Business opportunities VR: the next big thing in AV?


Is VR to be the next big thing in AV? Not the consumer-led Head Mounted Displays (HDMs) em- braced by gamers and featured as part of a handful of profes- sional applications, but genuine large-scale, multi-participant education and entertainment events. In an attempt to find out, AV News spent a few days in Am- sterdam at ISE’s partner event VR Days. It was quite an experience!


Most people’s perception of vir- tual reality is solo experience enjoyed by a single partici- pant wearing a Head Mounted Display, like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Samsung’s Gear or Sony’s HMZ-T3W. While these devices create effective VR for the in- dividual, they fall down when applied to multi-participant or Mixed Reality experiences. There are basic issues with the technology itself and the business


model when these


experiences are rolled out com- mercially


For example, Alice VR is a story-driven exploration game with puzzles and designed to be a singular VR adventure inspired by the Lewis Carroll original, but taking its char- acters and themes to a new science-fiction setting. During your playthrough you'll meet familiar


characters such as


Cheshire Cat or Mad Hatter, but the unique sci-fi setting will make every encounter a big surprise.


Engagement


The current state-of-the-art in VR sees the technology move beyond sedentary, individual involvement, to activities that provoke action. We were treat- ed to two examples at opposite ends of the spectrum at VR Days. Yogi Amandeep is a Master


Teacher with thousands of fol- lowers. He travels the globe sharing the teachings of the ancient science of Kundalini Yoga and guides his students through profound experienc- es of physical and psycholog- ical release. He brings great depth, joy, and spontaneity to his teaching of Kundalini Yoga. He holds a BS in Info System and Software Engineering, and Masters in Counselling. For those unable to experience Yogi Amandeep in person a VR ses- sion can be effective.


At the other end of the spec- trum, VR Days presented a real


avoiding obstacles. Each cut


is strongly supported by great sound and visual effects to em- phasize the rhythm. Beat Saber’s development started in 2016 when it was found out that the basic con- cept implemented in the Beat Saber


prototype works. The


game was showcased on many places and almost 700 people tried it. The response is over- whelmingly positive. Its popu- larity was due to the fact that coincided with the emergence of gym and workout culture.


The social aspect


The emergence of Beat Saber as a competitive e-sport come as no great surprise and illus- trates the demand for VR to take on a social aspect that enables content to be shared among individuals a shared space. Many Mixed Reality ex- periences are in development that see real and virtual char- acters interact in virtual worlds. The problem here is that if the nature of the experience makes HMDs impractical, cur- rent technologies that support shared VR worlds rule out cur- rent business models – unless funded by the most fantastical budgets. For example, China’s Oriental Times Media Corpora- tion has developed a massive VR theme park over 320 acres and costing an estimated $1.3 to $1.5 billion. The East Val- ley of Science and Fantasy will feature multiple attractions, using VR to help transport us- ers to the future and travel through space. Putting on their HMDs as soon as they enter the park, the facility also houses a VR restaurant, movie theatre, recreational areas, a children’s


Yogi Amandeep is a Master Teacher with thousands of followers. He travels the globe sharing the teachings of the ancient science of Kundalini Yoga and guides his students through profound experiences of physical and psychological release.


Alice is tailor-made for VR from the ground up. This grip- ping version of the story has multiple endings and lets you choose your own path Chang- ing gravity allows you to walk on walls and ceilings, play with shrinking and growing devices, and have fun with the physics of the world of Alice VR Alice VR is designed, not as a game, but as an experience. As such the usual HMD pitfalls apply. The game is designed to be the most comfortable VR experience


possible, and yet


wearing and HMD for several hours causes discomfort. Slow and frustrating controls get in the way of the experience – and perhaps the primary barrier to a genuinely immersive experi- ence, it is not social.


rock star of the VR world – Ja- roslav Beck, one of the devel- opers of Beat Saber, a VR activ- ity / sport that encourages live action by its viewers, currently achieving sign-ups running into millions, and the highest rate title on Steam.


Beat Saber is a unique VR rhythm game, where your goal is to slash the beats (represent- ed by small cubes) as they are coming at you. Every beat indi- cates which saber you need to use and also the direction you need to match. The game can be easily described as a mash- up of Guitar Hero and Fruit Ninja in VR. All the music is composed to perfectly fit the handmade levels. The goal is to make players almost dance, while cutting all the cubes and


area and China’s first VR roll- ercoaster.


Areas of the park are dedi- cated to VR film production as well as a media research and development. While the park is branded as a VR playground, the East Valley of Science and Fantasy could become the HQ for all things VR not only in China, but the entire Eastern hemisphere. The park will be debuted in waves, slowly open- ing piece by piece to the public of Guizhou.


For those with more limited ambitions, and budgets, the current technology for available multi-user VR is that of the


CAVE. Hardly a cheap option, CAVE solutions are at least available from some familiar AV suppliers. For example, the Christie CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) solution is a room-size visualisation solu- tion, allows multiple users to share in the same experience simultaneously, enhancing teamwork, discovery and deci- sion making. With a compact footprint and a structure that is both light- weight and rigid for structural integrity, Christie CAVEs are quick to install and a great fit for smaller spaces. The stan- dard, turnkey Christie CAVE


Event report


VR Days presented a real ‘rock star’ of the VR world – Jaroslav Beck, one of the developers of Beat Saber CONTINUED ON PAGE 20


AV News November 2018 P17


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