Entertainment is undoubtedly the item that heads the list of applications for Microsoft's HoloLens headset. Combining virtual and augmented elements in the same environment without needing to install sensors or paint markers is impressive, but we always reach that point where we must hand the spotlight to the software. One of the most notable projects available on HoloLens is Fragments, a fusion between CSI and L.A. Noire in augmented reality where the player is the main character, literally.
A Pricey Investment
Anyone interested in adopting experimental technology and with a few "some dollars" extra in their pocket can purchase the development edition of HoloLens. Want more precision? Very well: The magic number is $3,000, which at the same time represents a very high-risk bet, since there is no refund mechanism, and shipping is limited to the United States and Canada. Despite these sharp edges, no one denies that HoloLens is one of the best things the Redmond giant has done in recent years. Its demos are increasingly impressive, and the advantage of working as an "all-in-one" system highlights the restrictions affecting current virtual reality solutions. Even so, HoloLens doesn't escape the software trap. The headset is wonderful, but it needs applications and games up to the task. That said, perhaps Fragments is one of the first "triple A" titles that HoloLens truly deserves.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ULJV4G5XkAA Detective in Your Living Room
Fragments places the player in the role of a detective, but not the kind of detective who had to hunt pixels and follow strange patterns in old graphic adventures, but a detective of flesh and blood, interacting directly with several characters at the crime scene: Our own home. The characters, thanks to the advanced environment recognition performed by HoloLens, use chairs and sofas as if they were there in person. The player can interrogate a witness by taking a seat beside them, but that's not all. In the room there will be details, small clues to follow, critical information for the correct resolution of the case, and of course, more than one "face-to-face" encounter with the antagonist of the moment.
Developed by Microsoft and Asobo Studio
Fragments is a development involving Microsoft and Asobo Studio, a French company known for its video game adaptations of several Pixar movies, such as WALL-E, Toy Story 3, and Up. At its core, Fragments is still a game running on Windows 10 (Windows Holographic to be more precise), so no one rules out the possibility of Fragments arriving on Windows 10 PCs as a standalone game. However, it's obvious that Microsoft will push the exclusivity card to the limit. It's likely that Fragments will become "the example to follow" for all projects planning to be compatible with HoloLens. Now… I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to change a couple of pieces of furniture and tear down a wall...
