One small game hardware startup company has found a way to show off its new technology -- and breathe new life into the nation's slowly dissipating interest in zombies -- by allowing gamers to blast their way through a horde of the undead.
With a new immersive virtual reality experience called "Inversion VR," Zero Latency can turn any indoor open space into a free-moving, physical game environment. And now, thanks to a new promotional video for "Zombie Fort: Smackdown," gamers are getting to see how the system works.
So, how did the idea come about?
While the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset made a big splash in the gaming world after the E3 gaming conference in June, the folks at Zero Latency found being tethered to a computer or console by cords a bit burdensome. So, as Project Grey notes, they made some minor adjustments.
Inversion VR involves a room set up with tracking cameras and an Oculus Rift linked to a fully wireless gaming backpack (think: Ghostbusters proton pack). As the video demonstrates, once the Inversion VR rig is set up, gamers can -- for the first time ever -- navigate the play space by simply walking into it.
And what better way to demonstrate the new technology than by surrounding users with zombies? The clip shows exactly what happens to those who dare to take up arms and don the Rift in its flagship game "Zombie Fort: Smackdown." Players begin in a small room that is very poorly lit. If players want to see what's coming at them, they'll need to rely on muzzle flare (which is fine because when surrounded by zombies, one really should really never stop shooting).
Unfortunately the system won't be available to the general public any time soon. (After all, the Oculus Rift technology it uses is still just a prototype itself.) However, Zero Latency is showing off "Zombie Fort: Smackdown" at Pausefest, a digital innovation conference, in Melbourne, Australia, this month.