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"The novelty wears off". Is this really a thing?

Wonko_C

Member
I hear this all the time in VR discussions. What baffles me is that people say it like that doesn't happen with everything else. Bought a new console? The novelty wears off. Built a new computer? The novelty wears off. New phone/TV/car/whatever? Guess what? The novelty wears off.

I'm so used to that "honeymoon phase" with everything new I don't even go through it anymore, so I guess I don't have that problem?
 

ANDS

King of Gaslighting
VR fundamentally changes how you play the game. If you aren't feeling VR then the novelty runs out and well that's that. The "novelty" of a more powerful console wearing off isn't really going to get you to stop playing games on the console.
 

Codes 208

Member
Yes. Once the nostalgia for a remake/remaster runs out and you realize that mechanically its a shit game, that would be a prime example of once the novelty wears off.

ex: once the novelty of playing OoT on a switch in portable mode wears off, youre quick to realize its a half-assed port
 
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kirby007

Member
With the current setups? I agree, untill you can do VR in the same marathon sessions as non-vr it will stay that way
 

Wonko_C

Member
Yes, it's a thing, and it happens with most things. First time in VR you get a huge dopamine hit, and then each subsequent time you use it, the dopamine hit is smaller, until it's barely above base level.
Back in 2017 when I first played PSVR I thought it was "neat" but not mindblowing. (Didn't trick my brain or that shit)

Over time it grew on me and now in 2021 I'm a fanatic who can't live without that part of gaming and expecting to buy two new headsets next year. So I guess I'm backwards, LOL.
 
VR is as great as it always was. However, there is a lack of games. It doesn't matter how cool the tech is, you can only play Half-Life, Astrobot and Beat Saber so many times before you need new, high quality software.

It's no different than any other console. The first year, you deal with a lack of software because you're excited for next gen games. But, after that, you'll get tired of it unless great games come out.
 

Wonko_C

Member
VR is as great as it always was. However, there is a lack of games. It doesn't matter how cool the tech is, you can only play Half-Life, Astrobot and Beat Saber so many times before you need new, high quality software.

It's no different than any other console. The first year, you deal with a lack of software because you're excited for next gen games. But, after that, you'll get tired of it unless great games come out.
This is more in line what I though about when people say "The novelty wears off": They just run out of games to play, and most just won't look for more.

And it's not like there is a lack of games to play, I already have more VR games than TV games in my PS4 library, and still have about 30-40 in my wishlist.
 
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Kuranghi

Member
Dunno about games but it sure happened to me with the porn.

Don't you get disappointed when you take it off and see your real life willy? No offense, maybe you have a 10-inch dong but I'm happy with my wilson and even I'm like this when I see some porn nobs:

Excuse Me Reaction GIF by Mashable
 

Dream-Knife

Banned
I have to be in the mood to play a game like Alyx. Plus it's not like you're just sitting there with a controller or M&K.
 

K2D

Banned
The problem with PSVR and the like has generally never been about novelty. The problem was with hardware, software and user interface. I WANT to wanna pick up the headset, but I can't be bothered. Mostly because I want a modern set of effing controllers, not 10 year old repurposed motion web cam accessories.

If Sony launched their next gen VR controllers today, I'd start playing VR again.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Don't you get disappointed when you take it off and see your real life willy? No offense, maybe you have a 10-inch dong but I'm happy with my wilson and even I'm like this when I see some porn nobs:

Excuse Me Reaction GIF by Mashable
Nah my little dude is fine even if it's not a magnum dong. What I feel disappointed about is using my +1000€ just to fap from time to time.

Maybe I should look into some games too, but I kinda feel that after Alyx everything is going to feel like a step backwards.
 

Kuranghi

Member
Nah my little dude is fine even if it's not a magnum dong. What I feel disappointed about is using my +1000€ just to fap from time to time.

Maybe I should look into some games too, but I kinda feel that after Alyx everything is going to feel like a step backwards.

I'm glad your happy with it. Penis happiness brothers! Wait that came out wrong.

Maybe you could add a nude 3rd person mod to Alyx and then it wont be as jarring a change from your usual watching habits.

edit - just saw you wrote after Alyx, in that case maybe try Gorn.
 
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Griffon

Member
VR has a future as a seated and chill experience.

Fb and valve promoting it with people standing and waggling about is horribly misleading (even worse when you know that standing leads to more motion sickness).

People saying the novelty wears off are half right: the novelty of having to clear up space to stand around and do big gimmicky movements does wear off very fast. But it doesn't mean that other kinds of VR games aren't worth it.
 

Kev Kev

Member
its one of the only things VR haters have left to say, now that VR has survived their so called "honeymoon phase" and is now thriving, and looking like its going to take the fuck off over the next 10 years.

cant fucking wait. VR has a very bright and promising future ahead

VR has a future as a seated and chill experience.

Fb and valve promoting it with people standing and waggling about is horribly misleading (even worse when you know that standing leads to more motion sickness).

