Where do immersive experiences fit into today’s streaming heavy ecosystem?
The date is April 23, 2005. The time, 8:27 PM PDT. A 19 second long video titled Me at the zoo is uploaded to a site called Youtube. It would become the first of over 5 billion videos to populate the site since, and would set into motion a digital revolution that changed the way in which we monetize, access, create, and consume media.
At first glance, the video is nothing special — its content hardly worthy of the 55 million unique visits its gathered in its 13+ years on the site. But Me at the zoo represents something far more meaningful, and that’s how websites like Youtube have enabled the distribution and access of billions of hours of content, through nearly every device imaginable, virtually free. It has given birth to new forms of storytelling, enabling creators to develop short-form content that range from daily video blogs to animation to scripted series.
Over 1,500 content creators on Youtube now have over a million subscribers. The commonality among these channels is that these creators each have a deep understanding of Youtube — and the unique strengths that this short form video content format provides when delivering a compelling narrative that is told through each ~10 minute long video.
Youtube wasn’t alone in their creative endeavors to re-imagine the content delivery ecosystem. Around the same time, a company known as Netflix would begin its transition from an online DVD delivery service to an online digital streaming model. This pivot would prove to be immensely successful as the company grew from 2007 to 2011 despite DVD sales dropping and is now their de facto business model. With over 130 million current subscribers and multiple copycats being introduced to the market since, it’s clear that content-on-demand delivery services won’t be going extinct anytime soon.
With users now having a seemingly bottomless library of content available at their fingertips 24/7, it is inevitable that immersive experiences will become increasingly more necessary to stand out from the crowd. Alphabet Inc., the very company behind Youtube have invested heavily into the tools that allow for the delivery and creation of these types of narratives. Google Cardboard, Daydream, and Youtube VR gives users the tools they need to experience content intimately. On a basic level, we have already witnessed the growth of platforms that seek to bridge the gap between viewers and creators — sites like Twitch allow for real time interaction between streamers and their audiences, making them feel like a living part of the content creation process.
Similarly, video games have long since transitioned from an just an interactive experience to an immersive storytelling tool. Metal Gear Solid 4, released in 2008, contains over 8 hours of cutscenes (animated non-gameplay sequences) that seek to combine the interactive elements of gaming with an engaging narrative to create an immersive experience for users in the world the developers have created.
It’s strides like these that have eventually lead to the creation of virtual reality technologies that seek to further eliminate the barriers between content and consumers. While VR is imperfect, tearing down the walls between the experience and the audience makes it that much easier to find yourself absorbed in the narrative being told — the very essence of what makes content immersive. It is important to note that immersive doesn’t inherently mean interactive — a traditional film can be immersive on its own merits (believable characters, established world, engaging story, etc.)
This same methodology is the reason we have movie theater chains that stretch from coast to coast and a booming home theater industry — users are willing to pay a price premium in order to experience content under the best possible conditions because as we continue to develop the technology that eliminates the barriers between our media and ourselves, we will unlock the potential of immersive mediums.
The culmination of all of these factors discussed has defined our trajectory heading into 2019. With platforms like Youtube defining new methods and formats for content creation, Netflix revolutionizing content distribution and accessibility, livestreaming services like Twitch that bridge the gap between creator and audiences, and virtual reality that seeks to tear down the walls between digital experiences and individuals, the only better time than now to be a cinephile is the future.
Enter the LUCI immers. Through tireless research and development, LUCI has sought to understand and capitalize on our passion and desire for deeper and more immersive storytelling experiences. The immers leverages the best developments of the past decade while pushing the limits of whats currently possible to create the best viewing experience imaginable— the here and now attitude of Youtube and Netflix providing the content you want whenever and wherever, the access to affordable and desirable technology that bridges the gap between content creators and their audiences, and the seamless interaction between users and media by eliminating the hardware limitations that prevent true immersion.
We want users to be able to stream the content they are passionate about and get the absolute best experience possible when doing so. Crystal clear display quality, hi-fidelity audio, lightweight yet premium construction, accurate head tracking, and new levels of content interaction make the hardware disappear into the experience and bring the most out of all content.
Join us on every step of our journey and discover what it truly means to #GetImmersed.
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