Virtual reality (VR)– Annotated bibliography by Ronnie Mu

Ever since the first video game was made, gamers have been searching for more and more ways
to “immerse” more of themselves in video games. Game developers have been trying in each
generation of gaming to create something that allows gamers to be more involved in the game.
This comes with better graphics, social gameplay with other players, etc. Recently, developers
have begun utilizing virtual reality technology to hopefully create a revolutionary method of
gaming that can allow a player to almost physically put themselves in virtual landscapes. With
almost any upcoming revolutionary technology, questions have to be raised. In the case of virtual
reality, can VR technology reach a potential where gamers have the ability to, in one way or
another, put their whole bodies in a game? This is an important question because this is what
some would consider an “end goal” for gaming because gamers would have the ability to
immerse themselves in video games as if they were actually “living” in the game. If VR
technology reaches a point where it has become advanced, could it have negative side effects on
the mental states of gamers? This must be asked because, while the ability to literally “enter” a
game seems exciting, one must consider the kind of toll something like this would take on one’s
mental state. This kind of technology may even utilize one’s cerebral cortex for it to “work.”

Bradley, T. (2018, January 30). VR Technology Set to Change the World of Gaming. Retrieved
March 04, 2019, from https://techspective.net/2018/01/25/vr-technology-set-change-world-
gaming/

This article talks about the present state of VR in gaming and the current consoles and games
like the Xbox and the PS4 that have already started to adapt to using VR technology. Tony then
continues to talk about where this technology can go in the future as various gaming companies
continue to search for a way to raise the bar in video game immersion. This article is useful for
those who are researching VR in gaming and are curious as to its capabilities as of now. The
article is up-to-date with a publishing date of January 30, 2018. The website, TechSpective seems
to be a reliable news source for those who wish to learn about the latest up and coming
technology and also carries research and learning materials like podcasts for its viewers. The
author, Tony Bradley has a passion when it comes to learning about the latest technology and
how they affect people's lives. While this may not seem like a telltale sign of expertise in the
subject, Tony supports the findings and claims in his article with examples of the VR being put
into use and the companies that are utilizing the technology while also offering links to said
sources.

Can Virtual Reality Change Your Mind? | Thong Nguyen | TEDxMinneapolis. (2018, November
21). Retrieved March 04, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFHj8OVC1_s

This video shows a TEDx talk in Minneapolis of Thong Nguyen, a VR entrepreneur. Thong talks
about the capabilities of VR in various fields and how VR technology can change the user's mind
and even influence training, development, healthcare, etc. in those fields. This is useful for those
who are researching about how VR technology can go beyond video games and impact other
fields. This video is fairly recent as it was uploaded to Youtube November 21, 2018. The origin
of this source, TEDx talks is a well respected and well known non-profit organization dedicated
to spreading ideas. Thong is a reliable source and person to listen to about VR as he is, as
mentioned before, a VR entrepreneur and is interested in exploring the nuances of human
behavior.

Frist, B. (2018, July 10). Virtual Reality Isn't Just For Gamers Anymore; It Will Change Your
Health. Retrieved March 04, 2019, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2018/07/10/virtual-
reality-isnt-just-for-gamers-anymore-it-will-change-your-health/#562291044c0a

This article talks about how the purpose of VR technology can go beyond gaming and be used in
the medical field to make medical procedures and treatment progressions, etc. go easier for the
patients. It describes situations in myriad hospitals and medical sites where patients would be
engaged in virtual environments and games to make various unpleasant treatments go smoother
for the patient. As an example, Frist describes a situation where a woman who was undergoing
chemotherapy was in a virtual art museum via VR headset during her session to get her mind off
of the pain. Although this article talks about how VR technology goes beyond video games, this
article is useful when researching about VR gaming since it is describing situations where
gaming can take people's minds off of unpleasant situations which may further encourage
companies to develop a way to further immense gamers into virtual environments. This article is
fairly recent and up-to-date with a publishing date of July 10, 2018. The origin of the article,
Forbes magazine is a well respected and well known online news outlet. The author, Bill Frist is
an expert in the medical field, especially in heart and lung transplants and has seen the benefits
of implementing VR technology into treatment processes for patients.

Global augmented/virtual reality market size 2016-2022 | Statistic. (2018). Retrieved March 04,
2019, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/591181/global-augmented-virtual-reality-market-
size/

These statistics show the predicted forecast for the market size of both VR and AR
technology, or more simply, extended reality (XR) technology in billions of U.S. dollars
from 2016 to 2022. The chart shows an interesting prediction for the year 2022 as the
predicted market size spikes to about 192.7 billion U.S. dollars. These statistics,
especially the recently mentioned observation can be useful for those researching VR
technology in gaming as they show an angle of the potential of the technology among
consumers. It also shows that we may witness a surprising trend when we arrive in the
year of 2022. The prediction for the market size in 2022 suggests that VR technology
may have taken a monumental step in its progression. The statistics are up-to-date as
the data was released in December of 2018. The website that carried this market
forecast, Statista is considered one of the world's most successful statistics databases
so this forecast seems reliable for use in research.
Metz, C. (2018, August 07). A Game You Can Control With Your Mind. Retrieved March 04,
2019, from http://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/27/technology/thought-control-virtual-reality.html

