MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1384448
We don’t say VR is a failure--far from it. In fact, it is evolving into a segment solution that will entice and attract audiences as long as their experiences aren’t over-promised. We found it interesting several years ago when we spent some time on Mars at the SMPTE conference with 20th Century Fox’s The Martian: VR experience. Performing the tasks Mark Watney had to do on the red planet, driving the rover over craters and steering in zero gravity was neat but we really never felt as though we were actually there. Andrew Cochrane’s Batman’s Skydive - https://tinyurl.com/2tomphq6 - unveiled during ComicCon a couple of years ago let you experience a skydiving wind tunnel. The 360-degree video was the centerpiece of Batman’s 80th anniversary. Andy and his longtime friend Andrew Shulkind have done some exceptional collaborative and individual VR work. Despite the fact that companies have dumped billions of dollars into developing and refining the technology and its companion AR (augmented reality) they somehow miss the point that it’s the creative work game developers and filmmakers do that make all the difference. They also seem to ignore the issues/problems consumers have with the technology. The hardware shouldn’t get in the way of experiencing/enjoying VR but should actually make it seamless to move between the environments. Better yet, it should totally immerse you in the new, different, alternate universe as it did for Keanu Reeves in Matrix. You shouldn’t even know you have options. We suspect that one of the reasons VR took such a jump in popularity this year is that people needed close/personal association with others. Zoom calls are okay, but after two-three days of them … get real! That’s probably why so many social VR apps have popped up around the web. People can get together in a virtual space to battle monsters with/against each other or just sit down “together” and enjoy a VR film. Simulated togetherness is fine but -- especially during this past year’s lockdown -- folks simply want to get away by themselves. We were amazed at how many new personal VR opportunities are now available – nature treks, real VR fishing, VR travel, personal training (tons of them), holiday trips, remote adventures, and yes, … other stuff. Escapism is VR’s strong suit. Game developers have created experiences and challenges that appeal to people young/old, male/female. But still, to escape to an isolated location you need to be tethered to your computer or strap on an expensive/cumbersome computer. The pandemic did a lot to push VR technology into the mainstream. But we think more credit goes to the creative program writers/producers who enabled folks to spend time in a new normal world where people could connect with people to play, work and enjoy stuff together. Slowly, VR is coming into its own. Zuck noted late last year that 36 developers had made over $1M with VR content sales. Quest 2 has surpassed the number of active users of the original. While Peddie and Poppin both note that games are on a faster path to growth, we feel those players would like a more intense story beyond their first-person shooter. The short-form narratives are becoming more inviting to folks who want to deep dive into the immersive world. With the right marketing efforts, they should attract gamers and non-gamers.