VR has failed (Gaming)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Thursday, January 07, 2016, 01:30 (3243 days ago) @ Cody Miller

I wouldn't write off VR in general just yet. It's too early to complain about the lack of interesting games. VR brings a major set of new challenges and new possibilities for Devs to figure out. There are obvious cases for VR (racing or flight games, anything cockpit-based) but give creative people time and they will do amazing things with new technology. Early hands-on impressions of Golum sound very interesting... like Highwire has taken a big step in figuring out ways to control a character in VR without walking all over your living room.

Commercially, I'm sceptical about the Rift's chances. $600 US is a hefty price tag (that's now $850 for us here in Canada!!!). Keep in mind that running the Oculus will also require a seriously powerful PC. Comparisons to iPad pricing don't hold water. People spend $600 on an iPad because there are already thousands of games/apps available, and people tell themselves they'll use the device daily for all sorts of different things (whether they end up doing so or not). Right now, the Rift has 1 primary draw: games. But the potential is there for much more.

Looking at VR in general, I am also sceptical about mass-market saturation. I'm really excited about the possibilities of VR, but I don't see myself ever using it. I simply can't be that cut-off from my surroundings. I have a hard enough time using my Astro A50s because they hinder my awareness of my surroundings too much. With my 2-year-old here with me, using a VR headset feels downright irresponsible, even while she's sleeping. I know my situation doesn't apply to everyone, but it might apply to enough of the market to prevent high sales, even at a lower price point. And developers need a huge install base before they invest in a platform, because games are so expensive to make.