Virtual Reality can change everything about how you play a video game.
The actions and muscle memories associated with common mechanics like running, picking up objects, and shooting can change completely, making even the most rote objectives feel new again. For developers, creating an inhabitable space generally means throwing out the game design rulebook and reimagining even core ideas about how players move and act in virtual space.
At the same time, we are living in a time when consumers crave familiarity. You’d be hard-pressed to find a mainstream AAA project that isn’t somehow already attached to an existing intellectual property. (Case in point: check out the new Ratchet and Clank, a game adaptation of a movie, which reboots a 14-year-old game franchise.)
It’s inevitable that, in time, some traditional game series will make the jump to VR. Some franchises, like Minecraft, already have direct ports in the works, but not every game so easily fits into VR’s new mold. Some of the game franchises may require a little more legwork to take the leap. With some series, this may seem like a daunting task; more trouble than its worth. But for others, particularly game brands currently sitting on the sidelines, a hardware-based shift might be the spark to inspire something new and exciting. After spending some time with the first crop of virtual games, we have a few ideas for how a few inactive game series might come to thrive on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or PlayStation VR.
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