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Did Sony set the stage for E3 2014?

Sony needs to show that ps4 has packed second half 2014/early 2015. VR is irrelevant at this point, lets see again next year.

Early adopters anf the ones that are thinking of getting a ps4 are hungry for next gen games, not to be told how they should buy an expensive peripheral this early if some games are exclusive to it (and for my understanding ports for vr are rarely as good as games build from ground up).

MS needs not to worry about presenting anything VR related at this point. Later on? Maybe.

Same goes for MS btw, remake of H2, QB (that I seriously still doubt is gonna make it this year) and SO ain't gonna cut it with that price. 3rd parties need to jump to next gen before we should even think about what games the VR will give us imo.

Then again I'm sceptical about the VR success at this point anyway but I jist gotta wait and see what Sony comes up with.
 
Man, the amount of closed minded comments in this thread is pretty shocking.

So I'm guessing the folks that don't approve of the VR hasn't tried it before.

I only see them saying things like "looking stupid with it on" or "cant use it if you got a family".

From what I experienced, the positive benefits FFFFFAAAAAARRRRR out weight the negatives some have mentioned in this thread.

But, I guess it aint gonna be for everyone. But I for one is VERY excited, because I was blown away from the first dev kit, I can only imagine how good it must be now.
 

PhatSaqs

Banned
Meh. Not interested in any of this stuff at the moment. I feel like this is a big waste of time for all involved but im willing to give it a chance to convince me it's worth it.
 
I thin they shouldn't talk too much about VR if it's not ready to be on the market.

PS4 popularity inertia won't last forever without any reasons and no big sellers coming this year. They need to focus on announcing huge exclusives, and not let everyone think the PS4 needs a 3-400$ add on to be awesome.
Agreed 100%
 

Shig

Strap on your hooker ...
So what you're really saying is it's not virtual reality.
It's a long, long way from Sony's vision of it being as ubiquitous a content delivery method as the TV, phone, or computer. Maybe it'll cross that line eventually, but it'll take the better part of a decade of coordinated assault and rallying before it even threatens to knock on the door of those things.

If and when VR headsets ever ascend to some boardmember position as a household item with a wide breadth of content and uses, this PS4 add-on will be the elevator operator at that boardmember's first apartment. Sure, in some small way, it helped the medium get to where it was going, but it will be far, far away in a rearview mirror by the time it gets there.
 
I thin they shouldn't talk too much about VR if it's not ready to be on the market.

PS4 popularity inertia won't last forever without any reasons and no big sellers coming this year. They need to focus on announcing huge exclusives, and not let everyone think the PS4 needs a 3-400$ add on to be awesome.

I think they will show enough VR related stuff to get/keep us hyped and communicate that they are serious about this and it will be the future. But their emphasis will still be on upcoming games. Talking of which, we'll have Infamous in a few days, then there is Watchdogs and Destiny later on, pretty sure they are all going to be big sellers.
 
Agreed 100%

Yeah, I definitely agree that the primary focus needs to be on big games.

Sony has been slacking on this lately.

We don't even know what their lineup looks like for the rest of this year except The Order and Driveclub (if they ever finish the F%$ING thing).
 
Not at all. It's a peripheral. Or a medium. Or an add-on. Or it's a revolution. Or probably it's really just an add-on. Let's not get caught up in try to figure out a creative label for it yet, when the real question is will mainstream consumers even consider buying this at all or is this just for the most core of core gamers.

What's driving my interest is noting the potential of vr and the many people who swear by the experience (I've heard more about the oculus but sony's device is supposed to even trump the early dev kit). And not just people; but people well regarded in the industry that I respect. Not once did I look at people's reaponses from kinect and think "holy shit, theyre onto something".

I have hope that the possibilities are there, and from what I've heard the possibilities are virtually turning into a reality (I had to). So why are comparisons being made to unrelated peripherals rather than positive reactions based on solid evidence of people's experience with the product itself?
 

mrjohill

Member
Yeah, I definitely agree that the primary focus needs to be on big games.

Sony has been slacking on this lately.

We don't even know what their lineup looks like for the rest of this year except The Order and Driveclub (if they ever finish the F%$ING thing).

Good thing e3 is coming up
 

GobFather

Member
I thin they shouldn't talk too much about VR if it's not ready to be on the market.

PS4 popularity inertia won't last forever without any reasons and no big sellers coming this year. They need to focus on announcing huge exclusives, and not let everyone think the PS4 needs a 3-400$ add on to be awesome.

I agree that they need to focus on exclusives and games and other content but they still need to talk a little bit of VR. A lot of people, are looking for any type of news, I'm looking for more games... more information on PSnow, more on vitaTV in NA, more on PS app and the VR lol so many questions :)
 

Myansie

Member
Everyone here also thought Move was cooler than Natal/Kinect.



