Hi Dan!
Thanks for taking the time to write this article. I do agree that VR developers must continue to look beyond games for potential applications in order for VR to reach the critical mass we all hope for.
I would personally rather see HTC focus on developing more VR hardware rather than adding a marketplace. I speculate that this was done as a reaction to the fact that Valve has recently opened up it’s software for any manufacturer to be able to develop hardware products for the platform.
I worry that when a company controls the hardware and the software marketplace more than likely they are going to attempt to lock-in consumers and developers in with exclusivity agreements. Like Oculus has done. And I’m not 100% anti-Oculus. But locking consumers in this early on while good for business and maybe VR in general, is bad for innovation.
HTC has done a bang up job with the Vive hardware and I’d like to see that innovation continue. I think a diverse hardware ecosystem would be more likely to drive innovation in both VR gaming and non-gaming experiences.
Steam is a boon for indie developers. And I’m not against other marketplaces coming to the forefront. But that can make it difficult for small developers to make their work available to everyone.
Just my thoughts. Have a great one!