People saying the novelty wears off are half right: the novelty of having to clear up space to stand around and do big gimmicky movements does wear off very fast. But it doesn't mean that other kinds of VR games aren't worth it.

this cant be said enough.

some people think of VR and only think of an empty room, standing up and moving around, waving your arms and legs around like a retard, etc. as fun as that is, thats not what most daily VR users do. maybe certain games youll play around with stuff like that for an hour or so.

but nearly all of the games i play on VR are seated with a controller. but instead of staring at a TV screen using a thumb stick to aim, im inside the game world using my head to aim (its absolute bliss how much more accurate and satisfying your shot is in VR)
 
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Fare thee well

Neophyte
There is kind of a 'new car smell' thing going on with any new game, system, or device. Eventually you will have to like said thing for other reasons when it does. The only difference between my older and younger self is I prioritize replayability a hell of a lot more. I try to look past the shiny catchy things as soon as I can.
 

MetalRain

Member
I have first generation HTC Vive, let's say there is some level of hassle before you get to play anything. Like updating games, loading controllers, setting up living room so that you have space, configuring virtual space in Steam VR. It can be easily be 5-15 minutes of setup for 30 minutes play session. One point is that level of comfort using VR takes some time accumulate and first sessions after taking long time off can be bit rough.

So my experience is that I have those honeymoon phases where I play maybe ten hours during one week and then I just stop playing. Then after awhile dust starts to accumulate on the devices and I collect them to closet. Then it takes a new game or miracle to get them back installed again.

Last year I purchased TrackIR and that kind of addresses this pain point I've had with VR: I have no VR fatigue, I can just clip the IR device into my headphones when I need it. I think it's better for "sitting VR experiences" like flight simulators and such.
 
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Chukhopops

Member
I don’t think the novelty of VR in itself wears off but there’s not a lot of variety in the games produced for VR, so at some point I ran out of things to play and I barely use my Rift S anymore.

And of course the wow effect of the first experiences playing stuff like To the top or Windlands 2 can’t be reproduced.
 

MachRc

Member
Yes, even with higher end PC VR sets, its going to start collecting dust after awhile.
Everything turns into a tech demo of sort. It all turns into a short experience as you put on the headset,
whether your spray painting in VR, ,making art, putting tails on cats, shooting zombies, slashing blocks even with great FOV FPS and resolution that makes PSvr look like a child's toy,
It doesnt feel good to stay in long.

TO me maybe its the isolation in VR that is causing it all.
Ive stopped using it, but my kid still enjoys recroom for the community.

utsHU9D.jpg
 
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TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
I'm glad your happy with it. Penis happiness brothers! Wait that came out wrong.

Maybe you could add a nude 3rd person mod to Alyx and then it wont be as jarring a change from your usual watching habits.

edit - just saw you wrote after Alyx, in that case maybe try Gorn.
Yeah that one looks awesome. I have in my wishlist since long ago but I haven't dipped in yet, same with Blade & Sorcery.
 

Paasei

Member
It hasn't even truly been a big thing, yet. Too early and too many gimmicky games/experiences over little exceptions that are worth it. I wear glasses, so I'm fucked either way.
 

IntentionalPun

Ask me about my wife's perfect butthole
I hear this all the time in VR discussions. What baffles me is that people say it like that doesn't happen with everything else. Bought a new console? The novelty wears off. Built a new computer? The novelty wears off. New phone/TV/car/whatever? Guess what? The novelty wears off.

I'm so used to that "honeymoon phase" with everything new I don't even go through it anymore, so I guess I don't have that problem?
Difference being VR is like a new concept.. the "novelty wearing off" for a new phone or console just means you spend less time w/ the new version.. and go back to your normal schedule of time spent on phones/consoles.

For something like VR; you didn't have "playing VR games" in your habits.. so if the novelty wears off, you what you might go "back to" is.. not using VR at all.
 
We're in a gaming generation where graphics will be far beyond that was ever provided before in the history of gaming and we have people saying "this gen doesn't impress me," why in the world do you think this opinion wouldn't be applied onto VR?

Humans are adapting to tech faster than we can process.

Two decades ago playing Snake on your mobile phone was impressive, now we bitch and complain how mobile gaming is a nuisance - though it has become very impressive.

Two decades from now we'll bitch about having robots working in our stores, but it sure as hell sound neat to hear about today.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Of course it's real.
I have vr headsets since 2013. I've sold first one after 6 months.
dk2 after 2 months.
Every another headset (cv1, rifts, quest, rift s again) I've all sold after 1 or 2 months because I was not using them
 

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
Maybe not the thread for this but Ill ask here because all the VR bros are in this thread.

I just picked up a Quest 2 this week and I’m waiting for a PC link cable, because damn it looks lo res and shitty on just the headset. Is it dramatically better running off a PC or should I return it?
 

Romulus

Member
Maybe not the thread for this but Ill ask here because all the VR bros are in this thread.

I just picked up a Quest 2 this week and I’m waiting for a PC link cable, because damn it looks lo res and shitty on just the headset. Is it dramatically better running off a PC or should I return it?

