The jury's still out on whether virtual reality is just hype (opens in new tab). But this simulator set in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 has caused a bigger controversy than anything we've seen from the VR community.
Described as a "narrative driven experience designed for virtual reality," [08:46] (opens in new tab) is an Oculus Rift simulator named after the time the first plane hit the Twin Towers.
Created by a team of French students who invested countless hours of research to accurately recreate the atmosphere of that infamous day, [08:46] was designed to "emphasize the victims' point of view."
Despite these good intentions the results are still disturbing, as seen in this brief trailer.
This isn't the first computer game to recreate a major historical disaster, but with the memories of 9/11 still raw in many peoples' minds, has [08:48] gone too far? These tweets sum up the general online reaction so far.
Oculus Rift 911 Experience. Woah…. this is real dark shit we are drifting into here. https://t.co/aovvv3fgSZOctober 29, 2015
Let's not have a VR game about 9/11, okay? https://t.co/OVq4rzy5bR pic.twitter.com/tHRAaFNONoOctober 29, 2015
Gaming enthusiasts call the 9/11 Oculus Rift game as something that will leave you speechless, not question if it's in good tasteOctober 30, 2015
There are some online commentators who don't see any problem with the game, highlighting its educational intentions, but for the majority of people it makes for uneasy viewing at the very least.
With Oculus Rift still finding its feet as a platform, it remains to be seen if there will be more simulators that push the boundaries of what is or isn't acceptable.
Also read:
- 4 great reasons to animate for virtual reality (opens in new tab)
- 4 tips for using virtual reality in branding (opens in new tab)
- 7 ways VR will change our lives forever (opens in new tab)
