E3 2017: 'Resident Evil 7' VR Success Surprised Sony
After holding a press conference that was more of a cliffhanger for fans during the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Sony was surprised to find that the virtual reality (VR) version of "Resident Evil" was a huge success. Fans are also expecting a whole lineup of games to come to PlayStation's VR mode.
Even before the fateful introduction of its VR compatible mode at E3, "Resident Evil" has always been a popular video game. Drawing on the mission of creating an experience of science fiction as well as action and horror, Sony's "Resident Evil 7" may just be the tech giant's most successful release to date. Global chief of sales and marketing Jim Ryan has a few things to say about the VR experience they gave during E3.
" We are still in our infancy in terms of understanding. We had no idea that VR would play such a significant part in the success of Resident Evil 7. The percentage of people who played that game on PS4, and then in VR, was in double digits. It wasn't 10.1%, either," Ryan told Gamesindustry.biz in an interview. "That was a big surprise to us. Whether its other full game modes, or portions of full games... Gran Turismo or Doom or Elder Scrolls... that might accelerate the VR demand."
Based on the gaming community's reception of the VR mode for "Resident Evil 7," Sony is looking for a plausible but faster timeline to incorporate the technology on PlayStation. Ryan later says that it may still be early for Sony, but the avenue is now of great interest to developers.
Meanwhile, a list of VR games to be released on PlayStation can help gamers pass the time as Sony figures out the best way to provide for the sudden rise in VR demand. E3 saw "Skyrim," "Star Child," "The Inpatient," "Final Fantasy XV," "Bravo Team," and "Moss" on VR. And fans couldn't be any more excited than they are now.