Sulon Cortex: The Next Step in Gaming?

TheGurw

TheGurw

Well-Known Member
http://sulontechnologies.com/cortex/

Alright, so this is a thing, I'll let those of you who are interested check out the link, but for those who don't want to see some (truly mind-blowing and "squee-worthy") pictures and videos, here's the skinny.

Basically this thing is a set of VR goggles...but instead of creating a virtual world for you, it only overlays the game onto the real world. Kinda like a really fancy HUD.

Of course, this instantly solves the biggest issue plaguing full VR systems - how do we keep people from running into things while playing? The answer here is: we don't. We just put our game in the real world.

Now, similar to the OUYA, this system is completely open-source and hackable, meaning we're going to see a lot of things pop up on this system that you wouldn't if it was released by the "Big 3" in portable gaming. Of course, if the big gaming developers aren't stupid (which they are), we'll see a whole lot of our favorite games released for this system. However, since it's open-source, I guarantee we'll see 3rd-party games that "rip-off" the big names.

I can say pretty confidently that Bethesda, Activision, Blizzard, Bungie, 2K, Lionhead, and the like will all develop for this if it takes off. I mean, can you imagine an Elder Scrolls game in your city? Dragons flying between skyscrapers? A giant bashing in the hood of a tractor? I guarantee that no matter the price, people will buy a game like that.

However, developers for companies that also develop consoles will likely not buy into this, simply because they'll make less money (though you'd think some is better than none, whatever). So, no Animal Crossing or Halo for the system, at least not official releases (open-source is amazing, isn't it?).

What I find most disappointing about that last statement is that Nintendo isn't likely to develop a Pokemon game for the Cortex. But think of the possibilities! You could have a real trainer battle, with your Salamence destroying a Dugtrio, and you'd see the effects on the streets around you. Train your Jolteon to use mailboxes, phone booths, and parked cars as cover. Watch your Pichu bounce around your room while you work on homework.





Of course, this is also likely to be the next big step in pornography as well. You're all thinking it and you know it, you dirty perverts.
 
Website not responding. From your wording, it sounds very flashy, but not appealing to the masses.
 
Sweet jesus think of the hella cool Zombie games you could play with this.
I would throw every cent I have into making a VR zombie game.
 
Wooty said:
Website not responding. From your wording, it sounds very flashy, but not appealing to the masses.
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Yeah, VSauce just uploaded a video and this was one of the items. The VSauce Army has a tendency to break websites. I was just on it a few minutes ago, but it was slow as all hell. As for "not appealing to the masses," what about a VR system that doesn't disconnect you from reality wouldn't appeal to nearly every FPS gamer out there?
RedBox said:
Sweet jesus think of the hella cool Zombie games you could play with this.
I would throw every cent I have into making a VR zombie game.
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The dev kits are available for pre-order for $499 USD. Expected to ship Q4 2014, includes: visor, spatial scanner, SPU, and SDK. Any Android device from 5.5" to 7" is compatible with the system (essentially it uses your phone as a display via Bluetooth, as far as I can tell).
 
TheGurw said:
what about a VR system that doesn't disconnect you from reality wouldn't appeal to nearly every FPS gamer out there?
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I can't speak for everyone, but I know that many people play games to escape from reality.
 
Wooty said:
I can't speak for everyone, but I know that many people play games to escape from reality.
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What better than turning your boss into a zombie and shooting him in the face, spreading what's left of his brain matter all over that decidedly environmentally-unfriendly ancient redwood desk of his?
 
blu35p4rr0w said:
Redwood desks are totally environmentally friendly. They're made out of dead trees, which are the friends of the environment. It's like making a purse out of grandma's skin. Totally "green" bro. also, I imagine if you did the boss thing you might have more reality to worry about than you tried to escape/convert into a game. ;) <3
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My boss would likely be battling right alongside me, actually. I don't do the whole "office drama" thing. Things are different when your worst daily concern is accidentally stapling your hand to your desk...


On that note, imagine MULTIPLAYER. MMORPG just took on a whole new meaning!
 
In before Facebook buys it out.

Too soon?

(On a more serious note, this sounds cool, but I feel like it might have an issue with consistency.)
 
TheGurw said:
Do tell?
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Playing the same game in a different area, different limits to mobility, there are just so many variables in this.

Having a 100% virtual game, you control the variables.

Projecting the game onto the real world, the variables will control your gaming experience.

Wouldn't they?
 
Kris19642 said:
Playing the same game in a different area, different limits to mobility, there are just so many variables in this.

Having a 100% virtual game, you control the variables.

Projecting the game onto the real world, the variables will control your gaming experience.

