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dead4sure
Up and Coming
April 27, 2013
Question

Do you guys kinda feel alone?

I mean this with regards to your passion about VR and the Rift.

I have been a gamer/geek my whole life and have many friends from many different backgrounds that are gamers or at least tech enthusiasts of some kind. The moment I became aware of the Rift I started to mention it to my friends and even new people I met thinking there would be some kind of universal response of "cool".

Weirdly not a single person has seemed remotely interested. To be honest I'm quite confused. Some of these guys even work in the gaming industry.

Well anyway this got me thinking about just how many people pledged enough for or ordered a Rift and realistically the number is a very tiny percentage of the population. Now clearly most people will be devs and it is only a prototype but I'm beginning to think VR is a lot less popular than I thought. In years to come will there be a small group of us fanboys running around in our own virtual world while the rest of the population sticks with Call of Duty 20 on their monitors? I highly doubt it but I do worry sometimes lol

Do you guys have any thoughts? Should I start looking for new friends? ;)

    66 replies

    MartinSchultz
    Up and Coming
    April 27, 2013
    Haha yeah, Some people can't see an upcoming revolution. When the iPhone came up in 2007, I ran around praising ppl that this will change the world. No one believed me... :-)
    Play Rift Racer @ http://www.decane.net/game/oculus-rift/riftracer/
    drash
    Inspiring
    April 27, 2013
    Yes, I encounter scoffing, eye-rolling, and "did he just mention virtual reality?" silences all the time. :)

    But, on a regular basis, I have been sending my friends short snippets of reactions, insights, realizations about how some game-changing aspect, etc. Once I actually get my Rift, I will be putting a lot of work into the perfect demo using all the tips out there and doing a tour of all my friends, family, and coworkers. This is OUR job! Getting the word out. You can't just drop the bomb on them and expect them to follow suit immediately. You have to tell a longer-term narrative using hard-to-argue facts, testimonials, and let them realize the emotional implications on their own at their own pace.

    If you're a developer, you can also help make the future of VR less lonely by lovingly crafting a compelling VR experience that gets people talking.
    Titans of Space PLUS for Quest is now available on DrashVR.com
    Dycus
    Up and Coming
    April 27, 2013
    Mass-market VR is still very, very new. In fact, there still isn't even such a thing as mass-market VR.

    Almost all the news outlets reporting on it are already aimed towards the kind of people that would like VR (Popular Science, The Verge, Engadget, etc.). There's been a couple newspaper articles, but it's not like everybody with an audience is reporting on it.
    It feels really popular because you're in the community, where everybody loves it. But in reality, very few people know about the Rift or perhaps see VR as a gimmick. Until recently, it kinda has been.

    You just have to give it time. I'm certain you won't feel so alone once the consumer version hits. :) Or even in six months, when there will be good VR games instead of just little demos here and there (which are a lot of fun, but I'm longing for a made-for-VR game already)!
    Anonymous
    April 28, 2013
    I didn't bother with talking to people about oculus rift. I just set it up at work. Let them try it.
    Karlgamer
    Up and Coming
    April 28, 2013
    I think it's the little boy who cried wolf.

    We've been promised VR for so long. Teased with it. It's been the next big thing so often that people have given up.

    It's a joke right. Like you can see some character in an 90's cartoon with a big black helmet on.


    It's going to take people actually seeing for themselves.

    I hope that the consumer version isn't much more than $300 dollars.
    ArneOdland
    Up and Coming
    April 28, 2013
    "dm18" wrote:
    I didn't bother with talking to people about oculus rift. I just set it up at work. Let them try it.

    Yep, seeing is believing for "them".

    Try giving a great demo and maybe you won't be so lonely.

    This new demo seems like as good place to start as any:

    Can someone with a rift test my roller coaster? now w/ sound
    http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=17157
    http://www.dbtv.no/?vid=2328907978001 (not in English but the reactions are great)
    ThothThe3x
    Up and Coming
    April 28, 2013
    Luckily I've been mentioning it to my gf so much that she's super excited for my Rift to arrive too, since she's a gamer. That helps a lot.

    Also, that picture from Sam and Max Hit the Road just nostalgia punched me in the face. Love that game.
    REDRUM
    Participant
    April 28, 2013
    Certainly not a single person I know really showed any interest in the product either, granted they haven't yet had an opportunity to experience it for themselves (nor I), even gamer-type acquaintances and friends showed little enthusiasm.

    I am sure that once the consumer product is finalized and hits the broader audiences that it will demand a lot more interest, hopefully Oculus will have their logistics in order by then! ;)
    Anonymous
    April 28, 2013
    I keep running into people mentioning Sword Art Online, and to be honest it kind of worries me. If you are so out of touch with the reality of what is possible with societies affordable current understanding of electromagnetism and nano engineering, then you are going to be greatly let down by the Rift. I am worried that people are going to get their expectations so high, only to be let down once again.

    The Rift is an awesome representation of realistic technology that is affordable, and a massive step in the right direction for Virtual Reality. I just hope people realize this while using it, or possibly forget their unrealistic expectations entirely.
    Grix
    Up and Coming
    April 28, 2013
    I don't really feel that way. In the start most of my friends were skeptics, but after seeing some of the latest demos and videos, their attitudes range from "kinda cool" to "holy shit awesome". Don't worry, people will get interested soon enough. When many people get their kits and start showing them around the popularity will rise parabolically.
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