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Despite Hype, VR Investment Fades In Q1 2017

C

Cromat

Member
I think it's wrong​ to lump VR and AR together. VR has a lot of limitations that in my opinion will always make it a niche technology (of course I mean in the current heads-on display format, not inserting yourself to the matrix etc.).

AR on the other hand has a lot of potential and I can see it being adopted heavily in the years ahead.
 
G

gamz

Member
justsomeguy said:
Agreed.

Watched Rogue One in 3D and in 2D. 3D was an overly-dark mess. A couple of utterly epic bits in 3d, but generally not worth it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, depends on the filmmaker. I watched Avatar recently on my 3DTV and it still awesome. 95% of movies suck because it's a after thought.

VR is never going to be a thing guys. AR is already more useful.
 
P

Principate

Saint Titanfall
Bookoo said:
3D and VR are not the same thing so I don't know why people really compare them.

People are much less impressed with the effect of 3D and doesn't really add anything to the experience. The effect of VR is much more compelling and as the tech matures it would likely have much more mainstream appeal.

My parents made fun of me when I told them I am buying some Oculus DK1 and then basically told me to bring it with me every time I visits to show it off to all family and friends. My skeptical friends have all been the same and one of them decided to buy a Galaxy phone just to get mobile VR.

I am not sure why people are so quick to dismiss the tech entirely. It feels like the people who claimed PC gaming was dead years ago.
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3D made Avatar the highest grossing film of all time. I'm not sure where your getting the much less impressed part does from. VR hasn't even had it's time to shine in the mainstream yet if it ever really does.
 
jchap

jchap

Member
shark sandwich said:
- motion sickness (and this is a REAL problem, I never got sick from roller coasters/planes/etc but some VR games made me horribly sick after 5-10 minutes)
Click to expand...

I think this is the number one problem by FAR. When a big portion of your potential customer base are physically made ill by a product there is no future.
 
B

Bookoo

Member
Principate said:
3D made Avatar the highest grossing film of all time. I'm not sure where your getting the much less impressed part does from. VR hasn't even had it's time to shine in the mainstream yet if it ever really does.
Click to expand...

Sure that movie was the pinnacle for 3D and was able to build on that hype.

I just don't think the effect of 3D is compelling enough to get people to wear glasses and to deal with a potentially dim and ghosted image. As VR/AR tech shrinks I could imagine more people willing wear something because the experience is way more compelling than simply adding a slight depth to whatever you are watching.
 
R

Rygar 8 Bit

Jaguar 64-bit
Woo-Fu said:
Or it would cause a riot that threatened to engulf the entire Seattle area. Any long-awaited game in an established series going VR-exclusive would have the fans up in arms.
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just like half life 2 did with steam

mdzapeer said:
where are the gen 2 devices? Lower price for hardware? software that is worth it?
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gen 2? its only been a year come back in a few more the only thing we are likely to see in the near future are slight tweaks and maybe some bundles of things like the wireless adapter for vive and if you wanted a lower price oculus had a price drop and as for software some great games have been out for a while but the big hitters at least 2 are coming this year with fallout 4 and one of valves big 3
 
S

SeeNoWeevil

Member
Moneyhatted exclusives from Sony are what's going to push VR forward. They don't even need to be games designed purely for VR. Good games with VR added on top, like RE7 and Ace Combat etc. Honestly, you only need a handful of really amazing experiences (and VR can be truly amazing) to make it worthwhile. Hell, look at all the people who bought a Switch just for Zelda with very little else on the horizon.
 
T

Teppic

Member
It costs too much. That's why I haven't bought one. If I'm going to get one at the current price point I want to see improvements like less wires/wireless, foveated rendering, higher resolution screens, better comfort. I'm not willing to buy old tech for premium price.
 
B

Big Blue

Member
bj00rn_ said:
The technology itself, ergonomics, GPU power.. Nothing has moved as fast as I anticipated. It's an especially frustrating thing for me as a enthusiast of both VR and simulators (flight, car simulators etc.) because todays VR isn't even good enough for that even though it should be at this stage.

I expected new announcements to already have happened now a year later. I bailed last fall (DK1, DK2 and Vive), and to my sadness I don't really miss VR 1.0 as it is (but anticipating better VR times in the future).



"Not even 3D".. LOL

..Seriously, stop using that argument already.
Click to expand...
Why? You really think there's no correlation between the failure of 3D and the failure of VR?? There's no demand for either.
 
