The overall offering feels very different to SteamVR right now - which is a wholly games-based enterprise. Of course, much of that is down to the spec differential with the HTC Vive. The Rift has no 3D controllers at launch, so games based heavily on 3D interactivity are mostly non-existent. There's nothing as ambitious as Budget Cuts or Job Simulator on the Oculus Store. There are no 'walkabout' room-scaling games (at least, right now) because the Oculus camera is not as functionally rich as Vive's laser-tracking lighthouses. From what we've played so far, Vive's launch catalogue focuses on those strengths, while Oculus Rift is very much about the seated VR experience - which many may prefer. In theory, Vive can do everything the Rift can and more, but it's interesting to note a large degree of segregation in the launch line-ups of both devices, with only Elite Dangerous accommodating both. A software head-to-head will have to wait, for now.
But in the meantime, I can safely say that those who've pre-ordered the Rift are unlikely to be disappointed with the quality of the end product and the experience it delivers - VR is like nothing you've ever experienced before. It's been almost three years since I first took delivery of my DK1 Kickstarter unit. Back then, the hardware wasn't up to scratch, the experience didn't live up to expectations and I felt that Oculus had a real mountain to climb in turning what was clearly experimental hardware into a consumer-ready product. The great news is that Oculus has done it. The Rift is highly recommended, and I can't wait to see where this revolutionary technology takes us.
Meanwhile, I remember Jeff from giantbomb mentioning the VR pinball thing. I'd just be worried about your neck hurting after a while. It would be similar to real life but with the extra weight on your neck.
I actually wonder if there is a gentle grade game developers are going to need to be aware of. Traditionally in games we want to be the character that jumps out of an airplane, cuts the parachute, opens up the safety, lands in a river then launches himself backwards off a waterfall shooting guys on the way down. In VR that might actually make people cry.
The IGN reviewers on Podcast Beyond were talking about The Climb, where the goal is to just climb a rock face. It looks great, but if heights aren't your thing it could be terrifying. At least one guy said he just didn't like playing it because it was a bit much.
The IGN reviewers on Podcast Beyond were talking about The Climb, where the goal is to just climb a rock face. It looks great, but if heights aren't your thing it could be terrifying. At least one guy said he just didn't like playing it because it was a bit much.
Isn't that the point of virtual reality? Tricking your brain with technology, making it think that it is dangling from a cliff and any wrong move will make you plummet hundreds of metres to your death, when in actuality you are safe in your living room? If they replicate that sensation, I'd call it a success.
Isn't that the point of virtual reality? Tricking your brain with technology, making it think that it is dangling from a cliff and any wrong move will make you plummet hundreds of metres to your death, when in actuality you are safe in your living room? If they replicate that sensation, I'd call it a success.
It is the point, but I question how many are really going to want to be immersed in these experiences once they realize what it's like. I'm just wondering if game developers will dial it back at all.
Kinda figured things would go downhill with them after Facebook stepped in, making their home program constantly send data back to FB even when it's closed isn't surprising at all. I'm gonna wait on the VR train until the Vive is more accessible and hopefully cheaper
The reviews that the early games are mediocre doesn't bother me - Hard to expect greatness right off the start in emerging tech.
The fact that everything you do goes back to Facebook is both completely expected, and why Oculus is now on my do not buy list. Though I have no illusions that others won't be sending some data themselves.
Last edited by Resolute 14; 04-02-2016 at 04:31 PM.
This is kind of creepy! Given that Oculus can collect information about how you move and how you’re shaped. The Facebook-owned company can use your location and log your activity, and it can even do so automatically.
And on a related note, given that Facebook owns Oculus, it’s not surprising that the Terms of Service also include language that allows the company to monetize your experience: that is, after all, what the Facebook platform has been historically extremely good at.
What’s most worrisome here is that the emergence of VR technology opens up an new type of data for companies to mine en masse which can be collected efficiently. The fact that Oculus, the clear leader in the new VR marketplace, is setting this precedent could be dangerous for the future of the technology. Furthermore, as UploadVR noted, the Oculus Rift is a device that is always on (much like Microsoft’s Xbox One Kinect feature) which leads to further concerns about when the information will be collected. Who the hell knows when and where the NSA will get involved.
