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Virtual Reality will be hard to sell

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VR

Virtual Reality, if you go by the buzz in the industry, is the next big thing in games. Many developers and publishers think so too, including current Epic boss, Tim Sweeny. Former Epic executive, Mike Capps believes it’ll be a hard sell – mostly because people do not like wearing stuff on their faces if they don’t have to.

Speaking with GI.biz, Capps said that having to wear glasses was the primary reason 3DTV didn’t take off – and a large, clunky headset is like glasses on steroids. Couple that with the fact that VR needs a rather expensive headset and a suitable powerful PC, and it’s something many consumers just aren’t going to adopt en masse.

“There’s so little tolerance at the consumer level for that kind of an investment,” he said. “I think one of the things I’m most curious about – you look at 3DTV as a super easy to use technology that is really unfettered. Just a pair of polarized glasses and people didn’t use it because it wasn’t worth the trouble.

“The content difference was there. 3D Avatar looks way better than non-3D Avatar… If slipping on a pair of flicker glasses, is too much trouble – then the idea of, ‘Ok I’m going to put on my head mount rig and fire up my liquid cooled PC in order to make it happen’ isn’t likely to take off.”

Capps is hopeful though. He hopes that VR does cause a revolution – even if it may take a while before mainstream consumers latch on to it. It’s a tricky thing, because any bad word about VR once it’s available to consumers and it’s over.

“Any reports of nausea and vomiting and it’s game over in a hurry, as Carmack said in his talk, ‘We ship a bunch of these Gear VRs and have an 80% return rate and everyone’s throwing up and then that’s the end. It’s done. No one’s going to buy it next round.’

“So please, gosh, guys, don’t screw it up. Take all the time you need,” Capps said.

He believes Augmented Reality – like Hololens or the improbable Magic Leap – would be an easier thing to market to the average consumer, even though it requires extra headgear as well.

“Just the fact that I could be using [AR] in the room with my kids, I could be keeping an eye on them while I’m playing, like I do when I’m on an Xbox, like I do when I’m on my iPhone,” he said.

“If I slap a headset on, I’m no longer dad. So there’s a huge number of use cases where people cannot afford to shut out the world even though it’s a wonderful way to maximize your entertainment experience.”

Current Epic boss Tim Sweeny feels that VR will succeed where 3D failed – because of its unbreaking immersion.

“Unless you are standing in one magical position, the moment you go beyond just a 2D image on a screen your brain circuits kick in that this is supposed to be reality and if it is not perfect it is incredibly jarring,” he said to GameInformer.

“With VR you are in that one magical position, your eyes are properly located relative to the screen so you have to control of each frame of the image for every viewer of the game which does not happen with a lot of people sitting in a theater and so it can be done perfectly.”

Last Updated: March 23, 2015

36 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief

    March 23, 2015 at 13:34

  2. Mistake Not...

    March 23, 2015 at 13:35

    I guess if it’s immersive enough I’ll go for it, but right now it still seems like a fad like PS Move or Kinect. Also, I’m not sure how I feel about being almost completely disconnected from outside the world.

    Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    March 23, 2015 at 13:40

    He’s right, I don’t think people likes things on their faces, especially Matty

    Reply

    • Blood Emperor Trevor

      March 23, 2015 at 13:41

      But then you get people like JJ…

      Reply

      • RinceThis

        March 23, 2015 at 13:44

        You leave him alone you big meany!

        Reply

        • Blood Emperor Trevor

          March 23, 2015 at 13:46

          Don’t try stir up trouble! He knows he’s my brother. North fo’ life yo!

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            March 23, 2015 at 13:53

            Northern monkey!

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            March 23, 2015 at 13:56

            Rather that than a Southern special!

          • Hammersteyn

            March 23, 2015 at 15:28

            Now who’s a meanie?

  4. Sageville

    March 23, 2015 at 13:44

    Until all that bulky hardware is about the size of Kim Kardashian’s sun glasses, the VR will be relegated to “Gimmick”….

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      March 23, 2015 at 15:29

      Bwahaha

      Reply

  5. Blood Emperor Trevor

    March 23, 2015 at 13:45

    VR is the cool toy all the devs want to make because it presses all the new, exciting, innovative, creative, etc buttons to make it. Unfortunately, very few people want to play with it.

