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Despite Hype, VR Investment Fades In Q1 2017

Principate

Saint Titanfall
Has anyone considered that the vast majority maybe simply doesn't like VR? In most threads about the topic everyone seems to assume that VR is THE thing and people only need to see it to be convinced. Now they are closing down their demo stations. To me this sounds as if people just don't like VR, outside of a few. Similar to "3D".

VR is nowhere near 3D mainstream wise though it's early days. The issue is I don't see VR ever having an Avatar so there's a very good chance it'll always be doomed to be a niche product.
 
Huh, I always thought it was a niche product lol.

Anyway, fully enjoying my PSVR even though my main gaming is done on "regular" games for PS4 and PC.

Just tried out Eagle Flight finally. Holy wow was that fun. I REALLY want more Star Wars in VR... perhaps a new Rogue Squadron type game!
 

border

Member
Nothing will kill VR.
At worst the current iteration will phase out, but VR as a concept is so integral to the concept of entertainment and storytelling, that is actually, undoubtedly, the ending point of everything videogames and similar entertainment are trying to do, especially escapism based ones.

That said, as a big believer in VR, I'm actually disappointed by the slowness at which prices have gone down and technology improvements of the hardware.

I don't see how anyone can be so upbeat about VR, when consumer reaction has been such utter indifference.

This isn't like the iPhone 1.0, where everyone is talking about it but it's so expensive that not everyone can have one. Nobody is aspiring to buy a VR headset, or waiting for prices to come down.
 
Has anyone considered that the vast majority maybe simply doesn't like VR? In most threads about the topic everyone seems to assume that VR is THE thing and people only need to see it to be convinced. Now they are closing down their demo stations. To me this sounds as if people just don't like VR, outside of a few. Similar to "3D".

Maybe some people genuinely don't, or maybe it makes them sick. There's probably an even bigger demographic of people who would demo it, think it's cool, inquire about the current cost of entry ( capable PC + Rift/Vive or PSVR+Ps4/PRO) and think 'I don't like it that much'.

I love my PSVR, but there are times especially when my family is around, that it feels a little weird completely shutting myself off from them.
 

me0wish

Member
I took my friends Vive because he never uses it, and I left it to collect dust. It's too much of a hassle to use, it doesn't work as perfectly as I expected it to work, and it feels like a very uncomfortable prototype, all this without even mentioning how poor the VR library is. VR needs another 5 years to have the potential to be viable.

Sure the first 5 minutes are "magical", but that's where it ends, and once the magic wears off, I'd rather play on regular screen rather than using a half baked gimmick that interferes with the experience rather than improve it.
 

UCBooties

Member
I bought a PSVR launch bundle but I have been veeeeeery slow to adopt software for it for 3 reasons.

1. I am very prone to motions sickness so it is difficult for me to determine which games I will be able to play for more than a few minutes at a time.

2. The value for price vs content for a lot of VR games is way out of wack. I understand that VR is challenging and dev intensive to develop for, but $40 to $60 for a 2 to 4 hour experience is just not something that works in my budget.

3. I often feel like I don't have time for VR. Since I play a lot of games in short bursts, the extra set-up time (which I know is negligable) often leads to me choosing to play something else.

Two of those are personal and don't really say anything about the larger market, but I do wonder how much things like that are a factor in low attach rates for VR.
 

mclem

Member
The interesting thing, here, is that I actually remember a much earlier attempt at consumer VR in the form of the VFX-1 from 1995 or so. We're much, much closer to getting a foothold into a nascent VR marketplace now than we ever were back then, but I don't know if we're quite there yet; if it doesn't happen, then expect another attempt in ten-fifteen years, but as it stands right now, we will at least have some interesting tech to experiment with!

I'm hoping it doesn't die down, though, because I'm curious what a second generation of this era of consumer VR would look like. One problem the VFX had and the high-end devices have now is the sheer cost of entry, and a second generation should look very hard into ways they can lower that.
 
This seemed so obvious to me and I couldn't understand why quite a few people really thought VR would be the next big thing, this soon.
 

shark sandwich

tenuously links anime, pedophile and incels
Has anyone considered that the vast majority maybe simply doesn't like VR? In most threads about the topic everyone seems to assume that VR is THE thing and people only need to see it to be convinced. Now they are closing down their demo stations. To me this sounds as if people just don't like VR, outside of a few. Similar to "3D".
Shhhhh that is a forbidden question here on GAF. VR is the inevitable future of video games. Believe.
 

*Splinter

Member
I'm still not convinced this will ever take off and become a mass market thing.

Anything where you have to wear something on your head is always going to be a hard sell.
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(Err... This was supposed to be an avatar quote, did I do something wrong?)
 

GreekWolf

Member
I'm glad I never pulled the trigger on VR, lets see where the tech is in the next 5-10 years.

That's the boat I'm in as well. I really WANT to adopt VR and see it become the next big thing, but it's still not nearly ready for mainstream audiences (for a multitude of reasons).

Right now, VR belongs in the same niche category as retro-style home arcade machines. It's great for parties and showing off to friends.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
I didn't understand the scale of VC money going into this in the first place.

