Shatto of Pop Cults writes "Recently, at DICE, industry analyst Jesse Schell made a bold statement that shook the gaming community. He stated that releasing a game demo can cut the sales of the game by half. That got me thinking about game demos. Then I got to thinking about the demo for Etrian Odyssey IV, which I’ve recently played (and wrote about), and how he does have a point there… kinda."
Microsoft can afford to be a follower rather than a leader in the Virtual Reality space, according to the CEO of Schell Games, and that's not necessarily shortsighted.
Yea this is true. Microsoft have there ecosystem to let it ride.
VR is still very niche.
No reason to be number one of the pack right now.
It seems VR it's not the only place where they can afford to be a follower not a leader.
They once again have the best hardware and services in the business. How are they "following"?
Don't say exclusives... They just spent more money on developers than Sony has in the bank. The games are in the pipeline.
@RangerWalk267
As long as they are last out of 3 in the console race they are following, simple as that.
Have you seen Sony cell phones? Yeah, me either. Not a big deal if you are't in the market.
@Unspoken: Sony's Phones actually do well in Asian markets, that's why Sony's still making them, because people are buying them. MS also had a smartphone division. Had.
They want devs using their api, but their lack of investment outside their api has made it so the hardware makers are leading the way, and MS is kind of behind the curve on a lot of those things with their DirctX implementation. They have a better footing on the AR side of things, but they're still licensing a lot of tech from other companies to include in dx for that, and the current ar APIs arent well documented.
In reference to the article, yeah, MS has the money to be a leader, but their attempts at it so far aren't really showing they're trying too hard to compete. The longer they let it ride, the more chance someone else becomes more entrenched, and I wouldn't be surprised if other hardware makers join together to make their own multiplatform solution at some point. It's the most obvious way to proceed for the future of VR if it's going to make its way more into the mainstream.
when they made it faster than a RTX 2080 out of the box that was listening to fans.
From specs it looks like XSX has leading performance GPU, CPU, memory, and storage size.
@Neo On paper maybe but real world performance will favor the brilliantly design Ps5.
The question should be... People that purchased VR kits 1-2 years ago, do they still use the device in a regular basis?
you will have some that use it all the time, some that use it once in a while and then those that probably haven't dusted them off in some time. Personally I have owned a VR set since March 2016 (most recently with an Index as of last December) and I can say I use it several times a week.
I don't use mine as much because I need prescription lenses. For any game where you need to read anything, it just isn't enjoyable because I can't see the text. Butt once I get an updated prescription, I'll get these lenses and use it much more.
I think you'd be surprised. VR isn't a gimmick, far from it and the technology associated is ever growing. It will never replace traditional gaming or at least it won't for the next two decades but I know I'll still be going back to it multiple times a week.
I'd compare it to owning a Nintendo platform, it won't always be your first choice to go to and you won't be buying new games every week but there is a magic there that isn't available anywhere else and it's just something you want to have on hand as a gamer. I've been this way since the gameboy colour (as a secondary platform) and can totally see myself doing the same with VR for the future.
It won't hurt MS if they don't support VR at this time. I've been a supporter of VR since the Oculus dev kit days. The VR market is still not big enough at this time to really hurt XSX if they're not involved. The market certainly has a healthy growth especially during the release of HL: Alyx
The only place where they will be hurt by not joining VR, Is in the experience department. While Sony is gaining critical hands on experience making VR games, MS studios will have to start from scratch. Although it’s possible that MS will simply buy studios with experience. All in all, as a VR fan I’m disappointed in MS, but I can see how this strategy works for them.
They can hire people with the experience if down the line they do decide to get into the VR market with their own peripheral and games.
Imalwaysright
Yes they can, but the difference will be the same as let’s say Naughty Dogs, versus any Xbox first party studio. These studios, just like any other organization, are more than the sum of their parts. Bringing in talent is very important, but there are other factors than can’t be bought outright.
But of ms was involved with their vast amounts of cash it'd get to where it needs to be faster.
There's no easy money in VR and nothing is a given, THAT'S the biggest difference between Sony and ms.
ms struggle to make a decent new ip, they've tried to address that by investing in studios - still no guarantees they'll produce hit games.
VR development is the same thing, you've gotta approach development in a different way. Sony now has 4 or so yrs lead on ms in that area.
ms are going to be caught with their pants down once again, pony up the cash and start investing in an area that will only get bigger as time goes on.
No one expecting for Microsoft to come in a be the leader in the VR space, but rather simply have a place in VR.
If they can create such a big ecosystem for their games then why not also add to VR, helping to grow VR to more than where it is at the moment
People like to say that VR is niche, but so was crossplay but they brute forced others to also follow suit. Next will be their model of Gamepass that others may structure their service more like. Seems like MS does want to play since they can't lead the charge, but they can participate and help change the current VR landscape.
