Ted Price and Jason Rubin were pioneers at the start of the console video game business. Price started Insomniac Games in 1994, making games, such as Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank. Rubin cofounded Naughty Dog, maker of titles, such as Crash Bandicoot, in 1986.
Now they’re pioneering another new medium for games, virtual reality. Price is still at Insomniac, which is working on a new Spider-Man game and published two VR titles last year. Rubin is vice president of content at Oculus Studios, Facebook’s own VR game studio.
Price and Rubin did a fireside chat about a month ago at the elite gaming event, DICE Summit 2017, in Las Vegas. It may seem like old news, but I’ve finally had a chance to revisit the talk, which offered some good advice for VR entrepreneurs. It was a discussion full of lessons for making VR live up to its potential.
Please check out our GamesBeat Summit 2017 event taking place from May 1 to 2 on the inspiration between science fiction, tech, and games. Use Deantak code for 20 percent off. Insomniac’s Ted Price will be one of our speakers.
Price started out by asking what Rubin thought about slower-than-expected sales for VR hardware during 2016.
“You have to separate the promise of VR and VR year one sales,” Rubin said. “When it comes to the promise of VR, Oculus believes and I think the industry believes, this is the next big thing. This is the next computing platform. We believe in it. We think it’s going to happen. We are unwavering in that belief.”
Image Credit: DICE Summit
He added,”When it comes to year one sales, I think there is a disconnect between what the industry was saying — and I think we were pretty much all on the same page — I remember Mark Zuckerberg got up on stage and said this is a 10-year process. I’ve heard the same things from other hardware manufacturers. I don’t remember any hardware manufacturers going out there and saying this is going to be massive year one. There were others, peripheral to the industry, that were following the normal hype curve of technology — where before it is out, there is a giant hype for it, and when it comes out, it doesn’t do 100 million units. We are in the reality part of that curve now.”
After this period ends, Facebook believes there will be a massive growth phase, Rubin said.
What’s necessary to hit that part of the growth, Price asked. Quality has to go up, from the lenses to the refresh rate, Rubin replied. Content also has to grow up to suit the user. Nothing in the market really hits all the sweet spots yet, he said.
Image Credit: DICE Summit
The Samsung Gear VR is priced right at $99, Price said. It sold more than 5 million units. But on the quality side, it’s well liked, but it’s not driving long-term retention and excitement. Things like battery life and game quality still need work.
As for the Oculus Rift, “Quality wise, I think we knocked it out of the price.” The number one reason people aren’t buying it yet is the price, Rubin said. Oculus recently cut the price of the system and its Touch controls by $200.
“They’re both at different parts of the graph, and none of them have the content,” Rubin said. “It’s a fantastic experience…