Stiler

Stiler

Member
VR needs a huge VR focused game, and so far it hasn't had that really. There are some good VR games and RE7 is probably the biggest AAA game with it, but it needs a huge IP to take the leap where VR is like the way it's meant to be played and it's built from the ground up for VR.

If Valve were to tease Half life 3 and have it be a VR title that would single handily put VR on the map imo and ensure it sells well.

Also more regular games need VR support. Large games like Elder Scrolls/Fallout, etc. Stop withi the stupid freaking "Teleport" or "Vr slice" (that isn't part of the full game), give us a good VR experience for the entire game with free movement, let us choose if we want to
"teleport" or have complete free walking like a normal game.
 
L

LowSignal

Member
I found a open box PSVR at target for $280(before target card 10% off!) At that price it was worth it. I feel like no one is really promoting VR as well as they should.
 
C

cakefoo

Member
Principate said:
3D made Avatar the highest grossing film of all time. I'm not sure where your getting the much less impressed part does from. VR hasn't even had it's time to shine in the mainstream yet if it ever really does.
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People pay a whopping $3 for 3D versions of movies.

Impressiveness and commercial success aren't the same thing.
 
G

GuitarAtomik

Member
Big Blue said:
Why? You really think there's no correlation between the failure of 3D and the failure of VR?? There's no demand for either.
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The problem with the comparisons to 3D is that people bring up the wrong takeaways for why 3D failed. The prevailing line when it comes up in VR discussion is that "3D failed because no one wanted to wear something on their face/head". This has become the prevailing line because it's the only real relation you can draw to VR. The reality is that 3D failed because of a combination of factors, highest on the list being it either wasn't worth the premium for what little it adds to the experience, or that it outright made the experience worse because it made the image too dark. I have never once in real life heard anyone complain about having to wear glasses in a 3D movie, yet I know plenty of people who don't care for 3D movies. The fact is, people will wear stuff if the experience is worth it. 3D added nothing to the movie experience besides some added depth. VR literally makes brand new experiences possible that can't be replicated in any other medium. The problem at the moment isn't demand, it's price and content and prices will eventually come down and more content is coming out all the time.
 
C

Captain Tuttle

Member
I've been skeptical (I get brutal motion sickness, developed it later in life, never bothered me before) of VR from the beginning but honestly I thought there'd be more meaty and compelling content by now. Fallout 4 is a start I guess
 
S

SeeNoWeevil

Member
I can't get my head around how anyone who has tried VR can think the industry is just going to pack it up and put it in a box for a decade.
 
M

Marty Chinn

Member
SeeNoWeevil said:
I can't get my head around how anyone who has tried VR can think the industry is just going to pack it up and put it in a box for a decade.
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It's pretty simple. If it's not selling and there's little to no money to be made now and for the foreseeable future, it'll go back into the background again like it has after other attempts until people think it has matured enough to try again. It's simple business and economics.
 
J

jahepi

Member
These seems obvious at first considering the high price paid for such devices, the tech will become available for most people when it is cheaper, wireless, easy to setup, etc. so it is several years till we see something like that, i did not regret buying the Vive despite of not using it as much as i want, it has given me so many amazing moments.
 
C

cakefoo

Member
Marty Chinn said:
It's pretty simple. If it's not selling and there's little to no money to be made now and for the foreseeable future, it'll go back into the background again like it has after other attempts until people think it has matured enough to try again. It's simple business and economics.
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Less concerned for PC VR than PSVR. PC VR is getting better and better very rapidly- 1 year and we're already on the verge of the first wireless VR add-ons.
 
Tainted

Tainted

Member
Marty Chinn said:
It's pretty simple. If it's not selling and there's little to no money to be made now and for the foreseeable future, it'll go back into the background again like it has after other attempts until people think it has matured enough to try again. It's simple business and economics.
Click to expand...

The technology has matured, but the main barrier for most (apart from the cost) is the nature of jacking into something and shutting yourself out from the real world....something most cannot do.

The cost and requirements such as the space needed for room scale are things which can definitely change over time though.

I think VR will remain a niche product...but a damn impressive niche product. I for one hope it matures and is here to stay. Only time will tell.
 
