Nintendo: VR Isn't There Yet, We'll be on Board When it is

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Steven Bogos

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Jan 17, 2013
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Nintendo: VR Isn't There Yet, We'll be on Board When it is


Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime doesn't think virtual reality products such as the Oculus Rift are ready to hit the market.

Lots of people are getting pretty excited over Oculus's fast approaching Rift virtual reality headset, but Nintendo of American president Reggie Fils-Aime unfortunately isn't one of them. Fils-Aime says he can see the potential of VR, but doesn't think it's quite ready yet. He says that when it is ready, Nintendo will definitely be on board.

"For us, it's all about fun gameplay," Fils-Aime said at E3 according to the Associated Press [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e3-not-everyone-diving-headfirst-vr]. "That's what we want. We want a fun, compelling experience. Right now, the technology isn't quite there yet, in our view." Nintendo's own Shigeru Miyamoto was spotted trying out the Rift demo unit at this past E3, as you can see in the image to the right.

Fils-Aime went on to add that "Certainly, [VR is] something we're looking at," stating "We look at a wide range of technologies. When it's there and enables a fun experience, we'll be there, too." So, it looks as if Nintendo is going with the "wait-and-see" approach to VR, rather than diving in with its own competition.

Another reason Nintendo may not be too keen to jump into VR is the catastrophic failure that was the Virtual Boy [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Boy]. If any product was released with technology that "wasn't quite there yet," it was the Virtual Boy, so you can understand why Nintendo is playing this one a bit more cautiously.

Sony, meanwhile, is hard at work on its own virtual reality headset: Project Morpheus [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/conferences/gdc2014/11154-Hands-On-With-Sonys-Project-Morpheus-VR-Headset], while Microsoft has yet to weigh in with any sort of VR product.

Source: Game Spot [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-virtual-reality-isn-t-quite-there-yet/1100-6420488/]

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TheSYLOH

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Feb 5, 2010
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BigTuk said:
In short, when you're playing something like the occulus... you are basically blind to your environment, and perhaps deaf...
In other words... the state you want to be in when you got your hands on your $200 racing wheel/flight stick and a hardcore simulator on the PC.

I certainly don't see this working for most of Nintendo's style, but I see it working for sim heads.

Yes it's a niche market, but that niche has repeatedly shown it self willing to plunk down 3 figures for peripherals, It'll likely work.
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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May 15, 2010
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I honestly don't feel VR will really take off as anything more than a gimmick. It has interesting applications, I'll agree but as far as games go I'll say it does fall into the uncanny valley. I had opportunities to use various iterations of VR equipment that was in development in different periods, and each of those experiences were extremely disorienting.
I'm not saying it won't work correctly, but I don't think its going to be mainstream. Doesn't mean I think they shouldn't go ahead and develop these things, on the contrary this type of technology does have more applications than just gaming and I support the development of such.
 

Something Amyss

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Dec 3, 2008
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NO, they'll be a gen behind and then offer it in a package that's not competitive with the contemporary hardware, and it will be considered "innovative" because they once messed around with a single-colour headset back in the days it was completely impactical.

TheSYLOH said:
I certainly don't see this working for most of Nintendo's style, but I see it working for sim heads.
Yes, but will it reach a wide enough audience? Maybe I'm just speaking for my circle of friends, who can't put their phones down for three seconds, it seems like this is the opposite of what people will want.

Of course, they could integrate Facebook and Twitter and maybe people would never leave....
 
Sep 14, 2009
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Zachary Amaranth said:
NO, they'll be a gen behind and then offer it in a package that's not competitive with the contemporary hardware, and it will be considered "innovative" because they once messed around with a single-colour headset back in the days it was completely impactical.

TheSYLOH said:
I certainly don't see this working for most of Nintendo's style, but I see it working for sim heads.
Yes, but will it reach a wide enough audience? Maybe I'm just speaking for my circle of friends, who can't put their phones down for three seconds, it seems like this is the opposite of what people will want.

Of course, they could integrate Facebook and Twitter and maybe people would never leave....
you know I was going to ask if you had seen "gamer"...the social networking bit on that movie definitely would attract quite some people (especially the role playing part of it I'm sure.)

Also, put minecraft on there, and you'll have waves of people coming to it for that alone. I'm not a huge minecraft fan, but you can't ignore the ridiculous audience it has.

OT: Well no shit you will be on board when it is, nintendo has to squeeze every ounce of "innovation" out of everything it possibly can, regardless of feedback on it. Unless it becomes super cheap I don't see this being feasible for them with all the games they typically do, especially making it a requirement part of a console (easier to work with on a pc since that's where all the simulator games go, which is who would probably want this the most) but what the hell, would be better than the waggling dildo remotes last gen.
 

NuclearKangaroo

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VR isnt there yet but tablet controllers are?

ok that was a cheap shot, sorry

its their opinion, but they are going to miss out
 

RandV80

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Anyone else starting to feel that people saying 'I don't think x technology will be anything more than a gimmick' is getting to feel very hipster-ish?

Anyways, in Nintendo's case they generally don't make the sort of games that could make use of VR... but in my opinion if they could make a new Metroid Prime with it that would be absolutely amazing!
 

synobal

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Jun 8, 2011
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Well Nintendo I'd just like to remind you that Valve approached microsoft about helping to develop steam. Microsoft said that sort of technology was at least 5 years away. Valve released steam anyways and then five years later the orange box which has driven steam to be the giant in the digital distribution it is today.

