Sony to show off protoype AR-HMD at TGS

[Zaptruder]

Credit to Danhese007 over at Neogaf.com forums

https://youtu.be/77oCTRIUCk8

Not sure what to make of it myself... it looks like a prototype to the quality of the HMDs they showed off at CES in 2011 before the launch of the HMZ-T1s. Hilariously, they'll be raffling tickets to test it out at TGS (something about a 40-50 person quota).

It seems to me that Sony are the company best positioned to actually lead the VR revolution if they were serious about it. All the tech is there. Expertise, knowledge, money... all the subfields are represented quite well.

Only problem with Sony is it doesn't seem like there's much cross-communication going on between their teams.

It seems next to many big CE projects - pretty trivial to get a couple cameras into a HMD, call their Vita AR guys who have done some pretty good work, call up their Sony Move controller guys, get a party together and figure this stuff out in time for the PS4.

But I'd fall out of my chair in surprise if that actually happened.

[coresnake]

For those of you who don't know Japanese, it says it has head tracking in that video.

Wonder what kind of gyros they are using!!

[BOLL]

Looks like the HMZ-T2 with a camera and bolted on sensor box... eh, I guess those 45° will be very immersive as soon as you add head tracking. Then again, If the Rift had not been announced I would have been all over this, but now it's like... meh.

I google-translated the video description, it seems like they are aiming for new experiences for music and/or movies... kind of. I guess if they show it at TGS games are implied. So, how many think this is a response to the Rift? That's all I can think anyway :P

[Omarzuqo]

So, how many think this is a response to the Rift? That's all I can think anyway

It's obviously a response to the Rift, we're talking about Sony here.

[Krenzo]

It seems to me that Sony are the company best positioned to actually lead the VR revolution if they were serious about it. All the tech is there. Expertise, knowledge, money... all the subfields are represented quite well.

This isn't anything new. Remember the transition to digital music? Sony had everything to be successful (knowledge, money, music, technology) in creating an on-line music store but fell flat and lost to iTunes. This is routine for them. Sony is too big and has too much company politics. Read up on the history of the Playstation 1. They almost failed there too but great maneuvering by Ken Kutaragi in terms of company politics allowed the PS team to be shielded from the rest of the company and not get held back.

[Zaptruder]

It seems to me that Sony are the company best positioned to actually lead the VR revolution if they were serious about it. All the tech is there. Expertise, knowledge, money... all the subfields are represented quite well.

This isn't anything new. Remember the transition to digital music? Sony had everything to be successful (knowledge, money, music, technology) in creating an on-line music store but fell flat and lost to iTunes. This is routine for them. Sony is too big and has too much company politics. Read up on the history of the Playstation 1. They almost failed there too but great maneuvering by Ken Kutaragi in terms of company politics allowed the PS team to be shielded from the rest of the company and not get held back.

Yes. I'm well aware of their history, which is why I remain skeptical of their chances in this field.