Topic: Microsoft Hololens

So Microsoft announced a bunch of stuff at today's Windows 10 event but what was considered the highlight and the biggest announcement was the Hololens a n AR headset from the minds behind Kinect.

Hyperbolic PR videos aside, the preview coming from the press who played with the protoypes sounded really good. I'm interested to see if were

If anything this makes Microsoft's purchase of Minecraft even more obvious at this point. When thing ships in around a year or so from now Minecraft 2 is going to be the killer app for the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft also showed some overall xbox and windows stuff which looks cool and i'm itching to start playing with next week.

I'm still not sure where this VR stuff is going...but everybody seems all for it, so I guess Microsoft couldn't let themselves fall behind...

So is this feature going to be the next Kinect?That's not good.

this seems like it could be interestin maybe ... i feel kinda weird about all this though. virtual reality to play games is one thing (still feel kinda weird about that to) incorporating vr part your daily life seems like to huge a step i guess =w= maybe i am just not ready all this to happen

Kinect sucks for gaming but for non gaming operations its a brilliant piece of technology.

@Caniswolfred

Its Ar, Not VR. Notice how your seeing a digital overlay over the real world instead of being trapped in the virtual world.

I want one that displays a bunch of windows of undecipherable text that scrolls by fast and complex wireframe images that can be moved around so I can be like a character from a futuristic movie.

Of course... Since only I would be able to see them it kinda loses its effect.

I'd love to get one, but I assume it's going to be quite expensive. Probably more than 3 times that of a Rift.

Same difference. Still don't see what the point of it is, what they could do with it gaming-wise, etc. Just sounds like a waste of time in the end. But I guess we'll have to see, huh...

I can see its uses outside of gaming but feel that for gaming it'll just be pretty much a repeat of E3 2010 where they pretty much focus on it for the vast majority of the conference and cause Sony to gain even more momentum (maybe even Nintendo will get some momentum if something like a Splatoon tournament happens).

This seems really cool, but... Not that practical... I can see it coming in handy for some activities, like while driving it can point and show you exactly where to turn, while cooking it can point and show you exactly which ingredients to use, how to mix them, pour them, etc., or maybe we could even have holographic conversations with friends. But at the same time I wouldn't want to have to constantly where that thing as part of my daily life. There's a reason I switched from glasses to contacts, it's just not that comfortable. Plus it would just seem weird. I'd be all for actual holograms that don't require you to where a headset to see.

Also, it does not look practical for the 3D modeling shown in that video. Sure, it allows her to make that quad copter in minutes, but I bet if you put her in front of a computer version of the same program she'd have it done in 30 seconds. Still, using the glasses in conjunction with a modeling program for a PC or a tablet would probably work much, much better, since you would actually be able to walk around your object, while having actual buttons and tools you can click or tap.

And yeah, I don't see many good gaming uses for this either. I'm sure there could be a few fun time killers, (Like Face Raiders or AR Games) but I don't think you could create many, if any, compelling, full fledged gaming experiences using it.

it is certainly interesting but no one knows if this will really be practical in everydaylife

First thing this reminded me of was the product placement of Oracle Enterprise Manager I think it is in either Iron Man 2 or Iron Man 3 that works with a similar type of interface (Or appeared to in the film).

Microsoft is making a consumer hardware product that seems intriguing and innovative?

We must be in an alternate dimension.

Clearly the gaming industry is working towards actually getting holograms programmed to work with Yugioh cards.

Call me old-school, but I have absolutely no interest in VR and I wouldn't buy a VR headset even if I were the last person on Earth without one lol. xD

It's not VR, it's AR, which is pretty generally understood to have gaming applications. Though it's not like motion controls, rumble, or a second screen where it can just be an ancillary element that enhances the experience. An AR game has to be designed around AR (which is probably part of why the 3DS's AR capabilities have been so overlooked; no one wants to take the risk)

But there is plenty that can be done by overlaying virtual elements in the real world

Non-gaming wise, being able to virtually manipulate the environment or project 3D holograms can be a very powerful tool. Imagine if you are looking at the wiring in something. If you could draw in a 3D representation of wiring, it would give you an opportunity to check it before cutting and screwing wires in. Or imagine if someone wants produce a real time piece of art that involves altering a public environment.

Gaming wise, the above point stands, but the ability to interact with a virtually manipulated environment still has potential. Imagine if the AR game implemented a post apocalyptic skin on the world surrounding you, and brought enemies into the world to fight you. Now it would definitely have to be a very different style of game with limit scope for a particular real world area, but it definitely seems cool in short spurts.

"Short Bursts" is the problem. I don't see how they could make a game that you could play for a long time unless you're in fit, tip-top shape. Same with VR, too. And if the games don't have long-running potential, neither does the platform...

I've had no interest in VR or Oculus, in fact I find them kind of lame, but this for some reason has really sparked my interest. It just seems so.. off the wall, neat and just all out futuristic. I am looking forward to it even though I doubt I will be able to afford it anytime soon. I just think of what kind of games they can do with it, I'd like to see something like Age of Empires being able to be played through the HoloLens. You'd feel like a god if you could just select and place building and command armies with the wave of your hands. Just a thought.

Or you'd feel like you're playing a board game...