I'm fairly sure you can also add Outlast to that list. Games like Kholat or Vanishing of Ethan Carter look like they should work well with VR, but I'm not sure if the devs officially support it.

IIRC, I saw one set up at a Futureshop, I don't think they exist in the US at all any more. But, it was OKish, but he only reason I could think of to buy one at the time was if you wanted to be really sure that nobody was looking over your shoulder, because it didn't really seem to add anything else to the experience.

This is a very good point. Those of us who remember the introduction of the CD-ROM into the PC ecosystem also remember the sudden ridiculous overuse of FMV sequences in games, because panicky developers (or possibly executives) said "We have to use all that space for something!"

A lot of games (and other kinds of applications) were released around that time, the main selling point of which was that they contained an awful lot of data. This did not automatically make for better games however.

The same thing happened after the introduction of 3D graphics. Suddenly, a lot of games for which 3D was a drawback rather than a benefit were made in 3D anyway, just because it was "the next big thing".

No matter what, I'm sure we'll see a lot of "VR Games" that really shouldn't have been made for VR to begin with. The question is whether VR will survive this onslaught, or will, in the mind of the public, become synonymous with crappy games with unwieldy control schemes, and thus fade out of the public consciousness. I suppose only time will tell.

Yeah, only time will tell. Obviously the initial rush of VR games will (continue to) be mostly banking on the novelty of VR itself. I guess after that it will probably depend on whether it ends up being worthwhile for developers to include VR support, and whether developers manage to find compelling uses for the tech and/or good was of fitting it with pre-existing genres/conventions.

This isn't the first time people have tried a virtual reality program of some sort. I'm pretty sure it's destined to be at the historical significance level of "sideshow" or "something neat I saw at a technology fair".

That's what they said about the car and the television. :P

Personally I agree with you; I don't think VR is quite where those two I mentioned are, but it is a fact that the car and TV were widely considered 'fads'.

Well, at least cars actually DO something. They get you places. Fast. And TV is a way of receiving information quickly. But VR? I honestly don't see what you can practically do with VR, other than some form of psychological experiment/therapy or military simulation, both of which it's already BEEN used for. Right now, I'm talking about marketing it for home use. And the current definition of VR for home use is "strapping two monitors to your eyeballs and playing a video game".

Well let's face it, VR is the closest I'm ever going to get to a girlfriend.

If you're rich enough to buy that, a nice car, and a big TV, I beg to differ.

Well, virtually all games set in a cockpit are an optimal choice for VR. As for "non-seated" first person games - I remember enjoying some early demos (which I played on the first DK of Oculus Rift), especially those focusing on atmosphere. It's too early for me to tell if VR is generally the right way to go with them, though.

Anyway, I'm sure VR will not become a must-have for everyone but it's definitely here to stay and will at least find a persisting solid niche market just like most games set in cockpits and other peripherals for these kinds of games.

I was (and still am) somewhat torn when it comes to VR.

Sure, the idea sounds nice...but I think there's also a lot of hype involved.
And after reading some reviews, I fear, the VR-experience might be rather "headaches-inducing"...which would be a real bummer, as I'm already prone to these.

Nonetheless - I jumped aboard the hype-train.

But - while my new PC could definitely handle the Rift or the Vive, I went the third route: I pre-ordered a Playstation VR.

Main reasons:

- I already own a PS4, the PS cam and the move controllers. So all I need is the HMD (well, and some games, ofc.).

- the price...while I could afford any of the three systems, I am not ready yet, to invest € 699,- (+shipping & packaging (+ maybe taxes/customs)) for the Rift, resp. € 899,- (+s&p (+ maybe taxes/customs)) for the Vive.

Always considering, the whole VR-Bubble might burst in the near/middle future.

However - I'm willing to spend the €399,- for the PS VR, as this is a much cheaper risk, if this all turns out to be only a "storm in a teacup".

- if the rumors about the headaches turn out to be true - well, I sell the PS VR and be done with it.
I'm pretty sure, selling it won't be a problem, since it is the cheapest option --> can be sold cheap.

Heck, I might just give it someone as a gift...after all, it's "only" €399,-

So - yeah,...while I await my PS VR with some anticipation -hoping, it will be great- I'm still carefully pessimistic. ;o)

It seems doubtful that VR will fall flat in a culture with such a ravenous hunger for escapist experiences. The technology has been refined to the point of broad accessibility, and panoramic video content opens up enormous possibilities for new forms of entertainment, some of which we've been fantasizing about in science fiction for decades.

I probably won't be buying a headset until they start releasing low-latency wireless models that can output 4K for at least 3 hours. The progress so far is making me really happy though.

Good point. I could see how they could be a must-have peripheral for sims like Eurotruck Simulator or Elite Dangerous.
Dude, I was able to somehow find a wife. THere's definitely hope for you :P

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who think the compulsive use of 3D gaming was a disaster for some genres (most turn-based style strategy games come to mind).

Eventually VR will catch on, it's mostly a question of when they can get the technology good enough. There's tons of applications for it, but to date nobody really has it figured out.

I know that I'd love to be able to walk on the Moon or take a sunset stroll along the grand canal in Venice. Or take a few minutes at lunch to walk in a park to relax without having to spend the whole lunch time going to and from.
That's pretty much a given when the technology becomes more widespread. Not just from devs trying to cash in, but from figuring out how to best use the technology.