Is Lone Echo an Oculus exclusive forever?

BecauseScience

[H]ard|Gawd
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I headed over to Steam to pick up Lone Echo. Hmm not there. (quick google) Ah, it's one of the Oculus exclusives.

Has there been news about when Oculus exclusives will move to Steam? Are they shackled to the Oculus Store forever?

I refuse to buy games that I'll lose when I leave the Rift for greener pastures. That might be real soon given the joke that was Oculus Connect #4. Their focus is obviously on the low end right now, battling Google for the GearVR crowd.
 
Wait a sec, as a Rift/Touch owner, you refuse to buy a game whose development was specifically funded by Oculus... one that was developed specifically for Touch, all on the grounds that it may not support some non-Oculus device that you might purchase sometime in the future? Really?

You also do realize that this is an adventure game/experience that once played through is pretty much done right? It’s not like you are going to run through the game over and over again. I for one loved it. Best damn VR gaming experience I’ve had to date.

As to “Forever”, that’s a long time. No idea what the exact exclusivity timeframe is, but there’s been rumors that most are something like a year.
 
Wait a sec, as a Rift/Touch owner, you refuse to buy a game whose development was specifically funded by Oculus... one that was developed specifically for Touch, all on the grounds that it may not support some non-Oculus device that you might purchase sometime in the future? Really?

Yep! I refuse to support/encourage "exclusives" both as a practical matter and a matter of principle. There's enough entertainment of all kinds in 2017 America. I'm never stuck twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do.

You also do realize that this is an adventure game/experience that once played through is pretty much done right? It’s not like you are going to run through the game over and over again.

Yea, I know it's Firewatch in space with VR.

As to “Forever”, that’s a long time. No idea what the exact exclusivity timeframe is, but there’s been rumors that most are something like a year.

That's not too bad. I can wait a year.
 
ReVive is a thing...but often the button mapping is not great (requiring you to awkwardly hold the side buttons to grip, for instance).

I hear you about the exclusives. I own a Vive, and I haven't bought any Oculus games even though ReVive is possible for some of them.
 
ReVive is a thing...but often the button mapping is not great (requiring you to awkwardly hold the side buttons to grip, for instance).

I hear you about the exclusives. I own a Vive, and I haven't bought any Oculus games even though ReVive is possible for some of them.

I know about ReVive but...exclusives. I own a Rift but I'm not on Team Oculus. I'm on Team VR. Exclusives are bad for Team VR.

Imagine PC gaming if AMD and Nvidia had their own stores with GPU locked exclusives. I doubt I'd game in that scenario. Plenty of other things to do in this life.
 
I know about ReVive but...exclusives. I own a Rift but I'm not on Team Oculus. I'm on Team VR. Exclusives are bad for Team VR.

Imagine PC gaming if AMD and Nvidia had their own stores with GPU locked exclusives. I doubt I'd game in that scenario. Plenty of other things to do in this life.

I disagree, without hardware manufacturers pumping money to the studios, they don't get made at all. Having it as timed exclusive (which they all have been so far) is much better than it not getting made at all. We need the software to push the hardware right now, adoption isn't high enough for it to go the other way around yet.
 
I disagree, without hardware manufacturers pumping money to the studios, they don't get made at all. Having it as timed exclusive (which they all have been so far) is much better than it not getting made at all. We need the software to push the hardware right now, adoption isn't high enough for it to go the other way around yet.

Hardware manufacturers can fund development without requiring exclusivity. There are plenty of ways to do it without going the exclusive route. Free for owners of your headset, charge others. Discount for owners of your headset, full price for everyone else. Exclusive in-game goodies (weapons, outfits, etc) locked to owners of your headset. Etc... Hell, they could even help fund development and not put a single damn restriction on the game to further the VR cause.

The market is too small to fragment it on purpose. Valve was smart enough to realize that. Facebook is too but they can't help but shoot for a monopoly in VR. It's too juicy of a prize for them to pass up. They can't help themselves.
 
Hardware manufacturers can fund development without requiring exclusivity. There are plenty of ways to do it without going the exclusive route. Free for owners of your headset, charge others. Discount for owners of your headset, full price for everyone else. Exclusive in-game goodies (weapons, outfits, etc) locked to owners of your headset. Etc... Hell, they could even help fund development and not put a single damn restriction on the game to further the VR cause.

The market is too small to fragment it on purpose. Valve was smart enough to realize that. Facebook is too but they can't help but shoot for a monopoly in VR. It's too juicy of a prize for them to pass up. They can't help themselves.

I see your point, but I don't view it as a bad thing. Maybe not ideal, but better than not having the software. I'll support whatever I think is good software, and given even Oculus exclusives aren't at all exclusive and Oculus has stated they won't do anything to stop or break ReVive, I don't think it's worth belaboring.
 
Valid points on both sides, but I don’t mind bouncing between Steam and the Oculus store. If it’s available on both, I simply opt to make the purchase on Steam. I own both headsets, so it doesn’t bother me at all. I fully get that if you are a company that makes and sells the hardware, you want folks to buy your stuff over a competitors and by giving a ton of cash to a studio to help them develop and release a game exclusively on your hardware first, you get a competitive advantage. Oculus has even admitted that they have not locked any studio into indefinite exclusivity agreements, the agreements are time based and odds are they are for a year or less in most cases.

