And Here's Half Life 2 With Head-and-Gun Tracking

[The Wooster]

And Here's Half Life 2 With Head-and-Gun Tracking

Half Life 2 on Oculus Rift should look something like this.

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I admit, I was still somewhat on the fence about Oculus Rift - I've had my heart broken by promises of virtual reality before [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PigS9s0dHc] - but this video of Nathan Andrews' head and gun tracking mod for Half Life 2 has made a believer out of me.

The mod, designed for the (hopefully) impending release of the kickstarted VR headset [http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CFYQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.escapistmagazine.com%2Fnews%2Fview%2F120851-Big-Demand-Delays-Oculus-Rift-Headset&ei=AugQUZ_TA6XmiwKQ24HIDQ&usg=AFQjCNHSrNBXLjg6v0HH-eAN7lvfKBC2mw&bvm=bv.41934586,d.cGE&cad=rja], lets Freeman lean, free aim and lurch around the battlefield like he's knocked back half a bottle of scotch. It remains to be seen if the gameplay holds up without a trusty mouse, but the leaning and aiming does look impressively natural. Though Andrews doesn't demonstrate it, you can even shoot off the screen by looking one way and firing the gun in another.

In this video, Andrews is using a set of Hillcrest Trackers (the same type of movement trackers used in John Carmack's Doom 3 BFG Oculus Rift demo) but he intends to update the mod to work with the official Rift sets when they're released later this year. Assuming you have your own headset and tracker setup, you can download the mod and try it out right now.

The gun in the video is a Top Shot Elite [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MinH4gcvfZs] IR gun designed for the Cabela's Dangerous Hunts series. Movement is controlled by an analog stick on the gun, while leaning and aiming are controlled by the two movement trackers.

I generally fall into the grumpy old man cliche when it comes to motion controls. The only thing I shake is my fist, usually at you appalling young-uns with your your Wii motes and your Kinects, but this video has sparked something resembling genuine excitement in my withered heart. The only thing the game is missing is the option to headbutt enemies by jerking your noggin forwards.

"No. You pick up that can."

Source: YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H2rL-lBxRs]




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[WanderingFool]

Now THAT, it awesome.

I wouldnt mind trying that myself...

 

[Hero in a half shell]

So this is the true beginning of virtual reality?

Well it's about darn time.

 

[Fayathon]

So this is the true beginning of virtual reality?

Well it's about darn time.

I'll second the hell out of that notion.

 

[mad825]

Nice...But I ain't going to stand-up playing a game for 2 hours or more.

 

[BenzSmoke]

Wow you can really tell, the way Gordons view weaves and bobs and the way the guns move. Looks a lot more real, though the holes in the models don't...

 

[Karoshi]

Looks impressive. I think this is a pretty cool toy for shooter friends, but somehow I doubt it would work for something like Skyrim, like how the hell would you track charging a fireball?

Still, I'd love the play Half-Life 3 with Oculus.

 

[jollybarracuda]

I can barely waggle my arms with the Wii controller for more than a few hours, I dont think standing up with a headset and waving a whole plastic gun around the room sounds like a particularly relaxing experience.

However, if game companies decide on using this, and only make it an optional feature, then hell yah, talk about immersion. A presumably painful and sore-inducing kind of immersion, but immersion nonetheless.

 

[Owlslayer]

Every time i see some Oculus Rift gameplay, i want to try it out more and more myself. It really does look fun.
I hope it really is as awesome as people who have tried it out have said.

 

[iniudan]

Nice...But I ain't going to stand-up playing a game for 2 hours or more.

Then just use the oculus for head tracking, everything else is kept to your favorite controller scheme.

To go along it on PC right now, I would say the best choice is currently a razer hydra.

 

[sirtommygunn]

I imagine circle strafing would by vomit-inducing.

 

[mateushac]

Nice...But I ain't going to stand-up playing a game for 2 hours or more.

Then just use the oculus for head tracking, everything else is kept to your favorite controller scheme.

That's what all of us are hoping becomes the norm

 

[Pyrian]

Sheesh, some of you people need to get out and get some exercise.

 

[M0rp43vs]

For some reason, all I can think about is how all we need is some sort of tactile feedback and we basically have virtual reality. Maybe that old fight games vest which vibrates when you get struck? Though that'll probably increase the number of fatalities caused by gaming.

Also, how long until some one figures out how to use this for porn games?

 

[iniudan]

Nice...But I ain't going to stand-up playing a game for 2 hours or more.

Then just use the oculus for head tracking, everything else is kept to your favorite controller scheme.

That's what all of us are hoping becomes the norm

Yup don't see the standing in a room, except if you can get a dedicated room with an aerotrim and an harnessed mocap suit with build in resistance (so been suspended feel more natural) has to be able to actually be able to do almost full body control of the Avatar. (Totally not ripping the Lawnmower man)

 

[vrbtny]

So this is the true beginning of virtual reality?

Well it's about darn time.

I'll second the hell out of that notion.

I'll third the hell out of this notion.

Riftracing....

 

[mateushac]

I wish they'd hack a racing or flight sim next. Those seem to me like the 2 genres that would have the most to gain from VR and head tracking.

 

[iniudan]

Sheesh, some of you people need to get out and get some exercise.

Starting jeet kune do on thursday good enough ? =p (Did judo before, but schedule no longer fitted since start of last year =( )

Now just wondering who will dare make the first virtual reality fighting game. (Come on Sega, you own the perfect IP name with Virtua Fighter =p)

 

[DugMachine]

Wow impressive. I'll admit this caught my attention a month or two back but I completely forgot about it. If it works as well as this video and for other types of game i'll throw so much money at the screen until I get one of my own.