Wouldn't they?
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To a degree. I think the vast majority of games that will be able to properly utilize this system are those that don't have a set storyline, and often use differing maps between "games." I'm thinking of games like XCOM: Enemy Unknown (btw, Godliberator, when are you going to continue that series!?). The reason games like Pokemon would work is that it's relatively simple to make an environmental scanner that recognizes terrain and adjusts wild encounters to match. It would also be fairly simple to set up a "league" in certain participating countries/regions of countries (hey, Canada is freaking huge!) that trainers could challenge.

Would a set storyline like what we've seen in the main Pokemon series work? No, of course not. That'd be silly. But opening the world up to each player to set their own adventure....
 
TheGurw said:
To a degree. I think the vast majority of games that will be able to properly utilize this system are those that don't have a set storyline, and often use differing maps between "games." I'm thinking of games like XCOM: Enemy Unknown (btw, Godliberator, when are you going to continue that series!?). The reason games like Pokemon would work is that it's relatively simple to make an environmental scanner that recognizes terrain and adjusts wild encounters to match. It would also be fairly simple to set up a "league" in certain participating countries/regions of countries (hey, Canada is freaking huge!) that trainers could challenge.

Would a set storyline like what we've seen in the main Pokemon series work? No, of course not. That'd be silly. But opening the world up to each player to set their own adventure....
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Yeah. (That last sentence gave my a stiffy), but it's true that this will have a relatively limited market-- for developers and players both.
 
How would you power the unit if you're taking it with you and playing it in your neighborhood or in the city? The power supply for something like this would (I am assuming) be somewhat cumbersome for it to be portable. Also, how would the game be able to adjust to a changing environment? Say, for example, you are playing a shooter in the park and there are people walking around you and other things moving. Will the system be capable of overlaying the game on these constantly moving and vanishing objects? Seems cool, but I'm skeptical of it's practicality and playability in anything but a static, unchanging environment.
 
moondoggy23 said:
How would you power the unit if you're taking it with you and playing it in your neighborhood or in the city? The power supply for something like this would (I am assuming) be somewhat cumbersome for it to be portable. Also, how would the game be able to adjust to a changing environment? Say, for example, you are playing a shooter in the park and there are people walking around you and other things moving. Will the system be capable of overlaying the game on these constantly moving and vanishing objects? Seems cool, but I'm skeptical of it's practicality and playability in anything but a static, unchanging environment.
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Doesn't it use a mobile device? Or does it come with it's own power supply (And only use the device for a display), It'd need it's own, wouldn't it?

That would suck up battery life very quickly. xD
 
moondoggy23 said:
How would you power the unit if you're taking it with you and playing it in your neighborhood or in the city? The power supply for something like this would (I am assuming) be somewhat cumbersome for it to be portable. Also, how would the game be able to adjust to a changing environment? Say, for example, you are playing a shooter in the park and there are people walking around you and other things moving. Will the system be capable of overlaying the game on these constantly moving and vanishing objects? Seems cool, but I'm skeptical of it's practicality and playability in anything but a static, unchanging environment.
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It comes with a battery pack for its own functions, and the display is an Android-based device - likely the user's phone, which will provide its own power. From what the site says, it's capable of adapting to environments on the fly - they're currently working on speeding up the process so there's no stuttering between rooms and angles.
Kris19642 said:
Doesn't it use a mobile device? Or does it come with it's own power supply (And only use the device for a display), It'd need it's own, wouldn't it?

That would suck up battery life very quickly. xD
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The battery pack sits on the back of the head to counteract the weight of the everything on the front. I'd assume it would have enough power to last for at least a few hours of gameplay, similar to current laptops.
 
One of the biggest drawbacks to virtual reality is motion sickness. When people put on a VR headset that creates a visual frame of motion that is inconsistent with the frame of motion that is felt, they run the risk of confusing their brains, which has adverse effects on health. In other words, motion that is seen but not felt can lead to dizziness and nausea, which will definitely turn gamers off virtual reality.

To alleviate the sickness, I think it helps that the Cortex overlays a virtual reality over the physical world (usually termed "augmented reality") rather than creates a new world altogether. The user is given a visual anchor to the physical world that they feel, so as long as the game he's playing doesn't throw around too many scenes where the user sees himself falling (or being launched somewhere quickly), I wouldn't think that motion sickness should be a problem.

Of course, just to be sure, any game developer looking to release on the Cortex should test for health problems during extended periods of play (beyond those already experienced by we who stare at monitors all the time). Otherwise, their games are just going to piss off a lot of VR enthusiasts, which leads to financial and reputation loss.
 
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