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After E3, how do you feel about the future of VR?

Maligna

Banned
Did you not see how shitty Skyrim looked

It's a total fad like 3d. At best it's an expensive niche toy.

Do you not realize that when you're actually in VR, graphics don't matter as much as they do on a TV? Your mind will ignore that shit.

How about you actually try some VR.
 

Business

Member
Just a fad like motion controls.

UQOfSS3.jpg
 

CEJames

Member
Bit of a long post, sorry. tl;dr: less negative take on E3 and more so the future of VR than OP and some posters.

Thread might have been well-intentioned, but hardly surprising to see it being used as a stick to beat VR with once again by a certain segment who will lilkely never accept or be convinced by the medium. Oh well! People clearly saw what they wanted to see at E3 in terms of VR. Anyone with more than a passing interest and watched more than a handful of pressers got to see masses of new VR content on the horizon.

Bethesda -- Ports and adaptations of older games, yes. But damn those are big games and given the install base for VR I'm very happy to see these. They're taking what they have/know and working back from there to re-engineer these titles, so the investment required is minimal in the grand scheme. OK, some will jeer and moan, but the reality is it could easily allow the next instalments of these and similar titles to come VR-ready out of the box. So that's big news IMO.

Ubisoft -- Transference looks interesting stuff, it's good they're demonstrating a desire to explore the further reaches of what VR can bring, not limited to just straight-up games. Can see why the appeal might not be there for anyone who isn't already invested in VR though. UBI have done more than most with simple stuff like Rabbids on daydream, a personal favourite Eagle Flight showing thrilling fast movement doesn't have to cause nausea on to Star Trek and Wolves multiplayer titles that Space Junkies will add to - they're not scaling back IMO, they're fully on board with VR, especially interested in VR as a multiplayer experience. Hope it continues when Vivendi swallows them up.

Sony -- Thought that, as with your post on the whole OP, this was a bit of a negative take. They showed a lot of weighty titles in the presser, really good stuff in the pre-show and there was more in the following week to fill in the details and add to what we know about other titles. Loud Ninja's list speaks volumes regarding what we've seen over the past weeks - I imagine most people in this thread speaking negatively didn't witness even half of those and wouldn't go out of their way to research them now as it'd interfere with their comfortable current opinion. Also, anyone never having experienced true VR would have difficulty seeing those clips and realising just how good some of them look to be.*asciishrug*

Microsoft -- OK, I'm not convinced anything is going to happen on this front until the next console generation, it hardly seems worth exploring a niche area of gaming on a console that is likely to remain low on install base as a small subset of the overall xb1 install. I think that's why we saw the Oculus exclusive title reworked for regular TV play, it was likely a done deal that needed to be reworked as they backed down from VR/AR plans (just my take, no evidence whatsoever). They should continue their engineering efforts in mixed reality, but have to focus on 1st party traditional games going forward 'cause the fans aren't going to accept seeing masses of effort thrown into AR/VR when 1st party isn't where it needs to be.

PS.VR is obviously the biggest seller so far, but all these companies are effectively working together to bring on the medium, they're not fierce rivals in the traditional sense during this phase. Sony are in the best position to break VR currently as consoles are an accepted livingroom device, but their offering is way too complex cabling-wise and in terms of setting up acceptable tracking, and has suffered with production/supply issues leading to not beening able to be marketed accordingly - or we could say it's managed to reach a potential audience without much in the way of required marketing effort, and we're told that's about to change. Have to wait and see how that works out, but in these early years I'm sure they're happy ticking over like this and learning what works and what doesn't. PS.VR is not a device they expect to go mainstream.

That we're little over half a year in on console side and we have the likes of Farpoint showing where peripherals like Aim can heighten the experience immeasurably (the game is fairly standard stuff without it, the experience with is next level stuff), RE7 showing a game doesn't have to be designed from the ground up to be VR-friendly and VR experiences don't have to limit themselves to 20 minute bursts, as with the upcoming Bethesda titles - not seeing much to worry about on that front. But I was never going to be a worrier, I bought in because I can afford to and because I want to experience the journey VR takes from as close to day #1 as it's possible (wish I could have been there for Oculus revisions then Vive). Some people have such a binary view though, I might game exclusively on it for a few days and for the rest of the month it sits there doing nothing, it's not like we're stuck with the HMDs on 24/7 and limited to only VR titles in isolation.

