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AR analysis, Microsoft, and Nintendo design philosophy - The Virtual Perceptions Newsletter

June 25, 2019

Virtual Perceptions Newsletter

Hello everyone! The Oculus Quest launch came and went, and the company is unusually tight-lipped on its success as a headset. While we know how many software titles it has moved - around five million - there's been no word on the headsets sold. It is still early days, as the Oculus Quest released one month ago, but I anticipate sales numbers at the Oculus Connect 6. I hope it gets more pick-up as it's a blast to play with. Treat the Oculus Quest as a games console, and it flies as an exemplary piece of kit. Anyway, here are some highlights of what's been written the last month; and as always, I am always up for a chat over email. Have an excellent day! Best,Tom FfiskeEditor, Virtual Perceptions-

In 2016, Niantic launched Pokemon Go, one of the most successful mobile games of all time. The AR game spurred hundreds of thousands of people to wander the streets and fields, hunting for new Pokemon to capture and train. The success opened the doors to the AR games market when a deluge of new titles poured into app stores. Niantic recently launched their next title, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, hoping to capture the same success as three years ago.

The company may be disappointed. AR games face a unique set of challenges that hinder their spread, such as ease of accessibility, monetisation, and general pickup by the world population. When the AR games market has one single title that hit mainstream appeal, an entire ecosystem of AR games can maintain itself. Lightning struck once, and dozens of game titles followed its wake. The market will not grow by just slapping AR on their games as a gimmick, but using the technology effectively to engage its users.

The conclusion is that current games rely too much on brand appeal and gimmicks to prop themselves up, using mobile mechanics already widely used by the industry to keep users engaged. The future of AR games may not be on mobile phones, but AR glasses instead.-

Facebook’s main developer conference, Oculus Connect 6, will include augmented reality at the event, according to an invite from the company.

As pointed out by Mike from VR Oasis, the invite email mentions that Oculus Connect 6 will include virtual and augmented reality, a step beyond VR.-

Throughout the globe, innovative technology as delivered an abundance of benefits, from on-demand deliveries to the tailored online shopping experience, to at-home medical care. These breakthroughs have enabled unparalleled convenience and efficiency in how we conduct business operations and go about our day-to-day lives. However, technology’s impact can extend much further, improving the quality of life for populations in underdeveloped regions in need of disaster relief, security and humanitarian assistance, economic development, and infrastructure construction. Case in point: AR-equipped drones.

Drones equipped with augmented reality technology can play a vital role in promoting public safety, safeguarding resources, enhancing urban and rural planning, and boosting food supplies. Here’s a look at just a few of the most promising use cases for AR-equipped drones.-

E3 has come and gone, with (most of) the significant publishers putting their hat into the ring. While Sony was absent from the show floor, UploadVR gave a stellar presentation of the latest and greatest software coming to VR platforms.

Of all the attendees who came to E3, none asked about Microsoft’s plans for VR on their Xbox. The company’s plans for VR are nonexistent, with no word on whether they are planning to create a consumer VR headset or not. But even if there is no word, there is plenty of evidence that they are capable of rolling out a new system after 2020.-

Recently Nintendo launched the Nintendo Labo VR Kit, a collection of cardboard accessories bundled with a few mini-games. The cardboard toys ranged from an elephant to looking into a bird to fly around, by looking up its bottom. The games were not long-form titles or superior immersive experiences; they were designed to be short, fun, and enjoyable. They showed the flair of Nintendo ingenuity with a smattering of cute, wholesome titles.

Nintendo has been dabbling with VR for some time, with mixed results. While the VR Kit is fun, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Breath of the Wild in VR were pointless additions. In any case, Nintendo is experimenting with the technology, seeing what works and what does not. Whether Nintendo will do anything more in VR than some little cardboard experiences is up for speculation.

However, as a little bit of fun, it is worth exploring how their core design philosophy can apply to full-fledged VR titles. Nintendo has shown time and time again that their approach to game design can create games that can inspire, please, and delight an audience each generation. In a hypothetical parallel dimension, what would Nintendo’s games be like if they designed games for VR, using their core IPs? Rather than small, bite-sized VR games, how would Nintendo approach full 20+ hour adventures? Let’s have a think.