Ultimate Gaming Experience - $23,219.29 / £15,000.00

The ultimate in video gaming has arrived - but at more than £15,000 it comes in a bit dearer than a PS3 or Xbox.

The VirtuSphere is like an oversized hamster's exercise ball that immerses the user in a 3D virtual reality world.

Players don a motion-tracking headset to project the visuals and then they are ready to begin virtual exploration.

[decapitator]

Gotta be honest. This look impressive as hell. But I dont think this is a technology we need this gen yet, maybe with next gen systems this will come in handy.

[UnblessedSoul]

Huh how can you jump and stuff if you ain't actually doing it in real life?

[Nostradamus]

Here is a comment from the article you didnt read.

"They can run, jump, roll, or crawl over virtually unlimited distances without encountering real world obstacles."

When you walk in the sphere, your character walks.
When you jump in the sphere, your character jumps.
When your character is walking uphill, the sphere is harder to rotate.

[RealityCheck]

Nice research concept. Probability of becoming part of a commercial gaming system: almost nil.

Why? You have to run\walk around in a ball while your eyes are shown VR images, so people will fall, hurt themselves and then sue. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a neat idea, just nothing more.

In my opinion they would need to be able to secure the user's waist to provide fixed support (with maybe some rotational leeway) and have the area under the feet move "like if it was inside a ball". One example would be a fixed partial sphere, user's waist secured in the middle with a post, and slippery shoes (or slippery shoe covers like those exercise sliders).

[fenderputty]

that people were finding a way to sue Nintendo for tossing their controller through their TV's, I don't doubt this would be a legal nightmare.

Cool as hell though. Definately not this gen and probably not the next but, someday this is how we will play video games. I hope they make that thing capable of fitting large people in it though. I'm 6 foot 8 inches tall. Nothing is made take my size into consideration.

[RealityCheck]

@ 3.1, the difference though is that if you follow the guidelines and use the Wii strap, those accidents are 100% avoidable.

Walking\running blind in a sphere while being shown moving 3D like images I can guarantee will cause people to loose balance and fall.

[decapitator]

But is alien technology though. It looks too weird.

[xionpunk]

Cool ... I'll wait for the matrix though :)

[mirroredderorrim]

They had the same idea I had years ago. I just thought this up with no real plans to take it anywhere. But to see someone else think it and actually make it physical, that's impressive. PS3 was 600 bucks when it launched, this thing is 15,000 bucks? Well.. when FFXXV is virtual, I'll pick this up on launch.

[socomnick]

I can see this being used as training aids in police departments, and federal agencies.

[StarieMichie]

That's really cool.

I wonder how many years it will take for it to become cheep enough for home use.

[Aeroglyphics]

I don't like the concept of being inclosed in a ball. I think this is much more likely to be the future.

http://www.engadget.com/200...

[RealityCheck]

Very good find! It addresses my comments @3 above.

[NO_PUDding]

Becuase actually £15,000 is abotu $30,000, not 23,000. Math is wrogn soemwhere though.

[texism]

Badass. Imagine GEARS on this. Badass

[Vlaitor]

If you actually move in the sphere and in fact in real life. Does that mean you will have to be in a huge park or land to finish a level. And I do hope the game Sonic dosen't come out. Cause it would be the most retarded game to play in virtue sphere. :) Go ! Run around the globe hahaha.

[Ovidius]

Not really sure what you mean, but I think that there are rotating balls on the corners of the sphere that detect the way you move. Kind of like the old roller mice for computers a few years ago.

I'd hate to get dirt in my rollers in this game. By the time this is affordable... instead of blaming lag we'd be blaming dirt in the rollers for our deaths.

[undacovabrothe]

When you move or walk in the sphere the sphere stays in place so no if your in a big area in the game you dont need a park size area to play it. Also i dont think this could work because it requires constant use of energy throughout your entire body. Meaning if you come home tired from work or a game or something and to tired to be jumping running/walking ur basically screwed. Maybe this could be a good secondary controller but not something that is a main feature in gaming.

What I really want to see which probably will not happen in like the next 30-40 years when im an old man is a virtual machine where you can like sit in and your brain/nervers control what you do.