Some love to dismiss VR as a motion-control-like-fad or a 3D-like-fad, but the fact is it takes both those fads, multiplies their effectiveness together, negates many of their limitations and realises more of their true potential as it adds in its own magic: presence. You don't get to experience any of this by sticking your phone to your face, it's sad to see people write off the medium after doing so. Current hardware is far from perfect on any platform, but we're in the Atari 2600 era of VR (90s Vitruality and Virtual Boy didn't count). In a few years we'll be taking leaps to the NES and SNES iterations when we drop the cables and employ techniques such as foveated rendering. When the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Xbox of VR come, maybe a decade from now, that's when VR will be accepted and adopted on a grander scale. But this will happen, VR isn't getting dropped as a fad as it's real potential is far from explored.

So yea, I understand people saying the tech isn't there and it's not ready for the mass consumer - in the console space especially. But damn that doesn't mean it's any less incredible and truly impressive for many of those invested right now, and without this phase none of what comes later is possible. So you guys sat on the fence and not being convinced, years from now you can thank us enthusiasts who are all in and throwing our money not at the TV, but randomly into the virtual space extending before us (seriously, I've spent a lot on VR software!).

Sony has shown us VR can be social. UBI is showing us VR is multiplayer-friendly and can crossplay between not only manufacturer platforms but also beyond gaming ecosystems. Bethesda and Capcom are proving that some traditional games can be adapted for more immersion and future games could come with it built in day 1. And away from the massive corporations, small dev teams are doing exciting and amazing things by pioneering advances in gaming and storytelling. To shrug that off seems... blinkered.

So E3 wasn't ever going to be a time or place to convince non-believers, but what it offered was more than many realised and with VR being notoriously difficult to convey, maybe the annual press conf megashows wasn't really where we should have looked for it. That might change years from now as technologies and VR development evolves, maybe strapping a phone to the face will allow people to demo a little of the look and feel of VR titles more directly.

E3 has much to offer, VR is a tiny subset of it and needed some legwork to uncover, but as a whole, what VR has in store now vs what we knew a month ago can objectively be seen positively.

I honestly feel that this very well written post should be on every page :) Lovely.

So what are the controlls for Skyrim and Fallout 4? Is it free movement or teleporting?
Both because options are awesome. Or at least I know Skyrim will have both. Teleportation with move controllers until Sony develops another version with analog sticks and it will have free movement with the regular DS4 controller.
 

Roarer

Member
It seems VR is all about shooting stuff with guns, still. This is a huge turn-off for me and a wasted opportunity. I want the increased presence and heightened emotions in VR be utilized for creating smaller, more intimate, slower and reflective experiences.
 
My only disappointment about VR from the E3 show is that Microsoft didn't jump in.

I thought Sony showed a lot of support for PSVR during E3 and I am glad to see more publishers giving VR some love despite the small user base as VR grows.

No regrets as an early adopter of VR. My favorite gaming experience today is in VR (Elite Dangerous) and my most anticipated title this year is in VR (Project Cars 2). There have been enough titles to justify jumping in (Star Trek, SuperHot and Robo Recall to name a few).
 

panda-zebra

Banned
Did you not see how shitty Skyrim looked

I'm guessing you don't know what a social screen is and how it's generated, and have little to no experience of PS.VR in action both first (self) and third (observer) person.

Wake me up when they figured out moving without those teleports

whatyearisthis.gif

It seems VR is all about shooting stuff with guns, still.

Far from the truth. While it does revitalise the whole light gun genre for a new generation of hardware, and peripherals came be game changers in themselves (see Aim), VR has a wealth of innovative software that doesn't involve shootbang.

cant wait for superhot VR for PSVR.

Super...

HOT...

Super...

HOT...
My only disappointment about VR from the E3 show is that Microsoft didn't jump in..

Definitely. The more work done now on all fronts, the better for VR as a whole.
 
I honestly feel that this very well written post should be on every page :) Lovely.

Yeah, especially that part:

Some love to dismiss VR as a motion-control-like-fad or a 3D-like-fad, but the fact is it takes both those fads, multiplies their effectiveness together, negates many of their limitations and realises more of their true potential as it adds in its own magic: presence. You don't get to experience any of this by sticking your phone to your face, it's sad to see people write off the medium after doing so. Current hardware is far from perfect on any platform, but we're in the Atari 2600 era of VR (90s Vitruality and Virtual Boy didn't count). In a few years we'll be taking leaps to the NES and SNES iterations when we drop the cables and employ techniques such as foveated rendering. When the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Xbox of VR come, maybe a decade from now, that's when VR will be accepted and adopted on a grander scale. But this will happen, VR isn't getting dropped as a fad as it's real potential is far from explored.


Of course VR needs to survive the next couple of years to get there, but I'm pretty confident it will. The only thing keeping me away from my PSVR unit is the summer heat!!1
 

Fbh

Member
Same as before

Still think it looks cool and I would definitely like to try out Skyrim in VR.

