EVE Vegas 2017: The Most Meta Thing I'll See This Weekend

Walking around Las Vegas, I think I found the most meta concept I'll run across before registration for EVE Vegas even begins.

To me, Las Vegas is a rather escapist place. A city designed to part visitors with as much money as possible, Sin City offers the promise of a refuge from the reality of a mundane life, at least for a weekend. I find the illusion rather threadbear myself, which is why I find the presence of people selling virtual reality experiences so amusing. Even in Vegas, some people believe that the way to wealth is to provide an experience in a place away from the reality surrounding them.

I understand the lure of virtual reality equipment. I own an Oculus Rift and a Gear VR and last week finally purchased the Touch controllers. I still haven't played EVE: Valkyrie as I got sidetracked into playing a sci-fi themed tower defense game called Defense Grid 2. With your vision totally focused on the experience in front of you and headphones blocking out all outside sound, virtual reality offers an escape from everyday life without having to leave your home.

I think the trend of storefronts offering virtual reality experiences to people is a promising sign for the VR industry. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the video arcade allowed those who could not afford to purchase game consoles a chance to play video games. Is it any wonder that as equipment became more affordable, video game revenue ($91 billion worldwide) surpassed movie industry ($38.6 billion) and music industry ($16.1 billion) revenue combined? According to the Venture Beat article, the first year of virtual reality was "sobering", with the industry only growing to $2.7 billion.

As someone who spends a lot of time thinking about video games and the surrounding issues, I could easily get caught up in an echo chamber that says that, while I might enjoy VR myself, the technology just isn't their. Sometimes, walking away from the keyboard and experiencing different places where I wouldn't normally travel, is necessary to bring a different point of view. To me, the early indications are that VR is at a point the video game industry was at 30-35 years ago. I may not live to see the day where VR becomes as ubiquitous as computers are today. But I'm pretty sure the day will arrive.

So I Bought An Oculus Rift

My schedule over the weekend changed a bit for a couple of reasons. The first was due to the bitter cold yesterday that pushed all my activities to Saturday. The other was I picked up an Oculus Rift.

I have a Gear VR, and the Oculus Rift is definitely an upgrade. About the only drawback are the cables running from the headset to the computer. With a Gear VR, the Samsung phone fits in the headset, allowing freedom of movement. Another drawback is that my video card only has one HMDI port and no VGA port. I thought I needed to go back to Best Buy, but I finally found an adapter. I still intend to go back and pick up a real cable as a permanent solution, though.

The store didn't have any of the Touch controllers, which is probably good for my wallet. Not only because I did not spend an extra $200, but because all the cool new games seem to require the new controller. I'll probably get a set next year, but that depends on the games compatible with the Xbox One controller.

I know a lot of people complained about having an Xbox One controller come with the Oculus Rift because they already owned an Xbox. As someone who has never owned an Xbox console, the inclusion saved me some money. The one thing I feared is that my unfamiliarity with the controller would hamper using the system. So far, the games I played only use a couple of buttons and/or triggers, although I did forget the buttons on one of the games after just 24 hours.

I found the headset itself light and comfortable. Well, once I started playing anyway. The straps do get a bit distracting until the headset settles in, but I normally don't notice once I start playing. I should add I played for up to 90 minutes with no soreness in my neck or head. The sound system also works well, which helps with the emersion into the game worlds. I started looking for audio experiences like Oculus has available for the Gear VR. I didn't find one, but maybe looking through the store is easier at the keyboard instead of while wearing the headset.

As for the games, I only played two this weekend. The first was Lucky's Tale, a cute little VR platformer that comes with the Oculus Rift. The point of view sometimes is awkward, but after I got used to the angle, I came to appreciate it. The character you control, a fox, is also pretty cute. I'm someone who generally shies away from platformers, but I enjoyed clearing the first chapter of the game.

The other game I played is one I own on the Gear VR, EVE: Gunjack. At $9.99, I think the game is a good buy. Gunjack reminds me a bit of Galaga, with an EVE flavor. I know, power-ups in a game in New Eden? But the game works, especially with familar weapons like smart bombs, lasers, and missiles. As one might expect when comparing a game running on a smart phone vs a computer, the graphics are a lot better on the Oculus Rift. I also like the simple control system that only uses the two triggers plus the X button.

After the first couple of days, I'm happy with my purchase of the Oculus Rift. I still need to explore the store and find apps and games I like, but at least the gear itself works okay. I may write about my VR experiences in the future.

Gaming New Year's Resolutions For 2016

You keep using that word, resolution. I do not think it means what you think it means.

— JonnyPew (@JonnyPew) January 1, 2016

Happy New Year everyone! Today is the day we usually make resolutions that we never keep about what we will do during the upcoming year. While I was making some resolutions this year in real life (like losing weight), I also decided to make some involving gaming.

I'll start with non-EVE game related subjects. The first one is to get up to level 40 in Dragomon Hunter and write a review on the game. Okay, maybe this doesn't really count, as writing a Dragomon Hunter review is a project I have worked on for the last two months. I currently sit at level 30 but haven't unlocked access to the skill masteries yet. Hopefully I will finish by the end of February. The game is currently in open beta and I would like to write the review before the came does a full launch.

The next involves virtual reality games. As horrible as I am at EVE: Valkyrie, I want to explore the virtual reality systems due out this year. I purchased a Samsung S6 Edge Plus and a Gear VR last year and am enjoying the experience so far. Oh, and for those who want to bash me for spending so much money, my previous phone was an iPhone 4. I really did need an upgrade. However, I discovered I need a chair that swivels 360 degrees, so my experiences are limited. I also have a computer that meets the recommended spec for the Oculus Rift, so depending on the cost, I might pick one of those up as well.

Now for the EVE resolutions. Playing Dragomon Hunter has me wanting to return to doing some of the grindy stuff in EVE again. Like mining. I wonder how low sec mining has changed with the greatly expanded size of grids. I should find out. I might even use Thera as a transit point to go out and ninja some null sec ore, ice, or gas.

I also want to expand my exploration a bit and start running combat sites. So for 2016 I want to come up with two fits, or perhaps I should say packages of fits. The first is for the Stratios. Currently I'm looking at Markus Vulpine's "Deep Space" Stratios fit as an option for extended operations. I may want to find multiple fits and use a mobile depot for switching between them. The second is for a tech 3 strategic cruiser. I hear the Tengu is good, although Mynxee has had good results using a Loki for exploration. Well, when she doesn't run into Apollo Tyrannos, that is.

Not much of a list, but one that should keep me busy in 2016. Last year wasn't a particularly good year for me and I lost some of the enthusiasm for gaming that I had before. But I think with new technology plus a refreshed view of an old classic I might get my game on again.