$299.99 with the camera and two Move controllers.
I think $200 could be achievable. AFAIK, the tech inside it really isn't that complicated or expensive, and Sony have said they plan to sell the device at cost. (Compare to someone like HTC, who likely want to turn a healthy profit on each headset they sell, since they won't be getting a direct cut of every Vive game sold.)
Does VR translate well at conferences? I think this is something you have to try yourself, not watch others try it. That's what worries me if they have so much time dedicated for it.
I don't see how watching someone play a VR game on stage would be any less interesting than watching them play any other game on stage. Sure, VR is better when you're experiencing it yourself, but again, probably true of all games.
But in order for Morpheus to succeed it needs mainstream software to support it. Tumble on the PS3 was great for the Playstation Move but it's not a game that will attract enough people to make the investment. Morpheus will be much more expensive than the Playstation Move so you need marketable titles to drive it.
Really, I think this is the most significant aspect of the report, which seems to have been overlooked by most here.
"Video games on display are said to be first-party and exclusive Morpheus titles only, meaning anything also appearing on the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive wont be featured."
We already know about
a lot of games coming to Morpheus, but most of those games were already announced for PC. So, it sounds like not only will Sony be showing a ton of VR content,
everything they show will be on PlayStation, and nowhere else. When coupled with the general affordability of Morpheus when compared to the PC solutions, this is going to be a
huge feather in Sony's cap.
Except next to no "AAA" companies are going to be willing to invest in a market with very few consumers, other than first parties or games with a significantly low budget that can still be profited from. Also, the idea that AAA games will be the games that are the most meaningful and compelling or worthy of being great games, is definitely wrong thus far. Some of the simple things have been the most successful, such as tilt brush - a "game" that is simply painting in 3D, has seen such good response that Google bought them following the response -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzoHRlUqBBc
I was actually thinking about that too. We know all of the big marketing deals are now going to Sony, and it's assumed those deals will include the timed exclusivity on DLC that has become typical of these deals. What if timed exclusivity
isn't what Sony are asking for in return for the marketing time? What if instead, they ask developers to create Morpheus-exclusive content for their game? Not necessarily being able to play the entire game in VR, but rather, just a stand-alone, DLC-type adventure/scenario which is done in VR. Think, inFamous: First Light, or The Last of Us: Left Behind. That seems like it would be more of a benefit to Sony and their users than "early" access to conventional DLC.
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Now, maybe VR will never really take off, but if it does, I really do think Sony are best poised to lead the charge. First, there's the question of affordability. By the time Morpheus launches, the PS4 itself may only be $299. As I said, I think they can do a Morpheus starter kit for $199, but even if it's $299, that's still only $600 for the complete package. Even if they total $700, that's still less than half of the $1500 that Oculus said a complete Rift package will cost. So if I'm starting from scratch, I can either get a complete Rift rig, or I can get a complete Morpheus rig
plus a second complete rig for my wife plus a bunch of software to go with it. Hell, I might be able to get a
third Morpheus rig for the price of a single Rift rig. That's a pretty compelling value proposition, even if the games don't look quite as nice as they do on the Rift. Plus, by that point, there will be ~40M PS4s in the wild, and the barrier to entry is even lower for those individuals. By comparison, I don't think there will be nearly as many gaming rigs already equipped with a 970 or better, so more of the people who go the PC route will indeed be starting from scratch, more or less.
And speaking of software, again, it sounds like Sony are getting ready to show tons of Morpheus-exclusive content at E3. So not only will there be tons of support for the device, all of the stuff they'll be showing
won't look better on the Rift, because it won't be appearing on the Rift/Vive
at all. Again, a strong argument in favor of Morpheus for anyone curious about VR.
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Morpheus needs the next Wii Sports or Minecraft. Games that don't fit the "AAA" mold yet have massive mainstream appeal and longevity.
I think Media Molecule will provide such a game.
Hear hear. Fingers crossed.
