Schell Games CEO, Jessie Schell, has an interesting perspective when it comes to virtual reality and the success it could see. In an interview with The Gamer earlier this month, the game developer said that “If Oculus Quest can’t succeed, we should just all hang it up” …well someone had to say it, right?
He said that “The main thing that we’re all staring at is how is the Quest going to do,” which would be a clear indication on what kind of adoption VR is capable of.
Schell is no stranger to virtual reality or the audience either. His studio is responsible for some of the best games the platform has ever seen. He and his studio have been releasing games since 2016. I Expect You To Die was made by Schell Games, and it is one of the most successful VR games to ever be released. The studio is currently working on PC VR game ‘Until You Fall’, and that game is also expected to make its way to the Oculus Quest as well. Jessie Schell knows what he’s talking about regarding virtual reality.
“You’re talking about a price point competitive with consoles, excellent tracking, wireless, if this isn’t enough to take VR mainstream VR will never go mainstream, and we should probably all just move on and do something else,” the developer continued. “That said, we’re big believers that this is the time this is going to happen. 2020 is going to be the real proving year.”
We have reiterated this point on our site many times. 2020 is going to be the year that we see if virtual reality is something that is sustainable. Even yesterday, we made our case on why virtual reality is going to be a bigger use in business than it ever will be for a gamer.
Virtual reality gaming is fantastic, but it is far behind console and even mobile gaming. Augmented reality gaming is something that is so inclusive that users often gloss over the errors, but VR is in a different boat. Because users are isolated for 100% of their time in the headset, each flaw is prominent in every aspect of the experience. Whether it be poorly made headset or a game with bad movement options, there are serous flaws to VR as a whole.
Schell isn’t saying that VR is going to die off. In fact, by his comments and the optics of the Oculus Quest sales, it seems he is saying the opposite. The Quest has been sold out from all major retail stores and the official store for some time. Facebook won’t ever release the exact number of headsets sold, but it is clear that they are in high demand.
Hardware sales don’t translate directly to mass adoption, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.
This is something the entire VR community will have to keep an eye on. How many people are going to use the Quest after they bought it? Does the Valve Index have a chance to help mass adoption? Half-Life: Alyx certainly thinks so. There is a lot that will play into VR succeeding (or not) this year. This is a topic that will be revisited often. For more VR news and community updates, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
