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60 Days later: VR owners was it worth it?

mr stroke

Member
I do not think it was the headsets that are limited in technology. They could have put higher res screens in them. The issue is the graphics card tech cant push that many pixels. When we have VR games that the just released 1080 cant push max AA in VR without stuttering, what would better screens get us? just a more expensive headset....

As for me, I still play my vive everyday and 100% of my VG playing time is in VR. I just wish I could buy a GPU that can run Elite Dangerous with SSx2 and max HMD quality at 90 fps, or a GPU that can run Pcars with DS9 AA at 90 fps.

Uh what? Exactly what in the display tech do you think they could not have improved? Are you saying that 4k phone displays don't exist? Are you saying they could not have used these in the HMD's? Are you saying there is a GPU that can push two 4k screens with AA and all the lighting effects of modern engines at 90+ fps?

On the Lenses, they seem perfectly fine to me. If I take off the foam on my vive, my FOV is huge as well as my sweet spot for focus. What is not ok when I do this is the display res, its even more noticable.


source?
 

Durante

Member
Absolutely.

Like any new platform, there is not unlimited content available at the start. I've already completed most of the story-driven/single-playthrough stuff there is, and that was probably a good ~30 hours of playtime in total.

However, at least with the Vive, many games are arcade-like and have very high replay value. In particular, I play Audioshield almost daily and Holopoint as well as Holoball frequently.

If I had actually paid for my Rift I might feel a bit let down now, I haven't really touched that much after the first few days. That is also an issue of personal preference though, if I was more into cockpit games/sims I'm sure this might be different.
 
I play Audioshield almost daily and Holopoint as well as Holoball frequently.

HoloBall dev here :)

imo, games that use muscle memory and body movements are going to have much more longevity in VR over the long term. Games like these are closer to sports than they are to traditional video games, and just like a real sport, you don't need a ton of extra stuff on top. There's just a ton of replay value in mastering the physical skills and slowly improving. Even shooters like space-pirate trainer fall into this category, as it's really all about how well YOU personally, can aim a gun, which you physically get better at with practice.

Playing against other people is also going to bring things to the next level. We're already seeing in experiences like PoolNationVR, that the sense of being with someone in virtual space is super cool. You can read their body language, you can hear them speak, it's way beyond anything we've been able to do before. In terms of our game, I really think once we get online multiplayer into HB it's gonna be pretty damn fun experience you can keep coming back to for basically years...

People clamoring for big AAA games, are really missing the point here. This is a new medium. What you loved on a flatscreen is not really what's going to be great in a virtual space. Traditional games, from a "VR perspective", while impressive at first, tend to get gimmicky fast. I'm not sure how much longevity we'll really get from that approach.
 

Tain

Member
Absolutely.

Like any new platform, there is not unlimited content available at the start. I've already completed most of the story-driven/single-playthrough stuff there is, and that was probably a good ~30 hours of playtime in total.

However, at least with the Vive, many games are arcade-like and have very high replay value. In particular, I play Audioshield almost daily and Holopoint as well as Holoball frequently.

This is roughly where I'm at. I've been thrilled with the hardware, overall. A lot of the best games on the Vive are solid arcade-style designs that, despite how early they are and despite how small they are in terms of assets or whatever, are really mechanically strong because of this incredible foundation they're built on.

I've also played through and really enjoyed Lucky's Tale on the Rift, and I don't want to downplay how great of an experience that is and how traditionally-styled games can work in VR far better than they do on a screen. I expect the same from Chronos, Eve, and Edge of Nowhere.

There's a lot to enjoy, either way. Especially by new platform standards. The cat is out of the bag.

edit: just noticing this thread was a month-old bump, lol. Oh well!
 
I generally don't like to jump in on new tech like this. I will wait a few more years for the true vision to be realized.

Thank you to the early adopters though for putting your money into this tech so it will continue to grow and improve.
 

MaDKaT

Member
Very much worth it. Waiting on my 1080 now but Ive pretty much stopped playing non VR content. Even games I was in the middle off (Dirt Rally, Assetto Corsa etc...) Ive pretty much dropped until I can play in VR.
 
Yup. I am loving my Rift. Tried Vive and that is great too.

I use it nearly every day for gaming or applications like virtual desktop or Altspace.
 

Tain

Member
I just bought a Rift on Best Buy's website today. I had a DK2. How much improvement is the new version over DK2?

Nicer image quality (with a smoother refresh rate), significantly more comfortable, veeeeery convenient headphones, but the biggest improvement IMO is that the tracker hits a much wider field of view. I found it much easier to position the tracker in a way where I can't accidentally leave the FOV now. It's nice.
 
Why do people have higher expectations for games coming out for a VR launch vs console launches? It makes no sense to me. One is a new platform and one is established.

Well these things have a buy-in cost of over a grand when you factor in the PC you need to use them. When things cost more money people have higher expectations of them. Seems pretty straightforward to me. I don't see how that's unfair?
 

wwm0nkey

Member
LOVE my Vive, worth every penny imo. I've been on vacation for the past week but besides that I use it almost every day and its great. Haven't tried a seated experience yet since I had a lot of that with my DK2 but I'm hearing there are a lot of cool ones out there now.

Can't wait to play Battle Dome when I get home today!
 
Well worth it, even at the steep asking price of nearly $1000 for the Vive (including games)

That said, I can't wait for the technology to improve even further, as the Vive is far from perfect. It really is such an entirely different thing than regular gaming, I can't wait to see where it goes next!
 

DOATag

Neo Member
Ive had my Rift for about two weeks now and every day im going back still and playing and still blown away by it. Im becoming addicted to EVE, the ability to track people its just so amazing.

Even games like luckys tale have blown me away. The immersion i feel while playing that game, it feels like im in a cartoon world and perfectly shows that VR works with games that arent just 1st person/cockpit games
 

Darko

Member
I pretty much only use it for Virtual Desktop (3d movies, porn) these days, I got bored of the games really quickly.
 

HyGogg

Banned
Had mine for about two months now, and I have to say, I'm just as in love with the tech as ever. While it doesn't have the same "wow" factor as the first time I put it on, I still find it really compelling to be in VR, and I play it every day, even if it's just hanging out in Farlands or something stupid, just because I like the feeling of being in a fantasy world.

Content-wise, it's still very limited. We get a few "real" games here and there, like Edge of Nowhere, Lucky's Tale, EVE, and some pretty good smaller indie games, but almost all of them are still fairly short (under 5 hours) and it seems like good new content just can't come fast enough. This is sort of the case with every new platform launch though, and it's why I don't usually go the early adopter route.
 

slapnuts

Junior Member
Nope. I've had Rift now almost a month and it hasn't been touched in a week or two. It feels like slightly better 3D more than anything else, I never feel very immersed, the cables are annoying, the display is not anywhere near as good as it needs to be for me not to feel like I am always in a headset.

The games out so far for VR too are all pretty disappointing, although to be fair I haven't bought Chronos or Elite Dangerous yet. The Oculus store is just awful, I sorta wish I had bought a Vive instead but I'm glad I didn't in many ways since it would be annoying to have those lightpost things around my office.

This...i said it months ago and i'll say it again...This is going to wear off soon, if not already...it's too expensive and its far too much tailored for a niche group of folks. Most people don't want to be bothered and hassled with putting on a head set just like 3D movies. No one wants to move around neither..at least most people don't. Again, this entire VR fiasco is literally gonna fad into the sunset just like 3D did in recent years, just like wii has in recent years..its nothing that mind blowing after the initial blast of pure bliss..it has no legs, plain and simple and the biggest thing going against it is that you gotta wear a headset and you gotta move around....most folks don't want to do that when you just want to plop down on a couch to relax and enjoy some games. Its for a niche group..plain and simple. I think Evilore and a few others were really hyping it, i can see the hype but only for a season..its not some revolution like they they believe it is.

What is mind blowing is the amount of companies that has poured a lot of money into this thing like it was a sure bet or something...still scratching my head.
 
I feel that PS VR is launching with some real games, rather than tech demos, which is why I'm holding off. I'm excited for Rigs, Driveclub, Ace Combat 7, Eve Valkrie, Super Hyper Cube, Battlezone, Rez and Gran Turismo Sport,
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
I mainly use it for cockpit games like flight and driving sims, totally worth it. Elite, Eve Valkyrie, even the games with just beta support like Asseto Corsa or American Truck Simulator.

Even with the lower resolution given its the first gen, still prefer it to triple monitors and Track IR. It'll only get better as the headsets improve.
 

Spruchy

Member
I love my Rift and wish I had more time for it (blessing and a curse because content shortage is not a worry by any means). Also my only regret is that Oculus seems to keep making boneheaded moves that makes me question if I got the right headset. Most people I talk to say it's more comfortable and better made, but the DRM shit\no controllers\roomscale makes me think I should've stuck with my Valve boys.

Favorite game by far is Eve: Valk. If you have it don't believe the early reviews, game got patched with balance changes and new modes that make it amazing. Also helps that somehow I'm natively pretty good at the game (not bragging, this never happens), going like 10-0 KDR in most of my matches.

Edit: One thing I will say though is that unlike regular video games I'm far less likely to ever use it to unwind after a long day. When I get home and I'm tired VR is way too much. Still love the tech and don't regret it though.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
I feel that PS VR is launching with some real games, rather than tech demos, which is why I'm holding off. I'm excited for Rigs, Driveclub, Ace Combat 7, Eve Valkrie, Super Hyper Cube, Battlezone, Rez and Gran Turismo Sport,

Are you saying there aren't "real" games available right now? What?
 

Tain

Member
Honestly, it's not a good sign if you have to ask whether is worthy.

you could ask this of literally every console launch

I don't get why VR is expected to have some juggernaut library a couple months in, unlike, say, every console ever released.
 

Jams775

Member
HoloBall dev here :)

imo, games that use muscle memory and body movements are going to have much more longevity in VR over the long term. Games like these are closer to sports than they are to traditional video games, and just like a real sport, you don't need a ton of extra stuff on top. There's just a ton of replay value in mastering the physical skills and slowly improving. Even shooters like space-pirate trainer fall into this category, as it's really all about how well YOU personally, can aim a gun, which you physically get better at with practice.

Playing against other people is also going to bring things to the next level. We're already seeing in experiences like PoolNationVR, that the sense of being with someone in virtual space is super cool. You can read their body language, you can hear them speak, it's way beyond anything we've been able to do before. In terms of our game, I really think once we get online multiplayer into HB it's gonna be pretty damn fun experience you can keep coming back to for basically years...

People clamoring for big AAA games, are really missing the point here. This is a new medium. What you loved on a flatscreen is not really what's going to be great in a virtual space. Traditional games, from a "VR perspective", while impressive at first, tend to get gimmicky fast. I'm not sure how much longevity we'll really get from that approach.

Do you think the physicality part could even translate to non athletic or aiming situations? I was thinking of a mech game where instead of bothering with HOTAS or a controller, you use touch controls while standing or seated inside a cockpit pulling levers and flipping switches to control parts of the mech while using a virtual joystick to move and shoot.

That might not work for most people due to everyone having differences in how their immersion breaks (not feeling the weight of the levers or whatever). But I imagine myself having more fun doing that than using a controller or HOTAS.
 
I got my Oculus earlier this week, so I'm still in the new-tech honeymoon, so you can take what I post below with however many grains of salt that you want.

Having said that, VR for me is extraordinarily transformative. The whole experience is the same feeling of "holy crap" as I did in the early 90's when early CD-ROMs started becoming ubiquitous. Sure there were early games like Myst, 7th Guest, Journeyman Project etc. most of which in the end weren't that great but the moments of realizing full motion video and insane graphics was unmatched. However even still I was thrilled with something as bland as Encarta; an encyclopedia with interactive sound, movies and music? Whoa.

20 some years later, I'm feeling that same sense with VR. Sure the games are early, and it does take some getting used to. I did the No limits rollercoaster sim for probably the first and last time. I played Eve Valkyrie for about 30 minutes before I started "feeling" the motion sickness (which I've had in other games before, so I'm familiar with the feeling). But while the gaming is cool for the "gee whiz" factor they are fairly early and limited but of course they're going to get better. The aspect that get me most excited however are the glimpses seen in the tech demos and the intros to VR and so forth. Seeing 360 videos of elephants in the wild, or a virtual grand canyon... or even the demo of being on a boat in a foreign country... my mind goes wild thinking about possibilities such as virtual travel, sporting events, virtual home videos where you can relieve and not just watch but "experience" memories; hell even live historical events down the line if somebody hooks up a 360 camera at like a presidential inauguration or something. Those are things that really get me super excited, and I want to see from the ground up, the evolution of this medium.
 

HyGogg

Banned
This...i said it months ago and i'll say it again...This is going to wear off soon, if not already...it's too expensive and its far too much tailored for a niche group of folks. Most people don't want to be bothered and hassled with putting on a head set just like 3D movies. No one wants to move around neither..at least most people don't. Again, this entire VR fiasco is literally gonna fad into the sunset just like 3D did in recent years, just like wii has in recent years..its nothing that mind blowing after the initial blast of pure bliss..it has no legs, plain and simple and the biggest thing going against it is that you gotta wear a headset and you gotta move around....most folks don't want to do that when you just want to plop down on a couch to relax and enjoy some games. Its for a niche group..plain and simple. I think Evilore and a few others were really hyping it, i can see the hype but only for a season..its not some revolution like they they believe it is.

What is mind blowing is the amount of companies that has poured a lot of money into this thing like it was a sure bet or something...still scratching my head.
Things like 3D and Wii motion controls were fads only because they weren't VR. 3D had no sense of scale, so it was superfluous. Motion controls were meant to be immersive, but didn't really offer the kind of intuitive, lifelike interaction that VR motion controls do. It didn't feel like actually using your hands/body.

Those half-baked bits of tech were fads because they promised a sliver of VR, but ultimately didn't deliver. Unlike those, VR actually does work. And we're just kind of on the threshold of it working. In a couple years it's going to be considerably better, and that'll continue. It's not going away, it's just starting. The appeal of what VR offers it too fundamental.
 

Bookoo

Member
I think it was worth it, but it definitely wasn't worth it to buy both headsets.

My motion controller hype got the best of me, but I find myself using my Rift a lot more than my Vive and when Touch comes out it will likely be even less.
 
I think it was worth it, but it definitely wasn't worth it to buy both headsets.

My motion controller hype got the best of me, but I find myself using my Rift a lot more than my Vive and when Touch comes out it will likely be even less.

As someone who doesn't have either, I'm reading a lot that people like Vive more - how come your Oculus is getting more play?
 
Yeah, I'm pretty happy so far.
The social stuff has been the standout freakiest.
Kind of awkward that so many good non-VR games have come out in the past 1.5 months, means I haven't played Edge of Nowhere or Chronos or Adrift.
But I want to :)
 
Are you saying there aren't "real" games available right now? What?

I'm saying that too many of the games available right now look like technical demonstrations of what the hardware can do, rather than fully fledged games, in and of their own right. They are riding off of the back of the fact that they support VR, not the fact they are well built, or well designed games, independent of the new technology.

I'm more interested in seeing the hardware applied to traditional gaming experiences - as in, fleshed out, larger scale titles and titles that I'm familiar with - and seeing how those experiences are adapted into VR. Explicitly, how VR advances, rather than regresses, the experiences available to us.

I'm not interested in playing a third rate first person puzzler or adventure game that's 2 hours long, just for the sake of the 'VR' experience. As it stands, it seems like many games are regressing in order to accommodate VR, and I'm just not interested in that.

"Real" isn't quite the right word, but "fleshed out" or something like that, might be more accurate to my perspective. Does that make sense now?
 

Bookoo

Member
As someone who doesn't have either, I'm reading a lot that people like Vive more - how come your Oculus is getting more play?

Content mostly. It's not like I play VR every single day but when I am likely to just play a couple rounds in EVE Valkyire. This after playing Chronos, Edge of Nowhere and a handful of other Oculus and Vive launch titles.

