May 15, 2008

jDome Offers Unique Experience To Gamers May 15, 2008

Read more Games , Home Entertainment , Projector , Technology

Gamers are always after that extra edge or a more immersive experience, and a recent brainwave from designer John Nillson claims to offer both.

His jDome increases the field of view of your average game to 180 degrees, offering a far more interactive experience over your average LCD screen.

Continued...

Peripheral vision can only take you so far, so with the jDome you’ll get a far better view of baddies attempting to sneak up on you and the like.

It works by using a projector to send an image of the screen to the front of the dome, where it’s effectively wrapped around the edges to allow the gamer to look in and around.

Extravagant perhaps, but we think it’s one of the most innovative developments in gaming of recent years, provided it works. Best yet John reckons the product will retail for $125 to $200 provided he receives the proper funding to start mass production.

Check out the Dragon’s Den style demonstration below and work out whether or not ‘I’m out’. – Paul Lester

[jDome]

gaming jDome VR

Comments

yeh man..we all want a gay dome.

posted-by stu | May 15, 2008 4:17 PM

hahah

posted-by Anonymous | May 15, 2008 8:18 PM

it's not a new idea! in fact it already exists for quite a while.
http://www.vrealities.com/visionstation.html
...and the goofy guy with the bad german accent doesn't make up for it.

posted-by dave | May 16, 2008 7:41 AM

jDome: for the man who has no desire whatsoever to see a real pair of tits. Ever, under any circumstances. Even with money involved.

Come on, what's a girl going to think the minute she walks into your mom's basement? This thing is a deal-breaker for sure.

posted-by Dave | May 16, 2008 9:38 AM

I DON'T THINK IT WILL WORK PROPERLY FOR CURRENT GAMES CUS THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR FLAT SCREENS, SO THE DOME WILL JUST DISTORT GAME VIEW AND STRETCH WHAT YOU SEE, NOT A BAD IDEA , BUT NEEDS WAY MORE DEVELOPMENT, PLUS ITS WAY TOO BIG TO STORE IN BRITISH HOMES.

posted-by CCVI | May 16, 2008 2:10 PM

Does it come with software that will map a flat image into something that will look correct when projected onto the hemisphere? -- and mirror the image as well, since right and left will be swapped in the shown configuration.

posted-by BCL | May 16, 2008 4:25 PM

It doesn't need any software to map anything, he shows modifying the FOV of the game (via console). The expanded FOV (which would normally appear distorted on a flat screen) is basically undistorted when it's wrapper onto the dome. Not perfect but if you don't mind looking like an ass it looks pretty good to me. I just wonder if the image quality holds up to being FOV-distorted, projected, then passed though a sheet of fabric. Guess this is a time when you crank up the texture settings and polygon detail and forget about AA and resolution.

posted-by t | May 16, 2008 5:35 PM

LOL! CCVI do you have enough space in your British home for all those caps?

Resolution adjustment is quite easy and FOV settings can be skewed vertically and horizontally. Its nice, but for us american fat idiots (Sir Clarkson) they will have to mount it to some sort of desk/table because we are so awesome we cant be bothered to stand. Plus, Health and Safety (nanny) would never let you guys stand for that long, either! ;]

posted-by 6 | May 16, 2008 6:22 PM

I agree with the correct but ill-worded comment posted all in caps... you still are displaying the same resolution as your flat screen, you're just warping the edges like a concave lens would do... your still displaying only what your video card will put out.

posted-by Cliff | May 16, 2008 7:16 PM

Did he say gay dome?

posted-by Elektr0 | May 18, 2008 5:27 PM

Doesn't matter if its too big for British homes. It's perfect for American homes, and we're all that really matter.

posted-by Jax | May 18, 2008 6:14 PM