Sony's gaming boss: Virtual reality will be the future of gaming

Fortune magazine wrote in this week's article that Sony, which is already a leader in the game console market, is setting its sights on virtual reality technology. Yoshida Shuhei, the man behind Sony's game business, recently gave an exclusive interview to Fortune magazine, explaining his views on Sony's virtual reality device Playstation VR. The following is the full text of the article:

Sony Computer Entertainment plans to launch the PlayStation VR virtual reality headset in 2016. Sony has developed more than 50 games for this product. At the recent PlayStation Experience event in San Francisco, Sony provided 49 prototype devices for players to experience, and related games included "RIGS: Mechanized Combat League", "Warzone" and "Harmonix Music VR".

Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Global Studios, is very optimistic about virtual reality technology. He believes that as long as users can be attracted to experience it in person, there will be abundant opportunities in this field. Sony is promoting PS VR to more than 30 million PS4 players around the world, and providing trials will be a key part of this. However, the application scenarios of virtual reality are not limited to games. In the interview, Shuhei Yoshida explained why virtual reality will become the future.

Q: Before PS VR goes on sale next year, how will early devices such as Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard influence the adoption of virtual reality technology among consumers?

Shuhei Yoshida: To reach a wider audience, these mobile-based VR systems, especially Gear VR, can handle 360-degree videos and photos very well. Users can have a good experience when using these systems. Even though the performance is limited compared to high-end systems such as PS VR, Oculus and Vibe, some of these mobile games are well designed. VR is still an experimental system and not many people have experienced it before, so these portable mobile systems will be helpful and can easily help non-tech industry users experience VR videos or games.

Q: What were the initial challenges in helping users understand the VR experience?

Shuhei Yoshida: It will take some time, but the experience is powerful. Once high-end systems are available as consumer products, a lot of people will use them at home. We will see users inviting others around them, such as friends and family, to try their devices. But even though they are the most influential people, it is difficult for them to describe their experiences. So the way to promote this new medium is to have people try it and discuss their experiences in their own circles. By the end of next year, once everything is available, this trend will happen very quickly. We hope that this kind of product will arouse people's excitement, spread word of mouth, and attract more people to try it. Because the experience is powerful, I am very optimistic.

Q: We’re already seeing companies in Hollywood and elsewhere making 360-degree videos for VR headsets. What role do you think non-gaming VR experiences will play in the PS VR ecosystem?

Shuhei Yoshida: These experiences are going to be very important. I’m a big fan of the 360-degree videos and experiences being produced by entertainment companies and emerging startups. It’s clear that they see the impact and power of this new medium. In these experiences, people feel like they are actually in the scene where the video is being shot, rather than sitting at home watching on TV. The power of this medium can be expressed in non-game forms. In many cases, providing these experiences is better than just games, which will make more users aware of this medium. Their reaction may be, “Wow, this is something I should check out. This is not just a new way to play.” VR may lead to completely new ways of learning and helping us understand the world better. Hopefully, VR will also improve some people’s health. In this way, more people will be able to see this technology, whether they are actively paying attention or not. These non-gaming applications will play an important role in helping to promote all new VR systems.

Q: How will virtual reality bring new game genres to the video game industry?

Shuhei Yoshida: VR is a completely new medium, and the best VR games won’t suddenly appear, just like the development of games on mobile platforms or Facebook platforms. On these new technology platforms, the most successful game companies are not traditional game publishers, but small startups that focus on developing games based on new technologies for many years. I expect the VR game market to be similar. We hope that the entire game industry can develop with this new technology, but the most successful works will be those we never expected, with new IP (intellectual property) or new game content, focusing on using VR technology to bring excellent experiences.

Q: What kind of support do you think PS VR will get from developers in its initial stages?

Shuhei Yoshida: I am bullish on VR. We are seeing developers eager to try to develop games using this technology. We have seen small teams made up of experienced developers. For example, the team behind Golem includes many Halo developers. Other game developers are also looking to develop VR games for the long term. So even though many teams are small and the games are not blockbusters, the quality of the user experience is good because these teams have experienced developers.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.