"Virtual reality is the future of gaming." Surely, you've heard this statement before from some game or hardware company's press conference or seen it on an ad. But, with E3 2016's major reveals out of the way, I have to break it to you:
It is the truth.
And, before you get up in arms over whether I've drank a big fat gulp of the Kool-Aid, I'm not speaking in hyperbole and this isn't simply "IMO", like the cool kids say. I'm just looking at the surprisingly long catalog of key, iconic entertainment franchises that have revealed their deep dives into VR gaming this week. I'll just list a few here:
- Resident Evil 7
- Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing VR Mission
- Batman Arkham VR
- Final Fantasy XV VR Experience
- Fallout 4
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew
- Doom VR
Somehow, various game development studios have convinced their publishers (or vise versa) to go whole hog on expensive VR technology, throwing their biggest properties into the mix. This point is key.
There are countless original VR games out there already since the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive landed earlier this spring, and they look incredible. But none of them yet have allowed you to become goddam Batman.
That's the magical difference that's going to seal the deal for VR; gamers will go where the coolest, biggest new games are, no matter the cost – eventually. (They hope.)
VR hardware manufacturers and big-time game developers alike have gotten into the ears of the publishers (or the other way around probably in some cases) with the idea that VR is the next technological leap that gaming customers will expect. And, it looks like – likely after putting a headset or two on – the publishers were convinced.
The expectations of VR couldn't be higher already – and rightfully so when you're strapping a $600 piece of plastic and silicon to your face.
It's safe to say that these reactions are neither unique nor unwarranted. But, with some of geeky entertainment's biggest names requiring us to strap on headsets to experience the next chapters in (or angles of) their stories, it looks like our fandom will be put to the test.
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