Where has the VR buzz gone?
Discussion
Note: I know there are some individual threads on the Oculus and Vive, but this is applying more to the category and most likely the PSVR.
So what has happened to all the buzz about VR?
It was all over the headlines earlier in the year when it was soon to arrive, but now that the kits are here, where is all the chatter - and where are the games?
More worrying - why has Sony stopped talking about VR? With locked hardware to develop to, their own studios, and a massive install base of PS4 customers, they were probably best positioned to create the breakout VR experience. But with under a month to go until the launch, where has the hype gone? They didn't even mention VR at the last Playstation meeting when PS4 Pro and Slim were announced.
I've had a play with the current generation of VR headsets and the tech is impressive - there's no lag, the experience is immersive, and I didn't get sick. The tech has clearly arrived. But is it actually good for entertainment or is an $800 tech demo?
I want it to work, since as a child of the early 80s its always been promised in "the future" - what a disappointment it would be if it fizzles.
So what has happened to all the buzz about VR?
It was all over the headlines earlier in the year when it was soon to arrive, but now that the kits are here, where is all the chatter - and where are the games?
More worrying - why has Sony stopped talking about VR? With locked hardware to develop to, their own studios, and a massive install base of PS4 customers, they were probably best positioned to create the breakout VR experience. But with under a month to go until the launch, where has the hype gone? They didn't even mention VR at the last Playstation meeting when PS4 Pro and Slim were announced.
I've had a play with the current generation of VR headsets and the tech is impressive - there's no lag, the experience is immersive, and I didn't get sick. The tech has clearly arrived. But is it actually good for entertainment or is an $800 tech demo?
I want it to work, since as a child of the early 80s its always been promised in "the future" - what a disappointment it would be if it fizzles.
Now if they were to remake TIE Fighter in VR....oooh then I might buy.
Or Ridge Racer. or Jumping Flash....
/edit - actually, thinking about the early generation of 3D games (from the mid-90s PC, and PS1) I think there is some pretty rich inspiration there for VR - simply because that's what a lot of designers thought they were dealing with when 3D became technologically possible. By the time the PS2 came around a lot of the experimentation and novelty wore out of 3D games, which probably resulted in better (if less ambitious) game worlds.
What i mean is, the movement in early 3D games seemed to embrace the 3rd dimension more due to its novelty than later games, which realized linearity actually made for a more playable game. Perhaps with VR some of the early ambition can be fully realized by the technology.
Or Ridge Racer. or Jumping Flash....
/edit - actually, thinking about the early generation of 3D games (from the mid-90s PC, and PS1) I think there is some pretty rich inspiration there for VR - simply because that's what a lot of designers thought they were dealing with when 3D became technologically possible. By the time the PS2 came around a lot of the experimentation and novelty wore out of 3D games, which probably resulted in better (if less ambitious) game worlds.
What i mean is, the movement in early 3D games seemed to embrace the 3rd dimension more due to its novelty than later games, which realized linearity actually made for a more playable game. Perhaps with VR some of the early ambition can be fully realized by the technology.
Edited by Wadeski on Friday 23 September 02:42
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