Neon's Top 5: Why VR Will Fail

[Neon Streak]

Welcome, forum users, to my very first edition of Neon's Top 5! Where I list the Top 5 things about topics that are trending, or about my personal interests.

So it's now 2016-or as passengers of the Hype Train are calling it, "The Year of Virtual Reality"-and with it comes various pages on the internet talking about how it will change the future of video games, entertainment, sex....whoops! Did I say that last one out loud?  However, there are some people (*points to self*) that believe all this VR nonsense is overrated, and some believe it will never become a big success like people make it out to be.

Which is why today I'm bringing you:
The Top 5 Reasons Why Virtual Reality will fail in 2016...at least to me.

#5. It's Too Expensive
One of the primary arguments that people who love VR have towards people who don't is "You haven't tried it yet." Well, I'll tell you the reason why we haven't tried it yet: We can't afford it. Seriously, have any of you even seen how much these VR headsets cost? I sure have. Recently, the dudes responsible for the Occulus Rift have revealed the price for their consumer product to be around $300...and no, I am not trolling you, that's really how much the Rift's gonna cost ya. Don't even get me started on the prices of all the other VR headsets out there.

Look, I don't care how rich you creators are. No normal human being can make that much money in such a short timespan. Considering how the United States' economy is currently standing, you're just digging your own debt graves pal. To all you VR enthusiasts who wanna try this tech out yourself, better start getting a well-paid job or rob a few banks `cuz those $300 dollar or so headsets ain't gonna hit the Walmart clearance aisle any time soon!

#4. Peripherals and The Necessary Technology
Remember the Power Glove? How bad it was, both metaphorically and literally? If you do, you'll remember that all Mattel showed to the public was the glove itself-what they neglected showing you was the awkward sensors you had to place on your T.V.

So what does that have to do with VR, you might ask? Well, it's because VR headsets will feature the same clunky peripherals for it to work. For example, Valve's HTC Vive originally involved players sticking weird bar-code stickers all over the walls of their room for it to work. Since Gaben thought it would be too confusing for new players, the stickers were swapped out for a pair of wall-mounted cameras, which I feel is even worse than the stickers (I don't think the cameras are set to follow your every move, like most security cameras do.).

And what happens if you, say, lose one of those expensive peripherals or break it? Unless your that spoiled, bratty, tiara-wearing bully of a child who lives with a filthy rich family, your probably gonna have to send your bank account to Money Heaven.

Then there's the technology needed for VR to work. What kind of computer are you currently using to view this website? Chances are, it's specs probably don't match the ones needed for your Rift or Vive or whatever the hell you're using. To put it bluntly, you need to have the strongest and fastest computer in the whole wide world in order to get the full experience of VR. Godspeed, you magnificent bastards.

#3. Health Dangers
One of the Underlying problems with VR is the psychological impacts it will have on the human body; some good, most bad. Specifically, the effects of nausea. The primary reason why the Virtual Boy wasn't a hot seller is that it was prone to giving players eyestrain, headaches, and motion sickness. Unfortunatly history is known to repeat itself, as numerous people who tried out the Occulus Rift have also reported to have similar symptoms. Now I've heard that developers have found a way to fix the nausea...but I don't think they truly have-Nature has its own Game Genie.  

Not to mention that when you're in the Virtual World, you'll pretty much lose all connection to the real world. Oh sure, that road in Skyrim may look straight and clean, but chances are there's actually furniture, appliances, plants, pets, and even people that you don't notice on your VR adventure. There's a reason why Congress doesn't allow us to text and drive...

#2. Limited Uses
I'm probably gonna get flakked for saying this, but I just don't see how VR will change the world drastically, mostly because there's not that many practical uses for it. We already know about video games, but what about other types of media? I read somewhere that VR will let people tour the world from their home-yeah, because saving up money for plane tickets or cruise passports is sooo last year. If that happens, there's gonna be a lot of commercial airlines and cruise ships going out of business.

And Don't even get me started on Virtual Sex...*shutters*. Long story short, if you wanna make sweet love, do it with a real person.

