VR isn’t dead. It was just taking a nap

@Atmos73 - The problem with 3D is that it wasn't all that great on a 3D television and a lot of the films weren't even done right. The proper 3D films like Avatar were good but to expensive to make according to the film industry. So then came a lot of crap 3D where 2D films were just made to look 3D. I also think television are to small for even for good 3D films like Avatar.

I recently purchased a Projector and I can guarantee if everyone owned a Projector then 3D would have been great. The problem being is that not a lot of people want to paint a room really dark and do everything else that goes with owning a Projector. I trust VR will succeed because it brings great things to the table and all you have to do is place it on your head. In time you won't even have a couple of sensors that are easy to setup and the resolutions with be better. That's why I say it can only get better and will succeed. I can't see why it wouldn't, unless it's because people are to scared to be in VR :)

Atmos73 said:

The problems with 3DTV is almost mirrored in VR. People complain about it being too costly to convert existing games. Cost of the hardware. Needing to wear a HMD.

Not true at all, thanks to Mobile-VR. People only complained about PCVR's cost. Mobile VR lowers the cost of entry to something overly affordable, especially if we consider a mere $20 cardboard headset that powers a Mobile Phone that people already own.

Even Console-VR's cost was bypassed since so many people already owned the latest PlayStation.

The problems with 3DTV do not mirror anything in VR at all. It was obvious from the beginning that 3DTV was just a cute fad; similar to buying shoes that have an air pump lol

I saw a $5 "VR headset" in Walmart last night. Was going to do a snarky post about that being the future of VR, but never got to it.

Regardless, PCVR is here to stay. It may remain a niche product (like joysticks and racing wheels) indefinitely, but it isn't going away even if Oculus, Vive and WMR all go extinct. Somebody will fill the demand among the flight/racing sim community now that the technology exists.

Edit: unrelated note: 3d TV's are still a thing. They aren't the next big thing and the hype is definitely gone, but they are still out there and 3d movies are still being made.

BeastyBaiter said:
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Regardless, PCVR is here to stay. It may remain a niche product (like joysticks and racing wheels) indefinitely, but it isn't going away even if Oculus, Vive and WMR all go extinct. Somebody will fill the demand among the flight/racing sim community now that the technology exists.
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I think you can't call the steering wheel and pedals or HOTAS scene as a niche - this is a dedicated aspect of the PC game market, with multi-million selling AAA title support and adoption, and fuels a multi-million Dollar business sector. Excluding movileVR and consoleVR, high-end PC VR can only be described at this point as a niche - with a projected sub-4m window of users / customers.

This argument of "PCVR here to stay" sounds like a variation of the "too big to fail" or "too established to die!"

I have to agree that the momentum seems to point to the continuation for PCVR, but off the main grid, in the indie scene. But that continuation looks like a incredibly niche backwater that will not see much AAA investment - the majority of the VR investment to continue in the standalone VR approach if it can survive a dip in support. 

For those that invested $3b into a single purchase of a operation that promised the establishment of a high-end PC VR route to mainstream adoption - that may be too bitter a pill to swallow, and considerable restructuring going forward will be inevitable. 

PCVR isn't too big to fail for any single company, I actually see a lot of them going bust. But I don't see the entire market disappearing until we start jacking into our computers matrix style. What's happened is we've hit a point where it isn't terribly expensive to make a VR headset, especially if the touch controllers and room scale are dropped (as those aren't needed for sims). The biggest issue with VR is and always has been the screens. Thanks to advancements in cellphones, that is no longer an issue. And so PCVR, for seated stuff, can always piggyback off of phone/tablet development. It would be a niche within an niche like that, but other devices exist just fine in such a space. TrackIR has been around for over a decade and fits that description nicely. Interestingly, I can see TIR finally meeting its demise thanks to VR. Not much point in a $150 head tracker when for a little bit more you can get a VR headset instead.

Atmos73 said:

Bethesda took the risk releasing a major title to VR and some Rifters stamped all over it’s flaws because it’s not an Oculus title. They are cutting their nose off to spite their face because VR is an industry not only consisting of Oculus. But sadly some would want to see all else fail for Oculus to win even if it drags VR as a whole down.

No buddy lets not go there because you and Zen are having another shouting match.

FO4 VR is getting ripped by both vivers and rifters.
The main reasons are shit interface, horrible controls, poor hand placement, the fact that its a DLC mod being released for full game price.

Doom was ripped on because of shit interface, movement controls were borked with instant kill teleporting, and hand placement from hell.

Those two games are hurting not helping the VR market.

BeastyBaiter said:

PCVR isn't too big to fail for any single company, I actually see a lot of them going bust. But I don't see the entire market disappearing until we start jacking into our computers matrix style. What's happened is we've hit a point where it isn't terribly expensive to make a VR headset, especially if the touch controllers and room scale are dropped (as those aren't needed for sims). 
....

I agree with the comment - but the devil is in the detail.

