Now that the embargo for the first consumer model of the Rift has been lifted, the Interwebs is being flooded with reviews. Roughly summarized: Reviewers who are (or were) hardcore gamers love it to the point of wild hyperbole; reviewers who are not, not so much.
To wit:
- "The Oculus Rift surely might be the most momentous product launch of the decade." (TechCrunch)
- "[As] as close to being a brain in a jar as humanly possible." (The Verge)
- "Prologue to a new reality" (UploadVR)
On the other side, The New York Times: "A Clunky Portal to a Promising Virtual Reality":
The first batch of apps and games added up to a confusing, disjointed virtual reality landscape. In my tests, my reaction was more often “Why would I want to be here?” or “Why is this in virtual reality?” rather than “Wow.”
Or even more dramatic, from the Wall Street Journal:
Continue reading "First Oculus Rift Reviews: Hardcore Gamers Enthuse, Non-Gamers Still Skeptical" »
I in 5 strongly agree with Carmack, while almost half somewhat do -- meaning the vast majority of readers of this virtual world/virtual reality blog think there's no sharp or absolute distinction between virtual and real happiness. As Ryan E argues: