The way we play MMORPGs – and computer games in general – could change significantly in the future. Because virtual reality, combined with the Cyberith Virtualizer, allows for unprecedented freedom.
The Cyberith Virtualizer is a device that was successfully funded through crowdfunding by an Austrian startup. It is a kind of frame into which the player enters. The movements performed are seamlessly transferred into the game. For example, one walks on a low-friction surface, kneels down, runs, jumps, and can even sit. Combined with a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, a completely new dimension of gaming emerges.
Freedom of movement in virtual worlds
This has already been tested with games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, World of Warcraft, Battlefield 4, and GTA V. One literally walks on their own legs through Skyrim’s fantasy world or drives a jeep through the bombed-out cities of Battlefield 4. Watching videos of how these games are played with the Cyberith Virtualizer reveals how natural everything appears. One turns to look around, begins to run, stops, jumps over an obstacle, gets into a car, sits down, and drives off. All with real movements. Combined with a VR headset, this should create the feeling of truly being in the virtual world. The device itself is also not too bulky, so it can be accommodated well in a reasonably sized room.
However, the fun is not that cheap. A Cyberith Virtualizer costs around €6,000. Included are special socks and a holder for the cable of a VR headset, so you don’t get tangled while playing. Also included in the package is the harness, which you strap on and which transfers body movements into the game. The harness is available in two versions so that even slightly more corpulent gamers can join in. There is a special elite version of the device available only for companies and intended for training purposes. According to the online shop where the Cyberith Virtualizer can already be pre-ordered, the devices will be delivered by the end of the year.
Andreas says: Fitness while playing on the computer and it’s not even a sports game? Count me in! Wandering through fantasy landscapes or having to move quickly in battles – that’s the next step into virtual reality. Just imagine hours-long raids in World of Warcraft or other MMORPGs in which you really have to walk through kilometers of dungeons – there are surely a few breaks in between. However, the steep price does deter me a bit – but, as is usually the case with new technology, it will probably drop quickly. So I’ll just wait a bit longer before purchasing and train my endurance in the meantime, so I’m not the first to give out during a raid.
Interested in another vision? Then read this article: Augmented Reality and MMORPGs – The Future of the Genre?
