I've been using TriDef VR for a couple of months on and off, testing it with various games, and I uploaded some test videos of gameplay on here and elsewhere.
It has been available solely to MSI hardware owners up to now, as MSI stumped up the cash for development, so they have an exclusive for trials until September.
After that, you have to buy a licence. However, unlike normal stuff, this is not a permanent licence - oh no, this is more like the kind of anti-virus or similar thing, where you are actually paying a subscription.
$9.99 per month, or $14.99 for 6 months or $19.99 a year.
Secondly - this thing is no better than TriDef 3D. It does exactly the same as TriDef 3D - gives you a 3D image on a screen in front of your view - just like at the cinema, or watching a 3D movie in Virtual Desktop, BigScreen etc. It is not VR. There is not even head tracking. There are also a lot of issues such as black lines (in Dead Island) for example, so it's far from perfect even for what it is.
Yet I paid $39.99 for TriDef 3D - and that's it - for as long as I want to use it. For this imitation-VR, after 5 years I've paid $100, provided they don't decide to increase it.
They can do what they like and I'm sure this will not be popular - just look at their forum for it to see how few people have shown any interest - but this pricing policy is likely to put off even the few who would otherwise have bought it.
My main concern is that this kind of pricing policy may become the norm. Would you pay a yearly fee (of this amount) for all of your VR apps?
Even if you have the money - do you think everyone else will? Or will it mean in a year or so it will just disappear?
I'd never pay for something that should be open source since it's not a VR native thing. There's plenty of customizable shaders projects actually working very well on github.
TriDef had a winning VR application back in the DK1 days, years ago. It was a lot easier to use than vorpX and offered a trial version so you could test the water prior to committing to a purchase. I used TriDef a lot back then and like everyone else who did, I was slightly bemused when the DK2 support was not forthcoming.
I'm not sure which joker has assumed control of TriDef since then, but surely logic portends that dropping out of VR development and then showing up to the game a year or two late with a subscription-based pricing strategy for an idea which has already established itself well in the form of Virtual Desktop, vorpX and SteamVR (which are either a lump sum payment or free), will most likely result in a timely second statement from TriDef announcing yet another gracious retirement from the VR scene?
Who's to say what inspiration drives their pricing strategy? Avarice, necessity, lack of market research? All I know is, as someone who once supported them I haven't missed TriDef thus far, nor will I ever if this is the best they can offer.
That said, if TriDef manage to pull their finger out and include full HMD VR support at some point then I would very much consider the yearly subscription.
We - at MTBS3D.com - are working on Vireio Perception v4, after 3 very early alpha versions last year we now get close to release the eventual driver. We will have big updates, especially also for Oculus. Can't promise when we release since now (vacation time) it's hard to say how much time we can spend for development. Vireio Perception is open source and free to use for everyone.
Until we get headsets with better resolutions, playing non-VR games within VR is not worth the trade off, especially for me since I 2D game in 1440p res.
We - at MTBS3D.com - are working on Vireio Perception v4, after 3 very early alpha versions last year we now get close to release the eventual driver. We will have big updates, especially also for Oculus. Can't promise when we release since now (vacation time) it's hard to say how much time we can spend for development. Vireio Perception is open source and free to use for everyone.
this is cool, i liked vireio back in my DK2 days, TBH i assumed you guys had moved on to pastures new..... glad i was mistaken.
will this have a big compatibility list or is it likely to be for a few key titles only?
thanks
Fiat Coupe, gone. 350Z gone. Dirty nappies, no sleep & practical transport incoming. Thank goodness for VR 🙂
My main concern is that this kind of pricing policy may become the norm. Would you pay a yearly fee (of this amount) for all of your VR apps?
Even if you have the money - do you think everyone else will? Or will it mean in a year or so it will just disappear?
If VR becomes a subscription based only service that requires a monthly or annual renewal, I'll drop it like a bad habbit. This stuff is cool, but it's a toy for me, I'm not paying a monthly service for a toy I hardly use at all. No way in hell.
indeed... i would hate subs, and the rumours are that is the way windows may go when windows 10 get phased out 😞
. there is one compromise on this.
imagine things stayed as they are now, but as an *optional* extra oculus offered a service - like EA access or PSN+ or Live gold - where if you paid a sub, you got access to selected games for as much as you want as long as you continue to subscribe.
for low intensity players this would not be worth it, but then those people - who i am one - would still go the old way of buying titles.... but those who play a LOT may prefer to pay say £15 a month if it gave them access to a library of content.
Fiat Coupe, gone. 350Z gone. Dirty nappies, no sleep & practical transport incoming. Thank goodness for VR 🙂
OMG! The worst news I read on this entire forum is that MS might start charging us subs?! I can't switch OS because of work, this is freaking BS! I'm sick of this world, we're nickel-ed and dimed to fucking death on absolutely everything.
