As I'm sure you know, indie game development is difficult.
The smaller and fragmented install base makes indie VR development even worse. Unfortunately, a one person team is almost forced to choose a single platform and stick with it. Here's why:
All of the VR systems are different in key ways that make it impossible for a single developer to port to all systems. There are completely different control schemes between the Oculus Touch, the Vive wands (and tracker pucks), and something like the PlayStation Move controllers.
On-top of the difficulty, you cannot include the platform specific APIs and DLLs of one platform on another. Meaning you need to have separate projects for each platform. That would be made easier if you could hire a programmer to deal with this task, but the cost of a full-time programmer would cost more than you would make on any specific platform. Making it a null gain.
So, that's out.
Ok, let's choose a platform and stick with it then.
PlayStation VR has the most devices in the hands of customers, but development is difficult, and getting published on the platform even more so. You need someone working full time just to keep up with the requirements and red tape put in place by Sony. Paying a full time employee is out of the question for a small indie team, and you can't guarantee that you will even be able to sell on the PlayStation store in the end.
How about Steam and the HTC Vive? Well, to be honest, I just don't really like the Vive. The wand controllers are limiting, the setup isn't ideal for my work-space, and steam is already flooded with shitty indie VR titles. The curation is pretty much non-existent.
So, that leaves us with Oculus. Though it's my favorite VR platform to work on, and it's store is well curated. It's assumed to have the least amount of users. BUT, if it's just me working on it, I can accomplish what I need to do, and keep all of the profits to myself (my company).
Another option is to make it work both on the Rift and as a regular "flat" game to sell on steam. It is a bit more work, but doable. It requires some clever design choices, yet will limit game-play possibilities all around.
To be honest, it's not really about the money at this point. I'm just driven to create something that I can be proud of. I'll run a modest Kickstarter campaign, hopefully get enough to keep me fed during development, and then hopefully make enough from sales to do the same while coming up with the next thing.
Follow me @anticleric to keep up with my ramblings
No love for MR headsets? I have the Samsung Odyssey myself. Good article though and yes it's another format war like VHS and so on but let's hope they evolve to conform enough for people to all enjoy content together.
I haven't even tried the MR headsets. Can you play games on Oculus home with the Samsung one? That's the shiny black one right?
Yeah, you can access the Steam marketplace and use ReVive to access Oculus. I have played Robo Recall with my Odyssey and it works pretty well though I have not used the touch controllers etc so I have no basis for comparison.
That said as a newcomer to VR but someone who has been interested from the sidelines for a few years, I'm pretty happy with my experience so far.
At the moment there are quite a few SteamVR games that are Mixed Reality Headset compatible.
I think the only advantages of the Samsung over the other MR headsets is
I believe tracking and everything else is the same.
Yeah, Samsung Odyssey, in my opinion, is not too bad of a design but I wish the front plate was matte and not glossy.
Cool. I've heard good things. The issue is that it still has it's own native platform I would have to use to port directly to it.
Man.. maybe I'll just wait until this new 'console war' sorts itself out.
Yeah it has it's own but it seems like the work to make MR controllers etc work okay with existing titles for Vive and Oculus has been pretty good considering.
Keep at it man! aha, we will never solve the format war without soldiers such as yourself to push these things to their limits.
Us mere mortals on the other hand (me) are unable to offer more than feedback and unrealistic lofty ideas :p
GIVE ME Smellavision! :D
http://feelreal.com
There are a ton of these lol.
Dang! Well I never! haha. mmmm burning rubber smell! Just what I need in my life... not! ha
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