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[Sinoox]

Games, before "video" games consisted of board games, cards games, and things of that nature. Video games initially were just simple games like their counterparts, but as time went on video games introduced stories, worlds, and AI. Nowadays I'd say people are much more fixated on the narrative and immersiveness of their experiences playing video games, if a video game just focuses on gameplay and nothing else it's considered casual for the most part. Wouldn't it make sense for virtual reality to be that next stepping stone? How many of you guys have tried the Occulus Rift or another VR headset and are actually excited for this technology to emerge? I feel like there's a lot of friction in the gaming world, but I feel like it just logically makes sense for virtual reality to take over the scene of a lot of the modern gameplay experiences we have on a screen.

Personally I'm stoked because it touches on the aspects of video games that I enjoy. I enjoy the actual game aspect to games, but I've always played them for escapism and immersiveness.

 

[DMiz]

Disclaimer: I haven't tried any kind of VR set-up whatsoever, yet. Any and all of my opinions are thus based on what I've read or head from other opinion pieces, and from cobbled together clips of what the experience is supposed to look like.

In my opinion, I think VR is something that gaming will explore, but I still see several limitations and/or design considerations that make me wonder how viable the platform is for video games in its entirety.

I think one of the biggest reasons I find it hard to fully commit to VR is because I ask myself: how would Dark Souls work in a VR setup? While VR is perfectly attuned to games that feature first-person perspectives, there are several genres of games that I enjoy that don't really work with a VR perspective.

Genres like fighting games, third person character action games (e.g. Devil May Cry, Bayonetta), platformers like Mario, strategy games like Civ or FF:T - these are all games that arguably work better with a flat screen. VR doesn't really offer you much in those settings, though I guess you could argue that they may benefit from some element or design that we haven't yet fathomed. (You could also make an entirely different about how those genres are dying, and how VR may represent the evolution of a new set or style of games - but that's neither here nor there for this topic's breadth.)

Until then, I find VR as a neat novelty - similar to how I view the Kinect, or how the Wii's motion controls have basically been phased out going into the Wii U. It's curious, it's cool, it's the new thing on the block: but I don't think it's meant to stay in this medium for long.

 

[Atomski]

If its not I will be very disappointed.

 

[NotLiquid]

Having tried it, I kinda like it and definitely see it's place in the gaming sphere as potentially big, but it still has many more ways to go and it doesn't work with everything.

I definitely do not see it becoming as integrally second-nature as the likes of "the analog stick" or any other gaming-revolutionizing feature. But as an alternative way to experience games it is one of the more promising ones certainly, and it will probably last longer than novelties like motion controls.

 

[Alphahawk]

VR is the next fad in video games like motion control and 3D TVs were previously. Not saying that it's going to be a total bust like the former, but I'd be surprised if in 10 years VR is anything but a footnote.

 

[Nzyme32]

Great thing about VR is that it will be feasible to have any amount of people, anywhere on Earth, able to play any game as if they were in the same room via that shared virtual space. Whether it is the same old board games of old, standard video games / movies / TV etc or even certain made for VR games.

Seems like is the natural evolution of things along with AR. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen

 

[tryagainlater]

It's certainly the next evolution of porn but I'll have to wait and see with games. I haven't actually tried any VR hardware but I'm not too eager to try it. Outside of a few genres, I can't see it doing much. It will be fun to see what developers can do with the hardware once it finally comes to retail.

 

[Hidden One]

Wish i was born in 2050 so I could experience Sword Art Online :l.

 

[Liberty4all]

I suspect we will be playing many of the 2D/3D games we know and love ... In VR.

 

[Sinoox]

VR is the next fad in video games like motion control and 3D TVs were previously. Not saying that it's going to be a total bust like the former, but I'd be surprised if in 10 years VR is anything but a footnote.

Elaborate, if you would, why do you group VR with motion controls and 3D TVs?

 

[androvsky]

Disclaimer: I haven't tried any kind of VR set-up whatsoever, yet. Any and all of my opinions are thus based on what I've read or head from other opinion pieces, and from cobbled together clips of what the experience is supposed to look like.

In my opinion, I think VR is something that gaming will explore, but I still see several limitations and/or design considerations that make me wonder how viable the platform is for video games in its entirety.

I think one of the biggest reasons I find it hard to fully commit to VR is because I ask myself: how would Dark Souls work in a VR setup? While VR is perfectly attuned to games that feature first-person perspectives, there are several genres of games that I enjoy that don't really work with a VR perspective.

