February 2018 – Sean McCole

8 Developers Who Need to Make A VR Game

So many awesome developers have made great VR games so far, ranging from small developers, like Owlchemy Labs and Polyarc Games, to huge studios like Bethesda Game Studios and Capcom. So, here are some game developers I think could make great VR experiences:

Respawn Entertainment

There are a ton of VR shooters out there, but one studio I really want to make a VR shooter is Respawn Entertainment.

Respawn was founded in 2010 by members of the team that created iconic shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Their first release, Titanfall, was a major hit and has since spawned a sequel.

They could jump into VR with a new installment in the Titanfall series, which would be a dream for me, or do something brand new.

No matter what I expect the game will have some of the best shooting mechanics we have seen so far in VR and hopefully some great player mobility.

Luckily for us, they are currently working on a VR project for the Oculus Rift.

Arkane Studios

I want Arkane to blow us away with a stellar stealth VR experience.

Known for their work on the Dishonored series and for 2017’s Prey, Arkane has offered some really great experiences over the last decade.

Stealth seems to be hard to nail in VR, but in Arkane’s hands, I bet they could whip up something special.

Dishonored had great stealth systems that presented mobility in a unique steampunk setting. A world like that translated into virtual reality with strong stealth could truly immerse you.

The good news is Bethesda has already proven to be a believer in VR and hopefully will continue their already fantastic support.

Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog is the easy choice to make a VR game.

Over the past decade, Naughty Dog has risen to be one of the premier developers in the industry after releasing the Uncharted series and The Last of Us.

I don’t know what they would do in VR, but why should I believe it wouldn’t be amazing?

They have been one of the most consistent developers in recent years and a VR game from them could be interesting.

I would really hope they would stray from their roots and make something completely new for the studio.

While something like Uncharted VR would be cool, I would prefer a brand new IP. A genre they have never approached before, such as Sci-Fi, could be a breathtaking experience.

PopCap

This is the wildcard on the list. They are a pretty large developer, owned by EA, that has made a wide variety of games throughout their existence. They have made games like Bejeweled, Zuma, Feeding Frenzy, Peggle and more recently Plants vs. Zombies.

I could see their VR venture being from any number of these franchises they have developed. I think you could make a pretty cool Peggle game in VR. Feeding Frenzy in virtual reality could be kind of wired. But, Plants vs. Zombies seems to be the most likely candidate.

PopCap has made a strange jump with Plants vs. Zombies before by making it into a third person shooter with Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. They could do something weird like that again or maybe return to the series’ roots.

Besides that, they could present something completely new. In the end, however, I trust PopCap to make a really fun arcade-like experience for VR if they get the opportunity.

Telltale Games

Telltale is in a strange spot right now. I feel like they are just stuck in this formula right now, and it has me really uninterested.

They just keep pumping out these games, mostly licensed, that all seem to follow the same threads. Plus they still struggle with their engine and optimizing their games properly.

I think VR would present a great opportunity for them. It would give them more area to explore new ideas and get out of this trap they have fallen into.

It might really allow them to get back to their and focus on what they do best: storytelling. They were one of the first to present interactive storytelling to people and VR is the next advancement of that. I think they could come up with some really cool, ground-breaking ideas and tells a great narrative while doing so. Let’s just hope that it happens and runs at more than 10 frames a second.

Team Ico

After playing The Last Guardian VR Demo I am completely sold on Team Ico making a full VR game. To be honest I am not a huge fan of their work. I recently played Shadow of the Colossus for the first time with the recent remake and I didn’t see why it was so beloved.

Regardless I think they could make a really heartfelt and unique experience for VR. It was clear from playing the Last Guardian VR Demo that they understand how scale works. Seeing Tricko, the bird dog creature from The Last Guardian, up close and personal was awe-inspiring. I can only imagine if they did something similar with a game like Shadow of the Colossus.

The only issue is that the game would probably take a decade to come out.

Playground Games

Playground Games has made some of my favorite driving games recently and I would love for them to dive into VR.

The Forza Horizon trilogy has been some of the most fun I have had in a racing game in a long time. It is so hard for me to get into racing games today without them feeling like a complete waste of time. But Forza Horizon, much like Burnout: Paradise, combined smooth driving with a huge open world filled with gorgeous landscapes.

Being able to drive in the outback with the dust kicking up into your face while gripping the wheel just sounds incredible, and hopefully, we will be able to experience it soon.

Blizzard

I think Blizzard will eventually make a VR game, the only question pertains to when. With Blizzard, you never know what to expect, but no matter what it will be quality.

Whether it will be a game set in one of their storied franchises or a brand new IP the potential is limitless. They have revolutionized genres time and time again with games such as Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft and most recently Overwatch.

Blizzard always looks at industry trends and reads them perfectly to give the people what they want, and I can’t wait till that happens with virtual reality.

