Do you think VR is a gimmick after you watched E3 2016?

I don't think it is a gimmick, not any more, but I do think it is still too early into this generation of VR to get excited. Though I admit when I see some of the stuff they're doing, it is incredible.

My only problem is that VR has been attempted before, at least twice in my lifetime, and it was a joke. This current attempt is the best I've seen so far, but again...still too early. If enough people are interested though maybe the attempts will continue and we will get some really good products. I'd love to see VR continue to develop and turn into something like Ready Player One (though maybe with not such a grip on society lol)

No, absolutely not.

I will never understand why people keep claiming it's a gimmick. It's not. The technology is right in front of our eyes, and yet, people still want to be cynical and go on and declare it a gimmick. VR is wonderful technology, and it's here. It's finally here. Why aren't people accepting this? You don't have to buy into it. The headsets are crazy expensive, so I completely understand that. But why declare it a gimmick, this early on?

I find that most of the people who declare VR a gimmick, are those who haven't tried it.

I think the problem with VR is a large portion of the population wants to see standard games "magicified" by VR instead of titles built around its strengths and that sidestep its weaknesses. So when they see less traditional games they scoff instead of seeing it as a new way to game.

I thought the VR showing was great, and exactly what we need: more mainstream devs making marketable games built around the tech. No megatons. Nothing that blew my socks off. But I think early adopters will be happy with what is available

I agree that this is the common misconception of VR. If it doesn't enhance existing games people can't wrap their heads around it, but what I've said on here over and over is that whether VR succeeds will be dependent on the new games that are made specifically (or exclusively) for that medium. People hated on mobile and portable when all they were trying to do was emulate console/PC gaming and shoehorn them onto PSP or touch controls. Mobile really took off when they started making games that work to the advantage of mobile/touch control.

Still, I didn't spend a lot of time this year speculating (or reading into the speculation) as to what was going to be at E3 but I was pleasantly surprised by all the VR news. It was a lot more than I expected, although a fair chunk of that was thanks to Sony which isn't necessarily a bad thing for mainstream VR acceptance.

-Byshop

Heck no, it's the direction that gaming is moving toward. Both Sony and MS proved that by releasing enhanced versions of their current hardware that supports VR.

There is one thing that I'm pretty sure that almost every person that thinks that VR is just a gimmick has in common: they all have not tried it yet. Videos and descriptions don't do it justice, you have to try it to understand and I have not heard of anybody that has tried a good VR headset like Oculus Rift or Vive (not some crap headset like Google Cardboard), call it a gimmick after trying it.

I was very skeptical of VR at first. Now however, the games just keep coming and even some big studios are getting behind it (Bethesda). I honestly hope I can make it to a demo of some sort at either BestBuy or Gamestop once they are set up. I probably won't buy it right away but I could see myself getting into it in the future now.

Oh I absolutely think it's a gimmick still. It's far too limited to very specific types of games/genres.

Wouldn't call it a gimmick but it's not the first attempt at VR so I see no harm in being sceptical.

But it is the best attempt so far at VR.

It's a bit of a gimmick, but gimmicks are not necessarily a bad thing. Look at the Wii, Kinect, And other motion control stuff. Not to mention 3D.

VR will never win me at any rate, everytime I've tried one, I feel ill.

It's not a gimmick, but it's too early for me to get excited about it.

can't blame people for not wanting to pay $500+ just to try it. And people will always believe what they see more than what people say, so when you watch livestreams and see all these bird games like Eagleflight and How We Soar, with more serious titles like FarPoint that look like dated shooters, it's hard to take it all on faith. Maybe a company like Sony can do some kind of bus tour where people can check it out for themselves. It's the only way you're gonna break through to the larger audiences at the current pricing and content level.

Im skeptical, considering I have seen it come and go a few times in the last 20 years. That, coupled with needing a large area to play in, high ass price point, and the limited type of implementation so far, I think it is warranted.

I think they just need to start getting these headsets out into Best Buy and Gamestop stores for people to try.

Agreed. It's really hard to understand why VR is worth your time without actually trying it, and most don't want to spend $400 or more just to try something.

-Byshop

Yes, for now. The games they showed had more to do with visual gawking than actual gameplay and any sort of depth.

It's always been a gimmick, this is what the third time vr has been attempted? I see many uses for it outside of gaming, but being pushed for gaming lol, its gonna die again.

I just read an article in a norwegian paper where a journalist got really sick after a few hours of testing VR. He was out after for almost two days because of motion-sicknes and other factors. If they can't get around that I think VR is another fad that will disappear soon.

@heljar: after I got my Vive, it took a few days of constant use to get my VR legs, but I'm generally one who is extremely susceptible to motion sickness. Now I'm adjusted to it, though some games with rapid movement still make me ill.

I find this will be the biggest barrier for VR right now. It will improve with with tech.

@MirkoS77: Actually, that journalist didn't really have any major problems before Oculus Rift. Guess the types of games ans graphics made an impact. He argumented he's a sailor and used to high waves on the open sea.

Guess we'll have to wait and see. Think there are still many factors besides motion-sickness that can cause discomfort with VR. I'm not sure there's technology to counteract everything.

I wouldn't call it a gimmick. It's an advancement in technology. Personally I'm not a fan and I hope gaming doesn't go down the path where it's VR or nothing. I can't see that happening though.

at its current state and iteration, vr is just a gimmick, we'll see what the future holds for it... imho ar is much more promising than vr...

Those 3D googles have nothing to do with VR and are getting in the way of VR. It seem too many are adding more to them than what they are.

I keep asking what does those anti-VR googles offer from more a practical standpoint as in without subjective like immersion. I have never good a decent answer. I see them do little or hurting game.

