Virtual Reality’s Next Expansion: Re-introducing its magic to consumers
Blame it on our ancestors that we have a preference for warm nourishment. And, especially on cold days and nights, there is an appliance that helps families around the world make a nice meal out of, say, Thanksgiving leftovers. Microwave ovens are asked to do their work for a short time, compared to televisions, laptops, and smartphones; still, they deliver, efficiently and swiftly, like only they can, and then sit quietly waiting for their next bidding. My introduction to them was set up decades ago at a startup where I worked; Rose G, manager of Document Control, would rave daily about her magical new kitchen-mate. Soon, while visiting a friend Ravi K in Concord, I got to try it out firsthand. I purchased it the same weekend, and now it is a highly ranked essential convenience for me, just like for many others worldwide. Microwaves, as they are now called, have been in our kitchens for more than 50 years, and how they earned their spot in our homes, provides some insights about consumer behavior.
Having tracked Virtual Reality from the tech perspective for years, I was very aware of its potential. Of course, our assessments can be inaccurate; I recall articles from Newsweek in the late 20th century that promised a voice-activated typewriter, and Time magazine hailed Interferon as the medical miracle that would cure cancer. Coming to recent years and watching VR as it gathered steam, it was evident that it would connect first with the gaming sector. As new VR systems emerged with their walled gardens, I felt sure that this new experiential platform was advancing in a big way and was here to stay.
Some others also saw it that way. Greg Castle, the Managing Partner of Anorak Ventures, is no slacker when it comes to VR. He sensed its potential early on and invested in Oculus, a small startup before Facebook acquired it. I attended Greg’s talk at UCLA last year and heard about his connection to the perfect storm that Oculus represented. In a recent podcast interview, he mentions many exciting developments in the VR-AR/MR arena (such as a futuristic startup — Looking Glass — that is working on VR that does not require a headset). Greg also talks about his efforts to expand VR’s adoption within his family. He shipped a headset, Oculus Quest, to his uncle, and he comments that “it’s still sitting in the box, a month later.”
This, then, is the challenge: how do we motivate — not trick or manipulate — our family and friends, our neighbors, and colleagues to take a good look at VR, even though (and especially if) they are not tech-savvy? Pundits have pontificated for decades, if not centuries, about consumers and their psyche; you and I, which make up the labeled segment, cannot be pigeon-holed very casually. On the one hand, we are prudent and distrustful about governmental propaganda; on the other hand, we are taking tips from Kim Kardashian about how to consume M&M’s.
There may be a way to leapfrog over the multitude of inconsistencies that make the human condition; we should concentrate on understanding our innate instincts, especially our need to tell and leave behind stories that memorialize our experiences. Professor Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and author of “Sapiens” and “Homo Deus,” says that it is innately in our nature as humans that we must leave our stories, notes, and narrations for others. We have used whatever latest tools were available for us to do so — from drawings on cave walls to written scrolls to AI chatbots. VR is such a tool and is improving rapidly. Very soon, people everywhere will come to appreciate the many ways of using this tech, that it is not just for consuming pre-made VR content like games and movies but also for content creation. And once this awareness has dawned, then we are pre-disposed to use VR for creating and sharing personal timescapes.
Even though the earliest users of VR were wealthy individuals or engineering colleges, the popular media did not miss it entirely. In the 1990s, a popular sitcom, “Mad About You,” had an episode built around it. Similarly, the venerable Angela Lansbury, in her role as Jessica Fletcher in the “Murder She Wrote” series, had a story where VR played a role in catching a criminal. This prolonged, though superficial exposure to the general public has both positive and negative repercussions for this technology today. People have a general idea about it, and popular articles have not helped in bringing some rationality in these impressions. Some experts explain the VR experience by comparing to the dreams in which we immerse ourselves every night; this is unfair in many dimensions since the stuff of our dreams is not governed by science or logic, let alone regulatory agencies or battery life.
Some approaches like Google Cardboard have tried to introduce VR to consumers worldwide; however, this came with severe dependencies and limitations, like requiring a smartphone and with content not relevant for many. And although inexpensive, the user experience was not very comfortable. Another challenge was that the technology commentators on broadcast television channels could not narrate the VR experience enough. However, that may not have been entirely their fault. Even with the best collection of adjectives, some sensations (like the fragrance of the Durian fruit) are hard to convey. The reason we describe VR as experiential is that it needs to be experienced first hand to be really understood. Unless users indulge and allow themselves to wear a headset, they are never going to enjoy this magic fully. On the other hand, once they engage, the result is fantastic.
