Crytek has said that virtual reality is at the forefront of technological advancement and that it will “transform the way we experience new media.” In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the company’s Director of Production, David Bowman, revealed that VR’s significance has made it part of Crytek’s primary focus, and that he believes VR is “here to stay.” He further said:
For 15 years we have been building tools and an engine for actually primarily creating worlds. Since the beginning of Far Cry, we’ve built wide and expansive worlds and we pushed it even further with Crysis. We have always been about immersion and immersive worlds, which is a big part of VR as well.
For those who missed it, Crytek announced Robinson: The Journey for PlayStation VR during Paris Games Week 2015, the official trailer for which certainly looked promising. Speaking of the The Journey, Bowman said that it will demonstrate CryEngine’s strengths; how it “excels at rich environments” and “incredibly detailed experiences.”
Crytek is famous for constantly pushing what is possible on each platform that we support. Robinson: The Journey will demonstrate that CryEngine excels at rich environments and incredibly detailed experiences while also showing why we are so incredibly excited by developing VR games. This isn’t exactly a feeling of pressure; it’s the natural result of having powerful tools, incredibly talented developers, and a new medium in which to express ourselves.
When asked about providing support to the multiple VR devices planned for release in the market, Bowman revealed that Crytek formed “a strong working relationship” with Oculus and Sony fairly quickly. He said that both Sony and Oculus are “driven by projects.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Bowman expressed his confidence in VR, stating that its uses will extend far beyond video games to non-gaming uses for professionals like doctors. However, he feels it’s very important for early adopters to have great “initial experiences” for VR to excel. “Since VR must be experienced to really be understood, this early group is going to be very important as they will influence their friends and families,” he said.
Finally, Bowman believes that whichever company manages to create content that ropes in early adopters will be the one that remains “connected with this chapter of game history forever.” As for Crytek, the company has embraced VR as it sees the potential in telling stories and creating experiences unlike any other before.
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
