Hello,
Virtual reality (VR) has been billed as the future of gaming ever since Facebook acquired Occulus VR for 2.3 billion dollars in 2014. So far, that future has not come to fruition.
Cumbersome controls, vertigo, the uncanny valley effect, an overwhelming amount of hardware options, and the isolating nature of VR have slowed its journey to mainstream gaming. Right now, there are too many compromises that VR asks players to make.
VR has a lot of uses in other industries though. It’s potential to democratize expensive experiences and mess with people’s senses can lead to some awesome implementations. Below are some ways different industries could use the technology.
Playing tricks on the mind for a better restaurant experience
Project Nourishment is a VR startup that aims to allow people to eat healthier by tricking their brains into thinking that they are eating fancy food. They use a VR headset and a medical mister that sends out smells to simulate the sights and scents of high-end food like sushi while users eat something that has much fewer calories.
There are low tech ways to make a similar experience to this. Imagine the CheeseCake Factory sending a candle scented with someone’s favorite pasta, and a VR program for them to use to see their favorite dish while they eat regular pasta.
Using VR to bring new views to live events
VR for live events has been discussed A LOT due to COVID putting a pause on most forms of crowd gathering. Most solutions have it letting everyone feel as if they are front stage for a show, but it’d be much more interesting to use VR to let people see the angles of events that they wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.
There could be concerts from the perspective of a guitarist in a band, Broadway plays that are created to be observed from a birds-eye view, and sports games from the views of the refs to name a few.
Getting people to care about everyday items through VR
VR can be a great way to let people experience other perspectives. Not just other people’s but other objects. Take Tree, for example, an award-winning virtual reality film told from the perspective of a tree growing from a sapling to a victim of climate change.
There is a myriad of ways that brands and nonprofits can use that to their advantage. It can be serious like showing the adverse effects of pollution, or more fun like letting people experience a day as a Roomba.
Enhancing retail spaces with VR art
There are a couple of amazing art apps like Google Tilt Brush on VR headsets that let people create art in 3d spaces. These pieces are starting to pop up in art exhibits, but a lot of what they are doing can be applied to retail spaces.
Adding virtual flairs, designs, and displays to mundane stores could be a cheap, flexible way to add some zest to the shopping experience. The best part is that it could be individualized for each customer at no cost.
What to take away:
Virtual reality is growing in many industries outside of gaming. While it is taking it awhile for it to get to the mainstream the seeds are certainly there. It’s just going to take a little bit out of the box thinking for the space to explode.
Gaming news that caught my eye:
Kotaku: Spark’d is a new reality show where Sims superfans compete to create the best stories around their video game characters.
Polygon: Ready Player One, the biggest fiction book about video games is getting a sequel in November.
Video Game Deep Cuts: A newsletter I follow is having guests share their favorite video game articles. There are lots of good nuggets and rabbit holes to jump down. Give them a follow!
Spread the word:
If you enjoyed this, please share it with your friends.
If your friend shared this with you, please consider subscribing.
Logging off
Thanks for reading. Feel free to contact me through any of the methods below. I’ll answer all questions.
Email: zacharystubblefield@yahoo.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-stubblefield-59875b152/
PSN ID: Stubbalicious
Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-5855-6141-8124