For a while, I have been walking about, carrying my VR gear (180/360 camera, battery bank, and a headset) and talking about it to those who are interested and curious. (My 3D/180 recordings of the recent Veteran’s Day parade in downtown San Jose appear here and here; each is less than two minutes and best viewed with a headset like Oculus Go.) After answering that I am not an employee of Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, or Amazon, I offer to give them a simple demo. Those who opt for it are almost always impressed, and a lot of other questions follow because, as mentioned by Oliver Wendell Holmes, “a mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” A while back, when my friends knew that I was contemplating founding a VR-related startup or consultancy, one of them made some introductions. As a result, I was invited to give an informal talk about VR to a group of educators. Just as I was starting, a man yelled out, “What are you selling?” I said I wanted to introduce them to a new viewing platform, which they might or might not like, and told them I had prepared a 90-second-long video showcasing the workplace of the best people in the world. While I presented my PowerPoint, pointing out that even the best smartphone only captures a tiny fraction of the environment, the headset I brought got passed around among the dozen-plus educators in attendance. What they saw was a short VR recording of their school campus that I had made earlier that day in an immersive 360-degree setting. At least half of them, if not more, were awestruck and mentioned that they had no idea that creating such VR content was already possible.
So how do we bring Greg Castle’s uncle (and others like him) into the fold? I would suggest three steps, based on my chats with good folks everywhere (Obviously, I am generalizing and mean no disrespect toward Greg or his uncle.): 1. Send a simple device such as Oculus Go; a device with two controllers, such as the Quest, can be overwhelming for some. Of course, this will change as hand-tracking gets enabled. You want the hardware to arrive fully charged or with fresh batteries installed. 2. Have a knowledgeable VR ambassador present to facilitate the first experience in various ways so that the user can, for instance, sit in a swivel chair and not strain the neck or shoulder muscles. 3. Prepare some meaningful VR content — maybe a birthday or some celebration or a VR visit to a place — and make it easy to access. The recording should not be more than a few minutes long and made with the viewers’ comfort in mind (no roller coasters, please; at least, not yet). This plan should ensure an introduction to VR’s magic that is both honest and frictionless.
So, as I run around asking my friends, colleagues, neighbors, and associates to at least invest in a friendly headset like Oculus Go or Quest, it is logical to expect some pushback. Of course, I don’t advocate the purchase for anyone who cannot easily afford it. I am also first to declare that our currently available consumer-friendly devices are far from perfect, and problems like VR sickness need to get addressed. Still, there is one objection that I don’t accept: when I hear that their main reason for not buying is that the headset won’t get used and will sit idle. I have to remind them of the microwaves in their kitchens or the staplers in their office drawers; these are not used continuously and still serve an important function. Also, considering how a VR-user typically shuts out the physical reality, we don’t want to encourage overuse, which could lead to escapist tendencies. Finally, we need to emphasize how this start with VR is a gateway to new experiences and an investment in a platform of the future.
This promise fits well with the macro-economic perspective. As the global business has evolved, the focus shifted first from raw materials and goods to commodities (think Argentina as the world’s granary being usurped by cereal-makers like Kellogg’s), and then, with maturity, businesses wanted these goods to perform a service (from dry-cleaning clothes to delivering software). Now, especially with millennials (but not just them), there is a strong and growing interest in advancing the “goods->commodities-> services” paradigm and prioritizing experiences over materialistic items. Virtual reality is well-positioned to deliver this capability.
Widespread engagement of VR by consumers will, of course, benefit hardware companies; the makers of cameras and headsets will feel comfortable investing to make their products cheaper, better, and more friendly. It will also send VR into the orbit of the virtuous cycle, which will assure ubiquity. The tech journalists who declared VR to be dead everywhere but in its gaming niche will now find creative ways to explain its re-emergence. More importantly, there will be societal benefits worldwide. For example, people will be able to VR-visit places they have always wanted to visit in real life but, due to physical or other restraints, couldn’t. With more acceptance, the citizenry will feel comfortable sharing their resources for community projects such as the Berlin Wall VR. Most significantly, as people start thinking in VR, they will use the related advances — e.g., 5G and WiFi6 for live-streaming — to reduce unnecessary waste of resources, thereby reducing the collective carbon footprint.
It is no wonder that innovative ideas will come from the users themselves. I asked the attendees at my talk about what projects I could work on with them. George (a coach) asked me how he could start a side business making VR recordings for his neighbors, relatives, and friends, not just of their family events but also of their kids’ playing soccer, lacrosse, and softball. “This is hands-down better than Uber!” he exclaimed. Another attendee, MaryAnn (a teacher), mentioned that her old home was being prepared to be demolished and replaced with a newer one with modern amenities. She said, “It is the right thing to do, and still, I have so many memories of this place.” She had tried making a video recording with her iPhone while walking through the place and found the finished recording underwhelming. We made an appointment and later created an eight-minute VR recording that she says she will treasure. These days, having purchased a headset (which sits atop a stack of old photo albums in her living room), she shows her new VR discoveries to her colleagues almost every day. She says that the following is the most common response she receives: “Wow! Who knew that this was possible?” It seems that a new era of VR adoption is dawning.
