Cross benefits between virtual reality and games

In one hand, video games are dedicated to entertainment. In recent years, the emerging of consumers hardware dedicated to games induced great progress for realism and gameplay. Graphics rendering and physical engines, digital surround sound and new interaction interfaces are examples of areas which have benefited of these last improvements and widely contribute to the gaming experience. In another hand, virtual reality focus on user's presence which is its indubitable feeling of belonging to the virtual environment. As this goal is very hard to reach, studies have to focus on human through several research directions like immersion (3D vision, sound spatialization, haptic devices) and interaction which has to be as natural and non intrusive as possible. Recent researches on intersensoriality possibilities, metaphorical interactions or brain computer interfaces are examples of what would be achieved in immersion and interaction. At this point, we can argue that virtual reality can be a provider of new methods and resources for games. Unfortunately virtual reality room are expensive and difficult to deploy, what is probably the main reasons why virtual reality is still a laboratory experiment or confined to industrial simulator. Here is our double contribution : to combine video games and virtual reality through two different virtual reality game solutions and to design them with consumer grade components. This paper first presents a survey of both current video game evolutions and virtual reality researches. We will also give some examples of cross-benefits between video games and virtual reality. To illustrate this last point we will describe two virtual reality applications created by our research team and dedicated to gaming. Finally, as a prospective talk we will deal with three points : some recent virtual reality systems supposedly applicable to home gaming, some good points from DG that VR developers should incorporate in VR systems and last point, some lines of enquiry so that the union between VR and DG be at last consummate.