iMyth

Author: Chris

  • HTC Vive: Welcome to the fray!

    These are indeed exciting times!

    HTC Vive has just drop its hat into the VR ring with with HTC Vive; Valve’s HR headset:

    HTC Vive

    Not much is known about this headset but supposedly they will have a commercial version out by the end of the year. It sounds like it is a beefier, faster version of the Oculus Rift. Maybe Vive has solved some tracking issues too? We look forward to finding out.

    I have heard that Valve will be introducing the new headset at GDC this week. I look forward in having a hands-on demo!

    Also, in related news, I have just found out a site I have been frequenting lately, WEMO.IO,  is actually a VR company run by old associates, WEVR. They have just announced a partnership with Valve to be a development partner for their new headset. From the initial looks of it WEVR is foccussing on a suite of VR production tools as well as producing their own VR content.

    I’ll need to drop a few emails to what some of the old folks are up to. It’s re-assuring confirmation to know that the wave that has been building for the last few years is actually seen by other like-minded souls.

  • Cautionary Words from Magic Leap

    In a recent article posted on Gamasutra, “only safe way forward,” the CEO from Magic Leap, Rony Abovitz, tries to spin fear into the developers of AR/VR devices. In a nutshell, he says that AR/VR system where the eye looks at a monitor just centimeters away from the eye, may cause a neurological change. I’m not not sure what it meant by “neurological change.” He goes on to say that Magic Leap’s technology of creating tiny projectors to shine light into the eyes of the user is the only safe way to go.

    The full context of the information can be found in the Reddit, “Ask Me Anything” column. The exchange is quite lengthy and I honestly have not had an opportunity to explore it thoroughly.

    However, I am concerned, not only by the “ask Me anything” column but by the meaning of the gamasutra post.  Rony Abovitz charges right out of the gates spinning a web of fear and discrediting other technologies in favor of his own. It is true Magic Leap is shrowded in a veil of mystery. No one knows if there is any research data to support his claims. Similarly, he is making claims based on a product which does not exist yet and may not available yet for some time. This concerns me not only as a developer but as an investor and consumer myself.

    I am wise to the ploys of marketing fear. We live in a fear based society. 9/11, fabricated or not, has done nothing but install the seed of fear into American’s minds. News agencies pray on this. Smart businesses exploit this fear based atmosphere and promote their product as a solution to the un-yet discovered Jabberwocky.

    Magic Leap may have a stellar product on its hands. However, by initially exploiting fear into the public, I am immediately turned off. Immersive AR/VR, storyworlds and experiences are an amaizing new media that will challenge, in a good way, the definition of being human. Exploiting fear based environments tells me there is only concern of a mediocre product and the only method to safe face is bring everyone down with them.

    Not me, thank you.

  • Atlantic’s VR Perspective

    In a recent article by  the “Atlantic Magazine“, the social risks of immersive Technologies were examined.

    Ultimately, at this time, it is just too early to understand the social ramification of this new technology.

  • More Information about Magic Leap

    While the information has been slow in coming, the bread crumbs cluing us in to what’s going on at Magic Leap are starting to formulate.

    In this article by Rachel Metz for the MIT Technology Review, Magic Leap, we begin to start seeing the technology promised by Magic Leap. While most of the product is still in development, one can’t wonder how this technology will compete against Hololens by Microsoft. Both offer stereoscopic projection of images onto lenses embedded in a head mounted display.  Both of these technologies seem to lend themselves to AR applications. I still have questions how well it will work with full VR uses.

    I don’t want to be synical but I am still looking forward to full blown, fast and effective VR. Occulus appears to be the leader in this tech but still has far to go. In the realm if Interactive Storytelling, I still feel a full immersive experience is required to transport the user into an alternative story world. This technology is not without merit and I eagerly await its arrival. These are all great steps forward and the closer we can get the public moving towards the concepts of AR and VR the easier it will be to sell fully immersive Interactive Storytelling.

  • Pixar Rules #1: Finding Ideas

    [embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8CpDHJuyF4[/embedyt]

  • Automated Third Person Camera Stategy

    One of the essential elements for creating the immersive Interactive story experience is the implementation of the the third person perspective. I have long maintained that the third person person perspective is just as crucial as the first and second perspectives. This is especially true in creating a passive or relatively non-interactive story experience. This perspective of course will be crucial for transporting the interactive experience beyond the first or second perspectives.

