Virtual reality may be the way people interact and watch shows in the future. At SXSW this weekend, Oculus Rift allowed users to users to step inside a scene from HBO's hit series, "Game of Thrones." The new virtual reality headset has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry.
The Oculus Rift was designed specifically for video gaming, according to CNN.com. It produces a 360-degree field of vision and allows users to view and react to their surroundings in a realistic way. In other words, gamers can be fully immersed in their environment and react to it.
"When we think about making games today, we think less about the technology or the means of experiencing the game, and we think more about the modality of play," said Andrew Wilson, EA chief executive officer, in an interview with the Polygon. "So, how are you trying to interact with that game?"
In this case, users were able to step into an elevator at Castle Black within the world of "Game of Thrones." They then were lifted to the top of The Wall where they could see the flickering of torches and hear the blast of the watchmen's horns in the distance.
"It's whatever you want it to be," said Mike Woods, creative director of Framestore, the London-based visual-effects company who designed the "Game of Thrones" virtual reality experience, in an interview with CNN.com. "They know that they're reinventing gaming. There are, literally, endless possibilities."
Oculus Rift isn't the only virtual reality headset out there, though. Gamespot.com also took a look at some of the other systems that are available.
Currently, users are excited about the new system. The Oculus Rift experience was impressive, according to CNN.com. Games such as "Skyrim" and "World of Warcraft" and other immersive, high graphic games would be good choices to integrate into the new virtual reality system.
