VR Editions: Yay or Nay

[Draymar23]

[Sard Edit: there is a petition on Change.org as well, for those interested: https://www.change.org/p/cdprojektred-cyberpunk-2077-vr-version}

Cyberpunk 2077 VR Edition: Yay or Nay

VR is a bit of a controversial topic in video games but for Cyberpunk 2077 I want this. I hope it would be something like Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR with no cut content and high graphical fidelity.

Imagine walking through Night City as a NCPD officer immersed in the shadowy neon lit streets, observing the scale and density head on. You see the filth and danger around you and the heavy immersion makes the tension even stronger. You push into the Afterlife joint and order a drink and ask the bartender where you can find a wanted Solo. He tells you he is in the bottom floor. Knowing its even more dangerous the further down you go you make your way downstairs.The tension mounts even further going down as the immersion and reputation as a cop places a target on your back. The bottom floor is dark and filled with red neon and holographic exotic dancers. You can hear the pounding beats of Chrome Rock amongst a crowd of Rockerboys and Solos. The vibe is badass. You see the Solo in question and sit down with him, to talk to him. He looks aggressive and musclebound with photorealistic rendering and gleaming chrome arms causing you to be intimidated. He has two prostitutes at his side. Knowing he is caught, he tries to shoot you but you shoot him in the head. Blood splatters onto the prostitutes and they run out screaming. The floor clears out and you have to deal with his friends. You use your gun with your HTC Vive controllers, shooting them dead and feeling the intensity of the firefight. You run out as the boostergangs storm in from the back door and get into your vehicle and take off. Seeing the scale, videoboards and smog filled air you make your way to the station amongst the many flying vehicles. Further up you arrive at the station flying into the carpark and hovering into your spot. You walk downstairs and turn into the hallways with a feeling of security and safeness. You then arrive at the office of Commisioner Hammerman who yells at you for fucking up badly but gives you a new case. You grab the folder, in low light and cigarette smoke. You then head out into the seedy streets of Night City back into the grime and danger of this big bad metropolis.

Should CDPR implement this later down the road cause I think they should. VR headsets and Cyberpunk sound like a perfect combination. Yay or Nay?

 

[Snowflakez]

VR is a bit of a controversial topic in video games but for Cyberpunk 2077 I want this. I hope it would be something like Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR with no cut content and high graphical fidelity.

Imagine walking through Night City as a NCPD officer immersed in the shadowy neon lit streets, observing the scale and density head on. You see the filth and danger around you and the heavy immersion makes the tension even stronger. You push into the Afterlife joint and order a drink and ask the bartender where you can find a wanted Solo. He tells you he is in the bottom floor. Knowing its even more dangerous the further down you go you make your way downstairs.The tension mounts even further going down as the immersion and reputation as a cop places a target on your back. The bottom floor is dark and filled with red neon and holographic exotic dancers. You can hear the pounding beats of Chrome Rock amongst a crowd of Rockerboys and Solos. The vibe is badass. You see the Solo in question and sit down with him, to talk to him. He looks aggressive and musclebound with photorealistic rendering and gleaming chrome arms causing you to be intimidated. He has two prostitutes at his side. Knowing he is caught, he tries to shoot you but you shoot him in the head. Blood splatters onto the prostitutes and they run out screaming. The floor clears out and you have to deal with his friends. You use your gun with your HTC Vive controllers, shooting them dead and feeling the intensity of the firefight. You run out as the boostergangs storm in from the back door and get into your vehicle and take off. Seeing the scale, videoboards and smog filled air you make your way to the station amongst the many flying vehicles. Further up you arrive at the station flying into the carpark and hovering into your spot. You walk downstairs and turn into the hallways with a feeling of security and safeness. You then arrive at the office of Commisioner Hammerman who yells at you for fucking up badly but gives you a new case. You grab the folder, in low light and cigarette smoke. You then head out into the seedy streets of Night City back into the grime and danger of this big bad metropolis.