    However, since the third perspective is not driven by an individual, how then is the center of focus to maintain itself on the crucial elements of the story? A potential solution, or at least the beginnings of a solution, has been provided by those crazy folks at Disney. Disney Mimics Human Camera Operators.

    By mimicking the learning techniques of human camera operators, the Disney folks are proposing a methodology for programming automated cameras. The cameras not only focus where the excitement is but also follows the noisiest or “Most Interesting players”. I have not had an opportunity to study the paper. However, I do feel the mechanics between following a sports event and following an interactive story are all that different.

    This is definitely an area of future discovery and exploration.

  • Binaural Immersive Sound

    This is really cool. Folks are starting to re-discover a century old technique for recording immersive audio. Binaural sound duplicates the human head by recording with two microphones positioned 180 degrees from eachother. The microphone containers even look like squishy human ears. I’m not sure how important the human ear shape is but the sound quality is pretty impressive.

    This is a really exciting development in the realm of immersive interactive storytelling. Sounds plays a crucial role in the immersive experience which we has modern humans take for granted. Just look at some of the greatest movies with award winning sound. Folks don’t come out of the theater saying, “Gee, the sounds was remarkable.” They come out saying, “Wasn’t the cinematography amazing?” We are so hardwired in with our visual senses that when we have a truly immersive experience, we have no way of justifying it other than through vibrant visual stimulus.

    I have a strong feeling this is going to be one of the lynch-pins for immersive interactive storytelling.

  • AR/VR Blending With Leap

    While this is not really so much to do with Interactive Storytelling it is a development of one of the key pieces of technology which I have said is necessary for the truely immersive, Interactive Storytelling experience.

    I just found out about a new technology from Leap, (Not sure if this is Magic Leap or not?), that allows the user to see his or her own body withing the Immersive VR environment. Being able to see you own body, especially hands and arms assists with the immersive experience and places the user into the actual gameplay.  Not only does this give the user a contextual reference within the VR storyworld but also open the floodgate for endless GUI configurations. Long have a pondered how to provide sufficient GUI opportunities to the users without breaking the immersive experience. With this devise, the user’s body can now be the GUI.

    To understand the potential of this technology, look at this youtube posting from pewdpie. I am so embarrassed to be referencing this chuckle head. But he does give an excellent demonstration of where this technology can go to.

    This is really exiting stuff. I am so excited to start playing around with this and get things going.

  • Twine2

    While Choose you own adventure is not really Interactive Storytelling, it does touch along some of the same themes. The folks who created “Twine” have followed up with their second version , “Twine2”.

    I have not had too much opportunity to play with this or generate my own story. However. it could seem like a really bright idea. Since everything happens in your web browser, there are no annoying apps to deal with.

    A full review of Twine 2 can be followed  through this link.

    You can start creating stories immediately by going to the twine website.

    If I am not mistaken, Chris Crawford references the original Twin in his Interactive Storytelling book. This new version should make fans of this particular genre very happy. Results of some of their work can be found in the Twine Repository.

    As mentioned before, I do not have a lot of experience with this genre. However, if I was ever to find myself with time on my hands and only a web browser, the creation of a Twine story may be just the necessary solution to pass the time.

  • Oculus Story Studio

    I never knew about these guys until today but they really seem to be on to something. I used to be a huge Imagineering wannabe. I still am. But now I’m an Occulus Story Studio wannabe!

    Oculus Story Studio

    In their introductory video, they introduce many of the concepts dealing with immersive technologies and storytelling. I am so glad they are working on these problems. It’s not as easy as “jump on to Maya, create a short and toss on an Oculus headset.”  The craft of visual story telling needs to be re-invented. Techniques such as the camera cut are no longer valid tools. Creative editing is no longer at the disposal to the crafty film director. New devices and techniques must be generated to not only pull the audience into the story world but provide sufficient reward for exploration that will keep them coming back for more.

    Note that these new concepts are not quite fully “Interactive”. The audience has limited control of the camera but nothing else. In my hierarchy of interactivity, groups such as Oculus are crafting the Second and Third perspectives of the interactive storytelling experience. The first perspective still has even more hurdles and barriers to overcome. However, if the the second and third perspectives are mastered then they will provide the platform upon which the first perspective is built.

    Really exciting times!