Example: what they may see through AR glasses:

Augmented+Reality+3D+Glasses+10.jpg


what you may see on TV via Kinect:

augmented_reality_glasses.jpg




I think Augmented Reality potentially stage demos better, might be cheaper to produce, is more social, and has far more long term practical applications in the real world outside of fantasy games.


How to turn AR glasses into VR glasses:

894-1587-thickbox.jpg


:p


Microsoft spends tons on R&D. Microsoft always has various AR and VR and 3D and wearables and voice technologies that are cooking. Whether they choose to demo or turn them into products is another matter.

And why would they have to buy Oculus for a billion? If they wanted they could just say Xbox One and Windows will work with Oculus Rift and build Oculus Rift support directly into DirectX 12.1. Please everyone develop for PC and Xbox VR with these simple tools, here's an example of a VR game we developed with Harmonix for PC/Xbox. That's if they even want to do VR and believe it has any real commercial appeal.

LOL. THE EXCLUSIVES!!! Can you make me a list? ;)


Morpheus requires the PS4 camera. I think Sony did Microsoft a huge favor. Their main competitor is demonstrating a reason why core consumers should want the camera in the box.

Cortana + Fortaleza are compelling uses for Kinect.

Microsoft got exclusive marketing for CoD, Titanfall, The Division. I think Microsoft is doing pretty well on the exclusives front.

The AR tech shown here is far more complicated than the VR Sony has shown. You need all of the same tech found in the VR headset plus additional tech like a transparent screen and the ability to track objects precisely. If you can't track the whole room accurately and with the same low lag as the vr goggles than the ar elements will just appear to float in space like the hud in the example. Your brain won't be fooled into believing the cg element is really there. It's useful for HUD like elements as shown, but the tech to replicate what the 3DS and Vita are doing with camera AR as a direct overlay of reality is a long way off.
 

Binabik15

Member
I hope that they show more soon and release it soon. VR or no, I really want a good quality headset that fills my whole FOV so I can have a "huge screen" experience in my dorm. Just playing back PS4 games like a normal screen glued to your head would be fine.
 

Capella

Member
I honestly hope that Sony, MS, and Nintendo don't focus on VR at E3 unless they are presenting the final or near final consumer product with actual content. I think Sony's approached this the right way by revealing it and their goals for VR at GDC to get devs on board instead of doing a big presentation at E3. They have to be careful about how they present this to the public because it could come off as just another gimmick like motion controls.

I would also hate to see a repeat of reveals like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPIbGnBQcJY
 

kaching

"GAF's biggest wanker"
Sony is gonna fuck this up just like move, just like pseye just every other accessory Sony has ever released.
DualShock says "hi". Also the original Eyetoy sold very well. Their Pulse headsets don't seem to sell too shabby. Current PS4 camera is in short supply.

More to the point, Sony never abandoned anything, they've just been keeping at it, slowly and steadily iterating until the promise of the technology can be fulfilled more satisfactorily in a commercial space. VR fits into that approach; its trajectory of uptake will be gradual due to the nature of how non-traditional the experience is and of course the early cost.

For all the units Wii and Kinect may have sold, they haven't really done any better in establishing the relevant technologies with lasting, reliable mainstream appeal and healthy, ongoing industry support. At this point they both appear to have burnt out more like fads than anything else. That's because the underlying tech is still too new and under-developed to be anything other than interesting sideshow for the time being.
 

kunluncat

Neo Member
All Sony need to do is to let indie developers pump games up for VR. As they said, VR is a new medium, and creativity is the most important. The success of VR does not depend on AAA. VR needs a showcase game just like Angry Bird for touch screen device or Wii Sports for motion control console. Start from GDC is really a good idea for Sony. Of course, the price must be reasonable.
 

Bugz

Neo Member
I hope not. 3D was a gimmick, nobody jumped on that, a lot of people don't like motion controls and Kinect.

Most gamers just want a good system and a controller.

I hope Microsoft ignores this VR gimmick.
 
i have a feeling that Sony revealed it at GDC so that they could focus more on software rather than talking too much about tech that won't be consumer ready for awhile to come.

At least I'd like to think such things
 

B.O.O.M

Member
Wait has Sony revealed VR already?

lol you missed out man..yeah they did. Project Morpheus is the codename


OT: I see a lot of people talk about hitting mainstream market appeal with the pricing etc. What makes you think that's their immediate goal in the short term? They could easily just be planning on aiming at tech enthusiasts at first and going for a mass market plan down the road...if they have trouble keeping the price down that would be the sensible thing to do too.
 

Hasney

Member
i have a feeling that Sony revealed it at GDC so that they could focus more on software rather than talking too much about tech that won't be consumer ready for awhile to come.

