Virtual reality game design is a hot topic, but many developers are concerned about the dangers (physical, mental, or cultural) of asking their audiences to strap on a vision-obscuring headset for hours at a time.
There are a few ways to tackle this concern. Long-time game designer and current Google game design chief Noah Falstein's personal favorite is "transmogrified reality" -- an approach to game design that relies on new 3D-sensing phones and tablets, combined with inexpensive head mounts, to seamlessly integrate the virtual with the real.
At GDC 2015, Falstein took the stage to showcase that vision to fellow game developers by digging into some of Google's technology and exploring how designers can use it (or competing technologies) to incorporate elements of a virtual reality world into a player's vision while preserving their ability to walk freely around any environment in the real world.
His presentation is worth watching now that so many game designers are experimenting with virtual and augmented reality technologies, and you can do so right now for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel.
About the GDC Vault
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
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