Meta Quest 2: Meta is looking for the million dollar game idea
The big breakthrough for virtual reality as a gaming medium has yet to happen. That's why Meta is looking for ingenious game ideas.
A few weeks ago, I argued that VR gaming now primarily needs one thing: a megahit. Something of the caliber of Pokémon Go, Minecraft, Roblox or Fortnite. A game with viral character that can only be experienced with VR glasses. A real gaming hit would attract more people to virtual reality than the best high-end VR headsets and it probably wouldn't have to look like the most beautiful game in the world.
That's easier said than done, which is why Meta is looking for VR game ideas that could take over the world. More than 1,200 responses came in on Twitter before the post was deleted for obvious reasons.
Just imagine the million dollar idea being recommended in a tweet, yet it's already in development at some studio. Have fun with the lawsuit. Moreover, the tweet could also be interpreted as an admission that Meta itself simply can't think of anything. It just doesn't come across as professional.
Anway: I've picked out a few interesting suggestions. Decide for yourself and write your own game ideas in the comments section.
Travel through time and explore worlds
Twitter user Matthew Craig Evert dreams of a game that accurately reproduces historical events and in which you can relive historical events and eras. In other words, a kind of time travel.
It doesn't have to be all one game, it can be in a span of multiple games based off the era of time like medieval, 1700's, 1800's, etc. you can bring multiple experts like historians of local and museum historians, translators, Etc.
- Matthew Craig Evert (@AresTheLoneWolf) March 10, 2022
Joanfihu wants to explore open worlds without the constraint of completing tasks or fighting. "Imagine traveling to Mars, Jupiter, or a cyberpunk city."
Open World Explorer.
After a long day, I want to wind down and explore virtual worlds without having to do quests or kill enemies.
Imagine traveling to Mars, Jupyter or cyberpunk-ish city or city in space. You name it.
Explore the world and see what's out there.
AdAd- Joanfihu (@joanfihu) March 10, 2022
Tanja Utunen has something similar in mind, but with a stronger focus on education: People could visit the Seven Wonders of the World in virtual reality and visit sections that are normally closed to tourists. There are already plenty of VR travel apps, but they still need to improve their content and implementation.
Being able to visit the worlds seven wonders in VR and be able to roam around even the parts that tourists do not get to see together with educational stories about the sites / history etc.. VR will replace travel since soon with these gas prices ain't nobody flying nowhere
- Tanja Utunen (@Tanjautunen) March 10, 2022
Experience the real and the unreal
Twitter user Roo would like to see a full life simulation where you start as a baby and master life's challenges, make important decisions and pursue a career. It sounds interesting, but would be immensely costly.
A game called "Real World" where you start out as a baby & have to grow up throughout life dealing with challenges of the real world, also pick your life story by how you grew up & when you have your career you go into that career world, Basketball Player/sports, Any career!
- Roo? (@CVicBoy) March 10, 2022
Phylum Sinter has the opposite in mind: Virtual reality should offer experiences that wouldn't be possible in real life. Making us feel like an animal or in spaces that would normally be unimaginable. "For realism, we have Meatspace, after all," the Twitter user says.
Hear me out: a game where you are a tiger. Experiences from spaces we aren't in. THAT is the greatest potential of VR, an ambition i've seen far too little of.
AdFund and help make more wildly fantastic, could-never-happen-IRL games. We've got meatspace for realism, after all.
- p͎h͎y͎l͎u͎m͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎t͎e͎r͎ (@phylum_sinter) March 10, 2022
Elden Ring VR with body engagement? I'd love to!
Rarth's vision is an asymmetrical game that VR and 2D players play together. Those playing on screen take on the role of a heroic Master Chief character, while VR players take on the role of Cortana, the AI. "You play together and develop a close bond over a great campaign."
An asymmetrical game where the flatscreen player is the master chief type character shooting bad guys and the vr player is the AI intelligence in the suit like Cortana. Both playing together and growing a bond through an awesome campaign
Ad- Rarth ? (@Rarth_cow) March 10, 2022
VR Bug hopes for a VR game in the style of the Dark Souls series, with "great combat that never gets boring." So an "Until You Fall" with more weapons, dungeons, enemies and bosses. An Elden Ring that you play with your whole body? That would certainly sell.
Soulslike VR with awesome fighting mechanics that never get boring, think 'until you fall' fighting in a Dark Souls style game with tons of weapons secrets dungeons and loads of different enemies and bosses. Would have to be clever mechanics to keep the fighting tight
- VR Bug ❤️??✌️☮️?❤️ (@VRBugStream) March 10, 2022
Joe LaBallister hopes for full-fledged games with narrative focus instead of short and entertaining experiences. I wonder if he knows that Meta is desperately looking for studios to develop narrative-rich VR games?
I would say, really work on fully realized games. A lot of the games on oculus are a lot of fun, but they're built around the idea of having an experience instead of a real narrative. Hire some people with big imaginations and just go all in on something.
- Joe LaBallister ? (@Kracken_Ys) March 10, 2022
If all that isn't enough, Meta can always market Beat Saber or produce spin-offs. For example, a miniature version that you play with your fingers. Every so often, it doesn't take big ideas for big success.
Or what about mini beat saber for the plane https://t.co/MnntpceiwL
- Daniel Beauchamp (@pushmatrix) March 10, 2022
I've also been thinking about what the first big VR megahit might look like. In the article, I argue that it will likely have three features.
Read more about VR Games:
- VR game "Crumbling" takes you back to childhood days
- VR game Hitchhiker: On this road trip you search for yourself
- This game brings Lemmings into the VR age
Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.