Should CDPR implement this later down the road cause I think they should. VR headsets and Cyberpunk sound like a perfect combination. Yay or Nay?

Nah. Too much extra development time for too little benefit. Not enough people have VR equipment, for one.

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

Nay, really.

No other reason than I just plain don’t like the idea and how it might affect the rest of the gameplay design.

 

[sv3672]

Too much extra development time for too little benefit.

CDPR could very likely afford hiring some extra people for VR development if they wanted (considering that a studio like Croteam that is less than a tenth of their size was able to add it even to their old games), but so far there is nothing to suggest they are interested in VR, or niche platforms in general. Supporting those even seems to be bad PR for companies like Bethesda, "Skyrim on toasters" seems to have become a meme. And VR re-releases are often criticized for being overpriced, but it is hard to make a profit on them when the sales are so low.

 

[Snowflakez]

CDPR could very likely afford hiring some extra people for VR development if they wanted (considering that a studio like Croteam that is less than a tenth of their size was able to add it even to their old games), but so far there is nothing to suggest they are interested in VR, or niche platforms in general. Supporting those even seems to be bad PR for companies like Bethesda, "Skyrim on toasters" seems to have become a meme. And VR re-releases are often criticized for being overpriced, but it is hard to make a profit on them when the sales are so low.

Good points, but it still seems like wasted resources, even if CDPR has those resources to begin with. Unless it's a separate team entirely that is operating on a completely different budget, it's going to have some impact on the main, core game, and I don't see how that could ever be worth it. Especially not with the verticality Night City will apparently have - how on earth will they solve motion sickness in high-speed aerodynes, for example? Lots more design challenges to overcome for little ROI.

Also, this isn't likely going to be a whimsical, do-whatever-you-want game like Skyrim or Fallout.

VR is also massive barrier to entry. I'm sure it's more common than it was a few years ago when the headsets first launched, but we're still talking an additional $400-$500 for a platform with little in the way of truly "killer apps."

If the average gamer has that cash to spend, why wouldn't they upgrade their video card, or buy the opposite console from the one they have already to play exclusives? Or, heck, a Nintendo Switch? They'd have to be a true VR enthusiast, in my opinion.

 

[sv3672]

Any new technology involves some risk taking both on the side of the users who adopt it early, and the developers. It is understandable from a business point of view though if a company prefers to avoid risks.

Or, heck, a Nintendo Switch?

If I recall correctly, it was said on a recent conference that CDPR do not plan to release their games on the Switch, they support gaming PCs (I would guess Windows only), Xbox and PlayStation.

 

[Snowflakez]

Any new technology involves some risk taking both on the side of the users who adopt it early, and the developers. It is understandable from a business point of view though if a company prefers to avoid risks.



If I recall correctly, it was said on a recent conference that CDPR do not plan to release their games on the Switch, they support gaming PCs (I would guess Windows only), Xbox and PlayStation.

Yeah, I was referring to general gaming, not just CDPR games. You'll get more bang for your buck (more than likely) with even a Switch than you would with a VR headset - for now. In a few years, who knows?

 

[sv3672]

There are many kinds of devices that are not ideal as far as "bang for the buck" is concerned, and that might even include high end gaming PCs vs. consoles or cheaper PCs. But for those who can afford them, they can still be worth it for the experience, being a niche market does not mean they should not exist.

 

[Snowflakez]

There are many kinds of devices that are not ideal as far as "bang for the buck" is concerned, and that might even include high end gaming PCs vs. consoles or cheaper PCs. But for those who can afford them, they can still be worth it for the experience, being a niche market does not mean they should not exist.

OK, my point is, VR headsets have a very limited library right now. I don't think consoles and PCs are really comparable. A high-end PC runs the same games a low-end PC does (well.. you get the idea - it can technically run the same games), same with, say, the PS4 and PS4 Pro. And a high or low-end PC runs largely the same games that a console does, with a few exceptions for exclusives. Same libraries across all platforms.