But right now it's not something that interests me enough to spend $500+ on.
 
Moss sounds really impressive.

I think VR is gonna be around going forward, I just can't tell how long it'll be until it truly "arrives". Right now, it's just for truly early enthusiasts (who can afford it).
 

Planet

Member
It seems VR is all about shooting stuff with guns, still.
Of the games announced before, during or after E3 at most half of those are about shooting stuff with guns. There were plenty other game styles like Tiny Trax, Inpatient, Moss, Star Child, Sparc, Monster of the Deep FF:XV, Transference, Chess Ultra, Spiderman VR, Legion Commander, Dark Eclipse.
 

awcarew

Member
Feel like it has no future. The closest thing VR got to a killer app was Resident Evil 7 and even that game was primarily bought by people not for VR reasons.

VR needed a Mario 64-like killer app/experience to have massive sales and word of mouth and that never came, now it's been out for a while and it's pretty much out of mind/out of sight and I doubt it ever really recovers.

If something absolutely amazing comes out for it that changes the way we view VR currently it might have a chance, but I've seen nothing on the horizon or from current previews that gives me any hope VR is anything but a fad that's already come and is dying a slow death.

VR already has a killer app. It's called Half-Life 2 VR. It's CRAZY good. It hasn't been properly retooled for the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift CV1 yet (but it's getting a re-release very soon). Otherwise, the game is down right mindblowing. I played it with motion controls + positional tracking and believe me, VR is a disruptive technology and its here to stay.

Also, Alien: Isolation VR from DevKit 2 says hi.
 

gafneo

Banned
Bethesda is at it full throttle. I think other companies needed to put in the same kind of effort as them. If VR isn't the main way to play, they should all be at least putting in a mode that lets you explore a section like in Rise of Tomb Raider.
 

RiZ III

Member
It's a damn shame cause vr games when done right are amazing. I was really hoping the new Assassins Creed would have a vr mode.
 

brawly

Member
Indifference, still.

Give me a PSVR+Camera+Move Controllers+Game bunduru that I don't have to sell a liver for to afford and I might start caring.
 

Tumle

Member
Do any of those games look like killer apps or at the very least, games that warrant purchasing PSVR? Without my hands-on (eyes-on?) I would say no not all.
So skyrim in VR is not some what of a killer app?
I wonder why skyrim have sold so well over the years then..
Some people here are really afraid that VR is going to take there gamez away huh?
I loved the showing and the games looks more and more fleshed out as time goes by.. and not just space pirates clones:)
 
I think some of these projects sound cool. But none of them address the issue for most people that the tech is still expensive and largely isolates the player. Not to mention that it's hard to capture VR experiences in things like ads and YouTube videos.
 

Bert

Member
You've got three layers of VR:

- 360 video, google cardboard, do it on your existing phone stuff
- High end mobile
- High end high end PC

The first is good enough for a bit of
porn
standard video content.
The second will be where it goes mainstream, but we're a few years off good enough handsets.
The third will always be the preserve of techies and business IMO.

I don't think you need PS4 level graphics for it to take off, just good cheap hardware and some decent experiences.

The real problem VR faces IMO (aside from seemingly no one able to make killer experiences) is that mobile AR will catch up and beat it before it gets it's shows on. AR will have killer apps (I can already think of 5 things I'd use it for on a daily basis) and the same kind of requirements in terms of hardware other than GPU, which can likely be lower power to get a decent experience as it's not displaying a full world.
 
I was mildly interested in VR before I had tried it. Then I got a free Samsung VR with my Galaxy S8. Played with it for 10mins and now I couldn't care less about VR.

Come back to me when VR actually feels like I'm inside a computer game pls.

Lol, bruh...

There's already VR out there thats literally 10 times more convincing than samsung gear VR.

I think the e3 showing was average at best, not one PSVR game had me interested. But I'll have Doom and Fallout on my Rift so no matter.

The tech but more importantly the software has a long way to go, but I don't regret my purchase at all. I've seen the future and it's bright.

Edit:. Also, VR does have multiple amazing games, although I wouldn't say there's a killer app yet. Play Robo Recall and tell me it's not incredible. It's like being inside of Time Crisis with Unreal Engine graphics and the freedom to move wherever you want...but that description doesn't even do it justice.

Also, it's hilarious listening to people stumble over themselves trying to state their opinion when they haven't even tried high end VR yet. "The graphics sux, man". It's completely different when you actually experience it.
 
VR seems to becoming one of those flash points in the gaming community. similar to console wars or some sort of singularly controversial games, such as No Man's Sky.

