Schwartzel, E 2015, ‘Hollywood’s Newest Gambit: Virtual Reality’, Wall Street Journal, April 16th, p.B1 [news article]
This news article explores the future possibilities of virtual reality technology in Hollywood through the profile of the company Virtual Reality Co. It was written before the release of virtual reality headsets to the public, and details the plans and concerns that the Virtual Reality Co. have in anticipation of this release.
The Virtual Reality Co. primary focus is creating content that will sustain audience engagement with virtual reality technology. The article suggests that without quality content, virtual reality may end up like 3-D cinema: a Hollywood fad. Virtual Reality Co. is developing content with Hollywood directors, such as Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott. They also note that they will be delivering their content in episodic form, so as not to overwhelm audiences with the technology. Virtual Reality Co. is also developing virtual reality projects with music and museum executives, to cover the wide variety of entertainment possibilities for virtual reality.
This article is useful for my research because it is a profile of a company that is focused on virtual reality technology and its various uses within the entertainment industry. It provides examples and ideas of where the market is going, including app stores for virtual reality content, and the importance of including ‘easter eggs’ in virtual reality content, so that audiences have new things to discover in their second and third viewings. The emphasis on episodic content is also important, because it suggests that virtual reality technology may take some time for audiences to get accustomed to, and that episodic structures will make it easier to collect important data about this rising technology.
Della Cava, M 2015, ‘Soon, VR will change the way we live our lives’, USA Today, March 31st, p.06B [news article]
This article is a short piece on virtual reality, following Facebook’s F8 Developer’s Conference in 2015 where Oculus was on display. It includes quotes from industry professionals at the conference who are working specifically with virtual reality technology, and preparing for the possibility of virtual reality becoming an omnipresent and pervasive part of our future. The article discusses future projections for virtual reality in a variety of industries. It notes that virtual reality will become more popular as time goes on because of the increasing computational power and the decreasing price point.
Industry professionals project that gaming and the adult industry will drive the development of the technology, as these will be the most profitable markets. They also project that in the future, citizens will be contributing code writing and content for virtual reality experiences, rather than virtual reality companies having complete control of content. One professional also notes the importance of developing live broadcasting technology for virtual reality in the sporting and events industries. The article also states that virtual reality has the capability of creating empathy and compassion through its content. The article includes a list of different industries and various ways that they will be able to use virtual reality technology.
This reading is a good starting point for research, as it briefly mentions the challenges and issues that virtual reality may face in the future, as well as the bright possibilities of the technology. Topics such as empathy, contributing citizens, and the increasing computational power/decreasing price point of virtual reality technology are introduced, and can be supported with further research.