VR is not that way. While they are getting some ports of bigger games (Skyrim, FO4), they are few and far between and tend to launch ages after the game comes out.

It's fine to be a niche market and I never implied it shoudn't exist. Heck, I'm a proud member of the "PC MASTUR RAEC" myself.

I'm saying CDPR shouldn't be catering to a niche market for 2077 from the get go. It doesn't make sense to me. What is the benefit? What if you spent that time and money on DLC for the main game, that can be sold to a much bigger audience than VR customers? What unique benefit are VR customers offering to CDPR?

In Bethesda's case with their games, it's because they've already been out for a very long time and sold the majority of the DLC and copies they are probably ever going to sell. So, why not do VR?

With 2077, I'm totally fine with CDPR doing the same thing. They can make a VR 2077, but they should wait until after they are 100% done with the main experience - that means DLC, free content, etc. When that's finished and they've sold the majority of their copies, sure, why not put a different team onto a VR port?

 

[Lisbeth_Salander]

Am I against Cyberpunk 2077 having VR? Not at all.

Am I against CDPR spending time and resources by developing a VR version of Cyberpunk 2077? Yes, the game is already too big to focus on something else.

But if it was possible to make a VR version of CP2077 without spending too much time and resources developing it then go for it.

 

[walkingdarkly]

VR for Cyberspace gameplay, let me go all Jonny Mnemonic.

 

[Suhiira]

VR is only useful/practical for FPS type games, and at this point we don't even know for sure if CP2077 will even be FPS.

 

[Sardukhar]

VR is only useful/practical for FPS type games, and at this point we don't even know for sure if CP2077 will even be FPS.

Yeah, that's not accurate, as someone with a Vive.

Tilt Brush is very good. Subnautica is FP, but def not a FPS and it's excellent. Elite Dangerous, also excellent.

Virtual sports games are cool. Probably some VR strat games I'm not playing, but that's because meh, strategy games.

Some kind of neato VR MMO, too.

Fallout 4 and Skyrim both in VR. I can attest Fallout 4 is a lot of fun.

 

[Snowflakez]

Yeah, that's not accurate, as someone with a Vive.

Tilt Brush is very good. Subnautica is FP, but def not a FPS and it's excellent. Elite Dangerous, also excellent.

Virtual sports games are cool. Probably some VR strat games I'm not playing, but that's because meh, strategy games.

Some kind of neato VR MMO, too.

Fallout 4 and Skyrim both in VR. I can attest Fallout 4 is a lot of fun.

I agree. VR can work in virtually any genre. The problem is, its so far from perfect that certain genres work better than others. I'd actually argue that FPS games are worse on VR because of the (usual) need to move around quickly - most people get motion sickness. Slower-paced RPGs and the like are better, like the Vanishing Realms.

I suppose it also depends how important immersion is to you. Teleporting around (a method of preventing motion sickness) might kill it for some people.

 

[heero_gw]

I would love to, even if it is a feature using "Braindance", VR is maturing, those who had the experience know how to magnificent, and that is the future / present, because with the sensation of presence it elevates the immersion to another level. Like playing RE7 in VR, is something surreal / scary, something that only playing on TV is no longer the sensation of being "inside" that world.
I wish CP2077 had this feature.

 

[Sardukhar]

I'd actually argue that FPS games are worse on VR because of the (usual) need to move around quickly - most people get motion sickness. Slower-paced RPGs and the like are better, like the Vanishing Realms.

I suppose it also depends how important immersion is to you. Teleporting around (a method of preventing motion sickness) might kill it for some people.

Yep this is an issue for VR FPS. Why Subnautica and Skyrim VR are popular - one is swimming and one has a teleport but also a slide forward option.

