wraggster
January 14th, 2014, 23:53
Some games running through Oculus Rift (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/pc/games/13276/oculus-rift/) and other virtual reality platforms may come at a premium price, Oculus VR's CEO has postulated.
CEO Brendan Iribe told GamesIndustry International (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-01-13-oculus-games-may-command-a-premium-price) that consumers may be willing to spend more on VR experiences than they are on traditional games.
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3132/image_313261_460.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/viewer.php?id=313261&mode=article)"It's going to be up to the developers," Iribe said. "There will be some who make casual, simpler experiences - maybe bite sized. There are going to be indie developers that make bigger experiences. And there are going to be bigger teams that make really big experiences. ... And some that we've seen early prototypes of... Well, we've seen some that, boy, would I pay a lot to get that experience in virtual reality."
Iribe noted that the pricing of games tends to shift back and forth over time: most console games increased in price from $50 to $60 at the start of the last generation, but most mobile and downloadable games are much cheaper. The new experience of VR games will justify swinging back to the other side of the spectrum, Oculus director of developer relations Aaron Davies said, though it may not come all at once.
"The whole concept of charging a premium is somewhat outdated," Davies said. "It's not to say it's going to be upfront. It could be this is going to be an experience you get dialled into. We'll see how it monetizes. ... If you create content or an experience that someone is passionate about, you're creating a lifestyle for them. And they'll pay for that."
id founder and Oculus CTO John Carmack is working on first-party Rift projects (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/444335/carmack-working-on-first-party-oculus-rift-games/) to show off the headset's potential.
Earlier this week, Valve launched a VR beta for Steam's Big Picture Mode (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/445090/steamvr-beta-released-for-oculus-rift/) that supports Oculus Rift.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/445203/oculus-says-rift-games-could-carry-premium-price-tags/
CEO Brendan Iribe told GamesIndustry International (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-01-13-oculus-games-may-command-a-premium-price) that consumers may be willing to spend more on VR experiences than they are on traditional games.
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3132/image_313261_460.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/viewer.php?id=313261&mode=article)"It's going to be up to the developers," Iribe said. "There will be some who make casual, simpler experiences - maybe bite sized. There are going to be indie developers that make bigger experiences. And there are going to be bigger teams that make really big experiences. ... And some that we've seen early prototypes of... Well, we've seen some that, boy, would I pay a lot to get that experience in virtual reality."
Iribe noted that the pricing of games tends to shift back and forth over time: most console games increased in price from $50 to $60 at the start of the last generation, but most mobile and downloadable games are much cheaper. The new experience of VR games will justify swinging back to the other side of the spectrum, Oculus director of developer relations Aaron Davies said, though it may not come all at once.
"The whole concept of charging a premium is somewhat outdated," Davies said. "It's not to say it's going to be upfront. It could be this is going to be an experience you get dialled into. We'll see how it monetizes. ... If you create content or an experience that someone is passionate about, you're creating a lifestyle for them. And they'll pay for that."
id founder and Oculus CTO John Carmack is working on first-party Rift projects (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/444335/carmack-working-on-first-party-oculus-rift-games/) to show off the headset's potential.
Earlier this week, Valve launched a VR beta for Steam's Big Picture Mode (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/445090/steamvr-beta-released-for-oculus-rift/) that supports Oculus Rift.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/445203/oculus-says-rift-games-could-carry-premium-price-tags/