T

Taliban Stan

Member
I think VR can take off but to me, it seems like it's not really done yet. There's competing formats that seem to have wildly different control schemes and even thought it's all PC there's weird locks where you have to hack some games to make them play on other systems.

It's seems like it's in the standard tech battle royale where we haven't picked the winner and buying now may mean you end up with like the crappy one that dies and loses all support.

That + the price is crazy. You need like $300+ just for the goggles and then a beast of a computer to do any of this stuff right?
 
B

Big Blue

Member
GuitarAtomik said:
The problem with the comparisons to 3D is that people bring up the wrong takeaways for why 3D failed. The prevailing line when it comes up in VR discussion is that "3D failed because no one wanted to wear something on their face/head". This has become the prevailing line because it's the only real relation you can draw to VR. The reality is that 3D failed because of a combination of factors, highest on the list being it either wasn't worth the premium for what little it adds to the experience, or that it outright made the experience worse because it made the image too dark. I have never once in real life heard anyone complain about having to wear glasses in a 3D movie, yet I know plenty of people who don't care for 3D movies. The fact is, people will wear stuff if the experience is worth it. 3D added nothing to the movie experience besides some added depth. VR literally makes brand new experiences possible that can't be replicated in any other medium. [/B]The problem at the moment isn't demand, it's price and content and prices will eventually come down and more content is coming out all the time.
Click to expand...


This is entirely subjective and does nothing to dispel the similarities between to the lack of success of the two technologies. If 3D added nothing to the experience, then why is it so popular in theaters?

As much as 48% of 2016 tickets were for 3D viewings
http://www.studiodaily.com/2015/06/worldwide-3d-box-office-roars-back-life-jurassic-world/
 
Tainted

Tainted

Member
Taliban Stan said:
That + the price is crazy. You need like $300+ just for the goggles and then a beast of a computer to do any of this stuff right?
Click to expand...

The recommended PC specs for the Vive are fairly modest imo: GTX 1060, i5-4590 & 4GB RAM...but obviously it all depends on the apps you are running on it as well as they will come with their own set of requirements.
 
F

funkystudent

Member
High end, wired VR seems like a big expensive proof of concept then a new market.


It's not going to be a big thing until it's cheaper and the computing is completely contained in the headset. Basically what needs to happen is what everyone wants hololense to be versus the reality of it.... and for sub 500 Bucks.
 
G

GuitarAtomik

Member
Big Blue said:
This is entirely subjective and does nothing to dispel the similarities between to the lack of success of the two technologies.
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Lol. That is fact.

Big Blue said:
If 3D added nothing to the experience, then why is it so popular in theaters?

As much as 48% of 2016 tickets were for 3D viewings
http://www.studiodaily.com/2015/06/worldwide-3d-box-office-roars-back-life-jurassic-world/
Click to expand...
I should clarify I mean home 3D. Is that not what you were talking about when you said there's no demand? Sounds like you're now arguing the opposite.
 
A

akira28

Member
Tainted said:
The technology has matured, but the main barrier for most (apart from the cost) is the nature of jacking into something and shutting yourself out from the real world....something most cannot do.
Click to expand...

If you're not imagining yourself being surrounded by shadow people in the room while you're wearing your headset, you're not really doing VR.

if they can work out a wireless vr headset to receiver system that allows multiple folks to enjoy the same experience, then you got a stew goin. they ignore my tweets though, or maybe they're archiving them.
 
B

Big Blue

Member
GuitarAtomik said:
Lol. That is fact.


I should clarify I mean home 3D. Is that not what you were talking about when you said there's no demand? Sounds like you're now arguing the opposite.
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There's no demand for HOME 3D. Just like there's no demand for in home theme park rides which is what VR currently js.
 
O

Ocaso

Member
GuitarAtomik said:
The problem with the comparisons to 3D is that people bring up the wrong takeaways for why 3D failed. The prevailing line when it comes up in VR discussion is that "3D failed because no one wanted to wear something on their face/head". This has become the prevailing line because it's the only real relation you can draw to VR. The reality is that 3D failed because of a combination of factors, highest on the list being it either wasn't worth the premium for what little it adds to the experience, or that it outright made the experience worse because it made the image too dark. I have never once in real life heard anyone complain about having to wear glasses in a 3D movie, yet I know plenty of people who don't care for 3D movies. The fact is, people will wear stuff if the experience is worth it. 3D added nothing to the movie experience besides some added depth. VR literally makes brand new experiences possible that can't be replicated in any other medium. The problem at the moment isn't demand, it's price and content and prices will eventually come down and more content is coming out all the time.
Click to expand...