At least I'd like to think such things

Yup, and the fact that it was barely an announcement, just kind of "hey guys, look what we knocked up in our shed" type of thing.

Hoping games are the only focus at E3.
 
I reckon maybe Drive Club support? Or Gran Turismo?

Imagine sitting in a car with a VR headset and being able to look around the cockpit, and have full spherical field of view. Would be amazing.

EDIT: oh confirmed already? WOW
 

Linkyn

Member
In terms of hardware? Possibly, but not in the way that they're going to be reacted on. The only way anyone could show VR at E3 is if they'd been working on it for a considerable time themselves. You can't whip up something out of thin air within under 3 months. Even Morpheus is likely not going to hit markets for some time. However, it is conceivable that Microsoft is going for exclusive deals with one or multiple of the other VR suppliers.

In terms of software? Only for first party stuff. The point of them unveiling this dev kit at GDC is that it is unlikely we're going to see any meaningful games or applications coming out of it until probably at least late 2015 / early 2016. At best, I see smaller apps that showcase it, or added support for older games where it can be included in a simple fashion.

In general? Surely, but in the same way Occulus and Valve did. It's interesting tech, and with the right people behind it, it can greatly amplify a system's portfolio, but you also have to recognise that it is a rather niche product (although something like GAF obviously presents a hotbed of anticipation for these kinds of things). Most importantly, this early into Gen 8, and with a possible release still somewhat off, the main focus of both Microsoft and Sony should be their lineups for the remainder of 2014 and into 2015 right now.

As for Ninty, who knows what they're up to? If they are working on VR, they might show it, but they certainly don't care a whole lot about what the competition does, so this doesn't really influence their short term plans at all.
 

Wolff

Member
Probably. This VR thing and how it turned out seems very interesting. I thought it might have been a bad presentation and not be good enough, but it seems it didn't happen like that. I'll definately be looking foward to what they show from this thing, and unless it damages your eyes somehow i'm buying it.

Sony also has a shitload of games being made for the PS4, lots of them unannounced, so they can make an epic presentation with VR + this games.
 

Tsundere

Banned
They've been working on once since 2010, minimum. Maybe earlier. I would not be shocked to see Fortaleza, a project they intended to release in 2014, gets announced at the biggest gaming event of the year, that happens midway into the year.

Microsoft is going to show their hand at E3, or sooner.

Microsoft has yet to show their Kinect 2 hand... Gotta sell some software for that device right?
 
I think MS should be showing off new games and original IPs at E3.
They should stay away from VR and give people a reason to own an Xbone, not follow Sony's plan of VR.
 

sublimit

Banned
I really hope not.

I want to see new games in E3 and lots of them.Interesting,original games which are designed exclusively for the new systems and take full advantage of the new hardware's capabilities.

The last thing i'd want to see is gimmicks taking the center of attention in the conferences.That would ruin E3 for me.
 
I hope they don't dedicate too much time to talking about and showcasing their VR stuff. It's still just a prototype, and time would be far better spent rolling out those new, and maybe not-so-new, game announcements, chief among them being the re-reveal of The Last Guardian.

Less tech, more games - the mantra of E3.
 

TheLaw

Banned
I think MS should be showing off new games and original IPs at E3.
They should stay away from VR and give people a reason to own an Xbone, not follow Sony's plan of VR.

If one company announces something first, why do people think everyone after that are just following other company? These things just doesn't come out of thin air. Years of research goes into it. MS isn't following anyone, just following the market and what future holds. Something about AR/VR tech is in plan for this year from MS. And that's not because they want to follow Sony.
 

pottuvoi

Banned
The PS Camera specs are for the Eye, not the PS4 camera. Here's the PS4 camera specs:

1280 x 800 @ 60fps
640 x 400 @ 120fps
320 x 192 @ 240fps
They can also use different resolution/fps on each camera.
So 1280x800@60fps for accurate location and 320x192@240 for fast movement combination is possible.
 

Seanspeed

Banned
lol you missed out man..yeah they did. Project Morpheus is the codename


OT: I see a lot of people talk about hitting mainstream market appeal with the pricing etc. What makes you think that's their immediate goal in the short term? They could easily just be planning on aiming at tech enthusiasts at first and going for a mass market plan down the road...if they have trouble keeping the price down that would be the sensible thing to do too.
Its not gonna be cheap, but it shouldn't be massively expensive, either.

It should definitely be their goal to sell it at a reasonable($200-300) price and penetrate the mass market as quickly as possible, to encourage publishers to get on board and that will only happen if there's a decent size install base. This thing will die if there's not a lot to play on it, no matter how cool the experience is. People need to be encouraged to go out and get one.
 

Cheech

Member
I think people are forgetting that the point of the GDC VR reveal was to sell the thing to game developers, not the general public.

