Does virtual reality exclusivity help or hurt the emerging consumer platform? If you own a headset or work in the industry, you’ll no doubt have an opinion.
Last week Valve co-founder Gabe Newell shared his, stating plainly that exclusive content isn’t a good idea for consumers or developers.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey is of a different mind, and in a recent interview with TechCrunch explained that exclusive content, developed from the ground up for a specific platform, is what will drive the industry forward.
“You see Sony investing in their content the same way [as us],” he explained. “They want to make things that take advantage of their features that they have in the best way possible. Over time, that’s how the VR industry is going to move forward. In the short‑term and the long‑term, it’s good.”
That’s not to say Luckey doesn’t sympathize with frustrated customers who’ve dropped hundreds of dollars on a headset only to learn they can’t play certain games because of exclusivity deals.
“The short‑term pain that some people feel, and I totally understand, is I want to play this game and I’m not able to right now,” he continued.
“The reality is, I can see where that’s painful for some people, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad for the VR industry, or that it’s fragmenting it, or in the long run, it’s not the right way for the ecosystem to work.”
It’s a contentious issue, but Luckey has made up his mind. He says Oculus Studio titles will remain locked to the Oculus store and platform — though not necessarily to the headset itself.
That said, he also points out that the company won’t ask third party studios for lifetime exclusivity in exchange for financial aid.
Head on over to TechCrunch for the full interview.