Not surprisingly, sticking something in front of someone’s eyes may not be the greatest thing as it can actually make someone take off their headset and leave the VR game if something is blocking their view.
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The good news is that this is something Google has already considered, which is why they are working on trying to create a positive social experience in virtual reality, or to be more specific, part of its Daydream VR platform.
It may be easy for some players to push around – both figuratively and literally – others in the virtual world, especially in experiences that call for close interaction.
While this is a more aggressive example, others might be innocently curious about what limits they have in VR if there are no set rules.
Google has been thinking up some pretty ingenious ways to prevent players from engaging in negative behavior in virtual reality, one of which includes transforming their avatars into dogs.
The company’s Daydream Labs has been experimenting with ways to deter people from making others feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Firstly, Tilton explains how a virtual shopping experience built by the company resulted in users attempting to block other user’s vision by placing hats over their line of sight.
The idea is to stop players stealing chips or otherwise interefering with other players – which, while undoubtedly well intentioned, all seems a bit too much like spoiling the fun. A glowing blue personal space bubble then guided them back to their seat.
The demo, which you can watch in the video below, sees two players facing one another with their bodies represented by a dog’s head and paws. while walking away from the table caused the screen to fade to gray. If players high-fived each other, they’d then see a fireworks animation and hear a loud slapping sound.
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Given the opportunity to be aggressive, such as being able to punch an avatar, users would not trigger any feedback.