I think you're overstating how perceptive people are of their general reasoning behind rejecting something. I've contended in the past and still firmly believe that if stereo 3D in entertainment media were effort-free (meaning glasses-free, eye strain-free, headache-free, etc.), you'd see few people ever opting for the flat version over the version with depth. It'd be like color vs black and white. Of course an extra dimension is better! But people hate the effort (and in many cases the extra cost as well).

VR is not much different. I have PSVR and, for the most part, love it. But, I hate to admit it, the effort required to use it does drive me to other forms of entertainment more often than not. I am truly, truly hopeful that VR does not go the way ignoring in-home 3D (which I still love), but I would not be surprised if it did. People hate extra effort.
 
F

Fafalada

Fafracer forever
Cromat said:
I think it's wrong​ to lump VR and AR together.
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They are "lumped" together because tech is more or less a 1:1 overlap. Basically almost every advancement in one - advances the other too.

civilstrife said:
As a VR owner. No, it isn't.
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As something of a VR Veteran (development and user) I actually think it's an apt analogy. VR as an entertainment medium shares a lot of the space with amusement parks - but the distinction is that it's a LOT better at it - even at this very early and primitive stage.
 
ThatOneGrunt

ThatOneGrunt

Member
A game isn't going to sell VR to most consumers. And a company with a big stake in VR with arguably a pretty vast amount of financial and technical resources like Facebook doesn't even really know what it wants to do with it. It's too vague of a market and I don't think you can convince people to casually attach something to their head for things like Facebooks social spaces. Not when it's easier to just Facetime or skype in order to talk to people remotely. Not to mention we all already have a device with a forward facing camera to do it with. And I also doubt people want to watch entire movies with a headset on. I just don't see VR having mass market appeal. At least to the extent of people owning a headset in their home. That's without even considering the cost.
 
S

soundscream

Member
Big Blue said:
This is entirely subjective and does nothing to dispel the similarities between to the lack of success of the two technologies. If 3D added nothing to the experience, then why is it so popular in theaters?

As much as 48% of 2016 tickets were for 3D viewings
http://www.studiodaily.com/2015/06/worldwide-3d-box-office-roars-back-life-jurassic-world/
Click to expand...

Some movies only have 1 2d showing for big movies, and will have 4 3d screens. Sometimes you have to work to not watch the 3d version.
 
S

Spyder_Monkey

Banned
cakefoo said:
Rick and Morty set the record last week for most concurrent players with 900+.

If you think this represents a downward trend, you clearly haven't been paying attention.
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Rick and Morty is like the first major Vive release in a whlie? What other VR games has those numbers?
 
B

Big Blue

Member
GuitarAtomik said:
Now we're talking about subjectivity.
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I don't mean from a artistic standpoint. That's more in reference to barriers for consumer consumption. People eat up those "4D" movie amusement park attractions but no one is really interested in doing that in their living room.
 
G

GuitarAtomik

Member
Big Blue said:
I don't mean from a artistic standpoint. That's more in reference to barriers for consumer consumption. People eat up those "4D" movie amusement park attractions but no one is really interested in doing that in their living room.
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Setting aside the fact that VR games can be and are more than the equivalent of a shallow amusement park attraction, I think we can draw a better parallel to arcades. Especially since a lot of VR games are very arcade like experiences. During the height of them, people weren't so compelled by arcade games that they'd buy an actual arcade cabinet because the machines were too expensive (and too huge and inconvenient), but they were still interested enough in the games to want to buy them when they came to consoles months later. They still wanted to play them in their homes. It just needed to be a reasonable price for the average consumer and not weigh 300 pounds.
 
G

gafneo

Banned
It doesn't matter if VR dies off hard in the next few years. Once they hit a technical stride in graphics and performance, VR will be common place.
 
FIREKNIGHT2029

FIREKNIGHT2029

Member
sems4arsenal said:
GTSport, Ace Combat, and Farpoint will help.
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^ ^ Agreed. These are my most anticipated VR games and the reason I bought PSVR. I can see GT Sport and Ace Combat in particular selling quite a few VR units by themselves. 😎 Who hasn't ever wanted to be a Top Gun pilot or a race car driver in VR?
 
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