Deb Cram/Seacoastonline and Fosters.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
If you die in the game, you die in real life.
Just in case this timeline we’re living in wasn’t quite scary enough for you, science has a way to make it even worse! Palmer Luckey, who founded Oculus VR before selling to Facebook has made a VR headset which allows for a user to die in real life.
If that sounds like the plot of a horror movie, it’s because it is! Stay Alive was released in 2006 and the premise is literally a group of friends investigating their friend’s mysterious death and finding a dark web video game that kills people when they die in-game. The game is run by a demon. Also Frankie Muniz is in it. Look, it’s weird okay.
Anyway, so Luckey, who now works as a defense contractor has been tinkering with designing a new sensory headset he’s nicknaming “Nervegear,” after the anime Sword Art Online — which it should be noted was also about a VR game that kills people. Now he claims to have the project half complete, and it’s terrifying.
“The good news is that we are halfway to making a true NerveGear,” he wrote. “The bad news is that so far, I have only figured out the half that kills you. The perfect-VR half of the equation is still many years out.”
So, the good news is that this isn’t coming to market. The bad news is that there’s a VR headset floating around which can kill you. Still, this got us thinking. Imagine for a second everyone was forced to play a game with the killer headset on. What would you choose?
James Dator
Okay, so everyone’s choices on this one are their own and I don’t want to influence anyone’s decision — but I think inherently you need to chose a game you CAN die in. There needs to be at least some inherent threat of risk associated with playing the game in order to make the premise of the VR system work.
If you asked me this question 15 years ago I would have smugly said Halo 2, and don’t get me wrong I was a DAMN ASSASSIN at Halo in college — but two problems: Firstly, even a great player dies a lot and secondly, I’m now a middle aged man who doesn’t have the quick twitch needed to keep up with these kids anymore online. That said, I main Moira in Overwatch 2 and I’m a beast. Also I beat Elden Ring, which was a damn accomplishment in my eyes.
Anyway, I’m picking The Sims 4. I say this because one of the few things I know I’m good at is keeping myself alive. I’ve made it going on 40 years being able to give myself enough food and water to survive, so I’m fairly confident I could do it in The Sims too. The only issue is that every time I play The Sims it quickly devolves into a murder simulator. I swear, I must have tried at least 10 times to start that game “the right way,” and before you know it I’m locking a dude in a room with a bunch of standing water and making him repair toasters with no prior experience. The rest is academic from there.
So, as long as I can overcome my base urges I’m pretty confident I could stay alive in The Sims, even with a murderous headset on.
Mark Schofield
James hit me with a good old bait and switch when he dropped in this language: “Okay, so everyone’s choices on this one are their own and I don’t want to influence anyone’s decision — but I think inherently you need to chose a game you CAN die in.”
See, when we were discussing this VR system, and the games we would choose, my immediate thought was this.
Stardew Valley.
It seemed to me like I was beating the system. Plus, and this is absolutely no surprise to anyone who has followed me on the bird app, but I love Stardew Valley. I listen to the music — it makes for great writing and film-watching music to be honest — and am actually on my third play-through of the game at this very moment. There is something just so relaxing about kicking back at night, and clearing some space to plot a new crop of parsnips. I am a simple man.
And old.
But since we cannot game the system here, I am forced to look elsewhere. My age does preclude me from picking games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 because I do not have the cholesterol to be out in those streets. There is also a part of me that thinks I should just pick Elden Ring because, well, it will be over early. Sure, I beat the game. But I also remember popping out of the first dungeon at the start, seeing a large man on a horse and thinking “well, he’s right at the start of the game so just how hard can he be?”
Forty minutes I needed a new controller for what I assure you are completely unrelated reasons…
Instead, I’m rolling with Assassin’s Creed II. At the outset, know that I remain addicted to the entire series, from the historical tie-ins to of course the ability to just slink around in the shadows. But earlier versions of the game were amusing at times, when you would be surrounded by a group of enemies who would politely take turns attacking you, giving you a fighting chance to stay alive.
If I’m forced to wear this headset with my life on the line, that’s all I’m asking for, a fighting chance to stay alive.
If, of course, I’m not allowed to just quietly live out my life farming down in the Valley. Oh look, the Governor is in town for the luau and I have to make sure I have a bottle of Ancient Fruit Wine at the ready …
J.P. Acosta
If you know me, you know I want a challenge. I want to go down in history, set records and face the mightiest of foes. If I happen to die during the VR fighting experience, then so be it. Just know I went out on my sword, a noble death.
Knowing this, my first choice is the Uncharted series. I get to jump around ancient cathedrals and countries around the world while also stealing treasure and getting shot at? Sign me up. Plus, the thrill of trying to swing onto some rocks in Uncharted 3 might actually kill me. However, I don’t think that provides enough thrill.
So then I go into the superhero section, and see what I can find. What jumps out immediately? Batman: Arkham Asylum. You know how awesome it would be to go around Arkham as Batman and beat people up? That is the epitome of cool and if I go out as Batman, it would be a worthy way of dying.
However, one game would be the one I play in VR, and if you know me, it’s simple: the answer is Jump Force. Yes, the original game animation was kinda bad, and the story didn’t make much sense. However, I propose to you this counterpoint: DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I’VE WANTED TO DO A KAMEHAMEHA? This is the stuff dreams are made of, and I will get to be an anime superhero with my own set of skills, and if I die then I will have achieved my dream.
