Virtual reality for many years has always been looked at as a far fetched product of the future. At the rate technology is advancing, the future has now become the present. Virtual reality is on the rise to becoming an everyday norm in our life. Helping us get a better grasp on just how fast it is evolving, NYT writer Brook Barnes gives us a closer look.
Virtual reality start-up company Void’s latest invention is best described as a 30 foot squared off cubicle. As you step inside the walled off area, you are then strapped in from the chest up with the latest virtual reality gear. Void then brings you an entertainment experience like no other. Simulating a ghostbuster like adventure, you are challenged to eliminate all poltergeists in sight as you are equipped with your virtual weapon. Void puts the customer in complete control of the invention. “If the meaning of the words “machine” and “think” are to be found by examining how they are commonly used it is difficult to escape the conclusion.” (Turing, Pg. 1) Alan Turing’s point here comes in to have us finding an answer to his question “Can Machines Think?’ (Turing Pg. 1) With VR inventions like these evolving, the answer is leaning more towards a yes.
The problem the writer is facing is weather if this next invention in virtual reality will bring any value to the entertainment world. “An offering that could mint money for its developers, throw a lifeline to struggling shopping malls and, at long last, jump-start sales of virtual reality gear.” (Barnes, 2017) The evidence is very clear in the numbers. Void has seen great success in sales when they opened the experience to the public in NYC bringing in $900,000 dollars in revenue. The evidence is carefully analyzed through the consumers of the product. Depending on how they respond to the product and most importantly reporting how they feel both mentally and physically on the product. This is when Void is able to make adjustments to the experience they are providing.
The finding in the article is that the possibility of a consistent entertaining virtual reality experience to be fully available to the public is in arms reach. It is clear that virtual reality has the potential to bring in serious profit to the market. With new inventions like the Void’s setting new standards of the experience will only make the market grow. What’s missing in the article is more information to back up the idea of failing theaters, shopping malls, entertainment centers, etc… that would be replaced or saved by virtual reality. Even though the article includes strong numbers of revenue that VR brings in. We would have a better understanding of its real potential if we were able to have something to compare the numbers too.
According to Lee Manovich’s new media readings VR plays a role in his principle of modularity. “A new media object consists of independent parts, each of which consists of smaller independent parts.” (Manovich, New Media, P. 31) Virtual Reality being one of the latest new media products on the market, you are able to relate Void’s invention to Lee’s readings very well. The invention consists of various independent parts that all rely on each other to have success in in the finally product. Different parts of VR advance at different times, when one part of VR technology advances it helps support the advancement of another part. Virtual reality company Void’s invention is a stepping stone to big advancement in the industry.
Before we know it inventions like these are going to have you and your friends planning nights around experiencing Virtual Reality. Void is one example of a company that will set the tone for the future. We will have a better understanding as we search for answers to these questions.
Does Virtual Reality have a chance of being the next fad?
What is the opportunity cost of VR advancement?
Very interesting read, I do think that Virtual Reality has a real chance of becoming the next “fad”. The concept of being able to put yourself in a reality that is different than your own is very groundbreaking, and there are truly endless possibilities to such an innovative technology. I also thought it was a good point that you linked VR to Manovich’s new media principle of modularity, because of the various parts that go into making VR, these moving parts are all dependent on each other. Great job!
Really loved how you made VR the focus of this. I’ve been following its attempt at ascension as well, and I think it’s very relevant how you point out that it has all the aspects of a successful new digital media strategy (quoting one of our readings). I do think VR will be just a fad unless it can take off in video games and home entertainment. If it can be turned into a “spectacle” event (something to entertain at events like Fashion Week, pop up shops, etc.), then I think it will have longevity.
Hello. It’s a very interesting blog post. I like your choice of recent technology invention. I think it’s really cool. But I wonder how this could be used in other situations besides entertainment. For example if they can use that to train firefighters or use in medical field like doing surgeries and so on.. I think that it will be very useful.
I found your post to be very interesting because while I have heard of virtual reality becoming popular I never knew it was to this extent. You ask whether virtual reality will become the next fad however I happen to think it already is one. The only problem I would saw is that Virtual reality tends to cater to a certain audience only, mostly gamers which is why it does not receive widespread recognition. If they find a way to make it more mainstream, such as putting it in malls like you mentioned earlier, it is possible that it can reach a wider audience.
This invention seems to be great, and I think will be pretty successful. The gaming industry is already booming, so having something like this, that can take you away from reality and put you in a different realm is just WOW. Movies can transport us from our reality to the one being portrayed on screen, but it cannot make us feel like we are physically there. This reminds me of these Android glasses I tried, where you see different places as if you’re actually there. These kind of inventions are exciting because they entertain us, and we all know how bug human kind is on entertainment. A potential problem I see arising from this invention is our connectivity to others; What happens if our reality becomes a disliked and unwanted one, so we just bury ourselves in a virtual reality? Can this potentially be a get-away drug?
These kind of inventions are exciting because they entertain us, and we all know how big human kind is on entertainment*