Using it as an E3 focus would be a horrific mistake, because the content would be awfully weak for a $300 device.

As somebody else mentioned, keep the E3 focus on selling PS4s and content for PS4 owners, not another gimmick device.
 

Into

Member
I am skeptical until there is a release date, marketing campaign and a affordable price.

I and everyone here has been hearing and reading about Oculus Rift with what feels like the last 2+ years, yet none of that shit matters in the end until someone actually goes commercial with it. Rift has no concrete date, commercial price or anything.

Its all smoke and wishes, dreams, promises and what not.

If Sony actually stands on the E3 stage and spends 10-15 min on showcasing some basic software for the "Morpheus", gives a concrete date worldwide and a price tag that isent 400+ dollars, then ill start believing.

I dunno what to think, on one hand, like the Rift, this could just be a promise with "TBA" written all over it, on the other hand they have done so much right recently with the PS4, reveal, pricing, spreading out software, its like they "get it", so maybe they will get this too and do right by it.

EDIT: Like Cheech above said, they are selling it to devs, which is the point of GDC, but i am awaiting for them to sell it to consumers in a few months.
 

kinoki

Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
If Sony is supposed to sell this to consumers they need some good software. Good software doesn't come from AAA studios at this moment. It comes from small-time developers with the right inspiration, aspiration and tools. Sony's first step for this is to bring the tech out in the open so that all developers, big and small, can allocate resources to it. Once a few projects are off the ground they're ready to show it to consumers. But it's better for the more in-depth consumers to know that it's coming so that the hype train can start moving too. Sony did the right thing.

And I'm glad this is one tech I actually can use, unlike 3D. :)
 

Tonidayo

Member
Guys, the stage where the vr was demoed was GDC, with D representing the Developers. This news certainly doesn't concern the Mass until a public reveal iincluding a price tag and a scheduled release date
 
Sony is going to have demos of the VR tech tomorrow. Unless Microsoft has something already in the pipeline there won't be enough time to react substantially.

Microsoft was probably already aware of this tech long before internet rumours started. I'm sure the two have a handle on each other's hardware and maybe software developments due to contacts and sources from within one another. Whether they'll directly react with their own tech remains to be seen; I wouldn't be surprised to see MS partner with Oculus and bring them on board.

So, are we getting some Morpheus demos today? Cool. On the first party front I reckon Everybody's Gone to the Rapture will be compatible, DriveClub for definite, Housemarque's next game (probably DN2), probably Guerrilla's next game and SOMA from Frictional Games too. Not that I'm expecting demos of all these today, of course.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Damn can they increase their time though?
They gotta talk about the PS4, the PS3 which is still going on strong, and the VITA. They barely have time for all 3, now this?

They could easily fill the time since most of their conferences are full of filler. Remember the 10 year long presentation of Book of Spells or the long speech by that guy from American Playstation ads who we mustn't mention again? Honestly they have decent content but the pacing is so bad you're bored 50% of the time.

Anyway on the subject at hand, I agree with those saying E3 will be too early for this. I mean the informed consumer will already know of it from GCD so there's no point is just announcing that it exists as we already know that it does. Perhaps they could have some demos behind closed doors to show some members of the press some tech demos but I doubt it will be on stage.

Also I wonder how easy it is to demo this on stage. I mean showing a trailer for a VR game is like a 3DS game, you can't experience the main differentiator without seeing it on the hardware itself so it just comes off as a standard trailer.I mean sure you could see someone with the headset on on stage, but the projected gameplay will not capture what VR is like with the audience. The concept is far more suited to the show floor than the stage.
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Can someone tell me how you showcase VR on an E3 stage?


They probably won't actually demo it on stage.

I think at E3 they'll give an update on their roadmap, might pin down a release window depending on progress, and will introduce developers to talk about their projects. There'll probably be a number of Morpheus-relevant WWS announcements at E3. Similar to the style of the PS4 PS Meeting, perhaps, where you had a developer out on stage, with some accompanying visuals in the background, but not necessarily live gameplay. Then close with an invitation to the press to try the games on the show floor for themselves.
 
I don't believe we'll see a lot from Morpheus at this E3. perhaps a mention at the end of the conference about the future of PS4, but nothing substantial.

That'll be E3 2015. They'll have both first and third party titles to show off at that point.
 

ViciousDS

Banned
The PS Camera specs are for the Eye, not the PS4 camera. Here's the PS4 camera specs:

1280 x 800 @ 60fps
640 x 400 @ 120fps
320 x 192 @ 240fps

damn sony thought this one out, Kinect being limited to 30hz/fps is going to be a big deal if microsoft ever wants to bring VR to the table.

It's obvious Sony planned the camera to work with VR device after the PS4 launch.


EDIT: Also now that I think of it doesn't Kinect have a 60ms delay for processing data as well?
 
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