Benedict Evans on the virtual reality winter – Scoop.co.nz

InTheVR winter Benedict Evans writes about virtualreality and its failure to take off:

Silicon Graphics teased journalists with a vision ofhow the technology might work for business analytics. Itsounded convincing at the time.

The idea went somethingalong these lines:

And soon..."

A more practical and topical use ofimmersive three-dimensional graphics might allow researchersto walk around and explore a giant model of, say, a virus tohelp identify weak spots that medicine or a vaccine couldaddress.

In his story, Evans works through most of thereasons why virtual reality never took off. In part it wasalways too niche. He offers other reasons, but I think hemisses something in his story.

I've yet to see a VRexperience which is not so bad that I'm embarrassed for thepeople who made it. There was a VR presentation at anAuckland press conference a year or so ago. Apart fromfeeling slightly sick and disoriented during thepresentation, it was, to say the least unimpressive.

Threeyears ago at Mobile World Congress a slew of mobile handsetcompanies showed VR systems based on phones. There were atleast seven displays, but between them there were only twopieces of content on show. Most shared the same rollercoaster ride VR demonstration.

At the time I noted thatthe fact so many huge names had to show the same content atone of the world's biggest tech events implied there'sprecious little worthwhile content. At last year's MobileWorld Congress, the most visible VR content was the samedemonstration. The technology may or may not have beenbetter. Either way it left me cold. Yet the companiespushing it hadn't bothered to invest in creating the contentto show it off.

For VR to take off it needskiller content, but creating immersive, high resolutioncontent is expensive. Far more expensive per minute ofcontent than the cost of a blockbuster movie. And yet almosteveryone can watch a blockbuster movie. Only a handful ofpeople can watch VR. Not enough to make it worth creatingthat blockbuster content.

So until this is resolved oruntil someone creates a mainstream business applicationusing the technology, VR going to remain a backwater. Everyso often the idea will get dusted down and presented againbefore it's put back in the too hard basket.

Benedict Evans on the virtual realitywinter was first posted atbillbennett.co.nz.

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