The world of “Breaking Bad” currently lives on in “Better Call Saul,” however, it’s not the last for Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. While both had their own crazy stories archived in 2013, PlayStation 4 will make way for a new experience, this time through virtual reality. What’s surprising though is, it’s not technically a game, per se.
This is what’s confusing, given PlayStation is handling most of “Breaking Bad VR.” Sony Pictures, of course, is not to be left out, and with Vince Gilligan in tow, the new project is, to the very core, “Breaking Bad.”
Sony: VR is the new medium
In an interview with Polygon last month, Shawn Layden, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said there’s going to be a VR version for the hit TV show, although at the time, his vagueness resulted to a lot people believing the project was going to be a VR game.
“It's a brand new platform and movie directors and film directors are going to have to learn new disciplines in order to tell their story,” Layden said. “I don't know what it's going to be. No idea what it's going to do, but they're very keen at looking at virtual reality as the new medium.”
The non-game PlayStation VR experience
Little is known about the upcoming VR project – whether Bryan Cranston will return, or a release window for that matter. Judging from Variety’s report though, Gilligan seems keen on exploring how VR can be used to tell a story.
Sony’s global chief executive Andrew House told the publication how the company brought the best show runners for the company, presumably to brainstorm on how VR will benefit its own shows.
House said there seven show runners in the room, but it was Gilligan who showed the most interest in the platform.
Meanwhile, Sony president and CEO Kazuo Hirai is prepping the company to build VR into a platform offering all kinds of services. Sure, the PS VR was originally intended for video games, but Hirai has plans to expand it further beyond what people expect – such as in job training and in surgical training.
We may be far from seeing “Breaking Bad VR,” but Sony plans to announce the virtual reality experience at E3 2017, happening next week. Gilligan is yet to spill details, but House and the rest of the PlayStation team seem positive, declaring profit is going strong for its current-gen gaming console.
Sony isn’t done yet, though. At E3, the company will slash the price on select PS4 systems from $299 to $249, with additional discounts on accessories and software.