Genres like fighting games, third person character action games (e.g. Devil May Cry, Bayonetta), platformers like Mario, strategy games like Civ or FF:T - these are all games that arguably work better with a flat screen. VR doesn't really offer you much in those settings, though I guess you could argue that they may benefit from some element or design that we haven't yet fathomed. (You could also make an entirely different about how those genres are dying, and how VR may represent the evolution of a new set or style of games - but that's neither here nor there for this topic's breadth.)

Until then, I find VR as a neat novelty - similar to how I view the Kinect, or how the Wii's motion controls have basically been phased out going into the Wii U. It's curious, it's cool, it's the new thing on the block: but I don't think it's meant to stay in this medium for long.

Hmm, fighting games. Imagine you're sitting in top of a car in the background of a Street Fighter match. You're still controlling the character, but now you're sitting in the arena where the fight is happening rather than in front of a TV.

That could work rather well, since you don't have to solve the locomotion problems with VR, and both VR and fighting games like low latency.

 

[Jaeger]

For me, the whole reason games click with me is because my out of shape self doesn't want to actually do what my characters are doing on screen. I don't want to throw punches, or swing a sword, or run or move at all. I just want my fingers to make awesome things happen on screen.

 

[rjinaz]

For me, the whole reason games click with me is because my out of shape self doesn't want to actually do what my characters are doing on screen. I don't want to throw punches, or swing a sword, or run or move at all. I just want my fingers to make awesome things happen on screen.

You'll still be able to do that with VR. Not all VR has to be move around or swing your arms. There can VR with a standard controller. You still feel presence. This is the VR I am most looking forward to.

 

[ZanDatsu]

At some point traditional games will only be played in the waiting room of the bionic eye clinic when you are between upgrades.

 

[Sinoox]

For me, the whole reason games click with me is because my out of shape self doesn't want to actually do what my characters are doing on screen. I don't want to throw punches, or swing a sword, or run or move at all. I just want my fingers to make awesome things happen on screen.

Most VR games are controlled with an Xbox controller or keyboard as of today, you know?

 

[Jaeger]

Most VR games are controlled with an Xbox controller or keyboard as of today, you know?

Then really, you just want to augment how you perceive the games, not how you play. Correct?

 

[Sinoox]

Then really, you just want to augment how you perceive the games, not how you play. Correct?

Yeah, for the most part.

 

[DMiz]

Hmm, fighting games. Imagine you're sitting in top of a car in the background of a Street Fighter match. You're still controlling the character, but now you're sitting in the arena where the fight is happening rather than in front of a TV.

That could work rather well, since you don't have to solve the locomotion problems with VR, and both VR and fighting games like low latency.

I suppose? I get that, in this particular scenario, it's meant to make it feel like you're actually in the arena. But the fact is, since you're perspective will likely not change no matter how you turn your head - since, in a fighting game, the key thing is to make sure that the information stays relatively stable relative to your head, so you can always quickly find what you're looking for - it doesn't seem like it would do much more than offering an overlay.

 

[xandaca]

Never played VR, but find it hard to imagine it being anything other than an accessory, mostly because of the helmet. Just can't see it catching on.

 

[Jaeger]

Yeah, for the most part.

I mean, as an option. But it won't replace traditional monitor/tv setups anytime soon in it's current form.

 

[lazypants]

Having tried the oculus and even making a very crappy game with it, i can confidently say it is freaking sweet and i hope its the future. obviously not every game will be VR, but i think it has the potential to change the way people play and interact with videogames, and create wildly new experiences nobody has ever created before.

The only question is will people adopt it on a large scale? Or will the funky looking headset put people off?

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Only one Buster will rise.

 

[Savitar]

I remember VR being the next step in the 90's.

Didn't happen.

Basically I believe it hits main stream when it happens and considering how people HATED wearing 3D glasses having to wear a helmet for VR should be a fun sell.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

eventually it will be a huge evolution... revolution for technology, in general.

whether it's the next evolution, hard to say... maybe it's finally ready, maybe it'll stay niche again until we can do full VR sensory and motion detection with something as small as sunglasses, applicable to everything from games to internet browsing to tourism, sports, whatever. i mean, sooner or later, the concept of VR will work... just a question of when the tech is easy and mainstream applicable enough,

 

[jdmonmou]

I think virtual reality will be big in the near future if implemented right and there are games to support it. The main reason I think this is because VR headsets will have practical applications beyond gaming (e.g. simulation programs, watching movies, etc.) that will appeal to everyone. Check out this video where Stanford is using virtual reality headsets to train its football players. I just hope they are comfortable to wear and I won't get sick from wearing them for long periods of time.

