Night gathers, and now your watch begins. You step into the elevator and take a last look around the courtyard of Castle Black before a bone-rattling ride lifts you 700 feet, depositing you in the whipping wind of the frigid north, high atop The Wall. Then, as the red flames of torches flicker in the distance, you hear two telling blasts from the watchmen's horns. The wildlings are coming. For thousands of "Game of Thrones" fans, that brief immersion into the life of a Night's Watch soldier in the HBO show is becoming a reality this week, thanks to an exhibit at the South by Southwest Interactive festival that employs one of the hottest gadgets in tech.
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Fans at SXSW are lining up to check out the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset
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Headset offers a virtual world that immerses the wearer in HBO's "Game of Thrones"
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A consumer version of the Oculus Rift is expected on the market within the next year
@placeholder's full field of view makes it difficult not to keep looking over your shoulder, expecting an unpleasant surprise.