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EA: No plans to support VR for same reasons as Wii U & Vita
- Thread starter Tom Nook Sawyer
- Start date
Agent X
Member
I agree in that there are some great smaller developers leading the charge. At the same time, it's kind of sad that one of the largest video game publishers on Earth is snubbing the technology.
I don't think large companies like EA should toss in half-baked token support for VR headsets into some other existing game that's not well suited for VR, "just for the sake of it". On the other hand, it would be refreshing if a company of their stature would at least take a look at some of the projects that have been announced, and maybe offer some financial backing and publishing/distribution assistance to a fledgling developer with a promising product.
This too. I find it hard to believe that somewhere in the Kingdom of Electronic Arts, one of their existing development isn't at least experimenting with VR. They definitely need to get that experience before VR takes off.
I don't think they need to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into VR at the early stage, but on the other hand it's not good to be late to the party, either. Some of the big publishers dragged their feet to jump on the mobile gaming bandwagon after other smaller companies built their fortunes there, and are now scrambling to play catch-up.
I agree. Today's midgets can quickly transform into tomorrow's giants, and vice versa.
What?
Anyways, just like other companies are doing, they could always just make new IP's to fit the VR experience.
PSVR is not great at all, hardware simply isn't up to par. I'd be more interested in getting into the Vive or Oculus markets if I was a publisher.
Gear VR is fucking terrible for gaming. No phone solution will be even come close for 5 years at least.
IAmRandom31
Banned
poor EA, how could they ever afford to lose a little money to potentially boost hardware counts on products.
They really have nothing to gain by pursuing VR.
IAmRandom31
Banned
what do you own stock in EA or something?
makes no sense for a regular person to say something like that.
Mirrors Edge VR? Who wouldn't want something cool like that?
EA should stop being pansies, look at their bottom line and realize that hey, we can afford a small loss on a couple of products and in the meantime our games could push even more consumers toward this new tech. perhaps even build an early VR brand that consumers look forward to, upping our consumer likeness in our products.
I don't want Mirror's Edge VR? Or more accurately, I don't care for it or a technology that's largely inconsequential.
Mostly people that don't enjoy vomiting.
Except VR is a legitimate leap forward for the medium. It does stuff to your perception that you simply can't duplicate in regular games. It's a jump on par with 2D to 3D, not some garbage gimmick cooked up by companies desperate to push unnecessary hardware.
Anyway, I didn't expect it to take off quickly. The real movement is going to happen in the independent scene and it's going to make a juggernaut out of the first developer with a killer app.
Honestly, thus far that's exactly what it appears to be. Just another redux of the brief obsession of 3D tv gaming.
Aren't a lot of those Wii U sales front loaded? And the attachment rate on the wii u is pretty poor outside of ninty games.
MS is selling more than 100k consoles a month in the US alone. It's just about 2 years old now.
Willy Wanka
my god this avatar owns
Playing the "wait and see" game when it comes to VR adoption seems pretty sensible to me and I doubt EA are the only big publisher taking this stance. If consumers buy the hardware then the big publishers will follow.
Bear Force One
Banned
Joke post?
Catch 22 tho. Consumers need big stuff to drag them to it. And the majority of the consumers will be the casuals in the end (wii and Kinect spring to mind)
Mad Season
Banned
i still dont believe in VR. I agree with EA here
Professor Beef
Banned
3D IS a gimmick, though.
Lots of VR haters here.
It's not a huge deal with EA not making games.
AAA investment into VR at this point is unwise due to the size of install base and uncertainty of market... and if EA aren't bringing AAA investment into the game, then... it just doesn't matter if it's there or not.
At the same time, VR is a technology that speaks loudly for itself. People will quickly realize that AAA games are a mere drop in the bucket as far as content and potential goes.
It'd be like suggesting that the iPad or Surface Book needs the support of EA in order to do well.
No, it doesn't - and neither EA nor the companies making those products would believe that.
It's not a huge deal with EA not making games.
AAA investment into VR at this point is unwise due to the size of install base and uncertainty of market... and if EA aren't bringing AAA investment into the game, then... it just doesn't matter if it's there or not.
At the same time, VR is a technology that speaks loudly for itself. People will quickly realize that AAA games are a mere drop in the bucket as far as content and potential goes.
It'd be like suggesting that the iPad or Surface Book needs the support of EA in order to do well.
No, it doesn't - and neither EA nor the companies making those products would believe that.
BINGO.
InaudibleWhispa
Member
I think he's talking about the jump from 2D 16-bit gaming to polygonal 3D gaming.
StriKeVillain
Banned
I don't see VR playing a major role in gaming for a long while. Can't say I fault EA for their decision.
Professor Beef
Banned
Oh, that makes more sense.
