For the first time in months, it was necessary to take a break from all things VR and focus on helping my colleagues over on our other websites. The launch of Pokemon Go was more significant than any other launch I've ever experienced, and with that comes a lot of people asking a lot of questions about the game. We answered those questions well, but it took hours and hours of gameplay, research, and of course writing in a short period of time to answer those questions quickly.
It was fun, but incredibly draining. And yet, I found myself leaving the house every evening and venturing out to play the game more. Sometimes until 10-11pm, something I never felt inclined to do while playing Niantic's previous game, Ingress. After thinking about it a little, the biggest reason for this is the same reason I absolutely love sharing VR with other people — experiencing all the happiness expressed by everyone around you.
I've yet to have a negative experience in Pokemon Go. Everyone I've met, from every walk of life, has just enjoyed being outside with other people playing the game. I get the same experience when having a group of people play VR for the first time. There's a level of joy in those experiences that doesn't happen nearly frequently enough in most of my day-to-day experiences, and for me that makes those moments worth treasuring. We're going to be doing a lot more of those local meetups over the next couple of months, several of which we're going to share in video form for everyone to enjoy.
But first:
- We're giving away an Oculus Rift!
- If you own an HTC Vive and aren't playing Raw Data, you are wrong. Look for a hands-on from either Matt or I this week.
- Rick and Morty in VR, made by the folks who did Job Simulator?! Hell yes.
- I'm starting to have some great conversations with therapists about how VR is being used to help different kinds of patients, and it's blowing my mind. Can't wait to share with you!
- There's a Star Wars VR thing happening right now and we won't know what's inside until tomorrow!
- There's also a VR movie being made about Darth Vader. How much money can I throw at these people in a single day?
Go play something fun in VR. Or go outside and catch some Pokemon. Or go watch the new Ghostbusters. Hell, do none of those things if you don't want to. Just try to have a great day, We've got a busy week ahead!