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Wii was also a fraction of the price for a console that multiple people can play including controllers compared to a single VR headset that doesn't include the

by n0us 11y ago

Wii was also a fraction of the price for a console that multiple people can play including controllers compared to a single VR headset that doesn't include the high end computer and technical know-how to set it all up. I wouldn't underestimate the impact of "social" gaming on wii's success, it was seen as accessible, casual, gaming at an affordable price. One of the unfortunate aspects of current gen consoles is that the games don't support single-console multiplayer for the most part. I have to leave an go home if I want to play destiny with my friends. With VR you can't really share the experience so it sort of loses the word of mouth type virality that came along with Wii where you might go to someone's house and play together. Instead it's a solo experience. Even if multiple people have headsets (even more money) you still aren't sharing in the experience in any way. The smartphone headsets are somewhat better, but still just kind of a neat trick. I don't deny that VR is plenty cool but the barriers for widespread adoption are just too high in every direction I look.

potatolicious 11y ago
I'm a fan of couch-gaming too, but the market has pretty much spoken clearly on that. The Wii was in hindsight in the same space as Guitar Hero and Rock Band - really cool social experiences that ultimately had no sticking power. Both were a flash in the pan (to the tune of a couple years rather than a couple months, but still very temporary), and both are deader than a brick right now despite attempts to resurrect it. But in any case, agree - VR is just too limited, too niche, and too expensive. Costs will surely come down, but by enough to get a huge install base? The Wii was dirt cheap compared to consoles of its generation, and even it couldn't sustain sales despite having a novel but niche experience. At $600-800 VR has absolutely no mainstream future, at $300? Maybe not even then. The PSVR is IMO the most realistic shot right now at mainstream VR - it promises to be cheaper than Oculus and Vive, and has a dependency on a medium-priced console as opposed to a high-end gaming PC. Even then, the all-in cost of PSVR is likely still going to nearing $1k.
jkaunisv1 11y ago
I think it's wrong to think of VR as another gaming system. It's more like a new type of computer, in that it's multi-purpose. It will be used for business meetings, design, art, sex, games and a whole lot more. So it's not $1000 for a gaming system, it's $1000 for a useful tool. The points you're making about shared experiences are somewhat valid in terms of, I'm not going to keep 4 headsets around so my friends can come over and play. But I feel like I experienced that problem with Xbox anyway, friends who only have 1 or 2 controllers. And once you do have multiple headsets, it's absolutely a meaningful shared experience. There are games where you can hear the other person talk, see their avatar's mouth move as they do, move around and play games with them in a made-up environment. It is so awesome.

by n0us 11y ago

potatolicious 11y ago

I'm a fan of couch-gaming too, but the market has pretty much spoken clearly on that. The Wii was in hindsight in the same space as Guitar Hero and Rock Band - really cool social experiences that ultimately had no sticking power. Both were a flash in the pan (to the tune of a couple years rather than a couple months, but still very temporary), and both are deader than a brick right now despite attempts to resurrect it. But in any case, agree - VR is just too limited, too niche, and too expensive. Costs will surely come down, but by enough to get a huge install base? The Wii was dirt cheap compared to consoles of its generation, and even it couldn't sustain sales despite having a novel but niche experience. At $600-800 VR has absolutely no mainstream future, at $300? Maybe not even then. The PSVR is IMO the most realistic shot right now at mainstream VR - it promises to be cheaper than Oculus and Vive, and has a dependency on a medium-priced console as opposed to a high-end gaming PC. Even then, the all-in cost of PSVR is likely still going to nearing $1k.

jkaunisv1 11y ago

I think it's wrong to think of VR as another gaming system. It's more like a new type of computer, in that it's multi-purpose. It will be used for business meetings, design, art, sex, games and a whole lot more. So it's not $1000 for a gaming system, it's $1000 for a useful tool. The points you're making about shared experiences are somewhat valid in terms of, I'm not going to keep 4 headsets around so my friends can come over and play. But I feel like I experienced that problem with Xbox anyway, friends who only have 1 or 2 controllers. And once you do have multiple headsets, it's absolutely a meaningful shared experience. There are games where you can hear the other person talk, see their avatar's mouth move as they do, move around and play games with them in a made-up environment. It is so awesome.