This article talks about a specific piece of VR technology. The technology in question is a
headset that the players put on. They are then put into a game where they must escape a room
with nothing but the players' minds. With their thoughts, they are able to control and manipulate
objects such as picking a ball up by merely thinking about picking it up. This article is useful for
researching about the potential capabilities of VR technology down the line when it comes to
utilizing the body of the player. From the description of the headset in the article, it seems clunky
and even a bit inefficient, but nonetheless, this shows that game developers may be able to
harness the power of minds to play games. The article is somewhat up-to-date having been
written in August 27, 2017 when this type of technology has started to take off. The origin of the
article which is the New York Times is a trusted news outlet and while the author of the article
may not seem like an expert on the topic, they have made sure to reference a few experts on the
topic such as Elon Musk and have gotten statements from them to support their findings.

Oculus Founder: Virtual reality will change journalism as... (2015, October 09). Retrieved March
04, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znmtuVN3kFE

This video shows a CNN Business interview between Brian Stelter and Oculus VR Founder
Palmer Luckey. In the interview, Palmer Luckey describes the potentials of VR technology and
how they can give people the ability to not only fully immerse themselves in video games, but
even go beyond that and allow people to be at places like sporting events without actually "being
there." More importantly, Palmer Luckey talks about how VR technology can benefit the field of
journalism by allowing people to actually see the true events unfold for themselves rather than
read about the events from news articles where the story of the events can be twisted. The
interview may be slightly dated as it was uploaded to Youtube on October 9th, 2015 but can still
be useful for those who want to research about the potential entertainment or practical uses of
VR. The origin of the video is from CNN which is considered one of the most reputable news
sources and also one of the most well known news outlets. The person being interviewed, Palmer
Luckey is the founder of the Oculus VR so he can be considered as a well-read expert on the
subject.

Rubin, P. (2018, October 30). The WIRED Guide to Virtual Reality. Retrieved March 04, 2019,
from https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-to-virtual-reality/

This article gives a deeper look into VR technology as well as the closely related augmented
reality (AR) technology, or, as a group, extended reality (XR). The article first talks about how
these technologies can either become something extremely revolutionary for human
entertainment, or something underwhelming and remains a pipe dream. The article gives a look
into the history and the roots of the technology while referencing the first time VR technology
was introduced to the world (E3 2012) as well as referencing precursor technologies that go back
to the 60s. The article is very recent having a publishing date of September 11, 2018. The
website Wired is a reliable news source for those who want to hear about the latest news in
technology. The author, Peter Rubin includes links to sources that confirm and support the
claims and findings in his article.

Separated By Borders, Reunited With Virtual Reality | NBC News. (2018, October 09).
Retrieved March 04, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NCp_yMaACU

This video shows the Family Reunions Project founded by Alvaro Morales and Frisly Soberanis.
The project focuses on reuniting displaced immigrant families via VR technology. This video is
useful for those who want to research about the potential of VR and how VR's gaming
environments can create environments for more practical uses like this. The video is up-to-date
as it was uploaded to Youtube on October 9, 2018. It originates from NBC News, one of the
most well-respected news outlets and a very reputable news outlet at that. The people in question
in the video are Alvaro Morales and Frisly Soberanis, the founders of the project and experts on
VR.

What's next in virtual reality technology? (2016, May 13). Retrieved March 04, 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIkdhCA3Je0

This video shows the CBS news team interviewing Michio Kaku, a famous theoretical physicist
on what the future may promise for VR technology. This video is useful for those who want to
see where VR technology currently stands in the eyes of consumers like Michio Kaku who has
done test runs of many VR related technologies. The interview is slightly dated as it was
uploaded to Youtube on May 13, 2016. The news outlet that carried out this interview, CBS
news is considered a reputable and factual news source and a well-known news outlet in the
country. Although Michio Kaku is a well-known theoretical physicist, he himself may not be an
expert on the topic, but this interview utilized and referenced real data and information about the
potentials of VR technology.

Worldwide Spending on Augmented and Virtual Reality Expected to Surpass $20 Billion in
2019, According to IDC. (2018). Retrieved March 04, 2019, from
https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS44511118

These statistics show the expectations of how much different countries would be spending on XR
(VR and AR) technology. These statistics show different regions and how much money they are
expected to spend and invest on XR technology in the years 2017 to 2022. These statistics can be
useful for those researching what countries have a higher demand in XR technology .
Interestingly enough, it is expectant of Canada to be investing more than most other regions in
this type of technology. The statistics are up to date as the statistics were published in 2018. The
database that carried these statistics, IDC, is a well respected database that carries various
amounts of statistics.