The PC world tried hard to push VR. It would be great, game-changing and offer a whole new level to gaming. Except it dident. It ended up being a flop and only a very small fraction of gamers even tried it let alone regularly use it. But the question is why? Was it because no on wants to wear heavy, silly glasses? Was it the cost? With the heavy GPU and extra accessories, it just required too much green? Or is it the lack of titles? For every one VR game there are 40 non-VR games? Probably a combination of all three, but in the end VR is the supposed great technology that just never went anywhere.
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VR - The technology that just never made it
- Thread starter SPL Tech
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2008
Too early to write it off. We're still very much in early-adopter land with 1st gen products, and the mainstream push hasn't been made yet. I'd throw in PSVR as high end VR, as opposed to mobile VR, in that its capabilities are comparable to Rift. PSVR is shifting units. It is no surprise as pricing is lower for a runnable system. Well, with the very recent price drops maybe you could just about scrape a rift + PC system for similar cash now. MS are working with partners for a new wave of lower cost devices separate to that. As pricing drops, numbers will go up significantly. It will open up new areas over time. It was never about replacing what we do, but adding to it.
- Joined
- May 29, 2005
I think, as you noted there's a lot of things that have to go right for the system to be selling and take off. It's largely a chicken and egg situation -- nobody wants to buy the systems if there's no games/applications for it, and most companies aren't going to invest their time/money/resources in developing for a platform that has a very small/niche market.
As mackerel stated, I think it is a bit too early to write off. The current generation of VR headsets are getting cheaper and more and more pieces of software are coming out every day. I'd say that if within the next couple of years the marketplace hasn't changed much or become more attainable for the average consumer it won't go much further. That said, a lot of people do enjoy the Gear VR/Google Daydream type experiences. And the time that I have been able to play with my friend's Vive was really neat, but not $800 neat (and needing to re-arrange a room for the room-scale VR experiences).
As mackerel stated, I think it is a bit too early to write off. The current generation of VR headsets are getting cheaper and more and more pieces of software are coming out every day. I'd say that if within the next couple of years the marketplace hasn't changed much or become more attainable for the average consumer it won't go much further. That said, a lot of people do enjoy the Gear VR/Google Daydream type experiences. And the time that I have been able to play with my friend's Vive was really neat, but not $800 neat (and needing to re-arrange a room for the room-scale VR experiences).
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2011
- Location
- Republic of Texas
A guy I went to church with back in about '96 was working on his PhD in computer science, focus on VR. What he elaborated on at that time was that the hardware needed to accomplish the simplest demo was nearly room sized. Lots of cables to the helmet and gloves as well.
Any 'new' tech is usually developed as a toy at first. There are two basic realms of thought here. One, the engineers are basically starting from their first love, playing with cool mechanical things and making them cooler. With training (school) they become better at the techno side of their tinkering, and what they initially develop is simple, childlike playful toys, the "look what I did" stage of development). Two, any large corporation or investor is thinking of the future, not the present. That's how investing works. If a new product looks like a winner, the long term saturation into the market must begin with children who are both more accepting of discovering the world and new toys (and easily introducing their friends and kids to it as well), and will likely have their parents purchase them a new toy as opposed to older folks that tend to be more comfortable with the status quo. Watch any commercial and unless the folks presenting are selling Depends adult diapers or denture bond you'll see younger folks as the target audience.
VR is still in it's infant stages. Upcoming engineers are taking it to the next level toy repeatedly as new hardware and code is available to expand their vision of the next experience. Never ending. VR suits are already in the works that blow way past headsets. The eventual eyeglass-like VR 'goggles' are already in the lab, and they are predominantly envisioned as business or casual use toys. The real big deal hasn't yet been given the funding to go retail or even approach the masses. Think of a gap in development where the jump will be from big goggles to enjoying a fully immersive tour of Machu Picchu (virtually live including smells, tastes, but no lost taxi drivers unless you insist) without leaving your residence. The investors know that this is moving very fast and are having to rearrange their monies more often than they like. But such is the fast pace we live in.
Any 'new' tech is usually developed as a toy at first. There are two basic realms of thought here. One, the engineers are basically starting from their first love, playing with cool mechanical things and making them cooler. With training (school) they become better at the techno side of their tinkering, and what they initially develop is simple, childlike playful toys, the "look what I did" stage of development). Two, any large corporation or investor is thinking of the future, not the present. That's how investing works. If a new product looks like a winner, the long term saturation into the market must begin with children who are both more accepting of discovering the world and new toys (and easily introducing their friends and kids to it as well), and will likely have their parents purchase them a new toy as opposed to older folks that tend to be more comfortable with the status quo. Watch any commercial and unless the folks presenting are selling Depends adult diapers or denture bond you'll see younger folks as the target audience.
VR is still in it's infant stages. Upcoming engineers are taking it to the next level toy repeatedly as new hardware and code is available to expand their vision of the next experience. Never ending. VR suits are already in the works that blow way past headsets. The eventual eyeglass-like VR 'goggles' are already in the lab, and they are predominantly envisioned as business or casual use toys. The real big deal hasn't yet been given the funding to go retail or even approach the masses. Think of a gap in development where the jump will be from big goggles to enjoying a fully immersive tour of Machu Picchu (virtually live including smells, tastes, but no lost taxi drivers unless you insist) without leaving your residence. The investors know that this is moving very fast and are having to rearrange their monies more often than they like. But such is the fast pace we live in.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2003
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
VR much like 3D TVs solve a problem no one wanted solving. It’s become nothing more than a shameless attempt to move inventory. Crypto mining is organic and has room to grow VR does not
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2016
VR is still in diapers and ****ing em daily. First its over expensive, you need nice chunk of rig even to use it, library of games that supports it, is just small. Games that are VR only are in most cases VERY bad unresponsive and what not.
By my opinion they should have waited for few more years and release it then. Plus size of devices is just way too much, only PSVR is alright in that department
By my opinion they should have waited for few more years and release it then. Plus size of devices is just way too much, only PSVR is alright in that department
- Joined
- May 29, 2005
I think the commercial and experiences could be incredible. The idea of being in the front row at major sporting events or concerts, during a space walk, etc with full 360 degree vision that tracks your head movement would be pretty incredible.
Regarding crypto mining, I find it somewhat organic, but is still not for the faint of heart. It also for the vast majority of people is not profitable. And trying to explain how to send Bitcoin at this point is not as easy as it once was, and the fees are outrageous with hours until confirmation.
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2002
Definitely with you there. I actually had a purchase blocked the other day because of "low fees". 210 freaking satoshis/byte is now "low fee". The bitcoin miners and their greed are turning this thing into western freaking union.
As for VR? ...meh who cares. Like home 3D projection I think they need to find a way to lose the obtrusive headgear before it'll really take off. I'm not strapping a teevee on my head to play a game.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2005
- Location
- Oregon
Alive and well here. Sheesh, that's how I interface with my stuff.
