VR Demos at School

[EmptyPipe]

Hey Guys,
So----the first time I heard of a Vive, it was from a friend named Tanner who said, "Hey, I set up this virtual reality playground in my house, want to try it?" Naturally, I said "YES please!". It inspired me, big time. The same guy told me stories of how he took his Vive from school to school to inspire kids into computer technology and whatnot. I thought to myself, "Wow, that's cool----but it takes a lot of balls to let strangers handle an expensive thing like a Vive". So I asked him why he did it, and his answer surprised me. "Risk vs Reward". In his mind, the value of inspiring was worth the risk to his gear. "The gear could be ruined, but the inspiration will go on and on and on!"

I was inspired, and not even a month later, I bought a gaming rig and a Vive. After having fun myself with it, I remembered Tanner. The joy he had in inspiring kids, the reckless abandon he demonstrated, and I thought "I've gotta try that". So I called up a teacher I knew, and asked him about setting up a time. The response was highly positive from the teachers and staff. They loved the idea, and got me to the school a couple weeks later. (And would even try out the Vive when I brought it to school) It wasn't without challenges, we had to create ways to adapt the Vive for the classroom; including borrowing a couple cymbal stands to mount the lighthouses on from the band classroom, an extension cord from the janitor's closet and bringing a projector and speakers from home, but we had a BLAST!

The kids were more excited than I knew kids could be, and you know what? They were much more careful with the gear than I anticipated. Every handoff was done as though they were handling fine China. They respectfully waited their turn to see the Giant blue whale in TheBlu. They invited me back sometime, and others even asked if they could come to my house! :smileyvery-happy: The teachers were the most appreciative though, and I had a great response from them especially. 

So I know, you may be thinking----why would I allow a buch of grimy kids to play with thousands of dollars of my equipment?  Well, I'll answer that the way Tanner did, "Risk vs Reward". What if you had the chance to inspire the next generation of programmers and developers? Think about the ripple effect of a demonstration, and how it could affect their future careers, and even communities.

 

So---I'm going to make an appeal to you all, I know this is my opinion, but I hope it's one we'll have in common. You'll enjoy the Vive you have most when it's shared with others. Take a look at the smiles on the kids faces when you do this. Let each and every "wow" sink into your heart, as one more child you've inspired. And who knows, maybe someone will drop it, maybe you'll "lose" it all, but my guess is---when you share it----you'll *find* what you were looking for all along.

- Emptypipe

Thanks  for putting me up to this writeup. :)

[Rockjaw]

Great story, .

 

It actually doesn't surprise me that the kids were careful. I think they know the value of electronics these days. :smileylol:

 

Inspiring the next generation and showcasing VR's potential through great apps is what Viveport is all about. We all love games here but we know there's a huge audience out there who could be inspired, excited, awestruck and/or moved by VR content. My own first experience in theBlu was pretty awe-inspiring and I'm a jaded old gamer. ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen