Virtual reality is a buzzword these days in the technology field. Many big name companies are hopping on board the technology, like Sony, Facebook, HTC/Valve, Google, and Samsung, just to name a few. However if there is one company that will be shying away from the technology right now, it would be none other than Blizzard.Speaking with VentureBeat, Blizzard’s SVP Chris Metzen revealed that the company has no plans to develop for virtual reality at the moment. According to Metzen, the interest is there. “Everybody’s talking about VR and wearing funny helmets. Culturally, we’re interested, and we’re watching. How rad would it be to run around in World of Warcraft and see it 1-to-1? That does appear to be the next horizon.”
However he adds as to whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen. “But we’re kind of watching. It’s possible that other companies will take more tentative steps and plant their flags. I don’t think we’re quite ready to conquer all that yet.” Instead it seems like Blizzard’s plans for the future involves going mobile.
Right now the only mobile game from Blizzard is Hearthstone, and the company is still trying to figure out what could potentially be next. Blizzard’s president and co-founder Mike Morhaime said, “I feel like there’s still a big opportunity in mobile beyond just casual games. I’m not sure we’ve figured out what that is yet.” What do you guys think? Do you think that Blizzard should jump into VR? Or do you think it’s a good idea to wait and see what the landscape might be before dedicating resources towards it?
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