Oculus Rift DK2: VR Typing Trainer

One of the more interesting uses of virtual reality I've seen that teaches a real skill, watch as someone who can't type blind fails at Lab Coat Studios' VR Typing Trainer for the Oculus Rift DK2. Perhaps I'll practice and report my progress sometime.

Download the demo here.

Here are impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

Today I checked out VR Typing Trainer for the first time. I read some comments here about how it's a pretty interesting use of VR, and it is. It's the first thing virtual reality application I've tried that is useful in teaching a real skill: how to type blind. I'm a fast and accurate typer, but I need to see what I'm doing often to not mess up.

You're transported into a Tron-like world and have words and letters coming toward your face. You use your head to aim the reticle over the words, and then type them out to make them explode. You can fail up to five times before it's game over. I think my highest score in the video I made covering it was only 37, but I feel with practice that could improve, and I'll be learning a real skill at the same time. Pretty cool!

Oculus Rift DK2: Ocean Rift

Ocean Rift, one of the most popular demos for the DK1, has been updated for the DK2. Watch as I explore the ocean floor, encounter various underwater creatures, and possibly get eaten by a megalodon. Ah, who am I kidding; we both know that's why you're here. You can watch me die at the 8:47 and 22:47 marks, though I recommend turning down your volume for that last one.

Ocean Rift is made by Llyr ap Cenydd. You can download it here.

Here are the impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I tried out Ocean Rift for the first time yesterday. It's been updated for the DK2. I never played the DK1 version, but I heard enough about it to know that it was one of the more popular demos available. It's a pretty peaceful experience as you explore the ocean floor and see what underwater creatures are out there. There are also preview screens of the final game (releasing when the consumer version of the Oculus Rift does) hidden throughout that you can find. Someone on here mentioned how it feels a bit more realistic than other demos due the Rift kind of feeling like scuba goggles or something, and it's true. It's recommended you play the demo with a controller and headphones, though you can also use a mouse & keyboard if you want.

And, of course, venturing out into the deep is not the best idea. This is hinted at on the info screen in the beginning, but I can say that it is indeed scary. I think that may be the loudest I have screamed "Ah, fuck!" while playing a game. I'm not into horror games, so it's not often I get startled like that.

Oculus Rift DK2: Rift Away's Chilling Space

Watch me shoot virtual asteroids with Carl Sagan as I play Rift Away's Chilling Space demo for the Oculus Rift DK2.

Download the demo here.

The song in the demo is Jenova 7's "Inner Space (feat. Hugo Kant)"

Here are the impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I played Rift Away's Chilling Space demo yesterday. It's the same developer that made Cyber Space, that terrifying amusement park ride demo. This one is much more relaxing, as all you do is float in space and shoot asteroids/satellites with your space gun. It has a smooth tune playing in the background, and soon after beginning the demo, some narration from Carl Sagan kicks in. The Earth has a nice sense of scale and you can watch it slowly turn. I was imagining how cool a future VR game would be like in space. Imagine falling to Earth in a VR game!

The demo itself has about five minutes worth of content as Carl Sagan's narration ends and the music loops. I recommend checking it out if you want something calming. You don't even have to shoot anything if you don't want to, as nothing happens if an object hits you.

Oculus Rift DK2: Rift Away's Cyber Space

Watch as a person who doesn't like heights or crazy amusement park rides experiences Rift Away's Cyber Space demo for the first time. Warning: Lots and lots of cussing.

Download the demo here.

Here are some impressions I wrote on NeoGAF afterward:

As someone who isn't into crazy amusement park rides, that thing is terrifying. I'm not a fan of heights, and the demo gave me the same feelings I get on the rare occasions I have ridden a roller coaster or gone on something that shoots me up into the air. Admittedly I have many more demos to try, but Cyber Space is the most convincing one I've played yet. It also lets you launch yourself from the ride at anytime, in which you can then examine your decapitated body afterward from the viewpoint of your head. I highly recommend everyone who has a DK2 check it out.

The cool thing about the demo is that it didn't give me motion sickness like DK1 demos would (though I never tried Cyber Space on the DK1), but it did make me feel very uneasy, but in the way you would expect on a ride like this. I was grasping the bottom of my chair as tightly as I could the entire time.

The same developer made Chilling Space, which I have read good things about. I think I will check that out next. I'm expecting a much more peaceful experience.

Destiny Beta (Xbox One): My Playthrough

Playlist

This playlist contains my entire playthrough of the Destiny beta on the Xbox One. I played the alpha on the PlayStation 4 and already knew what kind of character I wanted to create. I played as a human Titan.

2014: Upcoming Projects

I made a video showcasing snippets of various projects I am working on, from big to small. The song used is "What This Could Be" by The Hamster Alliance. I have a lot on my plate!

GameStop Treasure Hunt Thursdays: An End, Once and For All

What happens when GameStop tries to give away $5 Xbox Live codes but their website is overloaded? What happens when one man refuses to give up? Is there a happy ending? Find out in this touching video of a giveaway gone wrong and the many people it affected.

Five Guys: Burgers and Woka Woka

Continuing the trend of spotting drawings of video game characters every time I go to Five Guys (Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog), I saw Pac-Man at a Five Guys in Lakeland, Florida during my visit to see a friend for the Fourth of July weekend.

I also like the tweaked-out duck in the middle. He's fiending hard for that burger.

This Five Guys had an additional drawings board.

Five Guys: Burgers and Hedgehogs

In May 2011 I spotted Mega Man on the drawings board at a Five Guys in Fayetteville, NC. Two years later I returned to the same restaurant and saw that Sonic the Hedgehog had taken his place.

Sonic says, "I'll chose 5 guys over any restrant." If only he was eating a chili dog.

Here's a bonus Captain America that was on the same board.

E3 2014 Press Conference Food

Continuing my tradition of bad food decisions for the E3 press conferences a third time, I looked to my picks for 2012 as this year's inspiration while making some minor changes.

Apple juice, ketchup, two spring rolls, small fries, large vegetable fried rice, large vegetable lo mein, strawberry parfait, carrot cake, two large cups of water.

And because I got large versions of my orders instead of small, I had enough food to last me through Nintendo Treehouse's fantastic coverage the days after. Delicious.

E3 2013 Press Conference Food
E3 2012 Press Conference Food