HTC MAY SELL VIVE VR!? - Vegas MGM gets Zero Latency VR Arcade & More VR News!

Epyx911 VR News (Virtual Reality News)

Cheers Guys!

News tonight starts with rampant speculation that HTC has hired an advisor to look into three VR Vive scenarios: Selling, Investor, Spin off.
Next, Blasters of the Universe has had multiple added features and is nearing full release status.

After this, Facebook shuffles Oculus execs again. This time appointing an individual to oversee all hardware divisions.

KFC has implemented an employee training program that plays more like an escape room horror game!

We then talk about Korean company bHaptics and their HTC Vive X Accelerator program full haptic suit.

Lastly, Vegas MGM and Zero Latency have joined forces to create a VR Arcade in the Level Up Gaming lounge that will host 3 different game experiences in VR.

Headlines/Sources/Timelines:

Intro On Exclusivity 00:00 to 02:29

Headline: Speculation that HTC May Sell/Spin Off VR Business?
Timeline: 02:30 to 03:33

Headline: Blasters of the Universe Almost out of Early Access with A Lot More Content
Timeline: 03:34 to 05:33

Headline: Facebook Shuffles Oculus Brass Again This Time Appointing Andrew Bosworth To Unify Consumer Hardware Including Oculus
Timeline: 05:34 to 06:25

Headline: One of the More Innovative VR Employee Training Programs Ever, Colonel Style
Timeline: 06:26 to 08:14

Headline: bHaptics TacSuit Promises Better Actuator-Based haptics at a Lower Price
Timeline: 08:15 to 10:10

Headline: Vegas to Debut First Free Roam VR Arena at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
Timeline: 10:11 to 13:41

[cigarobsession]

Changes at HTC make me nervous because I LOVE my vive.

[tileslasher]

Man good show, you always talk about stuff that's on point. I didn't really think about how risky it could be for some of the VR arcades, but at least they have a past to draw from. I mean yes VR is new and all, but man the arcades of old went the way of the dinosaur. It could happen for these guys to. This time a lot faster, however it is pretty cool to have these experiences everywhere, there is nothing in the world like VR. I think though you are right when you say these guys are safe for awhile. Really good topic tonight though, it wasn't something I thought about until you raised it tonight.

[BC-cpvr]

Although I am not for exclusives, I understand that as long as there is competition for the consumer dollar, there will always be exclusives. Salaries have to be paid and shareholders have to be made happy. We cant throw our toys out the cot because we cant have what others have..as at times we will have what they dont..those are the breaks. I have more than enough really good content for my vive to keep me entertained for months. I remember just a year ago that everything about vr just blew us away..now we are all..gimme..gimme. Try and remember how you felt when you 1st put on your headset, and then think about how far we have come in just over 12 months..its still awesome, exclusivity or not.

[FoundryDiecast]

So the video with the most views on your channel is the one of you making pancakes??? I just saw it in your playlist and I had to say something Lol I love it, and I love the channel man keep up the good work!! I tune in every morning to watch

[psour]

Thank's again for news. HTC is the builder of the Vive but Steam Valve are the heart of the system. Any campany can build HDM making it living is another story. Sry for my english

[AndrewHeathboootstrapparadox]

Soon getting a psvr. There are some good titles coming to the psvr. But it would be good if there would be a few more rift and vive titles for the psvr.

[faiwaka]

As far as the "exclusivity" issues fans have I personally understand the business aspect of it. I have been a tech nerd for well over thirty years and have seen a few misses companies have had and companies have been doing this since the beginning. Now for the average joe who just wants to play everything, IT SUCKS!!
It is a must needed thing for most hardware companies to do to lure customers to their platform and I really have no problem with long as things don't get too lopsided.( which I think all the platforms have good to great exclusives)

[TotusEius]

Not a fan of exclusivities but as an owner of a small IT Consulting firm I get the attraction and in some cases, the NEED of these small development shops to accept funding/backing. It's not as easy as one might think sitting on the sidelines watching.

[kevinw]

For me the passion revealed in the comments and reddeit are that of entitlement on the whole. Many felt they were promised VR this time round that would be open - why so many supported the kickstarter, and when Oculus sold to Facebook a majority felt they had been duped. That will be a hard issue to solve, and maybe a total rebranding to get rid of the toxicity is needed?

