Displays for increased sensory immersion.

So how important a role does technology play in the gamers experience? Since video games are essentially software, the hardware must have some part to play in how immersive video games can be. With the progression of 3D graphics in games in the last 20 years, games have become increasingly beleivable and realistic. Will this continue untill every detail is perfect and almost unmistakable form the real world? Even then, they will still be images on a screen, so i have been looking at developments into displays which aim to increase the presence of the user in the enviroment created for them.

Immersive Domes

Immersive domes are a concept that different immersive solutions companies have been playing around with and developing for some time now. Using projectors, a computer maps an image or video feed onto a dome shaped screen, which basically encompases our feild of vision. Theres been different uses for it up untill now included ideas for theartical use and education, but i was wondering when it was going to be developed for interaction. Mersive technologies have created something which i think easily demonstrates how this kind of display could easily benefit the game experience.

The JTAC Virtual Trainer Dome


This immersive dome is a combination of MetaVR VRSG (military training programme) software, with Mersive's Sol Server (the developed multi-projector immersive dome) to create an interactive and immersive training enviroment for personnel learning to use the JTAC. Theres already video of a flight simulation running on the dome as an example of the Sol Servers capabilities. Even if it isn't very cost effective, the potential to develope something game related is there. Here is a video of it in action:


Eon Reality iCube

Eon Realitys iCube is made up of 10x10x10 white walls with stereoscopic images mapped onto them, the user where 3D glasses like those used in movies, with markers attached to them. The markers are lit with infra red floodlights on the top of the cube and then infra-red sensitive cameras determine the location of the markers within the room, calculating the correction way to display the images for the veiwer. Normally the veiwer can hold the remote (unlike in the video) and control his movement within the enviroment mapped out in front of him. In similar ways i think this could easily be developed into something of a platform for games, in both cases software for the interaction with the displays has already been written, so when the technology is fully developed its only a case of someone taking advantage of it. The iCube seems to be extremely immersive in practise in the video below and its interesting to think how it will be used in the future.

For more information: The JTAC Virtual Trainer Dome
iCube-Eon Reality
iCube-IDEO Labs