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HTC: There's a 'big story' regarding the Vive's launch games (TechRadar article)

TechRadar talked with J.B. McRee, Senior Manager of Product Marketing for virtual reality at HTC about stuff and before you read further I want to point out that TechRadar really really really wants to suggest it's about HL3 or L4D3, lol

http://www.techradar.com/news/gamin...y-regarding-the-vive-s-launch-games-1309114/1

A limited number of Vives will go out next month, with a wide release to take place before March 2016. But no matter how much spit and polish you put on it, Vive will be nothing without great experiences.

Valve hasn't just spent the last three years working on Vive and SteamOS - so what is it preparing in terms of software? "Thats one of the things we're holding back to reveal more information about but there's going to be a big story and we're excited to share it," says J.B. McRee, Senior Manager of Product Marketing for virtual reality at HTC.

Could it finally be Half-Life 3's time to shine? Maybe a new Left 4 Dead? It's hardly a surprise that nobody is saying more than that despite being so close to launch - HTC wants everything about the Vive to be a surprise.

"When we made the original announcement it was a surprise to probably mostly everyone," says McRee. "For us it was really exciting because, coming from smartphones, it's always been very challenging for us to bring a product to an announcement with people not knowing about it.

"It's difficult for everyone these days. So we know the excitement that we gained from that so we're trying to make sure we can try to do those types of things again so as we start to have these announcements and things we want to talk about we want to make a big bang.

"We're exciting to tell you, believe me."

"I think it's important for the industry for people not to be too terribly competitive right now, because in order for VR to be successful everybody needs to be successful - at least in the beginning.

"So we're not going out the door with much of a competitive aspect. We're obviously thinking about those things, but it's important for the industry for everyone to be successful, for the first products that roll out to deliver on a very good VR experience. That's a big weight on our shoulders, and we're taking that very seriously."

"Even though we're designing the hardware, Valve has say in what that looks and from a performance perspective how that works," says McRee - and it works both ways.

"We're very involved. Very, very involved. And there are things we haven't really talked about from a software perspective that we're excited to share as well, that I think people will be excited to hear."

HTC still won't comment on price, but we'll tell you now that it's not going to be cheap. "We're focused on quality of experience more so than accessibility and so it's important to us we get a very good experience," says McRee.

"Whether that means the price is impacted or whether that means the minimum spec is impacted, its not going to be a decision we take lightly. That's not to say if we release the minimum spec of one thing it won't work on lesser graphics cards, but that's what we consider comfortable. It may not be accessible for everybody. Nothing is ever accessible for everybody."

more at the link.

What's still left is to actually start making the announcements. December is near and still nothing. In a recent interview a HTC rep from Poland was talking about a Dec 8 event with Dec 15 launch, saying it'll launch in US, UK, Germany.., but nothing confirmed yet.

edit: so, here's the part where Valve Time say Chet said Valve will have one thing alongside the Vive this holiday: https://youtu.be/0qGj2elGw4k?t=381 Vid's from August.
 

Arulan

Member
I'm already planning on buying a HTC Vive, but not until I build a new PC next year, ideally around Pascal's launch. Whatever this is, it's going to make the wait all the more unbearable, isn't it?
 

Kurdel

Banned
Lets just cut this off at the pass

It is almost definitely not HL3

Sorry to burst everyone's bubbles

so-youre-telling-me-theres-a-chance-1436661150.gif
 
It won't be Half Life 3 or a new episode of Half Life 2 and if you delude yourself into possibly thinking so, you have no one to blame but yourself when it isn't. Just sayin'
 
Hoping for a new IP actually. If Valve is indeed making something. Chet said they are. But he didn't specify if it's a game, so could be something like Dota spectating too.
 

viveks86

Member
It's still coming out next month eh? Hmmm... I wonder if plebs like myself would even get a chance to place an order.
 

Compsiox

Banned
Hoping for a new IP actually. If Valve is indeed making something. Chet said they are. But he didn't specify if it's a game, so could be something like Dota spectating too.

I love how everyone instantly thinks Half Life or Left4Dead when it could simply be this. A new IP.
 

Durante

Member
Probably given the slower nature of the game mixed with the VR wow factor. However I can see motion sickness being a factor with all the drops and launches.
Given how big Valve is on zero motion sickness, a VR Portal game certainly wouldn't have drops or launches.
 
I'd be super surprised if Valve releases a big production game exclusive for the Vive, it just doesn't seem to gel with what their goals seem to be and would contradict all the low-key shade they've thrown at Oculus about exclusives.

Would like to be pleasantly surprised, though
 

Foggy

Member
My guess is Half-Life 2 VR or some kind of L4D spinoff. I would just suggest to everyone to assume you're gonna be able to get a Vive in the spring and if HTC/Valve somehow have enough for us peons before the end of the year, then we'll be excited rather than disappointed.

I'd honestly rather have a new Portal for VR than HL3. But that's me.

I'm having a hard time wrapping myself around what a Portal VR game could be like that would still bear the hallmarks of being considered a Portal game. Mobility to the Vive will most heavily lean on either room "blocks" to explore or doing the "blink" teleportation. I suppose there are ways to make it work, but I can't imagine it would be getting the most out of VR.
 

viveks86

Member
Is portal jumping that big a deal? RIGS is pulling off a ton of jumping around without issue. May be that too can be handled by putting you in some kind of a mechsuit?
 

jax

Banned
It's Half Life 3 and/or Portal 3

And for those of you who haven't tried VR (and likely hate it because you haven't tried it) there will be non-VR flavors of both games. Hence "HL3 is not a VR game". Cause it's half-VR.

This move will kill any momentum Oculus has.
 

Burt

Member
L4D3 co-op would probably be the best VR game ever.

You could single-handedly bring arcades back with that shit.
 

Grief.exe

Member
Could be interesting, could be nothing.

We know L4D3 has been in development for a while, but as others have said in the thread, that isn't particularly interesting from a VR standpoint.
 
First person shooters are horrible in VR, they will make people sick. That's why Epic's Bullet Train Oculus demo is all about standing still and shooting, and then teleporting somewhere else to stand and shoot. Anytime a VR game has a player turn when the player's actual body does not turn, that makes people sick. Some people more than others, of course, and for some people it can take a while to be affected. Note that when in a cockpit, the rule changes - a point of reference like a cockpit really helps, which is why there are going to be a lot of space sims and racing games in VR.

My point is, it would be a bad idea to introduce a VR device with a game that will make the majority of its players sick. And I'm sure Valve knows that, since their big selling point is the room-scale walking around normally.
 

Nibel

Member
There've been leaked images of L4D areas remade in Source 2 - I wouldn't be surprised if we saw either L4D3 or a remake of 1 and/or 2.

Portal? Half-Life? SP FPS, we off that
 

kiguel182

Member
It would be a bummer if they released Half Life 3 or Portal 3 as VR exclusive games since I probably won't own a VR device much less a Vive.
 
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