Oculus Will Be 'almost completely focused on gaming in the beginning' Says CEO

VRFocus - It’s no secret that there have been more than a few concerns from the virtual reality (VR) community about the direction that Oculus VR will take its Oculus Rift VR head-mounted display (HMD) following Facebook’s acquisition of the company earlier this year. That said, many of the these worries have since been addressed by the company itself, reassuring fans that immeadiate plans have not changed despite the deal. This week sees CEO Brendan Iribe reconfirm the company’s commitment to videogames.

[ATi_Elite]

............and then at some point Facebook will RUIN it!

Pop up ads in VR every 20 seconds.

Game crashing due to not recognizing your Facebook login

FB account required to use OC-Rift

FB retinal scanner and facial recognition, NSA is gonna love this one.

[ExPresident]

Define 'beginning'. Because in the article I didn't see how long that focus would last, which leads me to believe that it'll last until Facebook see's a need, desire, or usage figures showing people using it for something more than gaming to justify an immediate change of focus.

The fact that Facebook doesn't create nor publish the vast majority of the games that users here seem to go after tells me that gaming isn't their primary reason to purchase the Rift. Time will tell.

[aliengmr]

OVR has said from the beginning, even before Facebook, there is more applications for VR than just gaming.

The Rift will be for gaming as long as people buy it for gaming.

I don't understand the logic behind "FB is going to stop selling the Rift because it doesn't care about games". Because, somehow, its impossible to have schools or Nasa using the Rift at the same time gamers use it. How does that make sense? Is there some law of the universe that says "One can only make a VR HMD for one application at a time"?

There are many interested in the various applications of the Rift, but only one group willing to actually buy one, gamers.

Facebook wants to make money, period. Not selling the Rift to those who want it, hamstringing it with ads and logins, or making Farmville only, sounds like a perfect way to NOT make money.

[starchild]

You get it. Sadly a lot of people are irrational and nonsensical in their thinking on this topic.

[user5669510]

they already been talking to nasa. but people dont want to hear it. when sony announce theyre working with nasa for their vr everyone praised the high heavens.

[GarrusVakarian]

"Almost".

"In the beginning".

[Pandamobile]

VR is going to be a fundamental shift in entertainment.

Gaming is just the spark that ignites it.

[OrangePowerz]

"In the beginning"

Well that is reassuring.for the long term plans.

[Alabamarolltide1990]

Almost? You mean it should be 100% completely focused on gaming. I do have a Facebook. But I don't want ads or pop ups during gameplay. Sorry but the VR for PS4 is what I would get, if I get VR not sold on it yet.

[aliengmr]

So why wouldn't Sony put pop up ads on their HMD?

Because it would utterly ruin the entire purpose of VR.

So you've spend an enormous amount of money buying OVR and even more for them to develop the Rift, you then, turn around and make it so no gamers will buy it?

This actually makes sense to people? I'm still trying to find the group that wants VR pop up ads while playing Farmville, but its been tough. Its almost like they don't exist or something.

[colonel179]

I don't get VR. I haven't tried and I think it is a great experience when you try it for the first time. But isn't it like 3D where the novelty wears out after some time?

I am really curious to know how will Sony sell the VR headset. It looks like it might be an expensive setup, maybe in the $200 level.

Also the games. How much substance does a game for VR could really have? Will games for VR be more like mini games like most PS Move and Wii games were? Sony and Microsoft tried to implement motion gaming into 'hardcore' games and they mostly failed. Could it be the same for VR games?

[aliengmr]

In everything I've read it sounds like Sony isn't going to risk selling their HMD at a loss, so it might be more expensive in the beginning. HOWEVER, they might also be waiting for the Rift to debut and generate a high enough demand so they can do that.

For Sony games are likely to be first party and some indies. Their VR games are going to have to be specifically designed to run on the PS4 at a high frame rate/low latency.

As for the type of games, well, on the PS4, it really depends on how much Sony will support VR. In general though I think there are all sorts of VR games that could be made. Not just games with a first person perspective. The Rift will have essentially a bigger library (it already does) since hardware isn't going to be a limitation.

If Sony goes "all in", which I hope they do, then there's no reason not to expect some great stuff coming from them.

[x_RadicalAura_x]

Sure, focused on gaming... At Chuck E. Cheese's.

[Maxor]

The Rift haters obviously have never experience one first hand. In some game genre such as racing and flight sims it will be it will be impossible to enjoy the experience without one. It's amazing. The sensation of actually being inside the vehicle you're piloting is a game changer.