Fancy giving PlayStation VR a try while you consider whether or not VR is for you? Well, Game are more than happy to oblige, so long as you pony up £5 for a ten minute demo, £15 for a thirty minute demo, or if you then pre-order the system – it’s not expected to be readily available until later this year.
Now, I can understand this from Game’s point of view. Setting up demo units in store is a big ask for a company that makes the bulk of its money from selling games (whether new or more lucrative second hand copies) as opposed the hardware that they run on, and space in Game stores is often at a premium. Not only that, but staff need to be on hand to look after people trying the headset out, making sure that it’s put on properly, guiding people through the games, and so on.
Having PSVR costs Game time, space, manpower and money, but this is probably the last thing that Sony want to see for PSVR, when they want to get demo units onto as many heads as possible. There’s a lot of convincing to do and shoving a paywall between prospective customers and the console is a bloody stupid idea and one that shouldn’t be supported or vindicated.
Update: Apparently Game have permission to do this from Sony.
https://twitter.com/GAMEBluewater/status/789819606361894912
Update 2:Â In a statement to Eurogamer, Game explained their reasoning for this, which is rather similar to what I hypothesised above:
Our pay-to-play PlayStation VR experience is a GAME-led initiative. The cost to use the in-store PS4 pod is entirely refundable for customers that go on to buy either the headset or a PS4 console. The payment allows us to ensure that we have dedicated staff manning the PlayStation VR pods who have been fully trained to adhere to best practice demo guidelines.
The demos are intended to give our customers access to one of the most exciting new gaming technologies in 2016 and provide them with the opportunity to get a feel for VR before they commit to buy.
Source: Game Bromley
Mick939
I remember at launch the one near us set up and it was £2.50 a pop.
The Lone Steven
Game are doing this because they know they can get away with it. I mean, there’s virtually no competition on the high street apart from CEX and CEX, i doubt are interested in having demo units. Well, not preowned ones that they can flog.
I refuse to pay any amount of cash to play a demo. This is just stupid. Game survived going bust 2 or 3 times but crap like this is why they went bust and barely survived. I suspect this could lead them to doing it for PS4, X1 demo uinits in the future if it is profitiable and what they seemed to have forgot that if people can play it for free, they may be impressed enough to pre-order or order PSVR. I mean, it’s not like it’ll be hard for someone to place an or…
I forgot, this is Game. It is hard to preorder stuff and get the product.
My bad.
Do go on, Game. Go on and milk it. I know you want to. Go ahead. Do it. DO IT! DO IT!
gazzagb
Seems even stranger that Sony gave them permission to do it. Surely they want to get as many people as possible trying it out?
Avenger
I am surprised they were given permission by Sony. It’s no better than milking the equipment, hopefully not for profit, but there’s some gain to be had whether short term or long term.
gazzagb
Sony are wanting people to drop nearly 500 quid on their product (when you add up the headset, camera, controllers and one or two games) – why introduce a new barrier to potential customers?
Game must be giving Sony a cut of the fee, that’s the only way I can see them signing off on it, and it’s pretty short sighted imo.
Avenger
Yeah I don’t want to jump to conclusions with the profit, but I’d probably be naive to think someone wasn’t gaining somewhere on this. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth for sure.
colmshan1990
Just buy the headset, it’s worth it.
Preferably avoid buying it from Game too.
JesseDeya
I think this actually helps Sony. Consumers want something more when they think it’s rare and highly sought after. Charging to even TRY a VR headset tells the average punter that this must be something pretty special, which makes some of them want it even more.
I know you think it’s stupid Stefan, and maybe you’re right, but sometimes the market researchers get it right. Perhaps interest IS actually that high.
JigsawPieces
Can’t really see a problem with this. If they didn’t do it, you’d never get near it – and if you go on to buy a PSVR, they’ll put the charge towards it.
JustTaylorNow
I hate game but in all fairness, the lines for people wanting to try this here in Birmingham & Sutton Coldfield is crazy. I just walk around whispering to people, it’s worth the money, BUY IT!!
JR.
Give it a few months and they’ll be paying YOU to play it.
Crazy_Del
Lol no suprise there…. my local game has Fifa 17 competition for the quickest goal and you have to pay to enter the comp!
Geffdof23
I get it because it weeds out the people who just want to try it from the serious buyers. I still instinctively don’t like it though. What next? £5 to check out a TV in John Lewis? 50p for every set of headphones you try on at the Bose store? £25 just to set foot in the apple store?
Consumers want to try things, touch them, see got they feel. The shops should be doing everything they can to get it into your hands.
After the move, kinect, the Wii and others, I’m sceptical of vr. I’d love to try it because the technology looks interesting. I get motion sickness quite easily though, so I’m not sure it’s for me. I’m not going to buy one without testing it. And I’m not going to pay to test it.
Andrew
If like me, you get motion sickness. You will get very sick playing VR. I’ve had to sell some of the games I’ve bought for it because i just physically can’t play them. Eve Valkyrie was horrendous. The tech is amazing and I am still blown away by it. But it makes me so sick i’m on the fence as to whether to keep it or sell it. Certain games i’m okay with. Batman/Rush of blood wasn’t too bad. Drive club, eve and some of the games in VR worlds gave me terrible motion sickness. It’s a real shame really.
jase
I suffer terribly from motion sickness but what I’ve found after a week is that the effects are getting much less. I seem to be getting used to it. I even managed to complete the second part of Scavengers Odyssey in one sitting without nausea setting in. The trick for me is to take off the headsetset as soon as I feel it and let everything settle down, then go back in.