What Developer do you want to make a VR game?

What devs did I miss that you guys would think to make an awesome VR experience? Let me know in the comments below.

Now Is the Perfect Time to Buy a PSVR

Last week PlayStation announced that they were slashing the price of their current PSVR bundles.

From now until March 2nd you can find multiple PSVR bundles starting at 199.99. The bundles on sale include games such as Gran Turismo Sport, Doom VFR and Skyrim VR. Just be aware that the Gran Turismo for $199.99 includes the original version of the PSVR headset, while the other bundles include the newer version.

This discount presents the perfect time for gamers to jump on the VR bandwagon. Me personally, I picked the Skyrim VR bundle for $349.99 from Dell, who was running a promotion that included a $100 gift card with the purchase. I also had $60 in Dell rewards already stacked up so in total the unit wasn’t very expensive.

Originally I was a VR skeptic. I thought it was going to be like the motion control trend of the late 2000s. I thought it would be a bunch of gimmicky games, or experiences rather, that wouldn’t offer much substance. You would play them for a bit, but get bored quickly, and all the games would force bad controls on you. Those issues combined with it being so pricey really discouraged me initially.

However, this sale was too good to pass up. I got my unit the other day and had my first experience with VR. After the long setup process, putting on that headset blew me away. I loaded up the included demo disk and went straight into Thumper, the demonic rhythm game. I was just so surprised how vivid everything was and how immersed I felt in this hellscape after just seconds, bobbing my head to the beat.

As soon as I set the move controllers up I umped into Job Simulator. It just felt surreal, being able to manipulate this world. Walking around my cubicle, eating donuts and making coffee. It sounds dumb, but just being able to feel that kind of responsive from a world was breathtaking. Experiences like these just blew my expectations for VR out of the water.

However, on top of PSVR being as cheap as it has ever been, PlayStation currently has a monster PS Plus Special sale on the PSN to coincide with the PSVR price slash.

Over a 100 games are on sale that you can play on your new PSVR. The discounts on this sale are ridiculous and include some of PSVR’s very best games. As a new PSVR owner, I don’t want to think about how much I have spent in this sale, but I know it has been worth it.

Huge VR titles such as Skyrim VR, Dirt Rally VR, Doom VFR and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard have seen significant discounts. Launch titles such as PlayStation VR: Worlds, Batman: Arkham VR and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood are worth their discount price. Then lastly, smaller games such as Superhot VR, Dick Wilde, Thumper and I Expect You to Die are all worth checking out.

Now is the perfect time to jump in. Go to your local store, or preferred online retailer, do your self a favor and pick up a PSVR. At this current price point, it is more than worth it for the bevy of engrossing experiences you can experience. Add that to the current massive PSN sale and you, and your friends, can have an absolute blast entering into virtual reality.

2017-18 NFL Picks Against the Spread: Super Bowl LII

The biggest game of the year is finally upon us. After the two longest weeks of my life we finally get to see the underdog Philadelphia Eagles take on the evil empire that is the New England Patriots. So it is with a excited tone, yer bittersweet tone, that I bring to the final pick of the season:

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots (-4.5)

I have gone back and forth on this game almost every day it feels like. If you just looked at the quarterbacks or coaches for these teams you would think Patriots all the way.

However looking at the other match ups the Eagles are better than the Patriots in many spots. At the very least the Eagles have advantages with their offensive line, running game, defensive line, linebacker core, and secondary.

But will it be enough to dethrone one of the greatest dynasties we have ever seen in football?

If the Eagles want to have a chance it all comes down to their ability to get pressure on Brady with just four pass rushers. Luckily, the Eagles defensive line rotation is one of the best in the league, but players like Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham need to have big games to give them a chance. However, the Eagles will have to be aware of the Patriots ability to go up tempo that could disrupt the Eagles rotation.

Of course another huge issue in this game is the variable of Nick Foles. Nick Foles was dynamite in the NFC Championship game, going 26-33 with three touchdowns, 352 yards and a QBR of 141.4. While the Eagles would love for Foles to play that well again, it’s not realistic to expect so. Will we see that Nick Foles in the Super Bowl, or will he revert back to his old ways? The Eagles just need him to play well enough to set up the run and for him to not turn the ball over.

Besides that it is incredible the Patriots are even here is you ask me, even though it helps when you play Marcus Mariota and Blake Bortles. If you look at their roster compared to their other historic runs, they aren’t as talented. My gut says the Eagles are the better team, the more resilient team, and the team with the best chemistry. It is just so damn hard to pick against the Patriots.

In the end, I think this game is going to be close, and because of that I am going to take the points. The only thing that scares me about this pick is the fact that the Patriots have never had a blowout Superbowl, but as long as it stays competitive I’ll ride with the Eagles.

Pick: Eagles (+4.5)

Prediction: 27-23 Eagles