We’re very close.” In just three words, Palmer Luckey of OculusVR fame, summarized not only where virtual reality stands, but the entire neurogaming industry. Luckey was on hand to present with other industry leaders for the 2nd edition of the NeuroGaming Conference, an annual event in San Francisco.
Last year’s conference signaled the birth of an industry segment that should forever replace traditional gaming as we’ve known it. Sales of videogames for casual gamers are in decline, but a new and ultimately more meaningful form of gaming has already taken shape to replace them.
But what are neurogames exactly? Zack Lynch, the conference organizer, describes them as “a collection of technologies that incorporate your full nervous system into gameplay.” Specifically, that could include wearable devices like EEG headsets and heart-rate monitors along with biofeedback platforms to do things like eye tracking and brain wave sensing.
Add these inputs to platforms like virtual and augmented reality, and developers now have the opportunity to create fully immersive experiences that were never before possible.
PrioVR, one of the most exciting new technologies on hand for demonstration, showcases just how much has changed this year. The company recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign and plans to ship to backers this fall. The system, fully compatible with devices like the Oculus Rift, comprises a full body-tracking suit, which allows the gamer to move around inside a virtual world.