StarStabbedMoon
Member
Remember when gaming platforms succeeded because publishers took a chance on unknown quantities and drew customers in because a healthy and varied game library was being built before consumers had ever caught on?
Yea, me neither.
Yea, me neither.
Jacksinthe
Banned
No.
Oculus, PSVR, AR - none of these are in the same ballpark as motion control. Motion control is the ability to do what you've always done, but not as well, IMO. Its a different method of input - that's it. VR is a new way to experience the content. It has the ability to create new game experiences unlike an input peripheral and everyone that has tried well done VR comes away wanting more.
This isn't something in passing, its the start of a new way to experience, to be placed IN whatever world it is be it a game, a medical simulation, training, etc.
EventHorizon
Member
That wouldn't be a very smart move. PSVR will have more that twice the market share of the Oculus Rift and Vive, combined.
As for your criticism of the PS4 capabilities look at this review of RIGS which begs to differ. Presence is the most important feature of VR. A Minecraft VR game would likely outsell any other VR game you could think of.
Not even for ME2?! Sonuvabitch!
If PSVR is bundled with the PS5 that might be possible
Bear Force One
Banned
Impressions of people that have USED it say it's pretty fucking great.
They aren't invested in VR tech, so they have no incentive to develop for it. At the end of the day they are here to make money, not to push some VR tech. Currently VR isn't a profitable place to spend money
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
I don't mind tbh. We need a serious number of great VR experiences to convince the public to try out the technology and spread the good words, and any bad VR experience can easily cause more harm than good now. Let the small and dedicated indie developers to shape the scene first.
Move is garbage compared to VR. It's not the same at all.
Well then you haven't been looking close enough.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
This is why I'm doubtful in regards to VR taking off. I don't see many publishers commiting to it.
No they really don't. I see this notion so often. As if VR is some sort of Bus approaching a station, and if publishers don't buy an advanced ticket, the bus will leave never to return and they will be marooned in some desert.
That's not the way this sort of thing works in real life. EA and publishers the size of EA can absolutely wait for VR to prove itself in the market and get 'going' before jumping in. They don't need to be day 1 in order to succeed in that market should it bear out in the future.
We have even seen this in the console market. The NES, PSP and even the Wii to a degree all saw slow but steady ramping of support from their launches until their deaths. At points after those machines proved their worth, many publishers were able to jump on board, pull out a few successes and do so despite not quite being there when the systems first started.
Heavy_D206
Member
I just read an article about how the NFL is looking into VR to create more immersive fan experiences.
If it takes off then EA will definitely jump on board.
If it takes off then EA will definitely jump on board.
Honestly, you just have to try it properly. Exiting a space station in Elite and jumping to another system is absolutely on par with the first time I saw Doom or Mario 64. Truly astonishing stuff.
VR is the real deal. It'll happen with or without the AAA dinosaurs.
IAmRandom31
Banned
well of course it isn't. It isn't even available to the public yet
i actually think software developers should feel a bit obligated to develop for startup tech with high upside if they have the financial means to do so. EA most definitely has the financial capability to develop strong software for the platforms and help consumers jump on board quicker. The fact that they are not just because there isn't a big enough consumer base yet, when its not even public yet, means they are cowards and only out for the profit. Which puts them on a very bad list of corporate entities I despise.
They are software developers and publishers refusing to publish software because it may hurt their bottom line a little bit. For fiscal year 2015 they have an operating cash flow of 1 billion dollars and pulled in 806 million in net income. They have the financial means to begin VR development but refuse because, well they are weak company.
They easily could, but they won't. They would rather wait for other, less financially capable companies to put in the hard work to get the consumer base up and then jump on when profits are easier to come by. A company like EA, worried about profits when a mobile product like Simpons: Tapped Out brings in hundreds of millions a year, is the worst sort in my personal opinion.
Yup. VR is basically an unstoppable new wave, and whether or not people adopt day one or not, it's sticking around.
XxRampage07xX
Member
I bet EA will change their mind once VR takes off.
Obviously.
wanderingprostheyltite
Member
Hope they hop aboard sooner than later, just the thought of DICE applying their wizardry to a VR experience has me salivating.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Lol at all these people comparing VR to "waggle or motion controls" and "3DTV's".
You people have no idea. It is an experience.
You people have no idea. It is an experience.
Bear Force One
Banned
And very little crow will be eaten. Most will pretend they were on board the whole time.
They are a company with shareholders. There job is to generate profits for shareholders. Just because they don't want to waste money on a tech that is still unproven doesn't make them weak. If they gambled on everything, they wouldn't still be in business.
Its a smart call on their part. VR is a very hard sell, as you have to get the consumer to try the headset and you can't demo it well.