EA developer DICE is looking into bringing support for Oculus Rift VR headset to the next wave of EA games, according to creative director Frank Vitz.
Vitz confirmed to MTBS3D that the studio has a team awaiting Rift dev kits who will work to optimize games the interface for Frostbite 2, EA's soon-to-be primary developer toolset. The exchange comes after a recent DICE job listing called for a VR-specialist intern, whose "master thesis" would specifically include working with the Oculus Rift SDK.
"I have one of the first Rift dev kits coming my way in March," says Vitz. "We have an internal community eager to work on it... I know of at least four kits on order. There are multiple titles in the works that would be awesome with the Rift. Of course it will be the responsibility of each game team to ensure that their game works in S3D [Stereoscopic 3D] and with the Rift if it proves to be viable."
The Oculus Rift, a new and improved version of the VR headset, has gained a groundswell of support from the tech and gaming communities since "Doom" creator John Carmack showed an interest in the project. A Kickstarter for the hardware last August raised almost $2.5M in 30 days. A CES 2013 darling, the Oculus Rift development kits are slowly being release as we speak. "Minecraft" creator Notch is one of the few confirmed Rift SDK owners.
Originally developed for "Battlefield" by developer DICE, Frostbite 2 is the late "gen-3" and early "gen-4" version of the engine, developed for "Battlefield 3." EA has announced that many of its confirmed high-profile sequels, including the new "Mass Effect" and "Dragon Age III: Inquisition," will be made with Frostbite 2. A handful of games already feature Oculus Rift support, including the recent "Doom 3: BFG Edition," free-to-play mech shooter "Hawken" and the original "Crysis."
According to Vitz, the research isn't meant to see if the Oculus Rift is compatible with Frostbite, but if the hardware will create truly enhanced experience:
"The point of the Thesis work is NOT the basic interface with Frostbite... (we think that part will be pretty straight forward and quick depending upon how the Rift SDK works) the thesis work will be about how to make it work really well."