Like I get that companies who missed out on mobile *really* wanted to get in on the next big thing, but you could get tens of millions for having a pulse and saying the word "VR".
 

ksamedi

Member
VR is at the moment left to third parties. Neither Sony or Microsoft or even Facebook is showing the way. I think if Nintendo enters this market they will at least take it seriously and make some killer apps for it. We cant expect third parties to take huge risks. First parties should deliver on the promise first.
 

gamz

Member
VR is at the moment left to third parties. Neither Sony or Microsoft or even Facebook is showing the way. I think if Nintendo enters this market they will at least take it seriously and make some killer apps for it. We cant expect third parties to take huge risks. First parties should deliver on the promise first.

I think Microsoft is certainly showing the way with AR. Having a stand alone product is pretty damn impressive. Seeing what business are doing with it you start to see a future in which you don't see with VR.
 
I'm still not convinced this will ever take off and become a mass market thing.

Anything where you have to wear something on your head is always going to be a hard sell.

Same. If it does it'll be some kind of unimaginable future tech that none of us can even fathom today.

I just don't see it as necessary. It's like a roller coaster. Riding a roller coaster is awesome. There's nothing else that recreates the feeling of being on a good roller coaster. But that doesn't mean people want to start building roller coasters in their backyards. Some things are better as a novelty occasional fun thing and not a daily use thing. VR is probably closer to a roller coaster than a HDTV.

Reports claim that company’s technology has been oversold to investors.

Hmm, you don't say. A bunch of people crazy about "the future" not actually serving a need for anybody oversold something? That sounds crazy!
 

JimiNutz

Banned
I'm really disappointed in the VR content that Sony have put out so far.
They launched new hardware and at one point were talking about PSVR as it's own stand along platform rather than just an expensive PS4 accessory but I'm not seeing any big games announced for the platform.

Hopefully Sony have some big PSVR announcements at E3 because I want to jump in but not right now given the lack of software.
 
Sony needs to cut 100$ off their PSVR by this holiday if they want it to keep selling at all and announce some new (1st party) stuff at E3. Would be such a shame if VR fizzles out in one or two years, I love my PSVR and would love to see what PSVR2 could bring to the table (4K, higher fov, foveated rendering etc.) with new controllers and all.
 

Rygar 8 Bit

Jaguar 64-bit
and when is that? serious question, what are the big upcoming VR games?



just from my own experience there are a shit load of PSVR in stores everywhere i look (western europe) and nobody seems to buy them.

valves big 3 full scale vr exclusive games and fallout 4 is a good start
 
Despite all the hype around VR, I could never get it around the idea that it was more of a niche peripheral for people who already heavily invest in gaming or PC performance. I think history will remember VR as the overhyped segue to AR.
 

TONX

Distinguished Air Superiority
When the tech is to the point where i can put it on and adjust it for less than 10 seconds to play, then i'm in. Having to calibrate every single thing for around 10 minutes for everything to work really soured my VR experience on all fronts.
 

Principate

Saint Titanfall
vr room scale plays big into immersion and its not just a straight up port they are changing the way its played

Your still going around the world of Fallout 4 and developer renowned for having mods to fix their numerous bugs found in their games and now you get to experience that in VR! Not to mention I've always found the base game ugly even with the texture packs so yeah I'll pass.
 

Interfectum

Member
I didn't understand the scale of VC money going into this in the first place.

Like I get that companies who missed out on mobile *really* wanted to get in on the next big thing, but you could get tens of millions for having a pulse and saying the word "VR".

Yup. It's just another example of the tech industry drinking it's own Koolaid, VCs buying into the hype and everyone trying to hop on the next big thing. Most should have seen this coming from a mile away.
 

Gestault

Member
Nothing will kill VR.
At worst the current iteration will phase out, but VR as a concept is so integral to the concept of entertainment and storytelling, that is actually, undoubtedly, the ending point of everything videogames and similar entertainment are trying to do, especially escapism based ones.

This is only as true now as it was in 1992. Or in 1982. Which is my way of saying a burgeoning (or even stable) VR entertainment market is not a given.
 

Peltz

Member
When the tech is to the point where i can put it on and adjust it for less than 10 seconds to play, then i'm in. Having to calibrate every single thing for around 10 minutes for everything to work really soured my VR experience on all fronts.
I agree with this. Setting up PSVR was clumsy. I needed to make sure the lighting was right, the camera was perfectly oriented, and the visor was in the perfect sweet spot on my face for the clearest possible picture. I also needed to make sure I put my controllers within a reachable spot because I was blind to the world when reaching for them. Furthermore, I needed to ensure I wasn't going to trip on the cable. It's not hard to setup but it's also not the thoughtless experience that it needs to be. If I also had a tv with HDR then that is additional complication due to the lack of passthrough.

The whole design feels a bit poorly thought out. You can tell the PS4 was not originally made/engineered with VR in mind.

Future VR solutions on consoles need to be slicker and better integrated.
 