[cinnabuns]

On the question of why HTC would sell Vive, I would say... to let someone capable of progressing it take over. HTC has been in a ...not bad... but.. horrible way financially because their phones don't really sell well anymore and I don't think they have any/many other products. I think many people have forgot about or didn't know about HTC financial situation prior to getting involved with Vive. They just thought, "Oh HTC makes phones (that don't sell) and now they're doing this TOO!"

Prior to VR coming along, they were not in the black and were in dire financial straights and VR has certainly helped their bottom line but I doubt it has padded them enough to help their prior/current financial situation. I would think they'd wait it out till the end of the year to see how these FINALLY MAJOR game titles (Fallout VR to name one) come out and help them sell units but I'm pretty sure they were in too much debt when they started their Vive program to continue too long. The slow VR adoption is steady and increasing but I think its just too little too late for HTC unless these exclusive titles sell a bunch of units come the holiday season.

That's just my take. Its not really surprising and... who in their right mind wouldn't jump on it. It doesn't have anything to do with the Vive (why doesn't Steam just buy it?) or VR adoption, has nothing to do with the VR market just HTCs poor phone business. Prior to VR, HTC was in a bad way and they basically put all their eggs in one basket with their failing phone sales a may just not be enough cURRENTLy to keep them afloat. If they had enough capital to pay their bills then I'm sure they wouldn't be looking in to a split or sale.

And just an odd thought, I can't believe that Epyx 911 wasn't aware of or forgot about HTCs situation as it was in multiple publications a few years back. He's probably slept since then :P

[HybridEnergy]

Well, no matter what you think of exclusives at least it's a given that SONY won't give. They always have exclusives that they never let go.

[oneterribleidea]

Love the content as always, Epyx. I definitely get a bad taste in the mouth when I think about the thoughts of major titles being confined to a particular HMD. I wouldn't mind as much if it were "timed" exclusivity - granted that that amount of time were reasonable, perhaps 6 months, or WORST case 12 months. I would be loosely okay with this if it truly benefited the development of the games in general, but to see them landlocked permanently... I think this is more of a detriment to the progress of the industry more than anything. It will severely limit the amount of copies sold overall, unless the market dwindles to a single HMD, and flushes all the others. Either way, I hope this all gets sorted out in such a way that is equitable for the devs AND benefits gamers.

[Troph]

Have you got a chance to use a subpack m2 or any other transducers in vr? It really brings vr to life. The aura bt2 and a cheap 2.1 amp and misc cables for $80~ off amazon is worth every penny.

[nicktheg]

I will lose all respect for HTC if they sell Vive and get out of VR.

[stonie-ohvn]

Arcades started to die in the uk as soon as the consoles took off..especially around PlayStation 1 times... Vr arcades will go same way too I'm afraid as the tech changes for consumers at home.

[chrisbraeuer]

exlusivities should only last 6 month. everything else is BS. Blasters is a great game. Owning all of the highscores right now in the beta.

[gopherchucksgamingnstuff]

well if htc sells out i hope someone that understands marketing buys them, the vive isn't a fucking phone and that's how they treat it. poor marketing and ridiculous prices and hardware needs are killing it. i own the vive and i have to say its not actually worth 800 bucks. that's what i paid. its cheap plastic and even cheaper straps, flimsy connectors, and a set of poly-carbonate screens that scratch if you have long eyelashes. i love my vr and my stupidly overpowered pc . but the average person doesn't want to go thru the hell we do to to enjoy this. maybe the arcade scene will help, i don't really know. but people give me shit for picking on htc because they made open to devs. that's great and all but they need to pay valve, blizzard bethesda etc to make a title that's AAA. then they need TV adds. my wife is a marketing director for a major university. and even she agrees if you cant get on TV your doomed. the consoles are all over it. half the people i meet have never heard of the vive or oculus. so wtf htc and oculus or tardbook is i call it. man these news feeds have me wired to explode lol. sorry epyx for being so ammped over it.

[DreBoi]

OMG!!! If this is gonna be a channel geared toward rumors and/or speculations then i might as well unsubscribe, with today's toxic news climate, FAKE NEWS, etc..., we in the vr world should stick to hard, cold, facts, if you can't find enough viable, confirmable real news to present maybe there shouldn't a channel to run, spare us with this once and for all.