We obviously all know that video games are a technology that's constantly evolving. One big enhancement is to our sense of sight with VR headsets. If I were to judge the direction of new gaming trends, I'd say they are forgetting about a large aspect of virtual REALITY. Yes, the reality. The VR headset does an awesome job of immersing the player in a virtual environment. And that environment might look amazing and real, but it doesn't provide any evolution in making an environment literally feel real.
Say I'm playing Halo. I'm a Spartan right? or a space Marine for those not familiar. He shoots people and gets shot at. Some places do more damage than others. Or take NHL. In that game you are a hockey player.
In Halo multiplayer when a player on the other team has and is good with the sniper, you have to be careful. He has the ability to take down all of your health with one shot if put in the right place. The gamer's sense of a consequence for their character's action is tied to a desire not to die. Dying negatively impacts the score in the game. That is why you don't want to get hit with the sniper. It has nothing to do with getting inside the head of the character and feeling his situational fear. The Halo character if we for a moment pretend his life is real, would not want to die or get hit with a bullet because that stuff hurts. Getting blown in the head hurts more than being peppered from far away with a weak gun. So the character's consequences are obviously far more intense. And in NHL, the consequence (if injuries aren't on especially) is non existent. You player gets up from what might be a visually stimulating hit, but that's it. If I'm a small player, I have no fear of charging into the corner with the possibility of getting the Christ beat out of me by a bigger character. Who cares? In real life, that small player would evaluate a simple but impactful consequence before deciding to aggressively go grab the puck in the corner. The obvious consequence is getting physically hurt or feeling pain due to picking the more risky of two options. NHL would be played COMPLETELY differently in a far more REAL manner if these consequences could be experienced by the gamer.Do you at all see what I'm getting at?
EXACTLY. Gamers should have the option to join games wear a SHOCK COLLAR is mandatory... maybe something that would be a tad more humane but in the same arena for sure. The industry needs to focus on a much easier deficiency in games and that's tackling the lack of any sort of vicarious sense of touch that directly impacts decision-making in the game.
This laser tag has one on the belt. I used to have one for my head that came with a kit that terrified me of getting hit. I don't crave the fear or pain. I want the situation to feel as real as possible though.
http://www.massacrelasertag.com/armory.html
Who's with me or am I sick?
