Most people seem to consider 2016 the “year of VR” and it certainly seems to be living up to that reputation. So far this year, two incredibly powerful virtual reality headsets have been released (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive) and a third is on the way in October (Playstation VR). We now live in a world where you can bring immersive VR right into your living room, and that level of exposure has led to a huge change in the consumer electronics market. This seismic shift was made imminently clear at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California.
E3 2016 was an avalanche of virtual reality news, experiences, teases and updates. The LA Convention center played host to a monolithic Oculus Booth, several HTC Vive Demo Tents, and the show featured a veritable deluge of Playstation VR game announcements.
E3 is a serious gaming show for serious players only. VR’s massive presence at the show says a lot about the industry’s overall standing in the world today. This exposure was not limited to the show floor either. E3’s famous after party scene was also drenched in VR content and nowhere was this more true than at our very own E3 blowout. Check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5btrB4ocFyo
In addition to all of the obvious mayhem, the party was also packed wall to wall with notable VR luminaries from the likes of Nokia OZO and Simplygon. You can check out their interviews below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROxJwCLNRUU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xCLzBUAN6g
Corporate big whigs were not the only VR folk to grace us with their presence during the event. We also had amazing indie-studios in to demonstrate and discuss the latest builds of their upcoming releases. These included the likes of Rand Miller, creator of Myst, who is currently working on – and showing off – his new game Obduction.
All in all, it was a great night for everyone and a great convention for this industry we all love. We hope to see you next year!
