Category: Japan

Posted on

Report: Sony Expanding PSVR To Location-Based Experiences In Japan

Report: Sony Expanding PSVR To Location-Based Experiences In Japan

With around one million units sold, Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR) is one of the more popular headsets on the market right now, but the company may already be looking to other ways to monetize its device.

The Wall Street Journal cites sources “familiar with the matter” in saying that Sony is planning to roll out PSVR to location-based units in Japan after slower than expected sales. These units would apparently not be run by Sony itself, but instead the company will find partners across various industries to make use of its kit. Japanese gamers may well soon start seeing the headset in arcades and other facilities across the country.

The report doesn’t specify if Sony is considering a similar approach to PSVR in other territories, though the company has in the past said that the device is selling better than it expected. Sony’s original internal goal was to hit one million in sales by April 2017 and, while we don’t know if it’s yet reached that milestone, news that 915,000 units had been sold by the end of February certainly suggested it was on the right path.

Location-based VR is not a new concept; VR arcades are already springing up across the globe, particularly in Asia, and many companies are making moves to take advantage of them. HTC, for example, launched Viveport Arcade, which acts as a middle man in licensing software to arcades, while IMAX launched an extravagant pilot facility showing off VR experiences at the start of the year. Perhaps Sony hopes that by getting the kit on more heads out in the wider world it can drive sales in the home.

PSVR is set to have a busy few months with significant new content like Farpoint and Starblood Arena rolling out over the next few weeks before we head into E3 2017 in June.

Tagged with: , , ,

Posted on

Three Months After Release, People Are Still Lining Up for PlayStation VR in Japan

Three Months After Release, People Are Still Lining Up for PlayStation VR in Japan

New gaming hardware launches always lead to a rabid fervor. Early adopters and brand loyalists will line up days in advance just to be one of the first consumers to get their hands on a particular device. I personally know people that have camped out for new phones, gaming consoles, and Black Friday shopping deals. It’s a real thing. PlayStation VR was no different when it released.

But what I haven’t heard much of is the need to do that for a device that’s been available to the general public (at least in most regions) ever since early October. Now, over three months later in late January, folks in Japan are still being forced to line up outside just to get their hands on a PS VR headset. It would appear Sony is having trouble keeping up with demand, even all this time later.

In the images posted by Twitter user kaztsu, you can see hundreds of people across a wide variety of locations around Japan sitting, standing, and even sleeping outside to save their spot in line. It’s hard to tell exactly how many people were waiting over the past few days, but across the entire country it was likely several thousand. The rabid fans were photographed by by Twitter user kaztsu and first reported on by Kotaku.

When fans found out that a new shipment of Sony’s PS VR headset was set to hit stores that day, the lines started forming. Reportedly, demand was so high, even at this stage of the product’s life cycle, that many of the people pictured are simply there to receive a mere chance of getting one. Exact shipment numbers weren’t guaranteed and many of these people aren’t waiting on a pre-order or pre-purchase of any kind, they’re new buyers.

According to the Kotaku report, major retailers were passing out raffle tickets in the morning and announcing winners later in the day. In some large cities, such as Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo, people started lining up as early as the night before to try their chances at scoring a headset.

Despite the closure of RIGS developer Guerrilla Cambridge, excitement for Sony’s PS VR remains higher than ever. However, it does make you wonder if this is pure demand outstretching supply, or if there is a shortage of some kind going on?

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard [Review: 9/10] just released this week for PlayStation 4 and features a 10+ hour campaing that’s entirely playable inside the PS VR headset. That’s sure to provide gamers with enough thrills (and nightmares) to make the long and arduous wait worth the time.

Have you ever waited outside for a product launch? Did you have trouble getting a PlayStation VR, or still haven’t gotten one yet? Let us know in the comments below!

Tagged with: , , , , ,