If you wait for the tech to be there, you might develop your own product and find someone has already gobbled up all the market. Just look at Windows Live, Origin, and Uplay. They might sell stuff occasionally but they aren't steam.
 

Icehearted

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BigTuk said:
Devices like the occulus are a niche fad. A very nice niche fad mind you but seriously. They will be the domain of people who:

Who do not Actually require glasses
Don't mind wearing what amounts to a sensory deprivation hood.

In short, when you're playing something like the occulus... you are basically blind to your environment, and perhaps deaf...
To the first two sentences I say this was exactly how I felt from the start about the 3DS. The rest is kind of similar to how I feel even now; it's a limited gimmick for a niche. It hasn't been well utilized outside of adding an unnecessary or mostly irrelevant dressing to games, the 3D itself is iffy and easily broken. As they say it "isn't there yet".

Why that would stop them now is confusing, but outside of press like this I figure there's some hidden internal reasoning behind it, and maybe none too much of it about the technical aspects or limitations.

I see much more potential in this (despite facebook bullshit) than in motion control, stylus control, or 3D. I can imagine the total immersion in a lot of games I've enjoyed, this is why I loved Descent as a kid and wanted more than anything to really experience the cockpit. Mirror's Edge, Skyrim, Resident Evil; my mouth is watering at the things this could change (not necessarily improve, just change).
 

Nurb

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Dec 9, 2008
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It's true. The current VR fad is the same as the 90's VR fad, just with better visuals. It's all niche stuff.

Even when they develop full tactile feedback, it'll still be niche because a controller with buttons or keyboard and mouse, will always be faster, more effecient, and more accurate than waving your hands and head around to do the same thing.

Though the moment they can harness full feedback with a virtual world where you can be anything you want and R34 is possible, I'll buy the gear and never leave.
 

Darknacht

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May 13, 2009
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There are still too many problems with the current VR shit, its likely it will just burn out with out really anything worthwhile coming from it just like all the other times we where on the edge of the VR breakthrough.
 

Lunar Templar

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Sep 20, 2009
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NuclearKangaroo said:
VR isnt there yet but tablet controllers are?

ok that was a cheap shot, sorry

its their opinion, but they are going to miss out
I agree with Reggie on this, head sets like the rift feel more like a part of a greater whole we dont have yet.
 

Michael Tabbut

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May 22, 2013
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RandV80 said:
Anyone else starting to feel that people saying 'I don't think x technology will be anything more than a gimmick' is getting to feel very hipster-ish?

Anyways, in Nintendo's case they generally don't make the sort of games that could make use of VR... but in my opinion if they could make a new Metroid Prime with it that would be absolutely amazing!
I agree with both your points.
OT If you count the Virtual Boy as a VR Headset, Nintendo has already played the field before and burned terribly. If anything I'm predicting the Oculus to be a hit given the past with other innovations/peripherals.
i.e. The Powerglove being an early motion control thing, didn't work right and decades later the Nintendo Wii (while slightly wonky) was a huge hit.
 

Alterego-X

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Nov 22, 2009
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VR will absolutely be a niche, but on the long term I still expect it to be a bit bigger than the console gaming niche.
 

Rozalia1

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RandV80 said:
Anyone else starting to feel that people saying 'I don't think x technology will be anything more than a gimmick' is getting to feel very hipster-ish?
Err what? You got it reversed there, those slathering over VR are what you'd call hipsters.
Just like with 3D.

Alterego-X said:
VR will absolutely be a niche, but on the long term I still expect it to be a bit bigger than the console gaming niche.
So you're telling me they are going to get millions (10s to 100s) of VR goggles into peoples homes? In the span of what? 200 years?
 

Alterego-X

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Rozalia1 said:
So you're telling me they are going to get millions (10s to 100s) of VR goggles into peoples homes? In the span of what? 200 years?
I agree with their official analysis of the CV1 selling just above 1 million units, but it will have next generations much quicker than consoles do, each with more ways of being a self-evidently superior medium compared to TV screens.
 

Olas

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Dec 24, 2011
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RandV80 said:
Anyone else starting to feel that people saying 'I don't think x technology will be anything more than a gimmick' is getting to feel very hipster-ish?

Anyways, in Nintendo's case they generally don't make the sort of games that could make use of VR... but in my opinion if they could make a new Metroid Prime with it that would be absolutely amazing!
Yes, 100% agreed, all of the above.

People are throwing the words "gimmick" and "fad" around far too carelessly. VR is not a fad, the pet rock was a fad, the mohawk hairstyle was a fad, vr is a technology and even if it never catches on it will not have been a fad, anymore than Betamax was a fad. It's also not a gimmick. A gimmick is a feature thrown onto a device purely for the sake of making it stand out but with little to no relevance or usefulness. That's the dictionary definition, look it up, and VR definitely isn't a feature that exists solely to sell a product. It's a feature that exists for it's own sake, even if it ends up not being worthwhile to most people.

Now I find it somewhat strange and ironic that Nintendo of all people would say VR isn't there yet when they've been on the leading edge when it comes to new hardware ideas that had not yet been tried. A lot of people said motion controls weren't there yet with the Wii, and frankly they were right, but Nintendo was willing to try it.

That said, Nintendo is kinda the last bastion of local multiplayer and coop and VR couldn't be less friendly on that end.
 

BrotherRool

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Considering you need to produce two images at 1080p and 60FPS, it's not like Nintendo actually have a choice.