Game Studio CCP scales back VR development

[BRiT]

Hopefully this won't be a sign of things to come for other VR developments, but one studio, CCP, is scaling back it's efforts spent on VR. This may have just been a refocusing on hitting more profitable markets with less required efforts.

For the full details read the news article here: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41817469

The Iceland-based studio is best known for sci-fi title Eve Online but has also created several VR-centred games.

Spaceship dog-fighting simulator Eve Valkyrie helped launch the Oculus Rift headset and CCP also made the Sparc VR ball-tossing game for the PlayStation.

CCP boss Hilmar Petursson said the company would re-invest in VR when market conditions improved.
...
CCP has cut its investment in VR as part of a broader restructuring effort. The structural changes mean more focus on PC and mobile games, it said in a statement.

It is closing its Atlanta, US, office and selling off the development studio it maintains in Newcastle. The VR development work done at both locations will move to London.

 

[MrFox]

Third parties needed a good user base on all platforms for profitability. Oculus and vive didn't sell nearly enough despite billions and billions invested. MS promised VR on XB1X last year at E3 with some fake partnership with oculus and vive, now there is nothing as if MS canceled console VR to focus on PC.

Sony said it's a problem that PSVR is accelerating it's lead (which brought laughter from some people). They have first party and third party investments to have enough games on the platform, but VR cannot be sustainable for third parties unless there are investments from other studios and manufacturers. If other platforms were as successful, PSVR would get twice as many games.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Third parties needed a good user base on all platforms for profitability. Oculus and vive didn't sell nearly enough despite billions and billions invested. MS promised VR on XB1X last year at E3 with some fake partnership with oculus and vive, now there is nothing as if MS canceled console VR to focus on PC.

Sony said it's a problem that PSVR is accelerating it's lead (which brought laughter from some people). They have first party and third party investments to have enough games on the platform, but VR cannot be sustainable for third parties unless there are investments from other studios and manufacturers. If other platforms were as successful, PSVR would get twice as many games.

MS never promised VR on XBO-X in any form at E3 AFAICR. There were lots of media outlets commenting and writing articles about how MS completely left out VR with regards to the XBO-X announcement.

https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-e3-xbox-one-x-vr/

Is one example. The only thing they've ever stated officially about VR on console was that it would follow sometime in 2018 after 2 things happened. First the release of the Windows VR standard and API to developers earlier in the year. And then second, the release of FCU and Windows VR devices to consumers in the fall.

Regards,
SB