Gaming is an ever-evolving product. First there were simple prototypes, then arcade machines, then consoles, then handhelds. And from there, we got HD graphics, motion controls, portability in consoles, and more. What the next true advancement is…well, that’s still up in the air technically. Many feel it’s VR, or virtual reality, and there are a number of VR headsets out there, including the PS VR. But the question remains, is that the future of gaming? Bethesda’s Todd Howard had some very interesting thoughts on the topic.
Bethesda itself has already proven that it’s all-in on VR in some ways, as they brought Doom, Fallout and Elder Scrolls to VR last year, and Todd Howard notes he loves the technology and can’t wait to see what comes next. He told VentureBeat:
“I’m a little more VR than AR. We did Fallout and Skyrim in VR. We’re just about to enter the second generation of VR. Historically, the third generation is where it starts to become popular.”
He’s not wrong, the first generation of systems are meant to be the prototypes to see if people would want them, and then they go on and improve it however they can. But the question then became, how do you keep making VR titles exciting?
“The idea is to keep being ambitious. Playing it safe is the worst way to do things. Morrowind was hard. It was our first time on console. If it didn’t do well, the company was probably out of business. Oblivion was really difficult. We really pushed the tech. I liked that line in the movie Shakespeare in Love: How is this going to work out? I don’t know, but it always does.”
Howard wouldn’t note if the next Elder Scrolls game would have VR, nor is it known what game Bethesda will put into VR next, but it seems like they have ideas.