It’s a chicken and egg problem. Many studios can’t afford to dump millions into a game’s development as they are small or just getting started and simply can’t afford to pay all the bills yet. Arrangements like these help a studio get on their feet and survive until the can get a product out and hopefully a hit as well.

To act like Oculus, Microsoft, HTC, Valve, etc all have this altruistic motive to make the world a better place for all gamers at the expense of their own profit or market position is a pretty naive view. You fully have your right to your opinion and can vote with you wallet, but I find it odd you would purchase the Rift to begin with if you felt that strongly about it.
 
You fully have your right to your opinion and can vote with you wallet, but I find it odd you would purchase the Rift to begin with if you felt that strongly about it.

I was morally conflicted about buying Rift but the advantages over Vive were too big (in my opinion!) to buy a Vive. Not having this game or that game isn't the same as being stuck with inferior (in my opinion!) hardware, and paying more for it to boot. I'm not saying Rift is better than Vivie, only that Rift was the best match to the features I wanted at the time.
 
I could give a flying you know what about where the game came from. I want a game I can enjoy. I look to steam first, then to the Rift store.
 
You may be counting Oculus out a little too soon here.

Sure they could have announced a hardware refresh of the Rift with changes here and there but ultimately there doesn't seem to be any real reason for Oculus, or HTC, to ramp up for a second generation HMD for at least another year or so. All in all, HMDs with high resolution screens will require even more GPU power than is already necessary. However, if at the next Oculus Connect there is no hint of a second generation Rift then I'd be concerned but for now it's simply too early.

If you're really concerned about your purchase, as of today it would appear that Lone Echo works with the Vive using that ReVive tool. But then I guess you'll be locked in to choosing the Vive as your only alternative :facepalm:
 
I was morally conflicted about buying Rift but the advantages over Vive were too big (in my opinion!) to buy a Vive. Not having this game or that game isn't the same as being stuck with inferior (in my opinion!) hardware, and paying more for it to boot. I'm not saying Rift is better than Vivie, only that Rift was the best match to the features I wanted at the time.
Morally conflicted? You think they sacrifice virgins at the factory where they make the Rift or something?
 
Morally conflicted? You think they sacrifice virgins at the factory where they make the Rift or something?

Morally conflicted as in "Do I think this company is likely to do things that are anti-consumer and hurt ME in the future." By "hurt me" I mean restrict my choice as a consumer and generally screw me over. That kind of morally conflicted.
 
Morally conflicted as in "Do I think this company is likely to do things that are anti-consumer and hurt ME in the future." By "hurt me" I mean restrict my choice as a consumer and generally screw me over. That kind of morally conflicted.
Since Rift works fine with Steam, I would say you are ok?
 
Suppose I buy Lone Echo today. I buy a Windows VR set in a month. I sell my Rift. Can I still play Lone Echo? Nope. No so fine.
Then buy nothing that is Rift only? Easily done. But if you plan to buy something else, you might be able to finish a game or two.
 
Suppose I buy Lone Echo today. I buy a Windows VR set in a month. I sell my Rift. Can I still play Lone Echo? Nope. No so fine.

You do realize that you’ve just stacked three hypotheticals upon each other in order to belabor your point, right? I mean, come on... seriously?

Window “Mixed Reality” (which I still think is a really dumb branding attempt) does not have support on Steam either. It is supposedly being worked on and Microsoft has stated that it “should” be out in beta form by December sometime.... So, even if Lone Echo was on Steam, you aren’t going to get to play it anytime soon on a Windows MR HMD. Once those HMD’s do finally get Steam VR support, I give it about 2-3 weeks tops before we see a Revive like utility pop up that provides the necessary translation layer to get Oculus games working just fine with them as well.

You have a Rift . If you buy Lone Echo now, you get to play it now. If you don’t, you won’t. No hypotheticals involved whatsoever.
 
There is no difference between giving Valve money or Oculus money. Neither one is nice. Neither one is pro consumer. They just want your credit card.

If one store has the game you want to play, buy it. If both stores have a game you want to play, buy it where it's cheaper.
 
I know about ReVive but...exclusives. I own a Rift but I'm not on Team Oculus. I'm on Team VR. Exclusives are bad for Team VR.

Imagine PC gaming if AMD and Nvidia had their own stores with GPU locked exclusives. I doubt I'd game in that scenario. Plenty of other things to do in this life.

I presume by this bizarre moral stance that you don't have any console or a PC with windows on it? I will presume you don't use facebook or any social websites. Then along with that I guess you don't have an iPhone or an android phone. Netflix is out too. In fact there is pretty much nothing you can do on PC, consoles etc that doesn't contain exclusives.

In fact you are been a total hypocrite. You purchased the Rift, that you knew had exclusives. So you are supporting the very practice that you claim to be against.
 
