Re: Best group VR experience?
So what you'd really like to have is a Holodeck. And there are some experiments going on with that kind of notion (projection-wise, at least), but the experience is limited to a single person because the system has to map all the projections to a single point of view.
Disney has taken advantage of one of the limitations of projected 3D in a couple of their theme park attractions. Basically, one of the characters pokes their head way out of the screen and says something to the effect of "I just talking to you!" Because there is only one viewpoint in projected 3D, it appears to every member of the audience that they are being singled out. Kids love it, but it doesn't truly make for a shared VR experience (unless you consider occupying the same body a shared experience).
In order to have the freedom of a true VR experience, you have to have your own headset. Ignoring expense, this doesn't preclude a shared experience. You can still interact with the others people in the room virtually in VR and visually in AR. You can still all be in the same environment.
That all being said, it is still very early days for this technology. We've really only cracked one or two of the five senses, so there's still much to do. Will we have VR or AR headsets in every home in ten years? Probably. That's a long time to drive the price of the technology down, possibly to the point where you can stop in at the local drug store and get a throwaway if you left you're really nice headset at home.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