A lot of the content on Vive is really arcadey and/or early access and isn't interesting enough to bring me back. Some people talk about how they can playing hours and hours of Audioshield or Space Pirate Trainer but I get sort of bored of those things pretty quickly.

Also it's just less convenient for me to use since I don't have a permanent setup for it and I have to recalibrate it everytime I want to use it. Granted this probably only takes me like two minutes but nothing out right now gives me the urge to set it up.
 

Tain

Member
I'm saying that too many of the games available right now look like technical demonstrations of what the hardware can do.

I'm more interested in seeing the hardware applied to traditional gaming experiences that I'm familiar with, and seeing how those experiences adapt into VR.

I'm not interested in playing a third rate first person puzzler or adventure game that's 2 hours long, just for the sake of the 'VR' experience. As it stands, it seems like many games are regressing in order to accommodate VR, and I'm just not interested in that.

"Real" isn't quite the right word, but "fleshed out" or something like that, might be more accurate to my perspective.

But going by those games you listed... Like, Eve is already out, as is Lucky's Tale and Project Cars and Elite and Edge of Nowhere. These are fleshed out games in traditional genres and not at all tech demos, not far off from what you listed.

I also wouldn't paint stuff like Holopoint/Space Pirate Trainer as regressive, either: room-scale VR currently encourages a different scope but not necessarily a different level of complexity. Call it a sidestep if you want, as the game clearly does eschew the huge 3D environments you'd expect in a traditional FPS with a sci-fi theme, but there isn't a single first person shooter played on a traditional monitor with aiming (and possibly dodging) mechanics as detailed as Space Pirate Trainer's. Sure, that complexity comes easy from the tech ("riding off the back of the fact that they support VR" as you may put it), but why is that a problem?
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
I'm saying that too many of the games available right now look like technical demonstrations of what the hardware can do, rather than fully fledged games, in and of their own right. They are riding off of the back of the fact that they support VR, not the fact they are well built, or well designed games, independent of the new technology.

I'm more interested in seeing the hardware applied to traditional gaming experiences - as in, fleshed out, larger scale titles and titles that I'm familiar with - and seeing how those experiences are adapted into VR. Explicitly, how VR advances, rather than regresses, the experiences available to us.

I'm not interested in playing a third rate first person puzzler or adventure game that's 2 hours long, just for the sake of the 'VR' experience. As it stands, it seems like many games are regressing in order to accommodate VR, and I'm just not interested in that.

"Real" isn't quite the right word, but "fleshed out" or something like that, might be more accurate to my perspective. Does that make sense now?

Well, there's a number of flight and driving sims now that support VR and these games have been part of the "traditional" game scene since the early 80s, and aren't just "tech demos" or "regressed" to force VR onto them. Some genres are just well suited to VR to begin with.
 

bj00rn_

Banned
Content mostly

How many games are technically not possible to play on the Vive with full compatibility? 1? 0? 2?

Well, there's a number of flight and driving sims now that support VR and these games have been part of the "traditional" game scene since the early 80s, and aren't just "tech demos" or "regressed" to force VR onto them. Some genres are just well suited to VR to begin with.

That is so true. I've had too much fun with DCS World and Project Cars lately. .. And Elite Dangerous of course..
 
But going by those games you listed... Like, Eve is already out, as is Lucky's Tale and Project Cars and Elite and Edge of Nowhere. These are fleshed out games in traditional genres and not at all tech demos, not far off from what you listed.

Yeah totally, there are a select number that are okay. I have reasons to dislike Project Cars beyond the VR aspect (although I do own the game) so it's not very enticing for me that that game supports VR, and I'd rather wait for GT Sport. More of a personal preference thing on that front, rather than anything else, otherwise Project Cars looks good, just not for me.

Edge of Nowhere is supposed to be 4-5 hours in length, and linear. I'm not saying it's bad, but I find it hard to believe that an experience like that would hold together if it weren't for the sake of VR. Lucky's Tale is a really good example of what I'm talking about. Here's a really mediocre collectathon platformer... with VR! The selling point is VR. Would Lucky's Tale be considered anything more than an average platformer without the VR element? It seems unlikely.

