OculusVR is still committed to releasing its virtual reality headset in the first quarter of this new year, though price and exact date remain uncertain. However, the company has now confirmed the games that will ship with every Oculus Rift. So far, two titles have been chosen: EVE: Valkyrie and a delightful platformer called Lucky's Tale, which brings back memories of the classic Super Mario 64.
Bundling Games with Hardware
Offering free games with the purchase of a computer or console is a practice that has been around for a long time. It's also been seen with graphics cards, giving away titles that push the hardware to its limits or receive extra optimization. These days, a similar approach can be found with console bundles packed with high-profile games like Bloodborne on PS4 and Halo 5 on Xbox One, though they often come with a premium on the price. Now, OculusVR appears ready to join the bundle trend once its long-awaited virtual reality headset hits store shelves.
The Games Included with the Rift
The first game, which has been confirmed for several weeks, is EVE: Valkyrie. If virtual reality has a natural ally, it's the space genre, and EVE: Valkyrie looks like an excellent companion for the headset. One thing to keep in mind is that it won't be exclusive to the Oculus Rift; we'll also see it on the PlayStation VR system, previously known as Project Morpheus.
At the same time, Valkyrie will not be alone on the Rift. The new game announced by OculusVR together with development studio Playful is Lucky's Tale, a platformer that has been in the works for over a year. Early details about Lucky's Tale first emerged at E3 2014, and it already managed to impress those who tried it back then.
Essentially, imagine Super Mario 64 with much more freedom, especially when it comes to cameras. Its debut is tied to the Rift (the same applies to Valkyrie), but I imagine it will also be available as a standalone game, as well as compatible with other headsets. The rest is up to OculusVR. Hopefully they'll throw us a bone (read: date and price), because the quarter is shorter than it seems...
