"Virtual reality games" Topic

My teenage son came home from school all botherated. If he had the power, he would either "cut the power" to 'puters used to play these innane games, or he would make an auto cutoff switch in the 'puter so that you couldn't just sit and play them endlessly. He is annoyed at friends who zone out playing with others on the Net, making up their own VR characters, meeting, MARRYING (ferpetesakes!), and etc.

I have the bones of a sci-fi futuristic story, called "5SPs". It stands for, "Five-senses People." The only ones in the near future who refuse to enter the WWDB ("world-wide database"). "Enter" is not inaccurate: your body lies in an "osmosis tub", automatically stimulating your unused muscles, feeding you interveinously, carrying off your body waste, while your brain is literally plugged into the WWDB, where you have created your own Domain, complete with your VR self, world, universe, whathaveyou. And in the Common, or Forum, area, VR meets VR and interacts. Since by then, medical science will have mapped out every area of the brain's function to the tiniest detail, no part of the brain's function will be untappable: all sensory centers, memory centers, etc., will be accessible via the WWDB. And that's where the high 90th percentile of the human race will live 24/7. Only the 5SPs remain in the empirical world of physical things: they maintain the machinery, the food production, the technical side to RL. And, of course, they are silently feared and distrusted by the WWDB denizens….

My son, familiar with my story outline, asked me just now, if I really think that is the future. And I said, "Yes, of course it is." If technology already does all it can to give a satisfying experience in VR games, it will never stop short of doing its utmost to draw the fullest attention of the potential gaming clientel, even the whole wide world if possible. The only thing lacking, really, is the knowledge of the brain's function, to keep pace with the increasing level of computer technology. And I don't think for one minute, that medical science will fail to fully understand the human brain in the not-so-distant future….

1066.us

Every so often humanity cycles around to reject the advances technology has brought them and starts to look at new areas (or at least new technologies). I doubt that we will see the turn-around soon but it will happen. Look how easily kids get bored, how long does the average game remain 'kewl' ? It gets less and less with every product.

The damage is being done but there will be enough 'non wired' to carry on, after all virtual sex doesn't breed the next generation !!!

Tony H

I doubt the percentage of WWDB use in any_near_future scenario. There are far too many people in the world who don't use computers at all, and that's unlikely to change drastically in any sort of near term.

Now if you want to reduce it to a near future city, or a high tech enclave, MAYBE you can explain it, but otherwise, the world is just not going to up to that anytime soon.

It sounds like Better Than Life™ to me!