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      March 23, 2015 at 13:45

      That’s what she said?

      Reply

      • Blood Emperor Trevor

        March 23, 2015 at 13:48

        No, she said the prefers VR to me. :/

        Reply

        • RinceThis

          March 23, 2015 at 13:48

          BURN!

          Reply

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            March 23, 2015 at 13:50

            That’s also what she said. How did you know? 🙁

          • RinceThis

            March 23, 2015 at 13:51

            She sent me the video?

        • Admiral Chief

          March 23, 2015 at 13:50

          Its the smell, right?

          Reply

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            March 23, 2015 at 14:04

            According to adverts women love Axe, so I use a lot. I don’t understand what’s going wrong.

          • Admiral Chief

            March 23, 2015 at 14:08

            Can a day? Might need to tone down a little there 🙂

          • RinceThis

            March 23, 2015 at 14:09

            I think it’s the fact you are spraying it directly into their faces. You are supposed to spray it on YOURSELF http://i.imgur.com/MrH7dsC.gif

          • Admiral Chief

            March 23, 2015 at 14:11

            YOH, pepper spray?

          • RinceThis

            March 23, 2015 at 14:13

            Damn hippies!

          • Admiral Chief

            March 23, 2015 at 14:17

            Well seasoned hippies after that…

  6. Ryanza

    March 23, 2015 at 13:50

    I still don’t get it…
    Are we asking for neck pain?
    Do I have to run around the house like a crazy person to play a game?
    Do I need to rent the paintball section in the jungle to have fun playing VR?
    Do I need to exercise before I can use VR properly because I get out of breath from just opening the fridge. A joke but still.
    Do I need Sylvesters Stallone’s neck to use VR?
    And how you going to know if your caught watching porn?

    It’s not the right time for VR. Don’t think it will ever be the right time for VR. The only way VR will be accepted is if they force us to use it. The same way they forced PC gamers to use DRM.

    Reply

    • Blood Emperor Trevor

      March 23, 2015 at 13:58

      “And how you going to know if your caught watching porn?” LOLOLOL

      I’d suggest a note placed discretely next to you. Or if VR will support notifications, maybe an email.

      Reply

  7. Uberutang

    March 23, 2015 at 13:51

    I am so ready for VR. It it the only thing that will force me to update my PC (since consoles is so weak sauce my 2011 era build is still kicking ass).

    Reply

  8. Brady miaau

    March 23, 2015 at 13:56

    Minority report computer systems. Like that.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      March 23, 2015 at 13:58

      ^This

      Reply

  9. Nahuel Graziani

    March 23, 2015 at 14:12

    I’m just here because of the header image. Is that guy jerking it to VR porn?

    Why is he looking up? WHAT IS DANGLING ABOVE HIS HEAD?!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      March 23, 2015 at 15:28

      Bags of tea?

      Reply

  10. CypherGate

    March 23, 2015 at 14:24

    If it makes things more immersive and most importantly FUN then id buy into it. I dont want to buy something like this that isnt any fun and doesnt do what it says it will.

    Reply

  11. V@mp

    March 23, 2015 at 14:44

    Hell, anything that can cover this face will only be an improvement. The only thing I’m waiting for is the price.

    Reply

  12. J_Joestar

    March 23, 2015 at 17:27

    well the head tracking 3D on the New3DS seems to work pretty well from demo units i’ve tried….

    Reply

  13. BacchusZA

    March 23, 2015 at 17:37

    I’ve been saying this for a while now, VR is going to be the best thing since sliced bread to some, and an interesting gimmick to many, at best.

    Flight sims, driving sims, things like Elite Dangerous & Star Citizen, open world RPGs like Skyrim, and perhaps FPS games are going to be mindfuckingly awesome with a VR headset, and you’ll very quickly get to the point where you wondered how the hell you managed without one for so long.

    For everyone else though? Yeeeaahh……. I struggle to see the appeal, beyond novelty value.

    Reply

  14. Tai Little

    March 23, 2015 at 19:01

    Can you really compare vr to 3dtv. It never really worked and have a lot of people head aches.

    Reply

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