With devices like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR all pegged for a release in the near future, it is safe to say that this will change the landscape of gaming. Will it be for the better? We suppose we will have to wait and see, but in terms of gameplay it will definitely change the way games are played and developed.
However in an interview with GameSpot, Xbox boss Phil Spencer states that he hopes that with the creation of virtual reality, that it does not completely replace traditional gaming and that he would like to see both virtual reality and traditional gaming exist side-by-side as he believes that games, especially when played with friends and family members can be a social experience.
Spencer was quoted as saying, “I love playing games in my family room with my kids. I love people coming together and watching what’s happening on screen and laughing, and the kind of fun of what video games were always about.”
He also adds, “That doesn’t mean that can’t happen in a kind of socially connected VR environment, but to me it would be too bad if all gaming became people with head mounted displays on, headphones on […] for the sake of what gaming is, I don’t think that should be the only way people play.”
It’s an interesting observation from Microsoft especially since the Redmond company does not have any immediate plans to enter the VR market. In fact they seem to be going in a completely different direction with devices like the HoloLens.
Filed in . Read more about Microsoft, Virtual Reality (VR) and Xbox.