Anyone who has perused a gaming or technology site within the past year has no doubt been informed of the upcoming VR boom. With so many virtual reality headsets and kits so close to release from Sony, Google, Samsung, Oculus, and others, 2016 will be known as the Year of VR. Virtual reality is one of the holy grails of technology; it has been dreamt of for decades and has existed for years in a very tight niche, but with this year's releases VR will finally be available to the masses and used in the comfort of the home. Right now all eyes are on Sony's offering: PlayStation VR.
On paper, the whole project sounds mesmerizing, albeit quite vague. PSVR is an add-on kit for the existing PlayStation 4, essentially a headset allowing the player to be fully immersed in the gaming world. It works in conjunction with standard DualShock 4 controllers (also perhaps the motion-based PlayStation Move controller) and the PlayStation Camera for head tracking. It is set to be released some point this year along with a host of VR-compatible games… and that’s really all we know. For a device set to release within mere months, there are many glaring points that are still unclear:
-What is the power situation? Clearly there’s some kind of hard-wiring or battery life to be discussed.
-How exactly does it connect to the console?
-Most of the “games” shown so far are tech demos, nothing that would seem to captivate for more than a single session. Perhaps more insight on the games themselves?
-If this supports (the currently discontinued) PS Move controllers, will they be re-manufactured for general purchase? Could this usher a resurgence in the Move system, maybe even new PS4 Move (not necessarily VR) titles?
-What is the price??! It can’t possibly be cheap, and many analyst rumors place the price above the cost of the PS4 itself.
There’s also the two main points that must be covered in any advertising/PR campaign, both have which gone unanswered:
-Who is the target audience, and what is the key message?
In other words, who is buying this and why? Why should I want this? Most importantly, why should game developers want to utilize PSVR, which will certainly drive up costs and time? What is the ROI, the return on investment?
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| Hz rate, low latency, blah blah blah. Hype without justification, so far at least... |
Now is an excellent time to reference this article’s title, and look back on video game history. This whole PSVR question mark greatly echoes an add-on from 25 years ago: the Sega CD. Back in 1992, Sega released a CD-ROM add-on for its Genesis console, allowing games to take advantage of CD-quality audio, data storage and other graphical tricks. After an exciting launch window, the Sega CD dwindled into obscurity and duped its early adopters, having been promised an exciting future of exclusive game experiences.
The Sega CD failed for many reasons, starting with price. A $300 add-on for a $200 console was a very hard sell, especially to the teenage market which relied on the graces of their parents’ money. The Sega CD also required its own power supply, which back in the 90s referred to a giant brick to plug in the wall (taking up the room of several sockets), next to the brick the Genesis required, and next to the plugs needed for the TV, VCR, cable box, stereo system… many gamers simply could not find room to plug it in! However, the Sega CD’s fatal flaw was in its game selection. It heavily banked on the new genre of FMV (full motion video) games, essentially movies requiring specific button presses at the right time that would guide the show along. Unfortunately this lead to games that didn’t quite feel like games, and on a console that graphically wasn’t up to snuff. Yes, the Sega CD could play video clips, but at a horrible frame rate and a dreadful color density. It was technology that arrived too soon. Other games were merely Genesis titles with a revamped soundtrack and perhaps an extra level or two. Nice, yes, but not at the expense of $500 plus the cost of games. Games did exist for the Sega CD that were truly exclusive, and took full advantage of the add-on and all its qualities, but these titles were much too few and far between. Sega barely mentioned the add-on after its launch, focusing more on the core Sega Genesis, and finally discontinued it in 1995.
Price, wiring, sub-par games, poor support. Hmm… noticing a pattern?
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| Sega's ads really laid it on thick. Sometimes this kind of marketing works, but sometimes... |
If there is one thing Sony is good at, it is selling hardware, and this goes beyond gaming. They’ve managed to sell hundreds of millions in electronics through the years: Trinitrons, Vaios, Walkmen, Xperias, PlayStations… but Sony also has a habit of abandonment. Their consumer electronics are updated and re-released religiously, killing support for the previous model immediately after their introduction. “Here’s the next new thing. Now here’s the next new thing. Don’t hold onto the old one, get this one now!” It is a common philosophy in the industry, but video games are a bit different. Game consoles have traditionally been designed to last several years, and PlayStations are notorious for their long lifespans. However their add-ons… it’s a whole other story. PlayStation add-ons are commonly hyped beyond belief, released at questionable prices, supported very infrequently with non-captivating games or marketing and then swept under the rug when they (understandably) haven’t sold enough to Sony’s liking. Remember the PlayStation 2’s Hard Drive? The EyeToy? How about the aforementioned PlayStation Move? Remember the giant marketing blitz for the Move just a few years ago, leaving us with a ton of peripherals, charging devices, regret, and only a half-dozen games that were really worth playing? (Many of which were old ports from the Nintendo Wii...)
Even the PlayStation Vita has received this treatment. The Vita is Sony’s current PlayStation handheld, but you would never know it. It too received incredible hype and a big launch, only for its sales numbers to not be in the billions in its first week (which of course they would not!). But instead of Sony building the Vita ecosystem and supporting it with software and advertising, they banished the Vita to the basement, a failure that never was given a chance.
Now, PlayStation VR is Sony’s golden child du jour. Hype hype hype, unclear details, but also now gamers who are aware of Sony’s patterns. PSVR has rightfully gained a lot of skepticism from gamers and analysts, who question its technological merit, game selection, logistics and of course, ROI for developers and consumers. In many ways, PlayStation VR is becoming another EyeToy, Move, and Sega CD combined.
Let’s not forget that back in the 90s, Sony was a prolific third-party developer for the Sega CD! They found invaluable experience working for the CD add-on that they knew was doomed so they could practice for their future CD-based console, the original PlayStation. It isn’t like Sony has no idea of the Sega CD’s sad story because they were a part of it! Wouldn’t they think of not repeating the Sega CD’s mistakes?
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| Sterility is the main theme of the PSVR's advertising. |
Sony’s VR has been in development for years, and only just now feels confident enough to give it a proper release. Well if they’re that confident about it then what is with the continued opaque secrecy? Hype is one thing, but details are another. What are they still scared of, and what details are they still trying to hide behind the sizzle reels and PR jargon? If deep down, the tech still isn’t completely there, then it shouldn’t be released quite yet. The Sega CD released with the technology dangling by a thread, and look how that backfired. If the games haven’t made it past the demo stage, if there’s no real way they’ve proved yet how VR enhances the experience and makes going back to TV gaming impossible, then maybe we’re still not ready yet. Many consoles and add-ons fail because the games themselves just didn’t come to fruition. Look no further than the Wii U for proof of that.
PlayStation VR’s fate can be divined by a statement as old as the gaming industry. Since when has an add-on ever been truly successful? The answer: never.
Good luck, PSVR.
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