Viridian Dreams Forum

I hate to double post but Look at this! Number 3! And number 1 on iTunes for Comedy!

Such madness, it's amazing.

What the hell 2016. First David Bowie, now Alan Rickman?

And it's only getting started, Phht, it's only getting started.

So, I finally started watching Gundam Build Fighters this past weekend, and it kind of finally has sold me on the concept of the Hololens and Augmented Reality for videogames.

The show doesn’t really allude to actual AR technology to explain how its central game works. Rather, it explains it through some mumbo jumbo about some weird fictional particles that somehow react with the plastic of the Gundam models to create something akin to holograms.

Yet, in practical terms, it is essentially an AR arena battle game using the toys-to-life concept. I never realized it before, it’s not even an entirely new concept (I mean, Angelic Layer and the Yu-gi-oh! franchise did something similar more than ten years ago) but I really like the idea of a videogame like that one. Yet, I also don’t think we will actually see something similar to what is presented in that show here in the real world until another decade at best (at best!).

Hell, the concept of AR isn't all that new. You brought up Angelic Layer and Yu Gi Oh, but also aspects of enhanced versions of current or near future tech, like the .//hack franchise, Log Horizon, SAO, and if you want, classics like Arcade also touch on things. Whether it's some kind of AR using technobabble, magic, or simply taking VR tech to its logical conclusion, the idea isn't new. It's also a concept that isn't heavily used, despite the general promise it holds.

Well, am watching Log Horizon and am finding it to be very, very good. In many respects, it's better than SAO, as it concentrates on the character interactions and the politics, but is not lacking in terms of action. Still like SAO, but I can see, and agree with, how this is considered better than it. Better characterization, better character development, excellent world building...

Yeah, I'm finding it rather nice.

I like both, but yeah, I find Log Horizon to be the better one on the whole. The second season was also very strong and I’m eagerly awaiting the third one.

As to AR, I know the whole concept is way, way older (I don’t think the very first Star Wars movie neither the original Star Trek TV show were even the first showings of something akin to that technology). My point was really more that I’m surprised how Gundam Build Fighters finally made me realize how it could be a good fit for videogames, despite seeing similar things in fiction for years already. Prior to it I didn’t really though much of the whole concept (although part of that might be related as well to how Microsoft mismanaged the Kinect, I just dread how the Hololens might go through a similar path).

The thing with AR technology is that it's still a young technology overall. Yes, the individual technologies behind it have been around for some time, but making it all work well, marketing it, and getting user acceptance are a different thing. One of the main problems, despite the fact that the Kinect is actually a fairly solid system, is that once the hype died down, Microsoft had a good piece of technology, but developers didn't embrace it, remember that. The perception that they were copying the Wii to some degree didn't help, though Sony caught much more flak for that due to the fact that the PlayStation Move was a blatant copycatting of the Wii's technology.

There's also a case of "too late to the party" with it, considering the Nintendo Wii, which developers did embrace and were willing to work with, despite the inevitable delays it would cause in development and release cycles. Things weren't helped due to the fact that the Microsoft (and Sony to a lesser degree) don't cater as much to the casual gaming market as Nintendo does, the very same market which embraced the Wii and its technologies and allowed Nintendo to retake the lead in the console market after a decade of losing market share.

As for the Hololens, we're a decade, at least, out from that kind of technology being remotely affordable. That technology does exist and has seen some trial uses, but it's still more in the proof of concept and development stages. As for issues when such technology comes to the general market, oh yeah, there's going to be problems. The cost, space and infrastructure issues alone will be a nightmare to sort out, not to mention that the first gen systems on the market are going to have issues as well.

I can see the Kinect actually being paired with such a system, and see the combo working very well.

Honestly, I don’t really expect any of the current VR and AR technologies to become “mainstream” any time soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes more than a decade for that. It’s just the realization of things finally starting to click in place from my personal viewpoint what surprises me.

As to the Kinect, it seems to me that it would have had a more lasting impact if Microsoft had promoted it for applications in other fields (medicine, industry, etc.) instead of tying it so closely to the Xbox, and especially the Xbox One, given all of what you mention, how both developers and gamers ultimately rejected it, not to mention the whole kerfuffle when that console was about to launch. In any case, I was under the impression that the motion sensors that the Hololens used were inspired by the Kinect though.

And on another matter, I just finished the first season of Gundam Build Fighters. It’s quite a great show, even if it doesn’t deviate far in structure from the classic “Become a master” shonen series. But as MEK once said: The characters are great and the battles are awesome. Also, turns out the Plavsky particles were an even bigger plot point than I imagined at first. That’s another plus: The story is really well built (no pun intended), almost every plot point coalesces in the end, leading to a very strong conclusion.

Also, notice how well the series handles the idea of a Friendly Rivalry; if you are not reduced to tears by episode 16, and the music itself can't bring all of that back, than you have no soul.

And let me also once again try and pitch Symphogear:

Imagine if RWBY and Lyrical Nanoha had a baby, and that baby decided to be an idol singer. That, I feel, is the core of Symphogear.

And under the spoilers, here's a video of the first fight, which ends in first episode spoilers, so... view at your own risk?

Huh, now that certainly is interesting. Also, has a lot of awesome from what you've shown us MEK.

It does; the animation for the first season is a little bit... flat? At least colour and detail wise, but Season 2 vastly improves it... but I can't really show anything of Season 2 because spoilers for season 1.

Eh, I'll dig around for it when I make the time, and, admittedly, the inclination. With school, a couple of personal things, and others, well....

Well, just finished watching the second episode. I think it's pretty good so far, but HOLY HELL the closing credits are CREEPY!!!!!

I've spent all day considering what to say to this, but all I can think of is... I totally forgot how weird Meteor Light's visuals are.

It took me several hours to realize that was the title of the ending theme... And I only realized because I was looking up the title for the OPENING theme. *headdesk*

Well, it's that time of the year again. I leveled up and got older. Odd, I don't feel as if my stats changed too much.

Something something hit your soft cap?

... I'm so sorry.

Something something hit your soft cap?

That just made me laugh SO much harder than it should've...

Something something hit your soft cap?

... I'm so sorry.

Nah, looked at my status menu and realized that I forgot to allocate them.

ehhhhh...

WHO'S PSYCHED FOR MARIO AND SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES!?!?!

But seriously. I'm looking forward to Star Fox. I think the two-player mode sounds pretty darned cool.

Super Mario Maker... I still need to get that game.

I also still need to try Fire Emblem stuff.

Lost Reavers looks interesting.

Paper Mario... Gosh darn it, stop trying to innovate! I know that sounds horrible. But still! I enjoyed the first two Paper Mario Games because of the distinct battle system and adventure gameplay! I want my Badges, my partner characters, my Star Powers! Gaaahhh!

Pokken Tournament is definitely something I want.

Twilight Princess... Okay, sure. I guess. More hyped for Hyrule Warriors, though.

I'm gonna try to give Federation Force the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time, I didn't even really like the other Metroid Prime games.

Other than that... I'm ambivalent.

What, no love for Tengen Toppa Kirby Lagann?

Also, Awakening is totally the better place to start than Fates...