Towards a Global Knowledge Network of Virtual & Augmented Reality Technologies in Computer Games
Manolya Kavakli-Thorne
With the release of first prototypes of Oculus VR in 2012 and Samsung Gear VR and HTC Vive in 2015 equipped with the hand controllers and tracking technology, the new age of virtual reality has started. Global revenues of Virtual Reality (VR) in the games industry reached $4.3 billion by the end of 2015. In 2016, 230 companies produced VR hardware and software. As a result of this, we have witnessed that VR has become more mobile than ever, holding great potential for indie game development. Aligned with these developments, there were over 100 independent video games (indie games) released for PC & consoles in 2016, in addition to others released for mobile platforms. We all know that indie games, are commonly created by individual or small teams of video game developers and usually without significant financial support of a video game publisher or other outside source. So, it is a more communal but still individual economy model, similar to emerging shared economy models. VR in games shows fast growth rate and holds the potential to become the next “big thing” in gaming. Experts predict 25-27% annual growth rate in VR gaming market, with total revenue exceeding $45 billion in 2025. This forecast of growth is based on the current three major VR game market trends: First, hardware production leaders like Oculus, HTC, Sony, Google are tending to develop more mobile and affordable VR headsets; second, new innovative technologies in VR headsets, which provide the freedom of movement and recreation of 5 senses, are likely to define the growth of VR content; third, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony are predicted to reduce the price of VR game products in the next few years.
On the other hand, VR games try to introduce immersive experience such as 360-degree video content and dense graphics to provide the feeling of presence, a novel level of interaction with the release of new controllers addressing all human senses, and creative content. VR technology is becoming a new boosting factor in creating game content. Genres like shooters, adventures or simulations, got enhanced due to VR. Each of the existing headset vendors is still working on improvements. The aim is to make headsets lightweight, ergonomic, mobile and more immersive. Today, due to the variety of VR headsets, new games and new content are emerging regularly. Both high-end and mobile games are pushing the boundaries of VR even further. Engineers focus on bringing smell, taste and tactile senses into VR, alongside hearing and sight. If these attempts are successful, it will surely create a big impact. In near future, we may expect to see full body suits that are likely to offer tactile feedback, pressure and weight simulation, temperature changing senses and novel motion tracking systems, such as omni-directional treadmills.
There are still problems unsolved with VR hardware waiting for solutions from not only industry but also from academic communities. Mobility, Freedom of movement, 5G Internet speed, Data security, High prices, and lack of compelling content are seen as the biggest missed opportunities in this domain. The top unsolved problems for the industry include comfortable locomotion, light and inexpensive headsets, as well as quality content. Other major problems are the lack of skills due to the fast pace of technology and being up to date with the practical skills, low number of domain experts in VR, the number of start up funds and the size of grants, as well as mindset of corporates.
Solutions I suggest to overcome these challenges are university and vocational education courses focusing on VR and AR content development, collaboration and close-knit partnerships to build learning communities, novel subscription models for sharing infrastructure and expertise to boost indie game development, better and easier access to large funding, easy to use VR and AR libraries and toolkits, and encouraging the corporates to take risks for long term benefits rather than short term rewards. In near future, VR and AR technology will enable collaboration between distributed teams, across languages, time zones and geographies thereby connecting large populations to digital information in the physical world, creating a global knowledge network to solve global challenges of technology.
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A/Prof Manolya Kavakli
Associate Professor Manolya Kavakli has been working in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) for more than 30 years, with a specific focus on Virtual Reality since 2003. Her research involves the use of motion tracking, virtual and augmented reality technologies in the development of training simulations and improvement of human performance and expertise. She is the Director of the Virtual Reality Lab located at the Simulation Hub of Macquarie University. She took a Professorial role as the Academic Director of AIE (Academy of Interactive Entertainment) Institute in August 2018, reducing her involvement at Macquarie University to a research only position. Academic Directorship role at AIE institute primarily involves establishing new educational programs as well as industry-based research labs targeting the development of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in game development including game art, design, and programming.
Kavakli gained her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in 1990 and 1995 from Istanbul Technical University and was awarded a NATO Science Fellowship in 1996 for postdoctoral research. In 1998 she received a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of Sydney, Australia. Until 1999 she worked as an Associate Professor at Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University. In 2000, she started lecturing in IT at the School of Information Technology, Charles Sturt University and became the Acting Course Coordinator of the Bachelor of Computer Science (Games Technology) degree which was the first of its kind in Australia. In 2003, she became a Senior Lecturer at Department of Computing, Macquarie University, and established the Virtual Reality Lab. She is the founding member of VISOR (Virtual and Interactive Simulations of Reality Research Group) and a member of CEPET (Research Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training).
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