There are two classic sides of "believers" and "sceptics" on the far ends on the divide. Unfortunatley, debate then gets dragged to both ends of the spectrum rather than any actual measured debate.

There's a bunch of folks in here gloating at VR's demise and an equal amount of people claiming that all anyone needs to do is to try VR for them to be foaming at the mouth in anticipation.

I imagine most potential buyers around the world will fall in the middle. I see a difficult future for VR on a mass market scale.

I preempt this by pointing out, I've never had the opportunity to try VR. Not because I don't want to, just never had the chance. I'm pretty sure I would love it and I would have bought one if I had the spare cash but I don't and I doubt I will anytime soon. If I did, then there are other priorities for that much cash.

The assumption that just because someone puts on a VR helmet and is impressed by it will equal a sale at some point is incredibly short sighted. I can be impressed with VR but also be totally unable to afford it. Be impressed with VR but then underwhelmed by the lack of really innovative software. Be impressed with VR but have no physical space in my life to accommodate it. Be impressed with VR but have stuff I have to keep an eye on, kids, pets, relatives etc.

VR has a lot of money behind it and is unlikely to just wither on the vine but I often thinks it has a lot of similarity with Kinect. The use case is incredibly easy to present. Here is this easily understandable way to increase your immersion. The problem comes in creatives exploiting this new tech in enjoyable ways. Kinect sold loads at first, then the new software dried up.

VR isn't quite same, new games keep coming but very little of it "all in" on VR. No one is willing to put all their eggs in VR's basket until it is a proven seller and that won't happen without exciting software. Vicous cycle and now I'm mixing metaphors.

The same happened with the Wii and Kinect, developers wanted to exploit the big new userbase but in the end weren't willing to commit resources and time on a big new project. So Kinect sold loads and didn't work properly but Kinect 2 worked properly but no one wanted to make a big Kinect game or it seemed, had any good ideas on hot to exploit the technology.

With VR not relying so much on sales it will probably see a more complex evolution but it needs some serious adaptation before it could become a mass market product and not a tech nerd's curio. I don't say any of this to denigrate VR, there just seems to be too much belief in some of the community that the experience overcomes the bland real life worries. Unfortunatley, I think the barriers to entry are too numerous and high at the moment.
 

Angry Fork

Member
$800 US dollars not including the GPU/CPU upgrades necessary.

I'm waiting until the Vive is like $200, which may take forever but oh well.
 
$800 US dollars not including the GPU/CPU upgrades necessary.

I'm waiting until the Vive is like $200, which may take forever but oh well.

You can get a Rift for 600 including motion controls with a 100 dollar credit toward the Oculus store right now. That's basically the price of PSVR...except the Rift is on par with the Vive.

But I get ya, its still expensive.
 

budpikmin

Member
I think it was nice to see a few new titles but PSVR just doesn't have any exclusive heavy hitting system sellers. Sony themselves need to take a risk and put one of their major IPs exclusively on PSVR if they want me to take it seriously. I love the tech but I feel like if I bought one it would just collect dust
 

CEJames

Member
VR seems to becoming one of those flash points in the gaming community. similar to console wars or some sort of singularly controversial games, such as No Man's Sky.

There are two classic sides of "believers" and "sceptics" on the far ends on the divide. Unfortunatley, debate then gets dragged to both ends of the spectrum rather than any actual measured debate.

There's a bunch of folks in here gloating at VR's demise and an equal amount of people claiming that all anyone needs to do is to try VR for them to be foaming at the mouth in anticipation.

I imagine most potential buyers around the world will fall in the middle. I see a difficult future for VR on a mass market scale.

I preempt this by pointing out, I've never had the opportunity to try VR. Not because I don't want to, just never had the chance. I'm pretty sure I would love it and I would have bought one if I had the spare cash but I don't and I doubt I will anytime soon. If I did, then there are other priorities for that much cash.

The assumption that just because someone puts on a VR helmet and is impressed by it will equal a sale at some point is incredibly short sighted. I can be impressed with VR but also be totally unable to afford it. Be impressed with VR but then underwhelmed by the lack of really innovative software. Be impressed with VR but have no physical space in my life to accommodate it. Be impressed with VR but have stuff I have to keep an eye on, kids, pets, relatives etc.

VR has a lot of money behind it and is unlikely to just wither on the vine but I often thinks it has a lot of similarity with Kinect. The use case is incredibly easy to present. Here is this easily understandable way to increase your immersion. The problem comes in creatives exploiting this new tech in enjoyable ways. Kinect sold loads at first, then the new software dried up.

