Any ever have trouble "selling" the idea of VR to non-techy or absent minded people?

[Rayvolution]

(Disclaimer, this was originally posted in this thread, but I thought it would make a good topic of it's own so I revised/reposted it!)

I can't tell you how many times I hyped up VR to people, and to
them it's just some dollar store gimmick. Even once they actually use it
they can't quite grasp the full scope of the technology involved to
bring this to life, it's just a "toy". It's like they think I picked it
up at the mall for 30 bucks or something. Honestly, it's almost
insulting.  

It's
usually not until I start explaining the price of entry and why the technology is amazing that they start
taking me more seriously, I'm surprised at how many people think VR is "just another goofy
3d glasses thing", and I'm just crazy for not waiting 6 months for the
price to go down to reasonable levels.

Of course these aren't
your normal tech-interested people, these are mostly just your run of
the mill average people. You know the ones, they're the ones when you
bought your fancy 42" 4k TV for 3 grand they told you you were ripped
off because their 62 inch 720p plasma TV was only $300. Some people are
just absent minded I guess.

I see it a lot in all new technology. There always seems to be a fairly large group of, dare I say, blatantly stupid/willing uneducated people out there who just don't understand the difference between things like a 4k IPS curved Samsung TV and a 720p generic plasma, a Canon 7D SLR Camera and a Kodak Point and Shoot, or the Rift and the 3D glasses you wear to the movies.

Anyway, has anyone else experienced this phenomena? Do you internally-facepalm as much as I do? 🙂

[Jose]

Don't try to "sell" the idea of VR to people like it's some kind of social movement or next big thing.

Do you remember back in the day, all the Apple evangelists going around saying you should "make the switch" and how Apple is so much better than PCs and it "just works". All of it was unpleasant and generates resentment.

When you try to "sell" VR, you are now basically this generation's Apple Fanboy.

Just keep your VR talk minimal, humbly offer a demo, step back and let them discover VR and generate their own opinions about it, whatever it may be.

By the way, if you're going around thinking that people are "blatantly stupid" for not accepting VR, chances are they're not actually rejecting VR, they're rejecting your shitty attitude.

All of this stuff is just technology. There are more important things in life. You're not going to give a shit about technology when you're old and about to die.

[Percy1983]

There was a VR bit on the gadget show in the UK, my mother in law watched it and wants a go.

[aimsopp]

I don't have my rift yet but every single person I talk to about VR become very interested in trying it when I get it. I work in IT for a pretty large company and associate with a wide range of age groups ( a call center). I've yet to come across disinterest in VR. Even weeks after explaining it to them and my excitement for it they keep asking me if I've gotten the rift yet. So I think it depends on how you present it to them. I'm normally very excited when speaking about it and it seems to get them excited also and they have no idea or basis to go off of other then what I'm telling them. I find it funny that what seems like 80% of the people I talk to about VR have never even heard of it or where even aware that this is currently happening in Technology.

[Anonymous]

Pretty much everyone I've gotten to try the Rift was converted on the spot - even the sketpics. Even my two nieces who are 12 and 14 loved it. They were using the Rift for 8 hours!  And one of them wants a rift now! And she's not not exactly a 'gamer' or anything.

[Rayvolution]

Lemming1970 said:

Rayvolution said:

I should probably add, I'm in my early 30s. My "Social Circle" is filled with people ranging from 20 to 50 usually. So unlike the younger guys here, I'm in that weird middle ground age where I can transcend into being friends with people who grew up before technology was every day life yet still relate to the "Teens/Young Adult" groups who live and die by their iPhones. It's possible I am just encountering totally different people than some of you younger guys are. 🙂

Should probably also be noted most of these people I'm using as an example tend to be over 40.

Steady now, I'm 46 and the biggest geek I know.

The over all price tends to kill it for most people. You say the price of the Rift, People tend to twinge a little, then you mention the top end p.c. needed and.........................you've lost them. 

A bit off-topic, but I feel bad for you guys over 40. You grew up in a generation where "Video games are for kids!". Dealing with that social stigma must of been really annoying. At 31, I deal with it sometimes. But it's a lot more rare.

(Story time!) 😄
I still see people even my age with that attitude, and it makes no sense to me. I had a friend years ago, who is a bit younger than me, told me in his mid early 20s (At this time) that "Well, now that I am married and have a daughter on the way my wife is pressuring me to retire the Xbox and start acting like an adult". I thought he was kidding, he wasn't. His wife figured "Adults don't play video games" and wanted him to stop entirely. He wasn't one of those gamers who just played games all day ignoring everything in life, he was a very down to earth responsible guy. Gaming wasn't a family problem beyond what his crazy wife decided it was.

The irony is he's one of the coolest, and level headed/mature people I know today. Last I spoke with him he was a 911 dispatcher. Surprise-surprise, also divorced. Turns out his wife cheated on him, they divorced, and now she's a full blown drug addict.

[Anonymous]

I am not bothered with it (anymore). I don't invite friends/people unless they are really asking for it themselves. I am 43. My wife tried the DK1 and found it an anjoyable experience but didn't bother to try the CV1 (which I didn't ask her to).
My children tried Luckeys Tale. The youngest (girl, 11) loves it and want to show it to friends when they come over.
I both showed them the Apollo 11 demo. They were awed by it, but (strangely to me) never asked me to try it (or another demo/game) for another time. This led me to the conclusiob that, yes most people are blown away by it, but found that one-time experience enough apparently.

[fullmelt]

I am 32 only got one friend to take VR seriously he bought the gear VR and note 5 years ago, and really liked it I thought it was cool being the first time trying VR. He is having a baby girl any day so I don't think he is ready to invest in a rift setup because he will need a new pc to run it but he wants it quite bad. Also wants it to be mobile because he is a teacher so he is waiting for the technology to do so.

[L_E_D_BLUE]

Yeah, this is why it isn't going mainstream. The sooner people come to grips with this reality the better.

[Choronzon]

You get a lot of 'It's just a toy' comments from people who know nothing about it, and who have never tried it. These people usually make fatuous comments after reading some general news story about VR.

Like @Jose said, it's a mistake to try to sell it as a social movement or share tool - it's essentially solitary, something you do by yourself. Facebook-style 'socialising' turns me off big time.

[fullmelt]

Well it is a toy to me, but I think desktops, tvs, monitors, projectors, quads, dirtbikes, motorcycles, cars, snowmobiles, boats, trucks, guns, vacation homes, are all toys to me. Its a very cool new toy, I don't work in it, and you play games with it so I would think its a toy.