PlayStation VR (PSVR) cornered the console virtual reality market when it launched last September, selling over 745,000 headsets in its first quarter and 1.3 million as of October 1, according to SuperData.
Mary Yee, vice president of marketing for PlayStation told AListDaily that they’re just getting started.
“Overall, I feel like we’re just at the beginning,” said Yee. “We’ve had a phenomenal start in the first year. We expect it to continue with the amount of content that’s coming to the platform and how we’re marketing. We’re continuing to get excitement and support from gamers about the products and I think the future looks bright. It is something that we are very invested in for PlayStation.”
PlayStation launched a new PSVR campaign called “Feel Them All.” The campaign’s videos employ imagery like a beating heart, goosebumps and a dilating iris to illustrate “feeling” a video game rather than just playing it.
“We’re thinking about how we distinctly talk about the VR experiences,” said Yee. “This new campaign really focuses on sensory experiences and transporting you in a different way than a non-VR game does.”
According to Yee, PSVR currently has over 100 games. Between now and 2018, the company plans to release more than 60.
Allowing consumers to try PSVR before they buy is a major part of PlayStation’s marketing strategy, said Yee. Demos will be available at GameStop and Best Buy locations, in addition to trade shows and fan events like PlayStation Experience (PSX) in December.
“[PlayStation] is investing in demos knowing those types of experiences will change someone’s perspective, not only of VR, but of the industry and the innovation that’s coming. We want to get as many consumers to try the product as possible so they really understand this new technology. Getting more interested gamers exposed to it would not only be good for us, but for the industry.
“Accessibility of the product is important. With any new technology as big as this, you really have to try it to see how transformative it is,” said Yee. “We’re really making it a 360 approach to talk about VR, how consumers experience it and—the really important thing—the number of games coming to the platform.”
In addition to the “Feel Them All Campaign,” the November 17 release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR will be a big push for the brand into the holidays.
“Another thing we did in year two is add the camera to our bundle, so it really increases the value of our entry-level bundle, lowering the price entry for someone who has a PS4 but doesn’t have a camera yet and is interested in VR. We want as many people to try it and feel like they’re part of it because it is the first of its kind,” said Yee. “You really have to try it and experience it. I think the future looks bright for us and for what I know is coming for the year.”