 

[Kai Dracon]

In my view it will never reach its potential as a revolution until the technology is fully natural and invisible. Until then it will tend to remain more of a toy for geeks, and for most people the novelty will wear off.

In the near future I think the biggest potential for some degree of widespread adoption will be in a relatively simple and unobtrusive set of goggles with mic for virtual space networking - meeting with other people remotely in a shared space for activities such as virtual tabletop games and film watching.

Those kinds of social activities are something the mainstream individual gets. Full body immersion VR however will be awkward for some time to come.

 

[RCSI]

VR, from my use of it, provides a worthwhile experience in comparison to motion controls and 3DTVs. Despite having to don a "black box" in front of your eyes, the experience using even the DK2 in a number of games, demos, and general applications (Elite: Dangerous, VoxMachinae, Titans of Space) is better than the experience when using motion controls and 3DTVs. While I do not expect VR to dramatically change the gaming landscape the same way the second analogue controller or the inclusion of 3D graphics, I do expect that it will create a new segment in interactive content. The problem in creating that segment is the growth of adoption in compelling VR experiences and getting people to use it. The hurdle, as posters have demonstrated in this thread, is getting them around the look of VR headsets and allowing them to experience a compelling experience.

tl;dr: It's a much more worthwhile experience than tech introduced since the Wii. Long term stay for VR requires compelling experiences.

 

[Sinoox]

considering how people HATED wearing 3D glasses having to wear a helmet for VR should be a fun sell.

Depends on how they deal with the weight of the device. The difference is that virtual reality makes you feel like you're in another place, you forget about the headset. Whereas 3D was not as big of a deal in comparison. Occulus is actually touching on the major aspects of where 3D tvs failed, it's not expensive and it doesn't make you sick if it's implemented correctly.

 

[VindicatorZ]

It is absolutely going to be an evolution of video games. Doesn't mean it will be the only one. And the question is how long it will take for it to reach its full potential. But the VR genre will fundamentally change the way people experience video games.

 

[Alphahawk]

Elaborate, if you would, why do you group VR with motion controls and 3D TVs?

Because I've lived through the VR fad before back in 1994/95 and everybody just sort of stopped caring. It wasn't that the technology wasn't there, it was just that after awhile you realized "Oh this is just a first person game with the interface strapped to my face". I'm guessing that this will also happen again.

 

[hohoXD123]

Because I've lived through the VR fad before back in 1994/95 and everybody just sort of stopped caring. It wasn't that the technology wasn't there, it was just that after awhile you realized "Oh this is just a first person game with the interface strapped to my face". I'm guessing that this will also happen again.

You only had that impression because there was no way you could get any meaningful level of immersion at that point. At least now that is possible.

 

[Bricky]

Because I've lived through the VR fad before back in 1994/95 and everybody just sort of stopped caring. It wasn't that the technology wasn't there, it was just that after awhile you realized "Oh this is just a first person game with the interface strapped to my face". I'm guessing that this will also happen again.

The technology wasn't there at all. VR is all about immersion, and immersive (consumer grade) VR headsets weren't possible back then.

If you think modern VR is still just a game with the interface strapped to your face you should really try it out.

 

[Astral/H3X]

Because I've lived through the VR fad before back in 1994/95 and everybody just sort of stopped caring. It wasn't that the technology wasn't there, it was just that after awhile you realized "Oh this is just a first person game with the interface strapped to my face". I'm guessing that this will also happen again.

Yeah.... I was there too. This is an entire league of difference. Even as a kid, the Disney level VR was... pretty bad. This is so far removed from it that we might as well be comparing the immersion level of Atari Pong to Skyrim.

 

[dr_rus]

This VR as in helmets on heads and stuff all over the body won't fly.
A proper VR sure but we're ways off from that one.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Games, before "video" games consisted of board games, cards games, and things of that nature. Video games initially were just simple games like their counterparts, but as time went on video games introduced stories, worlds, and AI. Nowadays I'd say people are much more fixated on the narrative and immersiveness of their experiences playing video games, if a video game just focuses on gameplay and nothing else it's considered casual for the most part. Wouldn't it make sense for virtual reality to be that next stepping stone? How many of you guys have tried the Occulus Rift or another VR headset and are actually excited for this technology to emerge? I feel like there's a lot of friction in the gaming world, but I feel like it just logically makes sense for virtual reality to take over the scene of a lot of the modern gameplay experiences we have on a screen.

Personally I'm stoked because it touches on the aspects of video games that I enjoy. I enjoy the actual game aspect to games, but I've always played them for escapism and immersiveness.

Yes. I think it's patently obvious it will be. Eventually, fully immersive brainstem VR will conquer entertainment; this is a preview.