VR isn't quite same, new games keep coming but very little of it "all in" on VR. No one is willing to put all their eggs in VR's basket until it is a proven seller and that won't happen without exciting software. Vicous cycle and now I'm mixing metaphors.

The same happened with the Wii and Kinect, developers wanted to exploit the big new userbase but in the end weren't willing to commit resources and time on a big new project. So Kinect sold loads and didn't work properly but Kinect 2 worked properly but no one wanted to make a big Kinect game or it seemed, had any good ideas on hot to exploit the technology.

With VR not relying so much on sales it will probably see a more complex evolution but it needs some serious adaptation before it could become a mass market product and not a tech nerd's curio. I don't say any of this to denigrate VR, there just seems to be too much belief in some of the community that the experience overcomes the bland real life worries. Unfortunatley, I think the barriers to entry are too numerous and high at the moment.

Very well written level-headed post instead of "lulz shitty fad vr". I respect this.
 

-NeoTB1-

Member
The same as I did when it first hit the market. It's still too expensive and the library does nothing to convince me that it's a worthwhile investment.
 

valkyre

Member
My feel is exactly the same it was the day it was announced...

Nice gimmick for the limited lifespan it will have...hopefully it will soon be declared officially dead, so devs can actually make something worthwhile with their time and money.
 
I will probably eventually jump into VR in a few years and most likely will use it specifically for sim racing. It seems like down the road it will be a much cheaper option than going triple monitor
 

Maligna

Banned
My feel is exactly the same it was the day it was announced...

Nice gimmick for the limited lifespan it will have...hopefully it will soon be declared officially dead, so devs can actually make something worthwhile with their time and money.

Why don't you actually try some VR before you decide it's worthless.
 

TheBear

Member
hopefully it will soon be declared officially dead, so devs can actually make something worthwhile with their time and money.

What a fascinating attitude to have. Have you considered that perhaps the devs working in virtual reality actually enjoy what they are doing?
 
I used to think it was a gimmick, because I never experienced it. Since trying the HTC Vive at a VR Arcade I'm convinced it's not (on PC at least.

It's just way too expensive and people will not have the chance to experience it. Also it has to go wireless.

Edit: Played Project Cars with a G29 steering wheel so don't know how much that improved the experience over the other small motion control games.
 

nynt9

Member
Like Phil Spencer said in his Giant Bomb interview. VR is eventually going to be a major paradigm. It's inevitable. The question is, whether that happens a year from now, 5 years from now, or 10 years from now. I think the next year or two will bring big advancements in the tech to the consumer space. The naysayers will eventually have to eat their friends, it's just a matter of how patient we will need to be.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Still completely uninterested personally.

I also don't see any surge in sales coming as nothing shown seemed remotely like a killer app that was going to expand appeal. I do think it will catch on eventually, but it's going to take killer apps for the average joe, smaller, wireless head sets etc.
 

Outrun

Member
I'm guessing you don't know what a social screen is and how it's generated, and have little to no experience of PS.VR in action both first (self) and third (observer) person.



whatyearisthis.gif



Far from the truth. While it does revitalise the whole light gun genre for a new generation of hardware, and peripherals came be game changers in themselves (see Aim), VR has a wealth of innovative software that doesn't involve shootbang.



Definitely. The more work done now on all fronts, the better for VR as a whole.

The lords of VR perhaps need to better market the product perhaps?

Purely anecdotal, but many on here seem to have these conceptions regarding VR.
 

Croatoan

They/Them A-10 Warthog
I was mildly interested in VR before I had tried it. Then I got a free Samsung VR with my Galaxy S8. Played with it for 10mins and now I couldn't care less about VR.

Come back to me when VR actually feels like I'm inside a computer game pls.

LOL, tries the gameboy of VR and that sets his opinion. The HTC Vive does exactly what you ask...

Like Phil Spencer said in his Giant Bomb interview. VR is eventually going to be a major paradigm. It's inevitable. The question is, whether that happens a year from now, 5 years from now, or 10 years from now. I think the next year or two will bring big advancements in the tech to the consumer space. The naysayers will eventually have to eat their friends, it's just a matter of how patient we will need to be.

In 10 years it will be a pretty big deal. As climate change gets worse more people will flock to VR stuff, particularly once we get brain to computer implants.
 

mattmanp

Member
VR will be a real thing in a few generations of tech but right now it's a proving ground to work out best practices and fine tune the craft. I own PSVR since launch and think this years games on average are meatier than most of last years. It is contibuing to get stronger. Smart devs will go multiplatform or asonbe playable outside VR to reach profitability but it's not time to fear yet!
 
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