 

[Therm0ptic]

Seeing as how cyberspace is one of my favorite things about cyberpunk, or favorite concepts ever, it would be amazing if VR could somehow be implemented JUST for jacking in. Especially since cyberspace is such an ignored subject in almost all "cyberpunk" games and movies, it would be awesome to have a Cyberpunk work finally really bring it to life and blow it out of the water. And as an RPG it would be super immersive to be a netrunner and have decking ACTUALLY feel like decking. I would totally buy a special edition Vive cyberdeck bundle.

It could be ONLY for cyberspace and you could make it optional at that, but seeing as how cyberspace is a whole other world that works totally differently, the shift from monitor to VR to represent going from meatspace to cyberspace would really represent that and really bring the whole thing to life.

 

[AsadaShino0821]

No~~

 

[Snowflakez]

Seeing as how cyberspace is one of my favorite things about cyberpunk, or favorite concepts ever, it would be amazing if VR could somehow be implemented JUST for jacking in. Especially since cyberspace is such an ignored subject in almost all "cyberpunk" games and movies, it would be awesome to have a Cyberpunk work finally really bring it to life and blow it out of the water. And as an RPG it would be super immersive to be a netrunner and have decking ACTUALLY feel like decking. I would totally buy a special edition Vive cyberdeck bundle.

It could be ONLY for cyberspace and you could make it optional at that, but seeing as how cyberspace is a whole other world that works totally differently, the shift from monitor to VR to represent going from meatspace to cyberspace would really represent that and really bring the whole thing to life.

This is a neat idea, actually, but I wouldn't want it ultimately. I can't afford to drop $500 on a VR headset, so I'd be missing out on a pretty awesome aspect of the game I already paid for.

If they wanted to release a future free DLC for VR headset owners that enabled that functionality, sure. But don't tie it into the base game or paid DLC. If I'm giving CDPR my hard-earned cash, I want to enjoy all of the content that comes with that transaction.

 

[SigilFey]

Tilt Brush is very good. Subnautica is FP, but def not a FPS and it's excellent. Elite Dangerous, also excellent. Virtual sports games are cool. Probably some VR strat games I'm not playing, but that's because meh, strategy games. Some kind of neato VR MMO, too. Fallout 4 and Skyrim both in VR. I can attest Fallout 4 is a lot of fun.

I agree. VR can work in virtually any genre. The problem is, its so far from perfect that certain genres work better than others. I'd actually argue that FPS games are worse on VR because of the (usual) need to move around quickly - most people get motion sickness. Slower-paced RPGs and the like are better, like the Vanishing Realms.

I think this is a critical consideration, and what will likely get in the way of VR for some years yet. (Not saying it wouldn't work for CP 2077 -- who knows? -- but in general: ) I found VR to be kind of tiring. Granted, it's been while since I last tried it (...a concerning number years, actually...) but it's obvious that it's finally finding a foothold, albeit slowly. I don't get motion sickness or anything, but the refresh rate and weight of the units did give me a headache after about 20 minutes. (I imagine almost all of that has been improved by now.)

For me, the least fun I had was first-person shooter stuff. It didn't really work naturally, and I was constantly left feeling a disconnect. Why is moving my hands and head natural...but moving my feet requires a thumbstick? Driving / flying was MUCH nicer and felt really immersive, as that's what we naturally do: sit and operate controls while looking around with our head. But RTS games were the ones that floored me. It was awesome. Leaning around to get a better look at the "table"...watching my little units move around like miniatures come to life...that was unbelievably cool!

I think a game like Cyberpunk might wind up being hit-or-miss in terms of VR. Especially if it's being designed to be 3rd-person. Then again, one of the "demos" I tried was a thing like the Batman games with some non-descript super-hero. Functioned just like a normal, 3rd-person brawler, except it was 3D and VR. That did work well enough... Sort of like I was a kid playing with an action figure. Not really, "Whoa -- WOW!" but pretty fun!