When being interviewed I go with a simple premise - true VR has been with us since the 60's, but the tech was too expensive and limited to achieve full engagement and adoption. The 00's saw the tech scaled down to an affordable and workable process, thanks mainly to the smartphone revolution, and the gaming community, prepared to support the adoption once again of the technology. So really the VR train was re-ignited by the HMZ, DK1 revolution - not started.

Now with the fruits of that labour we can say that Valve and Oculus VR re-ignited a passion for immersive entertainment and experience, and with Room VR / (HTC) Vive and the eventual CV1 we have achieved a level of engagement that is moving along. Sadly however poor management decisions have left us with certain trade and consumer bases cold to the idea of the technology, and some serious blunders in executive placement have alienated certain to support or promote the VR platform.

Part of those management miss-steps are being addressed in a new drive towards a more "plug-en-play" VR future that sidelines a lot of the PCMasterrace attitude to PCVR. The "muddy-water" that is the mobileVR scene has grown to a point that while Daydream seems to have stalled, WinMR looks to offer some interesting opportunities (the news of HTC ViveFocus pre-orders are impressive in its self). Regarding console, the success of Sony's PSVR speaks to the soundness of this approach, though the questions continues regarding XboneX's intransigence to get into VR (see the previous paragraph).

But from my perspective, the hidden winner of the VR re-ignition has been the out-of-home entertainment scene. The explosion in VR arcades across the scene represented by the likes of IMAX VR opening their fifth facility this year. The appearance of the VR Star Wars  exhibits (watch this space for a report from the London opening), and also the success achieved with VR attractions like VR Coaster is the cherry on the cake of proving how much more VR has to offer than the protective practices of certain individuals who failed to bully this scene into being a "niche".

A Happy New Year to All.

Atmos73 said:

RedRizla said:

@Atmos73 - The problem with 3D is that it wasn't all that great on a 3D television and a lot of the films weren't even done right. The proper 3D films like Avatar were good but to expensive to make according to the film industry. So then came a lot of crap 3D where 2D films were just made to look 3D. I also think television are to small for even for good 3D films like Avatar.

I recently purchased a Projector and I can guarantee if everyone owned a Projector then 3D would have been great. The problem being is that not a lot of people want to paint a room really dark and do everything else that goes with owning a Projector. I trust VR will succeed because it brings great things to the table and all you have to do is place it on your head. In time you won't even have a couple of sensors that are easy to setup and the resolutions with be better. That's why I say it can only get better and will succeed. I can't see why it wouldn't, unless it's because people are to scared to be in VR :)

I too own a 3D projector and love it. If I had my way all films would be filmed in 3D no questions asked. Like wise all games from now on would be made with a 3D option like Resident Evil 7.

The problems with 3DTV is almost mirrored in VR. People complain about it being too costly to convert existing games. Cost of the hardware. Needing to wear a HMD.

For me it’s a case of showing people with monitors that VR is better. If people think monitors are better game Devs will never go through the expense to add VR support.

All those people slagging off FO4 are only slagging off VR as a whole because other Devs will be watching and her is this the flack we’re going to get converting our beloved game if we get a few teething problems.

Bethesda took the risk releasing a major title to VR and some Rifters stamped all over it’s flaws because it’s not an Oculus title. They are cutting their nose off to spite their face because VR is an industry not only consisting of Oculus. But sadly some would want to see all else fail for Oculus to win even if it drags VR as a whole down.

I don’t like some decisions Oculus has made but I would buy their games if they allowed my HMD of choice to access their store. I can’t support a store if it locked up like an Alabama tick. 

Damnit @Atmos73 ;) I was totally with you (I love 3DTv both games and films) then you had to fall in the rift vive argument again

Fallout in VR is fab I fully intend to get it. My issue is simple . Either release a quick and dirty mod where items magically teleport to your hand, where controls are half baked *even on lead platform* and where 2 handed weapons with scope don't work. 

OR 

Do a proper job to give a AAA experience with full support where I can properly interact with the game world and charge a price to reflect it.

What people (not just rifters) are moaning about is being charged a 2nd time full price for a game they often already own and it being a half arsed money grab.
Don't get me wrong it's still a compelling experience but that it because the core experience is great. 

I do not believe the game has had full price amount of work spent on it and I am worried it will put off other Devs trying this again not encourage it.

I think VR will attract more people as it gets better. I wouldn't say VR is expensive though when you consider the latest mobile phone costs more to buy. But just like HD television and now Oled televisions as things improve people start wanting the next best thing. Resolution on VR headsets is something that puts some people off them, but in time that will change. VR is bound to get better resolutions in time and that will bring even more people into VR.

I'll admit that once I saw an Oled television, I was put off watching my HD television for a while. It's the same with VR for some people, they expect the screens to be as clear as their monitors. For other people though just the immersion is enough to forget about the Resolution, but I just know more people will hop on board VR once the resolution get better.

This is why I say it's here to stay because it can only improve. The television didn't die just because it wasn't in colour right from the start. Televisions also had crappy content to start of with but it didn't stop it growing into what it is today. Half the content on Television is a load of shite to me, but we aren't all the same and some people will like the stuff I don't like. It's the same with music and the same with VR content.. You can't just please everyone all at once.