Sony needs to cut 100$ off their PSVR by this holiday if they want it to keep selling at all and announce some new (1st party) stuff at E3. Would be such a shame if VR fizzles out in one or two years, I love my PSVR and would love to see what PSVR2 could bring to the table (4K, higher fov, foveated rendering etc.) with new controllers and all.

i do think $199 would be the sweet sport for a real success
you obviously still need compelling software, games and applications

$399 for an non proven add on technology is still enthusiast early adopter pricing
Oculus Rift for example is now already ~150 € cheaper than launch
 

Ghost

Chili Con Carnage!
I don't think any (smart) people are investing in VR as a consumer marketplace right now, it's way too expensive for consumers at the moment. What they are investing in is the tech and software that could form a big part of a future consumer marketplace. The start ups out there aren't looking to make a fortune in sales, they are looking to solve known problems (too many wires, FOV, locomotion, hardware requirements, peripherals) and sell their IP to Google/Facebook/Tencent when they've proved they've got something.


This all excludes Magic Leap mind you, who knows what their path to profit looks like. It involves a lot of question marks I expect.
 

Tankard

Member
I'll adopt VR eventually, but as it stands, there just isn't enough content I'm interested in that can justify the cost of the hardware.

I'm here too. I just hope they stick with poor sales for a while until they can cut prices reasonably enough and in time for bigger games to be produced.
 
i do think $199 would be the sweet sport for a real success
you obviously still need compelling software, games and applications

$399 for an non proven add on technology is still enthusiast early adopter pricing
Oculus Rift for example is now already ~150 € cheaper than launch

Yeah 199$ would be perfect, but that won't happen anytime soon alas.
 

bj00rn_

Banned
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 took off at home. I had little to no confidence that VR would be any different.

"Not even 3D".. LOL

..Seriously, stop using that argument already.
 

geordiemp

Member
I never even demo'd it.

Yup, I live in South London and never tried VR yet, and have Ps4 pro.

Other than GAME charging people to try it before Xmas, there has not been a big push to let players see what the fuss is especially outside of USA major cities.
 
Yeah 199$ would be perfect, but that won't happen anytime soon alas.

Are you guys really that delusional? $199 for a good vr headset? You much have no idea what goes into the tech. You can't get a good Plantronics work headset for that price.

VR is and was never expected to be a product for the masses. However as a medium for our hobby it's a logical destination. Although the tech is not mature yet and still needs some iterations, the companies have to start somewhere. If you want better versions and more software then do your part. Help with the nurturing of the tech and software by putting your money up. I don't understand people who aren't willing to spend their money on new tech and software and expect that it will be supported. And if it fails then it's "see I knew if would fail". Come on now.

I bought a PSVR at launch and have enjoyed a lot of games. There are alot of high quality games. Just recently bought a rift and touch after the price drop. There are a lot of really good games on the oculus store all you have to do is google it. It comes with 7 free games. One of them Robo Recall is by far one of the best VR games period. If you aren't sold by that game then you never will be. Try it.
 
I think VR is dead.

I own a PSVR, I think Resident Evil 7 in VR is a watershed moment, its like the first time you played a 3D game, its the first moment in a very long time, probably the xbox 360 and the advent of online gaming that felt momentous. and it proved you can make a real game (and yes Im using the term Real, deal with it) and not just an experience, in VR.

But the market isnt there, it wont be repeated. The games just aren't coming, and yes there is a time investment with VR that makes owners choose to not use it, even though its mainly just psychological, and I dont see it ever becoming mainstream.

Even with lower prices, how do you avoid the fact it is a peripheral.

VR would have to be an unavoidable bundle like kinect with PS6 and yet cheap enough to make that it doesn't drive up the price by an ungodly amount.

Resi 7 says to me, VR is the real deal.
but reality says, people don't actually want it.
 
vr room scale plays big into immersion and its not just a straight up port they are changing the way its played

Wouldn't play Fallout 4 as a roomscale game, sounds unnecessarily tiring :D And probably would have teleporting for movement?

Just give it the Resident Evil 7 controls and it's set.
 
This isn't very surprising.

VR needs to become a mass-market device. Even PSVR at 400 bucks is still too expensive. We need hassle-free devices for at most 299$ for this thing to take off.

And devs right now would be crazy to make VR-exclusive games for a market that has such a tiny install-base.

So I'd say it'll just take a few years for VR to truly become a mass-market thing, but I believe as strongly in VR as I did when I first tried it. It's definitely going to be a huge thing, the question is just when it truly and fully enters the mass market.

I expressed this sentiment in a thread about Star Trek: Bridge Crew previously, but I'll bring this up again in broader terms here: I feel VR, at least with the cost of technology now, is better suited as a potential replacement to the old arcades than it is a consumer product. Pay a small amount to goof around in short bursts, rather than pay out the nose for the VR gear itself, and the hardware to actually run the games.
 
Moneymaking or longterm sustainable VR business always seemed like a 2025-2030 thing, anyway. The attempts to push it well before the hardware was more fully featured, cheap, truly wireless, and ergonomic never struck me as convincing enough for the people that matter most. The boat is still far from the shore, but it's not sunk and that's the time needed to figure out software.
 
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