 

[IcyEyes]

Nope.
Not this kind of VR, right now it's only a nice toy that will start to collect dust after few days. Anyway this is a necessary step ...

 

[Trust me. I'm a PhD]

...hmmm... I think I am going to pull an "old man" on this one and say that even if it is the future, traditional screen based games will still be around in some form because not everyone will want to try the new thing. If the price is good and software compelling I will definitely try it, but now 80% of my gaming is co op, and often couch co op with my wife, nephews, nieces, siblings, and friends. VR sounds so far removed from that paradigm that I can only see it as a cool side thing (kind of like handheld gaming for me) rather than the main way I game. But it is possible that I will just die out along with all the other "screen dweebs" and VR will reign supreme^^

 

[d0g_bear]

ITT (as in all general VR threads on neogaf): "having a ski goggle band around your head and needing to pay more than eight hundred dollars is an absolute barrier for any significant number of people to enjoy all fantastic experiences of sight and sound that transcend reality. It's a fad, everyone get back to playing battlefield hardline."

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Because I've lived through the VR fad before back in 1994/95 and everybody just sort of stopped caring. It wasn't that the technology wasn't there, it was just that after awhile you realized "Oh this is just a first person game with the interface strapped to my face". I'm guessing that this will also happen again.

Comparing the tech back then (which definitely was not there yet) to today's cheap and plentiful tech is silly. The sense of achievable immersion today is light years beyond that time.

 

[Smutpeddler]

Too early in The technology. It's a gimmick at this point.

 

[RCSI]

This VR as in helmets on heads and stuff all over the body won't fly.
A proper VR sure but we're ways off from that one.

Can you expand on your comment on "This VR." Over the years, i.e. since 1990, the concept of VR has changed and been modified in response to current technology. So I am curious as to what you define proper VR to be. Despite the current state of headsets today, it can still be defined as VR, including interactive content that does not require a headset (games).

 

[LastNac]

No,


More importantly why do you need it to be, OP? Whats wrong with it being a strong niche?

 

[Gaogaogao]

are you trying out for ign with that title?

 

[DSix]

I extensively tried the DK2 recently.
Windlands, Battle of Endor and a few other demos shown some really impressive and groundbreaking stuff, and we're just at the very beginning.

I think VR has a bright future and will progressively become dominant in computing, and not just video games. People who haven't tried VR with quality demos won't understand the massive difference it provides, but once you're in you realize it's in a completely different ballpark than any other display method. The sense of presence and immersion is overwhelming.

 

[Sinoox]

ITT (as in all general VR threads on neogaf): "having a ski goggle band around your head and needing to pay more than eight hundred dollars is an absolute barrier for any significant number of people to enjoy all fantastic experiences of sight and sound that transcend reality. It's a fad, everyone get back to playing battlefield hardline."

800 dollars? Now where did you hear that? Occulus is going to be in the 200-400 dollar range.

 

[Nickle]

I'm always a little surprised when I see such negativity towards VR on GAF, but then I remember that a lot of Gaffers just hate different control schemes in general. I'm sure a lot of you also thought that touch screen gaming would be a failure.

 

[Sinoox]

No,


More importantly why do you need it to be, OP? Whats wrong with it being a strong niche?

I'm not saying it needs to be anything. I don't think conventional video games will go away as long as we have screens, they'll just be there along with board games. I think a lot of AAA developers and publishers are going to start gravitating to this because it brings out the aspects of gaming almost all of us here really care about, that is what I said.

 

[I H8 Memes]

Absolutely it is. The potential for not just an incredible perspective in normal gameplay genres that we are familiar with but entirely new experiences as well. But even the perspective change for fps style games is huge. I've been waiting a long time for a really amazing open world game set in the future. A game like that made well would be huge. Now not only could I have that game but I could play it from the perspective of being in that city. How is that not huge?

As a side note, due to the nature of VR if you wanted to game on a traditional screen you could do that, in VR. On an enormous screen of any size. Trippy right?

 

[Qassim]

VR will grow the industry, it won't replace it, at least not anytime soon. VR will spawn new genres, I'm sure there will be "traditional" games that don't transfer well into VR, but that's fine, not everything has to.

Comparisons to old versions in years past are silly (and complete non-answers). No, the technology wasn't there, and no the industry wasn't behind it. A large portion of the industry is behind this VR push, there will a good amount of content and there will be lots of different people making this content.

 

[Barajas_201]

Wish i was born in 2050 so I could experience Sword Art Online :l.

SAO overhyped my perception of VR. The technology we have now seems very uninteresting in comparison.

Spoiler

Gun Gale Online would be dope.