As soon as there's a XBox VR system it will be no surprise to see many who decry it as being niche, be the new heralds and we will hear them sing its and Microsoft praises.
You cant compare cross play to VR, thats like comparing a vacume cleaner to a hair dryer.
With cross play you dont wear a egg box size thing over your face while holding a controller in each hand, waving your arms around while looking around like a kid in a candy shop.
You clearly are not familiar with VR gaming. remember when a lot of older adults talked in the same way about gaming in general? Imitating what kids did holding the controller and making faces to make fun? Yeah.
I think he is familiar. VR is an enhanced form of gaming which has been around for years and still not fully adopted. What is video games an enhanced form of? And it's pretty much fully adopted. It will be niche for a while.
MS has invested in VR for Window's PC once that matures, they will bring it to consoles as well. Right now they are focused on their next gen system launch, gamepass and their 1st party output. No point in spreading themselves too thin right now.
Just wait when Half Life:Alyx releases for the PS5 and the upcoming VR camera mode in GTA VI.
You keep mentioning Vr in a the new GTA and at first it didn't seem likely but after thinking about it, it could happen.
It would only release on the psvr2. The current headset just isn’t powerful enough. Even then, we are talking years from now
Microsoft, HP, and Valve are currently working on a VR headset. So if they decide to get into the market... They would have Valve in their corner. Game over for my cheap PSVR plastic of a headset I own.
You're assuming PS is not working on a new Psvr, okay bro. So you think valve won't support the Ps5. Lol
If you check OCUK forums the people tell you that even first gen PC headsets are better than PSVR, though I've heard people say PSVR is decent.
Microsoft has not been a leader for a long time and most of the things they are doing is just being a follower so I am not surprised at all.
Yeah like implementing a robust backward compatibility system during this gen, they really followed Sony on that one.
Or adding first party games to Game Pass on release day, I also remember when Sony added that to their ecosystem before MS.
Getting Series X exclusives on the One for 2 years after release so they support it for longer, I also remember Sony announcing that and MS following.
Just because MS isn’t the leader of the ‘console race’ doesn’t mean they don’t lead in some areas, or that they’re just a follower
Replies(2)
Jesse Schell from Schell Games told Wccftech PlayStation VR 2 would be a 'Switch-like' VR device in his dream world, akin to the Oculus Quest.
It would have to have its own cpu/gpu which means it would either a) be really expensive or b) basically be about the power of a Nintendo switch - which is more or less an oculus quest. I have a quest. It’s ok for experiences, not for games. VR needs lots of power to not only get frame rates high (to reduce lag which in turn reduces motion sickness) but it has to render everything twice for stereo. Would rather just have a ps5 powered wireless headset. Makes more sense.
I mean the Quest can always be linked to your PC though, so they could always provide that as well for added horsepower. Hook it up to your PS5 and you can get more varied experiences, but you can use it on its own for simpler titles.
@Neonridr Quest can be linked to PC, but it's not very good. movements are very weird and delayed and you get black boxes when you move your head until they fully load. That's wireless or wired.
Because i'm not technically minded, please explain your theory even though what you say makes sence.
On one hand you are saying that VR headset needs alot of power i.e. built into the unit or your other alternative is for the ps5 to run it wirelessly. With the wireless option would you not have less power as its not built in?
As I said, i'm not technically minded so don't understand but i do prefer the wireless option for sure and will definatley purchase it again when it is.
Like i said before, make a successor to the Vita/PSP, and have it dock SamsungVR style into a headset. Just give the handheld a damn good screen, micriSD card storage, USB-C connection, and some form of L2/R2, and let SCEJ go wild on some action RPGs for it. It'll sell
I'm hoping psvr2 has major improvements in comfort. The first one is too tight on my head even at the loosest setting, it gives me a headache that's why I stopped playing. Combined with the motion sickness I could never get over it makes it rather unpleasant.
You must have a ginormous head. Sometimes some things were never meant to be.
Me? it feels really comfortable and i never get motion sickness.
Lol I actually have a rather small head but for some reason it creates too much pressure on my head with the back pad. Trust me I've tried to get over it but just never could.
I actually made this suggestion, a on the go device that looks like the hauwei VR(Sun glasses style).
Like I said many though to popularize this for the mature audience you may have to make this like other popular mobile devices phone/internet/GPS/ etc. Sony when you see someone take my idea dont say I never tried.
Until You Fall is a VR swordfighting game in Early Access. After trying the game out, OnlySP caught up with one of its creators, Jesse Schell, to find out more about the origins and ambitions of the promising project.