I'm just not interested in playing mediocre games for the sake of being immersed in virtual reality. I want VR to immerse me into appealing environments with in-depth and innovative gameplay mechanics. The standards do not make excuse your title just because you've added VR. That's just my perspective.
 

Zaptruder

Banned
HoloBall dev here :)

imo, games that use muscle memory and body movements are going to have much more longevity in VR over the long term. Games like these are closer to sports than they are to traditional video games, and just like a real sport, you don't need a ton of extra stuff on top. There's just a ton of replay value in mastering the physical skills and slowly improving. Even shooters like space-pirate trainer fall into this category, as it's really all about how well YOU personally, can aim a gun, which you physically get better at with practice.

Playing against other people is also going to bring things to the next level. We're already seeing in experiences like PoolNationVR, that the sense of being with someone in virtual space is super cool. You can read their body language, you can hear them speak, it's way beyond anything we've been able to do before. In terms of our game, I really think once we get online multiplayer into HB it's gonna be pretty damn fun experience you can keep coming back to for basically years...

People clamoring for big AAA games, are really missing the point here. This is a new medium. What you loved on a flatscreen is not really what's going to be great in a virtual space. Traditional games, from a "VR perspective", while impressive at first, tend to get gimmicky fast. I'm not sure how much longevity we'll really get from that approach.

You're absolutely on point with regards to muscle memory and body usage. Our bodies are the ultimate controllers, and there's a significant amount of neural space devoted to its control and manipulation. Simply defining rules of engagement in VR allows us to engage this complex system and piggy back off millions of years (billions is more in the range of single cell organisms) of directed evolution.

With that said, I'm totally waiting on content that combines 'sports' with 'gaming'. Level structure, item rewards, upgrades, feeling of growing power, overcoming challenge, etc. You know... all classic hallmarks of games that allow you to advance through them in single player (as opposed to directly skilling up in multiplayer).
 
I got my Oculus earlier this week, so I'm still in the new-tech honeymoon, so you can take what I post below with however many grains of salt that you want.

Having said that, VR for me is extraordinarily transformative. The whole experience is the same feeling of "holy crap" as I did in the early 90's when early CD-ROMs started becoming ubiquitous. Sure there were early games like Myst, 7th Guest, Journeyman Project etc. most of which in the end weren't that great but the moments of realizing full motion video and insane graphics was unmatched. However even still I was thrilled with something as bland as Encarta; an encyclopedia with interactive sound, movies and music? Whoa.

20 some years later, I'm feeling that same sense with VR. Sure the games are early, and it does take some getting used to. I did the No limits rollercoaster sim for probably the first and last time. I played Eve Valkyrie for about 30 minutes before I started "feeling" the motion sickness (which I've had in other games before, so I'm familiar with the feeling). But while the gaming is cool for the "gee whiz" factor they are fairly early and limited but of course they're going to get better. The aspect that get me most excited however are the glimpses seen in the tech demos and the intros to VR and so forth. Seeing 360 videos of elephants in the wild, or a virtual grand canyon... or even the demo of being on a boat in a foreign country... my mind goes wild thinking about possibilities such as virtual travel, sporting events, virtual home videos where you can relieve and not just watch but "experience" memories; hell even live historical events down the line if somebody hooks up a 360 camera at like a presidential inauguration or something. Those are things that really get me super excited, and I want to see from the ground up, the evolution of this medium.

I've had my Rift for almost two months and I share the same exact sentiments as you. I remember the transition to digital at school (good riddance card catalogue) and how big that innovation felt. I also had a realistic expectation of VR.
 

bj00rn_

Banned
I have reasons to dislike.
it's not very enticing for me .
I'd rather wait for GT Sport.
More of a personal preference thing .
just not for me.
I find it hard to believe.
what I'm talking about.
I'm just not interested.
I want.
That's just my perspective..

Eh... I don't understand what's so interesting about you? What I mean by that is, you've gone from "there is nothing", to "there's nothing that I like (even though I haven't tried anything..)". That's two completely different things! Not the least because you are trying to add imagination on top of it.
 