It's not a gimmick and has received more dev support than I expected at this point (considering the low install base at this point). However, I believe the tech is still far too expensive to be mainstream for 80% of the gaming populace, even the Sony headset. I mean $400 for the headset + a move controller and we don't even know how well PS VR will work with games that claim to support it, like FF15 and Fallout 4.

yep, kiosks or whatever they need to do to let people try it for themselves for free.

I guess the reason i feel like they need some kind of organized endeavor is that VR isn't something you can just set up and let anyone walk up to it on their own. Every time you see a set-up, there's usually some helper around to get you acclimatized/keep you from falling over, whatever. Stores are gonna have to do that, too, especially in the US where you can get sued for anything, and that means paying an extra body potentially. Stores like GS around me like to run with one or two people during the week and might just opt out of kiosks.

I don't think it's a gimmick either, it's just way too early for anyone but enthusiasts to get into. Kinda like the first consoles that only played pong or whatever. I'm very excited for VR, but won't be getting into it until it's 2nd or maybe even 3rd generation.

Not a gimmick in my book. While it's a young tech with plenty of room to grown, once you play a games like Audioshield, Vanishing Realms, Tilt Brush (sorry, I only own a Vive, haven't tried the Rift) you really can see the possibilities of VR. It's sort of in that Sega CD stage right now. The first gen games on CD were really limited on what they could do well (Sewer Shark anyone?). But as time with the tech goes on, it's only going to get better and cheaper which I believe will help it become more mainstream.

Seems like the majority of people are positive to VR, i personally don't look at it as a gimmick and it most likely wont be a gimmick. It's to much marketing power behind it that will bring this platform onto new hights. This tech will allow developers to be creative in a way that we have never seen before in videogames.

Yes.

Wow if this poll is a small indication of general sentiment, VR is in trouble. If half their potential customers feel VR is a gimmick, it's going to take a long time to become as mainstream as even 3-D was at one time.

It was a gimmick in the mid-to-late 90's, and it still is.

I don't think it's a gimmick, but I'm fairly sure that Sony is not ready to take advantaye of VR.

Some of the Vive stuff looks excellent, and I can see indie developers on the PC leading the way forwards.

Nope. Can't wait to try my PS VR I have on Pre-order.

@csward: If half the customers are positive to VR on the PS4 we are talking about 20 million out of 40 million potential customers, that is from my point of view a big jump into the mainstream market

I find myself in neither camp (and therefore didn't vote in your over-simplified "yes" vs. "no" poll). I feel like most people either think it's a complete gimick and waste of time or that it's like the second-coming of Jesus and is the future of all gaming. I think I sit in a more middle-ground. It will have to prove itself in order to catch on but it will not replace gaming as we know it. Much like mobile gaming took a bite out of dedicated-portable systems it didn't replace them. We've learned this generation that though we thought mobile gaming might have also been eating away at console gaming it hasn't done that either as this has been the largest generation ever.

TLDR: It is neither a gimick nor will it replace gaming as we know it, but if done well it'll offer another way to play.

Since so many company is moving to that I'm about sure it's good. I'll get one if I have the cash.

So does that mean we'll pretty much be seeing only first person games?

I'd take it a step further than that. Why does a VR game have to be divided between FPS and TPS at all? Yes, a First Person perspective in VR is more compelling for something like a shooter, horror, exploration-type game but try to think of it in terms of games that we might not even have a type for yet because it didn't make sense outside of VR. Take Fantastic Contraption as an example. It's a puzzle game in 3D space where you build machines to solve puzzles, but there's really no concept of an avatar (First or Third person) because you as the player aren't really controlling a character. TiltBrush isn't a game so much as a 3D painting program, but it presents a similar idea to how VR is used to interact.

When you start think of it in these terms, it gets really interesting. Honestly, I couldn't even begin to tell you the different ways that developers may start creating titles for VR because frankly I'm not that imaginative, but I can recognize patterns and I can see how different the wildly successful mobile platform games are compared to PC/Console games that came before mobile. Certain types of games just -work- better on certain platforms and mobile/handheld really took off after they embraced figuring out how to make great mobile/handheld games (i.e. iOS, Droid, DS/3DS) versus just making smaller versions of standard console games (PSP/Vita). A game like Fantastic Contraption is technically possible outside of VR, but as a game it wouldn't have "worked" without room space and motion controls. It's kind of like a 3D version of The Incredible Machine, but it's pretty different from anything that came before it.

-Byshop

I don't think the tech itself is a gimmick. It has a lot of practical uses, training for doctors, soldiers ect.

In terms of gaming, I like it more than I did before E3, but still think it's a gimmick. It's only going to be useful for First person games, and only truly fun for Horror and flight sims. Plus the fact that unless you use teleport, most people claim to feel sick when playing games where you attempt to actually walk around in an area. Teleporting feels like a HUGE step back, not forwards, and feeling sick while playing isn't something that can simply be fixed with better tech, and when it makes you feel ill, it's stops been fun.

It's also only a matter of time before someone plays a game like Fallout 4 on it for so long that they forget to eat and drink IRL and actually end up dying, those games can already suck you in, and make you lose track of time, so to virtually be there and not even see the real world around you, it's gonna be really hard to keep track, unless there is gonna be in game pop-ups every hour or so telling you to take a break, but then people will complain about breaking immersion.

I would rather wait for a Holodeck rather than get a VR, and yes I do find VR is a gimmick.

VR will be another kinect and Move controller.

VR is still in a stage where yes it´s cool and all, but no one expect the die hard fans, will spend the cash

So yes E3 did not change my mind on VR, it´s a fad that hopefully will die.

@battlestreak: Rationalization. If you can't afford something, you convince yourself that it sucks and you are better off without it.