Apparently, VR has gained enough hype for EA to be considering joining the race. The keyword is “considering”, though, so it’s too early to start laying down facts.
Basically, they aren’t quite ready to jump into the shark infested waters of VR just yet, but when they do, they intend to be a market leader. So they aren’t messing around. This piece of information comes to us courtesy of a post release conference call today, where EA was asked if they have any plans for VR.
And what CEO Andrew Wilson had to say for himself is that they intend to “lead from the front” when VR becomes a powerhouse and that they “have a few incubation efforts”.
Unfortunately, they’re keeping the details of their plans schtum for the moment, and they won’t divulge anything until they have a “clear and focused investments in this space”.
According to Wilson, the market is too shattered. And, when you look at the wild variations in how VR devices are actually worn, you can at least see why he thinks this, even if you don’t agree. The Oculus and Morpheus have both gone with a goggle style, Valve have gone for whole room technology with their Lighthouse tech, and Microsoft’s AR headset HoloLens is going for a slimline approach. Granted, the HoloLens isn’t VR, but it’s still similar in how the user wears it. VR of course hasn’t even entered the market yet, so we just don’t know what model, approach or size of device even is going to work for gamers and the general public alike.
So, basically, EA are going to wait until the very young tech has found it’s feet, and then they plan to swoop in and dominate the virtual reality space. We shall see.
