Virtual Reality has been touted as the next generation form of entertainment. VR allows gamers as well as those who are looking for more casual entertainment such as movies, to experience what they are doing in a 3-D, real life environment. Basically, rather than being an observer, a person using VR is actually immersed in the experience. At the moment, Virtual Reality is available on specifically customized devices (VR ready devices from CyberPower) so the field is limited at the moment, but with improved technology, VR has already seen a massive increase in popularity in the past year.
Sword Art Online
Photo Credit: Forbes
Sword Art Online began as a light novel series by Japanese author Reki Kwahara. The series was popularized by A-1 Pictures into an anime adaptation in 2012 and saw widespread success. The story follows Kirito, who participates in a VR game beta called Sword Art Online. The players are trapped in the Virtual Reality world and the only way to escape is to defeat each of the game’s 100 bosses. In the game Kirito meets several other players and the love of his life, Asuna. In the end, they manage to defeat the creator of the game to free themselves and everyone else. The anime also had a second season with Kirito and Asuna going on several other adventures in other VR games with a third season in the making.
Virtual Reality Project
Photo Credit: jpninfo.com
With the critical acclaim of the light novels and anime adaptation, IBM Japan decided to create the world of Sword Art Online with a Virtual Reality project. The game will be played by player’s moving their bodies rather than with a conventional controller to produce the VR experience. The game will be open to 208 players to test how it is. The full article from IBM can be found here.