The Inevitable Rise of the VR Pre-order

The VR gaming industry has seen a marked rise in pre-order titles arriving in 2023. Is this a good thing or merely a cash grab?

[ApocalypseShadow]

Duh!

It's the inevitability of VR rising to the point of getting the same things flat games are getting.Small games, big games, RPGs, racing, puzzles, etc.

How they are sold would be no different. Expensive games, cheap games, in-house and indie games, third party games, digital and physical releases. DLC and micro transactions, updates and remasters and remakes. PRE-ORDERS.

How would VR be any different than regular gaming when VR is gaming too? I used to pre-order because sometimes it was the only way to get a copy without waiting. Now I don't as it's either in stock or not. I'm not allowing someone to hold my money when the game may turn out to be broken at launch. I love games but I don't need to rush out and get them. I've become more patient about when to buy. Sometimes waiting gets you more for your money with everything included for the same price or less.

As a store manager, I used to have to get pre-orders so that the company I worked for knew how many copies to buy. I understand that side as it made business sense. But pre-orders were inevitable. VR is growing.

[1nsomniac]

Where??

I came close to pre-ordering Fireteam Ultra - glad I didn’t!

If HL Alyx came along I’d do it in a heartbeat. Realistically there’s a hand full of proper games. Even now. But Sony has killed PSVR2 already. I’ve come to the conclusion it was DOA. I wasted my money on it. I didn’t expect them produce tons of games for it but I expected them to support it with very basic features at least. Sony have failed it they just released and dumped it then moved on to the portal and they’ll do the same with that.

[Babadook7]

I love PSVR2 a lot, but I agree that Sony has been way too absent or quiet about their 1st party plans. Sony did fund the RE8 and RE4 patches though which are (or are going to be) great.

The 3rd party support has been enough for me though, and eventually I still expect that the platform will reach and surpass the level of the OG which actually was phenomenal. I want Alyx and Asgard's Wrath.

[Babadook7]

TLDR: preorders seem to be a key aspect to financing VR projects and we who are interested in upcoming games should embrace that aspect.

[Leeroyw]

I agree with you. Vr is still pretty niche and this is one area of gaming I would consider a pre order. Like an early adoption. I do love VR.

But in almost any other context I don't preprder. And refuse to.