Here’s why the HTC Vive could be better than ever this Christmas
HTC is offering a financial sweetener to app developers in a bid to generate more high-quality apps for the HTC Vive virtual reality platform.
Earlier this week, we learned that Google was buying up a huge swath of HTC engineers to pad out its own mobile development department. With HTC’s mobile arm now decimated, the company now needs to ensure its HTC Vive virtual reality business stays afloat – and crushes the competition (read: Oculus Rift) to boot.
That’s why it’s no surprise that HTC is working on resolving one of the persistent problems with all VR platforms: the dearth of content.
In an interview with GamesBeat, a senior HTC executive revealed that the company would be giving 100% of revenue generated by Viveport VR apps in the fourth quarter of 2017 to developers.
That’s a major boon to developer coffers, as HTC typically slices off a 30% cut off any cash generated through the Viveport VR app platform – leaving developers with a 70% share.
Credit: HTC Vive
The holiday season is expected to see major growth in both virtual reality headset uptake, but also in terms of cash being spent on apps and games within those headsets. That means it’s a seriously lucrative time for app developers, and even more so now that HTC is offering this sweetener.
The good news for consumers is that more developers will now consider building content for the HTC Vive. It’s also possible that devs will attempt to improve the quality of their content in order to attract more users and gamers.
Speaking to GamesBeat, Rikard Steiber, president of HTC’s Viveport VR store, said: “The holiday is the most important time for developers, and we want to show our appreciation for them.”
The Viveport VR store opened just one year ago with a meagre offering of just 60 downloadable titles. Now, however, the Viveport store has expanded to over 1,000 apps and games, with upwards of 26,000 developers on board. That’s still paltry compared to a mobile platform like iOS or Android however, but it’s not bad given how new the virtual reality industry is.
Related: Oculus Rift vs HTC Vive
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