Zalusithix

Member
Not sure how I missed this thread the first time around, but it has been worth it for me without a doubt. This is content that I wouldn't have been able experience without a headset, and that's priceless. Being able to experience the ground floor of something is special. They're memories you carry forever, and help put progress into proper perspective. I also continue to use the Vive at least every other day, so it's not as if it was a one and done purchase for me. Audioshield, despite all it's flaws, is just as enjoyable for me now as it was day one. Ditto for all the other games that require similar activity.

It's not a replacement for traditional gaming. Not by any stretch of the imagination. It is, however, great for what it is, and it's only going to get better as the tech matures and more polished content is available.
 
Totally worth it. I play it for about half an hour to an hour (sometimes more) just about every day. Haven't managed to get through all of my library yet either. It's even pushed me to finally learn Unity and C# so I can to program my own VR game.
 

Bookoo

Member
How many games are technically not possible to play on the Vive with full compatibility? 1? 0? 2?

No idea and they just removed hardware check so maybe eventually they all can be playable. I personally wouldn't want to rely on 3rd party hack though if I'm buying games.
 
Is it worth it, let me work it
I put the vive controller down, flip it and reverse it... and the tracking is still accurate.


I'll show myself out.



But seriously for me it was worth it for many reasons. Being an early adopter means I get to try out bleeding edge tech and learn all of the nuances and intricacies of living with such a technology. I get to see the tech and software mature and most importantly I get to tell people about (and show them) how awesome it is. The games and experiences have been great thus far with the occasional not so great titles. Seeing new experiences released every week and improvements made to existing experiences on its own is worth owning a Vive. It really is an amazing device.

Someone was recently quoted saying, "talking about VR is like dancing about architecture." Every bit of it is true. Of the countless friends I've talked to about VR it didn't really make sense to them until they tried it. That moment when the person you're demoing the device to says, "holy shit" or "wow this is f-ing amazing" then your job as an early adopter and VR evangelist is done.
 

Synth

Member
Yeah totally, there are a select number that are okay. I have reasons to dislike Project Cars beyond the VR aspect (although I do own the game) so it's not very enticing for me that that game supports VR, and I'd rather wait for GT Sport. More of a personal preference thing on that front, rather than anything else, otherwise Project Cars looks good, just not for me.

Edge of Nowhere is supposed to be 4-5 hours in length, and linear. I'm not saying it's bad, but I find it hard to believe that an experience like that would hold together if it weren't for the sake of VR. Lucky's Tale is a really good example of what I'm talking about. Here's a really mediocre collectathon platformer... with VR! The selling point is VR. Would Lucky's Tale be considered anything more than an average platformer without the VR element? It seems unlikely.

I'm just not interested in playing mediocre games for the sake of being immersed in virtual reality. I want VR to immerse me into appealing environments with in-depth and innovative gameplay mechanics. The standards do not make excuse your title just because you've added VR. That's just my perspective.

Personal preference really does seem to be what this all boils down to, rather than the actual nature of the games. Let's take your list for example.

I feel that PS VR is launching with some real games, rather than tech demos, which is why I'm holding off. I'm excited for Rigs, Driveclub, Ace Combat 7, Eve Valkrie, Super Hyper Cube, Battlezone, Rez and Gran Turismo Sport,

Something like Project Cars is easily more fleshed out than Gran Turismo Sport is going to be (hell, it looking somewhat like a Prologue entry is what the game is catching most flack for). Hell, moreso than GTS and Driveclub combined will probably be. And that's not taking into account how the majority of standard racers on PC are VR candidates, rather than a select few developed with it in mind.

Elite Dangerous is massively more fleshed out than Ace Combat 7 will be (AC7 being the main reason I have a PSVR on order). Eve Valkyrie is already up for the Rift, so that doesn't really need addressing.

You talk about Edge of Nowhere being a 4-5hr on rails experience, yet how would you classify Rez?

