http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-04-is-2014-the-year-of-virtual-reality
I read this article earlier and I feel like the topic deserves a fresh discussion now that we're in the new year and all the next-gen systems are out. I also think this article in particular does a good job of describing the Oculus experience and what sets it apart from conventional gaming in layman's terms.
Like the author I got myself a dev kit a little while back and I was thoroughly blown away despite it's shortcomings. There are a myriad of issues left to be solved but the potential is astonishing, and personally I think Oculus is going about this the best way possible by letting the community have at it long before a consumer model hits the shelves for real. I bought myself an Xbox One and I've enjoyed it so far, but I have to admit it all seems a bit...stale, after playing with a Rift for a while.
With rumors of Sony announcing their own VR headset next week, and with the possibility of Oculus showing a new prototype, it needs to be asked. IS 2014 the year of virtual reality?
Personally, I think we may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves in the sense that, even if the Rift does hit in 2014 and is every bit as good as we hope, this is imo a NEW medium entirely that needs to be built from the ground up, and is going to take a little while to make it's way around and really get noticed. But this might be for the better. If it starts out as a dedicated niche that really provides a fresh, exhilarating experience that regular games just can't deliver no matter how well made (just like how video games themselves started out as a medium compared to both tabletop games and passive video entertainment), people's heads WILL slowly turn and minds will slowly open to the idea of strapping goggles on their head to play, and in another 5-10 years we can have a real, flourishing extension of gaming.
So, realistically I don't see VR taking off like wildfire in 2014, 2015, or even 2016. BUT I think that years from now, people will look back on 2013-2014 as the very earliest success that leads to an eventual massive industry. What do you guys think?
I read this article earlier and I feel like the topic deserves a fresh discussion now that we're in the new year and all the next-gen systems are out. I also think this article in particular does a good job of describing the Oculus experience and what sets it apart from conventional gaming in layman's terms.
Like the author I got myself a dev kit a little while back and I was thoroughly blown away despite it's shortcomings. There are a myriad of issues left to be solved but the potential is astonishing, and personally I think Oculus is going about this the best way possible by letting the community have at it long before a consumer model hits the shelves for real. I bought myself an Xbox One and I've enjoyed it so far, but I have to admit it all seems a bit...stale, after playing with a Rift for a while.
With rumors of Sony announcing their own VR headset next week, and with the possibility of Oculus showing a new prototype, it needs to be asked. IS 2014 the year of virtual reality?
Personally, I think we may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves in the sense that, even if the Rift does hit in 2014 and is every bit as good as we hope, this is imo a NEW medium entirely that needs to be built from the ground up, and is going to take a little while to make it's way around and really get noticed. But this might be for the better. If it starts out as a dedicated niche that really provides a fresh, exhilarating experience that regular games just can't deliver no matter how well made (just like how video games themselves started out as a medium compared to both tabletop games and passive video entertainment), people's heads WILL slowly turn and minds will slowly open to the idea of strapping goggles on their head to play, and in another 5-10 years we can have a real, flourishing extension of gaming.
So, realistically I don't see VR taking off like wildfire in 2014, 2015, or even 2016. BUT I think that years from now, people will look back on 2013-2014 as the very earliest success that leads to an eventual massive industry. What do you guys think?