Coming from a background with thousands of hours of hardcore multiplayer gaming, I'm very dis-interested in VR as a gaming platform, most specifically Oculus due to cost. The competitive field sounds like it needs some time to work through which device(s) get the best market traction (flashbacks to HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray). I think the author of the article knows his audience pretty well and meets the review expectations as stated - what is the 'mainstream' use case?

I think one of the most relevant parallells - for now, at this stage of development - is with a projetor. Relatively high cost of entry, takes effort and space for setup, and for basic day-to-day entertainment, kind of overkill. Sure it's great from time to time to take a projector and game rig outside and play Forza on a two-car garage door with a screen so big landing planes can probably see it, no doubt. It's actually nice to have one when other people are over, so it's a more engaging device, unlike putting on a headset.

Honestly I think about the time VR will be considered 'mainstream' is when the more customary (and accessible) entertainment forms start generating in-demand content. Think major motion picture studios, TV networks, and concert-type footage (Rolling Stones in Cuba probably in development as I type this). Or, as one more comparison, once the VR platform is as dynamic and simple as the iPhone environment (games, communication, media) then more people will adopt in turn and the market will diversify in beneficial ways (serious vs. casual gamers, etc).

I'm really excited to see what the 'traditional' creative platforms like music and storytelling are going to do in the environment over time.