I mean, we have video games that depict both world wars, with very realistic recreations of major battles. Does being in war make it fundamentally different?
Do you mean, like, is there an experience difference between "being there" and experiencing a highly realistic VR simulation?
Apologies if I'm misunderstanding because the questions seems to answer itself... "yes, of course!"
Besides the obvious fact wherein if you get shot you die for good, and if you don't die you'll feel tremendous pain and be potentially maimed for life, you've got other factors such as
-Friends you've developed closed bonds with being killed next to you
-A campaign lasting months or years that consumes your existence
-Terrible food
-No sleep
-Extraordinary boredom in downtime (which doesn't exist in videogames or nobody would buy them)
-The endless question of "why are we here" (which doesn't exist in videogames - we are here to have fun)
Yes. Most people who experiance modern war never see a battle. Soldiers battle. For the other 90% of the population, war is suffering, deprivation and fear.
At the moment, no. VR is still in its infancy, and the experiences are distinguishable from reality in a way that they are closer to video games than real life.
However if VR and haptics are able to perfectly recreate war in the next few decades, let's hope that psychology develops in pace. A generation of teenagers who have been exposed to perfect recreations of trench warfare and 9/11 is a generation that will have more PTSD than any other generation before it.
I think there would be an important psychological difference in knowing that your life isn't really in danger, or your friend didn't really just get killed, and so on.
There's also the issue that such a realistic sim probably wouldn't be fun for a lot of people, and wouldn't get played that much.
Comments
I mean, we have video games that depict both world wars, with very realistic recreations of major battles. Does being in war make it fundamentally different?
Do you mean, like, is there an experience difference between "being there" and experiencing a highly realistic VR simulation?
Apologies if I'm misunderstanding because the questions seems to answer itself... "yes, of course!"
Besides the obvious fact wherein if you get shot you die for good, and if you don't die you'll feel tremendous pain and be potentially maimed for life, you've got other factors such as
-Friends you've developed closed bonds with being killed next to you
-A campaign lasting months or years that consumes your existence
-Terrible food
-No sleep
-Extraordinary boredom in downtime (which doesn't exist in videogames or nobody would buy them)
-The endless question of "why are we here" (which doesn't exist in videogames - we are here to have fun)
I wasn't asking if a VR experience is different than reality.
I was asking if this new experience of the atomic bomb in VR is different than the other WWII games we have, some in VR.
Basically, if war video games based on real wars are ok, are other games based on real, horrible, events ok?
Yes. Most people who experiance modern war never see a battle. Soldiers battle. For the other 90% of the population, war is suffering, deprivation and fear.
In war games, soldiers usually die quietly, instantly, and in one piece. Reality is still too brutal.
At the moment, no. VR is still in its infancy, and the experiences are distinguishable from reality in a way that they are closer to video games than real life.
However if VR and haptics are able to perfectly recreate war in the next few decades, let's hope that psychology develops in pace. A generation of teenagers who have been exposed to perfect recreations of trench warfare and 9/11 is a generation that will have more PTSD than any other generation before it.
I think there would be an important psychological difference in knowing that your life isn't really in danger, or your friend didn't really just get killed, and so on.
There's also the issue that such a realistic sim probably wouldn't be fun for a lot of people, and wouldn't get played that much.