Rigs and Battlezone both looks cool, but they're are just as arcade-like as many of the current VR offerings. There's really not the sort of depth divide that you appear to be suggesting.
 

tr1p1ex

Member
I'm not interested in playing a third rate first person puzzler or adventure game that's 2 hours long, just for the sake of the 'VR' experience. As it stands, it seems like many games are regressing in order to accommodate VR, and I'm just not interested in that.

This. I finally demo'd VIVE and it was cool tech. But the game situation is like early Wii without Nintendo. Stuff that would be overlooked except for the fact it is VR and VR is new and novel.

PLus as someone who went thru the Wii era not sure the experiences are all that different.

Plus it is boring as hell to watch someone play VR. There's no local multiplayer fun to be had. It's more of a solitary experience. Half my fun with WiiSports was playing family members and friends.

I'm still mixed about jumping in. Cost has a lot to do with it too. I mean if it was $250 and had Nintendo games on it anyway then I would buy it and not look back. But $800 plus a $350+ new vid card and maybe other pc upgrades plus the hassle... not sold and can't see it taking off anytime soon.
 
HoloBall dev here :)

imo, games that use muscle memory and body movements are going to have much more longevity in VR over the long term. Games like these are closer to sports than they are to traditional video games, and just like a real sport, you don't need a ton of extra stuff on top. There's just a ton of replay value in mastering the physical skills and slowly improving. Even shooters like space-pirate trainer fall into this category, as it's really all about how well YOU personally, can aim a gun, which you physically get better at with practice.

Playing against other people is also going to bring things to the next level. We're already seeing in experiences like PoolNationVR, that the sense of being with someone in virtual space is super cool. You can read their body language, you can hear them speak, it's way beyond anything we've been able to do before. In terms of our game, I really think once we get online multiplayer into HB it's gonna be pretty damn fun experience you can keep coming back to for basically years...

People clamoring for big AAA games, are really missing the point here. This is a new medium. What you loved on a flatscreen is not really what's going to be great in a virtual space. Traditional games, from a "VR perspective", while impressive at first, tend to get gimmicky fast. I'm not sure how much longevity we'll really get from that approach.

Different strokes and all that, as someone that's been toolin around with this stuff since dk1 the more memorable experiences have tended to be ones with excellent atmosphere that you typically see as an emphasis on the bigger titles. The first time doing just the beginning ten minutes of HL2 when Valve initially supported it for dk1 still remain in my top five VR experiences to date. Recently, as a Vive owner, the game that's left the biggest impression on me out of everything I've played has been The Solus Project, a game with a AA level of polish and atmosphere, with a good story and excellent world building and pacing.

Narrative themed games will absolutely boost the medium imo, but games such as yours will def keep people coming back as well. For the record, Holoball is probably the most giddy I've felt playing a VR game to date, and even resurrected a sense of competitive spirit in me I hadn't had in awhile. Like you say, games like that are certainly more leaning to actual sports sims than traditional games. They're a blast in VR, but again I absolutely think they will complement the more narrative/"big world" games in the various platform libraries for the medium, and won't necessarily stand on their own as what will keep it alive long term. You need both.
 
Plus it is boring as hell to watch someone play VR. There's no local multiplayer fun to be had. It's more of a solitary experience. Half my fun with WiiSports was playing family members and friends.

Really depends on the game. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes has been really fun with friends. Ruckus Ridge is a 4 player asymmetrical party game that uses the tech really well. PSVR's Playroom game does a very similar thing. I've seen people use Tilt Brush to play Pictionary. I saw a video of a game today Black Hat Cooperative which is asymmetrical co-op with one person on the monitor. There's really no reason VR can't be used for local multiplayer.
 

pj

Banned
Plus it is boring as hell to watch someone play VR. There's no local multiplayer fun to be had. It's more of a solitary experience. Half my fun with WiiSports was playing family members and friends.

There are not MANY local multiplayer games, but they do exist, and PSVR will expand that number quite a bit. There's a ton of possibilities with one person in VR and other people looking at the TV/monitor and using a controller.

It is primarily a solitary experience physically, but online multiplayer is far more social in VR. It is pretty nuts to play mini golf with 3 floating, talking, VR headsets that feel like they are actually in the same space as you.
 
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