I'm voting "unsure". It's certainly an interesting concept, but just because technology is now better means it's good enough. In fact, a failure may not even be caused by technology (
simulation sickness is still around).
They are working on it. So far they're just tweaking blur, framerate and response times, but one day, maybe,
galvanic vestibular stimulation. Now I'm sure not many people will allow their brainmeats to be microwaved by strange machines, but one day, maybe. There is always hope.
And as much as I hate to say it, but the phrase "...from crowd funding" isn't really a positive thing.
Sony's model isn't crowd funded. That means that serious soulless number-chewing profit-grubbing corporate drones have decided that market data suggests VR is the bomb. Of course, soulless number-chewing profit-grubbing corporate drones have been wrong before.
Finally, a perhaps strange question: what can VR do for you outside first person games? But I wonder if the people voting this thing to take off have clear indications of what they are going to DO with it. After all, the novelty of being in the matrix (as if that's a positive thing
) kinda wears off after some days.
In 3rd person shooters, sneakers and action-adventures it's self-explanatory. Also, racing games and flight sims. It would make say, an RTS game look like it's being played with game miniatures on a scale model of the map. Sim City would look like a model city on your desk. 3D platformers would have a better sense of space and let you gauge the distances and positions of platforms better (always a problem with 3D platformers). Sense of scale would add drama to the game: cutesy games like Super Mario 3D World could be tiny characters running across a playset-sized terrain, while making the characters loom large would add gravitas to the setting. Side-scrollers (or any 3rd person game, really) could have hidden objects that you could see by peering behind obstacles. If nothing else VR would add visual depth to a game, and the very fact the world moves with the movements of your head (even if that serves no purpose regarding the game mechanics) makes it appear more real and lifelike instead of just being an image on a screen.
More than anything I welcome headtracking for that purpose. In real life, when you move your head for any reason, the scene you're looking at shifts slightly. When you're playing a game, even with 3D, moving your head doesn't affect the scene on the screen and you are separated from the game world: instead of having a window into a real live scene, you have a static display. VR headsets should give you that effect.
*
Admittedly, VR will be complete crap in a lot of the cases (Sturgeon's Law is always relevant) because people will insist on making every single object, item and menu screen 3D, interactive and rotating
just because it's there (why is the 3DS menu screen in 3D? because it can, duh). It's what they do with every new effect before they learn to rein it in. The first stereo recordings had a high percentage of intolerable garbage. 3D movies still go overboard with the effects for effects' sake. I don't doubt VR will be the same for a while. But that doesn't mean we should throw out the baby with the bathwater.
*[FAST-style aside, yo] You could get the same effect with an ordinary camera, Kinect or PS Eye, but game makers seem unable to not use every input they find as the sole control scheme. "What do you mean we should have headtracking and then just leave it there and not have the whole game revolve around it? No no no, either we make it the exclusive input and release the game as ONCOMING OBJECTS DODGER SIMULATOR 2014, or we remove it completely. What is this 'middle ground' you speak of?"
Wait...skip the previous 'finally'...another question: are these VR thingies fit for children? After all, nintendo has this awesome glassless 3D handheld. But it kind of sells DESPITE that gimmick. Which is no wonder, as it is unsafe for the eyes of their target audience in the first place.
But let's be honest, everything is bad for the eyes. Staring at any sort of screen is bad for you and there are always health and safety warnings and disclaimers and reminders to stop staring at the screen and go outside and get a life
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