Sometimes, tech and ideas are a little ahead of their time – coming out years before the general populace is ready for them. One such technology that could finally break through the niche is Virtual Reality, which is set to become commercially available on a large scale this year.
Of course, it’s not new. We’ve been sold the VR dream in cycles, and every decade somebody tries to come along and convince the world that Virtual Reality is the next big thing.
It’s something we saw with the Wii’s motion control, which kicked off a wave of similar products, other motion-sensing peripherals and me too’s – like PlayStation Move and of course, Kinect. But motion control isn’t new either. Nintendo’s powerglove dabbled with it in the times of the NES, and SEGA’s ill-fated Activator had kids kicking and punching their way through Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter decades ago.
It’s not just ahead-of-its-time tech itself that’s in for a resurgence – we see it in games and ideas too. Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen are bringing back a genre that’s been long dead – the space sim. Telltale, Double Fine and other developers like The Odd Gentlemen have managed to rather successfully re-ignite passions for the humble old adventure game.
Tech and ideas are cyclical; they keep coming back. Which things do you think are ready for a resurgence?
Last Updated: January 15, 2016