#1. It's overrated
I remember how back in the early 2000s, nobody really talked about VR...now we can't seem to get everyone to shut up about it.  Everywhere you look, there's people who keep droning on and on about how they can't wait for the Rift/Vive/Cardboard/whatever, and frankly it's driving me insane!

Can we please stop hyping about Virtual Reality for just a minute? It's not gonna become mainstream in the same manner as iPhones do, and it probably never will for the next five or so years.

~~

So there you have it, the Top 5 Reasons why Virtual Reality will fail in 2016. Keep in mind that much like the six main characters of MLP: FIM, this list is not perfect. If you're the guy that loves VR, then good for you-stay you, because you're the best you can be. However I'm trying to convince new consumers to think twice before blindly climbing aboard the Hype Train, and see just how bad VR could actually be.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading this list as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you next time!

[[robo9]]

1) I'm fine with dropping $300 on a headset, especially since it's a fairly new piece of technology. You're acting like $300 is some sort of outrageous price that's out of range for the average person.
2) There's nothing intrinsically wrong with peripherals. Putting a couple of things on the wall is hardly a burden, and the sensors weren't the reason why the Power Glove failed.
3) If the worst side effect is nausea, I'm sure they'll be doing fine, especially since they claim to have found a way to prevent it. I'll take the developers' word over some guy writing a top 5 list with a MLP avatar.
4) Your argument for limited uses included several ideas for more ways the headsets could be used. Theres not anything wrong with it being used for solely video games either, there's plenty ways it could be implemented. Your lack of imagination is hardly an argument.
5) That's just an opinion, and a silly one at that.

[Gors]

One of the primary arguments that people who love VR have towards people who don't is "You haven't tried it yet." Well, I'll tell you the reason why we haven't tried it yet: We can't afford it. Seriously, have any of you even seen how much these VR headsets cost?

Technology gets cheaper by the year, it might be a little salty right now but it'll get better in a near future, probably

Then there's the technology needed for VR to work. What kind of computer are you currently using to view this website? Chances are, it's specs probably don't match the ones needed for your Rift or Vive or whatever the hell you're using. To put it bluntly, you need to have the strongest and fastest computer in the whole wide world in order to get the full experience of VR.

While owning a console yourself is indeed expensive, imagine this being tested in arcade centers. It could work - with proper equipment and peripherials. You just need to pay and play.

One of the Underlying problems with VR is the psychological impacts it will have on the human body; some good, most bad. Specifically, the effects of nausea.

Sonic gives me motion sickness. It's still being produced.

If you play this in short bursts, nothing bad will happen.

Not to mention that when you're in the Virtual World, you'll pretty much lose all connection to the real world. Oh sure, that road in Skyrim may look straight and clean, but chances are there's actually furniture, appliances, plants, pets, and even people that you don't notice on your VR adventure. There's a reason why Congress doesn't allow us to text and drive...

And that's why some VR sets come with a treadmill thing - so you can walk while staying on place. Sure, it's still weird but the problem of randomly hitting yourself against a wall is gone.

I just don't see how VR will change the world drastically, mostly because there's not that many practical uses for it. We already know about video games, but what about other types of media?

It can be used for simulations, mostly - and could even improve the way you interact with entertainment stuff like movies. It's not rocket science when put into paper like this, but honestly the gaming interaction is getting kinda stagnated. Sooner or later, VR will have to become a thing.

And Don't even get me started on Virtual Sex... Long story short, if you wanna make sweet love, do it with a real person.

You could apply all other simulation titles under this same statement. "Stop playing FIFA and become a pro soccer player", "Stop playing Gran Turismo and buy yourself a car" etc. Not that I agree with sex sim either, but if there is a market for it, then it could be capitalized upon it.

Porn and sex is one of the oldest forms of capitalization, and I don't see why it would be outrageous now.

"Ugh, why inventing printed paper?? What if people prints pics of porn? If you want to see nude women, get a girlfriend."*

*replace printed paper with VR and porn pics with games

I remember how back in the early 2000s, nobody really talked about VR...now we can't seem to get everyone to shut up about it.

Remember that overrated is not bad. Undertale is overrated like shit and yet it's a good game. Long story short, stop being upset about people liking and hyping X. You wouldn't like people dissing on things you are hyped for, don't you?

