EA exploring virtual reality gaming
"I don't know who the technology partner is..."
EA is exploring entering the virtual reality gaming market.
CEO Andrew Wilson told Polygon that his company breaks gaming into three "modalities": "lean back", "lean in" and "lean over".
"Lean back" is typically gaming done from a sofa; "lean in" is typically gaming done on a PC; and "lean over" gaming is typically done on mobile devices.
He believes VR has added a fourth "modality" to the list: "get in" gaming.
"The thing I challenge my team to right now is, 'Listen, there's clearly a desire to add a modality of play to the three we're currently focused on. I don't know who the technology partner is that's going to deliver that modality for us, but let's start thinking now about the experiences [...],' so that we can deliver experiences that make sense for you; experiences that deliver on the promise and the fantasy of being inside a video game."
"Get in" gaming could be delivered through a VR headset or "through some hologram that evolves out of your living room floor", he said. Out of the floor!
EA's pretentious "modality" labels refer to the study of gaming styles rather than gaming platforms - "How are you trying to interact with a game?" - because hardware is too much of a floating point to base a future on.
Oculus Rift rocketed from Kickstarter hopeful to multi-million dollar exciting tech business in the blink of an eye. Sony is now rumoured to be developing its own VR headset for PlayStation 4.