News

Nintendo Virtual Boy Failure Makes Game Company Hesitant of Virtual Reality

 

Shortly after Nintendo confirmed virtual reality “isn’t quite there yet” for the Japanese company to be onboard, Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo’s past VR flops make the company hesitant.

The Virtual Boy was released in 1995 but didn’t garner a large amount of positive publicity, and the device was discontinued in 1996. Nintendo shipped 350,000 units after about five months, with company officials hoping for at least 1.5 million units.

Here is what Miyamoto told Time:

“As game designers, we at Nintendo are interested in VR technology and what it can do, but at the same time what we’re trying to do with Wii U is to create games for everyone in the living room. We want the Wii U to be a game system that brings video games sales into the living room… it’s intended to be fun not only for the person who’s playing, but also for the people who are watching.”

Furthermore, the Oculus VR headset is counterproductive to what Nintendo is doing with the Wii U, saying it relies on gamers staying independent of one another. However, Facebook wants to push VR gaming to be a more social experience, and it seems like only a matter of time before Nintendo will have to get onboard.

VR gaming is still in its infancy, and there is much work to be done, but hardware makers and game developers seem to be interested in giving it a fair shake this time around.

Thank you to the Guardian for providing us with this information

Image courtesy of Game Bits

Michael Hatamoto

Disqus Comments Loading...

Recent Posts

Still Wakes the Deep 

LIVE THE HORROR: An immersive disaster story aboard a stunningly realised North Sea oil rig,…

4 hours ago

PHILIPS 275V8LA – 27 Inch QHD Monitor

The Philips VA LED display uses an advanced multi-domain vertical alignment technology that gives you…

4 hours ago

EPOMAKER Ajazz AK820 Pro 75% Gasket-mounted Mechanical Keyboard 

【TFT Screen: The Interactive Interface】This 75% mechanical keyboard comes equipped with a TFT Screen, serving…

4 hours ago

Funko Fusion

FANDOM FUSION Play as your favorite characters and wield their unique weapons and skills. Team…

4 hours ago

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Standard Edition

The Definitive Version of Shin Megami Tensei V - Fully evolved with stunning visuals for…

4 hours ago

Hand Warmers Rechargeable 2 Pack

【Unique Split Design】5200mAh hand warmers rechargeable together with double-sided heating function, split snap swivel design,…

4 hours ago