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User succumbs to a seizure in virtual reality while other players can only watch

60 points| atomicnumber1 | 8 years ago |theverge.com | reply

24 comments

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[+] randomdrake|8 years ago|reply
VRChat was released last year and has been picking up momentum all over the place. If you have not had the chance to see what it's like, it's worth at least checking out as an observer.

The worlds and experiences are reminiscent of Stephenson's Snow Crash or Cline's Ready Player One in so many ways. It's eery, fascinating, and altogether odd.

Add on top of this that spectators, sometimes in the thousands, watch these virtual experiences live on Twitch.tv, and you have a very "we're in the future" feeling.

You can check out plenty of live streams of people experiencing this on Twitch.tv now:

https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/VRChat

[+] FLUX-YOU|8 years ago|reply
>The worlds and experiences are reminiscent of Stephenson's Snow Crash or Cline's Ready Player One in so many ways. It's eery, fascinating, and altogether odd.

It looks more like VR Idiocracy to me. Especially if you check out twitch and see donation stuff and stream overlays. It's just a platform for vomiting memes. https://imgur.com/ZkJq1cr

On the other hand, if it were super-serious-Deus-Ex-plotting-the-control-of-the-proletariat-VR-Chat, I don't think I could take that seriously either (and would be quickly overrun with Uganda knuckles anyway).

[+] tlrobinson|8 years ago|reply
I wonder why Second Life hasn’t been more aggressive capitalizing on VR. It seems like they were perfectly positioned for it.
[+] btown|8 years ago|reply
> Rogue Shadow VR says he caught up with the player afterwards on Steam, and that he is doing better now.

Since one of the definitions of "succumb" is "die from the effect of a disease or injury," this title is more than a little clickbaity! Mods, can you potentially edit to "User has seizure..."?

[+] chesimov|8 years ago|reply
I also associate succumb with die for some reason, although I'm not sure why. Maybe in the newspapers if they say 'x succumbed to their injuries' it would imply that?
[+] Klathmon|8 years ago|reply
Another is to "fail to resist", and I don't think the title is trying to imply the user died (at least I didn't read it that way at all).
[+] United857|8 years ago|reply
Misleading headline -- the person managed to survive and didn't "succumb" (die)
[+] JshWright|8 years ago|reply
Just because "succumb" is euphemistically used to refer to death doesn't mean it's the only meaning. Perhaps "Users suffers a seizure..." would have been a better phrasing though.
[+] fao_|8 years ago|reply

  1. To submit to an overpowering force or yield to an overwhelming desire; 
     give up or give in. See 'yield'.
  2. To die, especially from a disease or injury.
[+] petraeus|8 years ago|reply
succumb only means failed to prevent it in no way means die, you literally need to add "die" into the sentence to indicate death

succumbed to fear <> die

succumbed to love <> die

etc

[+] chrisper|8 years ago|reply
What is it with twitch and other game streamers all having crazy colored hair? What am I missing?
[+] amelius|8 years ago|reply
Could the VR have triggered the seizure?

That's one aspect I would have expected in the article.

[+] sergers|8 years ago|reply
I think it definitely could have, but it's very hard to determine the trigger for a seizure.

It could not be related to any triggers too (audio/visual).

It can only be identified by review of the person who it happened to... The rest of us are just speculating, and no point in that :)

Systems, including VR, should have an option to disable/slowdown fast paced color switching on a end-user level of they are known to be susceptible to seizures with visual triggers

[+] tlrobinson|8 years ago|reply
There’s a “Black Mirror” episode in there somewhere...
[+] rjbwork|8 years ago|reply

[deleted]

[+] sergers|8 years ago|reply
I don't see any mallace in the video.

They have no idea what is happening to the guy truly, and we don't know what set it off.

If you have proof, or more info please cite.

Noone knows what set this person off, it could be not related to visuals.

Yes, that person is dancing in front, but as soon as someone says to move away any flashing LED costumes, that person moved.

If that person was an asshole truly, they wouldn't have moved when asked to do so

[+] jey|8 years ago|reply
> That is probably what caused his episode.

Photosensitive epilepsy is a real thing, but this is just speculation.