I presume by this bizarre moral stance that you don't have any console or a PC with windows on it? I will presume you don't use facebook or any social websites. Then along with that I guess you don't have an iPhone or an android phone. Netflix is out too. In fact there is pretty much nothing you can do on PC, consoles etc that doesn't contain exclusives.

In fact you are been a total hypocrite. You purchased the Rift, that you knew had exclusives. So you are supporting the very practice that you claim to be against.

You need to be a selective hypocrite to get along in modern society. Make a stand where you can. Compromise when there's no ideal option. Otherwise, you end up a hermit living in the woods. Life isn't perfect but that doesn't mean all moral stances are invalid.

I do not, in fact, use the majority of things you listed. Some I do use to avoid being a hermit in the woods. Doesn't mean saying no to video game exclusives is an invalid position.
 
You need to be a selective hypocrite to get along in modern society. Make a stand where you can. Compromise when there's no ideal option. Otherwise, you end up a hermit living in the woods. Life isn't perfect but that doesn't mean all moral stances are invalid.

I do not, in fact, use the majority of things you listed. Some I do use to avoid being a hermit in the woods. Doesn't mean saying no to video game exclusives is an invalid position.

argumentum ad odium
 
You kinda need to stop listening to the /r/Vive circle jerk, and just play some games in VR...

Seriously. Don't buy a CPU because of what AMD or Intel might have in a year, and don't buy a GPU because of what AMD or Nvidia might have in a year. Buy for what is available now. Can I use it today? Can I play it today? Does it work now? Does it do what I want it to do now?

I will never catch up and finish all the games I own. My Steam backlog is stupidly, stupendously huge.

Lone Echo is a good game. It's worth playing. Buy it, play it. Then let's all get together and play some Echo Arena.

Team VR in the last year has been more "Team Oculus" than "Team Steam." They're spending the money, they're building the infrastructure. They have caught up in capability. You're being silly as fuck. In no way is Valve a better or more worthy company than Oculus. In fact, as far as current, on going support goes, Valve is shit. HTC is very shit... and Oculus is mostly OK, as long as you're still within your warranty.
 
You kinda need to stop listening to the /r/Vive circle jerk, and just play some games in VR...

Seriously. Don't buy a CPU because of what AMD or Intel might have in a year, and don't buy a GPU because of what AMD or Nvidia might have in a year. Buy for what is available now. Can I use it today? Can I play it today? Does it work now? Does it do what I want it to do now?

I will never catch up and finish all the games I own. My Steam backlog is stupidly, stupendously huge.

Lone Echo is a good game. It's worth playing. Buy it, play it. Then let's all get together and play some Echo Arena.

Team VR in the last year has been more "Team Oculus" than "Team Steam." They're spending the money, they're building the infrastructure. They have caught up in capability. You're being silly as fuck. In no way is Valve a better or more worthy company than Oculus. In fact, as far as current, on going support goes, Valve is shit. HTC is very shit... and Oculus is mostly OK, as long as you're still within your warranty.
So far I have found that the Rift(could be most VR) is that the cpu isn't being taxed much. I had WCG at 80% and was still playing VR with no hiccups.

Holy cow that Echo Arena is a weird game! I have tried a few times. I really need to get the hang of the controls first.
 
Steam has its problems but Valve is mostly a benevolent dictator compared to what other companies would do if they owned PC gaming the way Valve does.
 
Steam has its problems but Valve is mostly a benevolent dictator compared to what other companies would do if they owned PC gaming the way Valve does.

Valve is in a very unique position because they can make money on any platform where Steam is installed. They don't need their hardware to sell well. They don't even need VR. They don't spend hundreds of millions on developing AAA VR titles, so they don't even have an opportunity for exclusives (timed or otherwise). At least Oculus is willing to put their money into the industry and create content. Valve is "working on" a grand total of 3 games. I'll be shocked if we see them before 2019. On the other hand, Oculus has been releasing at least one high-budget game a month this past year alone.

Look, I've played this altruistic game back in the 3D accelerator days when it was 3DFX vs. everyone else, and missed out on plenty of games at the time due to my "morals". Now I'm over it and just want stuff to play.
 
Valve is in a very unique position because they can make money on any platform where Steam is installed. They don't need their hardware to sell well. They don't even need VR. They don't spend hundreds of millions on developing AAA VR titles, so they don't even have an opportunity for exclusives (timed or otherwise). At least Oculus is willing to put their money into the industry and create content. Valve is "working on" a grand total of 3 games. I'll be shocked if we see them before 2019. On the other hand, Oculus has been releasing at least one high-budget game a month this past year alone.

Look, I've played this altruistic game back in the 3D accelerator days when it was 3DFX vs. everyone else, and missed out on plenty of games at the time due to my "morals". Now I'm over it and just want stuff to play.

Yep, I was there too. Always follow the software, as that's what you actually play, the hardware is a conduit. And never buy on 'future support' unless you like getting burned as it may or may not show up, and if it does it has a high chance of not being what was promised (see: Sony ps3 which promised the world but just delivered a good, if expensive, game console and bluray player instead).
 
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