Which app or game have you tried?
 

Fredrik

Member
Maybe not the thread for this but Ill ask here because all the VR bros are in this thread.

I just picked up a Quest 2 this week and I’m waiting for a PC link cable, because damn it looks lo res and shitty on just the headset. Is it dramatically better running off a PC or should I return it?
It looks better linked up to a PC because the graphics settings can be higher on PC, and it looks better with a cable than over wifi because there aren’t as much image compression artifacts. But in the end, if you think the screen is low res you’re going to think it’s low res with or without a cable and PC. ”Fortunately” my eyes are crap so the resolution has never been an issue for me. VR is awesome when done right but there needs to be more AAA VR games.
 

DaGwaphics

Member
I think with VR the big thing is whether or not your brain continues to be tricked by the VR, transporting you into that scene. I know with some people they start to lose the added sense of immersion once they adjust to the 3d effect.

I think the pacing of a game is important, if the game keeps you focused the effect should hold.
 
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fart town usa

Gold Member
I played Super Hot in VR, my first ever VR experience last weekend.

It was fun, nothing too mind blowing but it was definitely cool. I'm actually interested in getting an Oculus Quest 2 for RE4. I had no idea the thing is all inclusive. I figured you needed a serious desktop that it connected to.

PSVR is so tempting for RE7 but my god, it's so effing expensive.

On a side note, my 3 year old niece was watching rollercoaster videos on the headset, lol. Just such a trip to see kids with such advanced hardware. I showed her and my 8 year old nephew Resident Evil on the Saturn and they were just laughing at it. "Hey, this looks like Roblox...that's a jump scare? That's not a jump scare...have you played Freddies?" Me: "Huh, you guys know about Freddy Krueger?" Nephew: "Who's that, he's not in 5 Nights at Freddie's..." lmao.
 
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TheSHEEEP

Gold Member
Definitely happened for me.
Played quite a bit when I had the chance, but then, well, the novelty DID wear off and all I was seeing was those super simplified games that don't hold a candle to their non-VR counterparts when it comes to depth of game mechanics.

Increased immersion remains, of course, but honestly I rather play another 100 hours of Total War than go for another Alyx playthrough (and that's supposedly one of the best).
I can see myself getting one of the newer VR sets, but I don't think I'll ever use it as my main method of gaming. The games are just too simple for me and the "whoa" of being able to move my hands and head just doesn't make up for that.

Can imagine it being pretty good for workout, though, so that might be a thing.
 
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Romulus

Member
Yeah that's really what it boils down to. It's a cool gimmick for sure, but still a gimmick. So yea, the novelty wears off eventually.


5 years in and if I play regular games and switch back to VR it feels like stepping into the future, it's that much more profound. But, I think there are some people that aren't sensitive to stereoscopic 3d. For me, it literally feels like stepping inside the game world every time I play. The initial shock was bigger, but it's still there.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
VR is a gimmick. It doesn't make bad games good.
I am starting to think that. I am always too lazy to put it on and have to deal with heat, sweat, bad hair, headache, terrible lenses, small fov and so on.
Once in every few years you might get Alyx which is like wtf.
But then I play Demons souls on oled, hdr at night up close... oh...
 

Romulus

Member
Definitely happened for me.
Played quite a bit when I had the chance, but then, well, the novelty DID wear off and all I was seeing was those super simplified games that don't hold a candle to their non-VR counterparts when it comes to depth of game mechanics.

Increased immersion remains, of course, but honestly I rather play another 100 hours of Total War than go for another Alyx playthrough (and that's supposedly one of the best).
I can see myself getting one of the newer VR sets, but I don't think I'll ever use it as my main method of gaming. The games are just too simple for me and the "whoa" of being able to move my hands and head just doesn't make up for that.

Can imagine it being pretty good for workout, though, so that might be a thing.


I think that's part of the problem. You probably wouldn't play Alyx another time if it was built for the ground up for your computer over total war either. But imagine Total war in VR where you can command troops, but also step into the action as a ground unit and see its full glory. Basically, it just needs more high quality variety for some people.
 

TheSHEEEP

Gold Member
But imagine Total war in VR where you can command troops, but also step into the action as a ground unit and see its full glory.
Games like that already existed - not in VR, but as first person. In the late 90s / early 2000s.
They all flopped because the concept doesn't work. Complex games require you to keep an eye on dozens of things all at once.
You cannot do some first person fighting while also doing all of that RTS microing - at least I'd claim most players would not be able to.

There's also the problem that VR only really gives added benefit for first person games.
In other genres, it can actually lead to a disconnect:
The way VR makes the camera work makes your brain think that you ARE the camera (or the person behind the camera) - while at the same time you are actually controlling a different non-camera-related character. I found that REALLY jarring, actively made me feel less connected to the actual main character.

While in again other genres of a more abstract nature, you could make those technically work in VR, of course (e.g. use your head to look across the map instead of WASD).
But what would be the point of that?
 
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