[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by novalysis

No, but the ability to write essays and correspond just by thinking words out would be invaluable. Imagine how fast you can churn a paper just by thinking of the words, instead of typing.

Except they don't do that. The Nervgear and Amusphere seem to only take commands for motions, not higher thinking. So they're still stuck typing stuff. Though I guess it'll save on eyestrain and carpal tunnel.

There are ways to tweak VR training for education too, for instance. You could use VR training for Public Speaking, or practicing speeches. You could use VR training for negotiating skills- this would be especially true in Business-simulator like VR games, especially MMOs where Merchanting is a major component. The lists goes on and on.

You could manipulate and engineer things more effectively using VR simulations, before trying a test run in the real world.

And GGO shows you could probably train excellent soldiers in the VR world, very well. One wonders whether Sinon would get head hunted by parties impressed by her marksmanship skills. Wild Goose explained that rather well - you could do Live firing exercises every day for low cost, though certainly, VR training would not completely supersede real life training. It's just that Real life training would likely be a final stage training.

VR presentations can be incredibly flashy. Imagine summoning up Graphic Holograms for example, or calling out 3D Blueprints you could walk throughout.

Face to face meetings can be conducted from half a world away via VR.

So, don't be too quick to dismiss VR as a fringe technology benefiting the limited skill-set of gamers. It's potentially a game-changer, the next stage of evolution of the continually evolving methods of human communication, that begun with the Telegraph, Telephone, Radio, Television and Internet.

Sure, but that's not what we were talking about. I'm not dismissive of VR - indeed, I'd love for it to allow us to dispense with the whole "going to work" thing -, I'm dismissive of VR game skills, especially as they pertain to Kirito's prospects. Being good at games doesn't make you good at computer programming, let alone the even more abstract thinking a computer scientist will need.

VR can be great for all kinds of stuff - with purpose built software. All Kirito can hope with SAO is getting better with a sword, which isn't going to be very useful. He didn't even practice his people skills all that much.

And heck, even his swordsmanship is probably flawed because it relied on "Battle Healing" and the absence of pain. Getting hit IRL is going to have much graver consequences than "losing 10% of your HP".

In any case, SAO is an Apologetic for the Information Revolution, and a Sci-fi Apologetic for technologies only conceived off today. Despite the astounding scandals that afflicted the Industry (and I presume it's one of the most regulated industries by now) , I suspect RETCO in the SAO world must be making as much money as Nintendo did from their DS.

Didn't RECTO sell ALO? And get all kind of trouble because of Sugou and the VR division?