A we all changed our avatars to zombies and pretended to storm the semi while a photo was taken of us. I left shortly after and instantly transported from a dramatic zombie scene to my low lit, tech filled room. There was no trip back to the car, no stop at the gas station, no tolls to pay, no bridges to cross, no raccoon in the middle of the road to dodge. I simply sat my headset down and went to my fridge to get another LaCroix.
One thing I know VR will help with is ensuring gender and race equality. With voice changers, being able to be whatever avatar you want, and being able to go basically wherever you want, VR will allow anyone to be anyone and go anywhere with everyone in this world. Gone are the days where you will be judged based on your appearance or sexual orientation. While this experience has existed on forums, chat rooms and 2D avatar-based games, it has never existed in this way before, with this kind of immersion. Couples in VRChat would be holding one another in this space, just to “feel” close to someone they care about. At first it was an odd thing to observe but I quickly understood it.
Nerds need love too (myself included).
Although I didn’t get any hugs in VR, I did manage to create a couple of things. This was by far the most fun I had in VR. There is a great sculpting program called Medium that allowed me to use all kinds of tools to build objects. It allows you to do this type of thing with friends as well but unfortunately, I have no friends that have VR setups yet, so it was just me, alone, listening to vaporwave music and learning the craft. You can check out what I made here. I demonstrate the unique ways you can create and experience your creations in VR that simply are not possible in R.
The final thing that I want to touch on is where I think all of this will lead. I really can see people all over the planet using this for virtual meetings, virtual board games, virtual creation and so much more. FaceTime or Skype will look inferior once this technology is improved and we can all experience one another in worlds we otherwise never would.
Have you ever watched a TV show or movie long distance with a friend on the phone? In the VR program Big Screen, you can invite up to 3 other people to join you while you stream anything from your computer screen onto a virtual movie theater screen. I briefly watched some music videos with an artist from the Netherlands and also checked out some of his artwork with him on his website, all while sitting next to him and hearing him explain his work.
The sheer experience of talking to a cool dude from the Netherlands AND hearing him talk about something close to his heart while displaying it in front of us on a huge screen, all while sitting in boxers was simply unreal, literally and figuratively. But it was soooo cool! The only bummer was I didn’t get a chance to share my work with him due to the room crashing as updates were pushed out.
Beta reality.
Sharing experiences with others long distance is the true gift of VR. Furthermore, the possibilities are endless. Imagine playing Jenga with someone in Japan or on top of Mt. Rushmore. Imagine dancing in a Volcano with a group of your friends. Imagine playing Pictionary on Mars. These are just basic applications too, as the government has had VR simulations for years that will now be affordable by the general public.
The ability to express yourself is going to get so much better soon as more people enter this world. There are rumors (unverifiable as it was word of mouth) that you will be able to shop in a virtual mall and buy virtual clothes for your avatar and also get a copy for yourself in the mail. Whether it be Facebook, Google, Microsoft or another company that makes this happen is irrelevant. In this world anything is possible right now regardless of the business offering it, well anything as far as your eyes, ears hands and feet are concerned (for now).
Die Happy,
Di11ingham