See? The Top 5 reasons Virtual Reality Will Prosper In 2016.

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Now to explain this post. It's cool that you are being cautious about VR. It's indeed becoming hyped beyond belief, that's true, and there are many problems to overcome in order to become truly affordable. HOWEVER, you made a list out of thin air and stated these as facts. As if you really spent the last 20 years of gaming and statistically proved that VR will fail.

All you posted up there are opinions, not facts. Therefore, it's a rather sensationalist post you made there, OP.

Breaching new ground was always seen with skeptical eyes before getting mainstream, and VR is not an exception. I can't supply you with scientifical facts to back my text either, but at least it's one step better than stating "facts in my opinion".

Also minor complaint OP, this is a forum and not a blog. You are here to encourage discussion by starting and continuing the thread, not to drop a wall of text and waiting next week to drop another wall of text. While your OP has content and is valid in some points, tagging it with "see you space cowboy" in the end kinda defeats the purpose of even discussing it.

[puggsoy]

Gors pretty much covered everything I'd want to say. However I also want to point out that, like any new technology, looking at it before it really becomes a commodity is a really bad way to rate it or gauge how successful it will be, especially from a consumer point of view. If anybody had suggested the idea of the internet in the 80s, nobody would have been able to fathom that it would become as integral to society as it is today. Conversely, as you mentioned, although the Virtual Boy might have seemed awesome when it was announced, it failed disastrously.

The only way to actually know how successful or unsuccessful something will be is to just wait and see, because there are so many factors that you can't account for.

[Kosheh]

Same. Gors nailed it. To back up what others said:

1) $300 really isn't that much. Okay, yeah - $300 is a lot of money to lose. But I'm sure a Playstation 4 is so expensive - maybe when you're a college student living off ramen or still living at home, sure. If you're a grown man who's got a decent job and living with someone you've got more than enough spending money to blow on one. I mean, $300 isn't an impulse buy, no. But if you're hyped about it $300 is actually incredibly good and comparatively easy to save up for.

3) I'm sure you didn't buy a 3DS because you got so nauseous playing the thing, and swear off it until they have a more holistic approach to 3D. Yeah, okay. If you're suffering from motion sickness, you're probably not going to be playing videogames to begin with. But there's plenty of people who aren't, and that's who these companies are relying on for the push to VR.

4)

And Don't even get me started on Virtual Sex...*shutters*. Long story short, if you wanna make sweet love, do it with a real person.

ey there's a definite plus to this if you can't get a real girlfriend. no one will be whining about not getting a girlfriend on facebook anymore!!!

I THINK VIRTUAL SEX IS A FANTASTIC IDEA, BTW. SEX CRIMES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PROBABLY EVEN STDs WOULD ACTUALLY START DECLINING. If I were a 32-year-old recluse, I'd TOTALLY pay $300 for a headset and another $200 for a second headset for my penis


~~

here's my top 5 list on why VR is cool and will go far *drumroll*

5) 3d boobies
4) technology's progressed far enough that VR technology is now actually affordable and a lot more immersive
3) 3d tiddies
2) its hella sweet
1) 3d tatas

[DioShiba]

I'm not gonna bother addressing all the arguments since everyone had already pointed them out.

But to add on the point about how most game consoles are already expensive, consider that you buy a brand spanking new PS4, Wii U or Xbone for around $300 - $400 and you would still have to buy a new game for about $60 for a new game. Not only that but consider how much it costs business owners who run an arcade and how they buy machines that are well over $500 to keep their business afloat.

There's more expensive things to buy than a $300 dollar VR headset, in fact if you think about it, being a gamer in general is just as pricey if not as much as being an artist. I don't think you'll be able to fool anyone on how "expensive" it is when most people who sit in front of a TV all night with their orange controllers and drinking Mountain Dew: Code Reds already know it's a pretty expensive hobby to begin with.

[Davy Jones]

If you think about it, VR like Oculus Rift is heavily subventioned. Like, they make no profit from the sales.

But 599 Dollar for an Oculus is still a big thing. In Germany we pay 699 Euro + 42 Euro shipping, according to Spiegel Online. I don't think I will get one, especially not in the first generation of these devices.