Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ reminds us that the human at the center of Virtual Reality is key to its success as an industry
Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ succeeds at depicting a virtual immersive world on the big screen. However, an article published this month in the Financial Times, ‘Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ fails to lift virtual reality’, makes the case that the film has not been the breakthrough moment that the virtual reality (VR) industry needs to become more mainstream.
In the article, the FT’s Silicon Valley reporter Tim Bradshaw discusses the current state of the VR industry and, among other things, proposes that ‘Ready Player One’ falls short of expectations with respect to increasing public awareness and interest in VR.
This is worth contemplating, especially since the film itself may be the closest reference point for those that have little-to-no first-hand knowledge of VR. But is it really a failure in this regard? Viewed from a different perspective, the movie advocates for the humans at the center of this nascent technology — not necessarily for the technology itself.
The film is not intended to be a VR sales tool — it’s a positive, imaginative tale about the core of what every good VR experience should be: the person at the center of that experience and their emotions, hopes and dreams. In that way, ‘Ready Player One’ may successfully make the point more effectively than any other VR film before it — a point that is so often missed by developers and pundits in the space: that people must come FIRST.
Which brings us back to the industry itself.
VR has been, to a degree, a victim of over-inflated expectations and mistaken associations with failed technologies like 3D TV. Clickbait headlines, both positive and negative have been used by marketers and journalists in favor of generating traffic, rather than providing thoughtful analysis.
Patience and perspective have been missing in the response to VR so far, and that along with slow adoption has temporarily damaged its reputation as a viable entertainment choice for mainstream consumers. To be sure, the state of user experience with the setup and use of expensive PC-VR hardware is barbaric, compared to where it will be in a few years.
Even some early proponents of VR gaming are throwing in the towel. The developer of the space simulator game Eve Online, CCP games, recently announced they would be reducing their investment in VR development for the time being, due to lackluster market growth.
Everything just feels like a disaster, doesn’t it? So what’s happening? Nothing new, as it turns out.
The VR technology industry is progressing through cycles of emotional and technical development as it has so many times before:
- “This is going to change the world. Everything is different.” Early experimentation with VR technology births unique “developer demos” which are little more than science fair exhibits.
- “This is going to take the world by storm. Let’s cash in!” Taking old thinking (in this case, from movies/tv and video games) and attempting to leap ahead of the impending adoption wave by pushing commercial titles out the door that are ill conceived and fail to consider and capitalize upon the true benefits of the new technology.
- “They’re just growing pains. Let’s tie our product to existing brands to speed up adoption.” When the industry doesn’t grow as fast as anticipated, turn to brand recognition to differentiate product. Many independent studios find themselves in the position of becoming service organizations, creating “experiences” for larger entertainment companies to keep the lights on. Numerous flashy expensive projects, but none that really capture the long-term VR user.
- “We were too early.” Early creators like CCP exit, returning to what they know well.
- “Bright light! Squirrel!” Some studios turn their back on VR, believing that they may have a brighter future in AR. Surely, the money will be there, they think.
- “VR is dead.” The obligatory “I told you so” and “we’ve been here before” as experts weigh in on the death of VR.
If all this sounds familiar, it is because it is. We’ve been here before with smartphones (prior to the iPhone) and even the internet itself.
These early failures are actually positive events for the industry.
In CCP’s case, their early foray into the industry (a space combat simulator called Eve: Valkyrie) resulted in a spectacular entry from a graphical perspective. However, it could be argued that it also flew in the face of the qualities that make make VR so special and unique. This was about the hunt, explosions and chase. It was about engaging the primitive areas of our brain that focus on pursuit — ironically, those areas that cause us to laser focus on an objective and lose the sense of presence and immersion that make VR so special. It’s one of the key reasons players are at once amazed, then bored by many VR games.
Most titles are not designed for VR and what makes it special. This is a lesson the industry is only beginning to understand. The first wave of fast-to-market VR is dead, having built on old paradigms.
Regardless of this type of negativity surrounding VR, there has been an increase of interest in VR, as of late, thanks to portrayals in mainstream media. The popularity of the Rick and Morty adult cartoon series and the subsequent VR game release on console saw virtual reality trending rapidly around the net. There is indication here that people are still very interested in this technology and it is not a ‘flash in the pan’ novelty as some assume it to be. It’s simply evolving and its supporters remain optimistic and hopeful.
Why? Throughout both the positive and negative reception, one fundamental idea remains true about virtual reality: it captures the imagination.
This is a quality that Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ (based upon Ernest Cline’s novel) communicated very effectively. VR is at once more magical and more powerful than any other medium we have yet seen. Our software and hardware simply has to catch up to the opportunity it presents. More importantly, developers must also force themselves to abandon many old notions of game design and gameplay in favor of those that truly work in VR.
Once they do, VR will begin to experience its tipping point.
In the film, VR is beyond that point. It is presented as a mainstream, pedestrian technology. The hero of the story (along with many others) use the technology to effortlessly enter a world of possibilities and adventure — qualities lacking in their deteriorating real world.
The movie is a quest of discovery; an adventure with its own pitfalls and rewards. It is a parable for life itself and the film delivers a message — one of friendship, coming of age and discovering who you are as well as the conflict and hardships you may have to face. Its message is not centered around VR as a technology. The movie simply accepts that VR will become part of the fabric of our lives in the not-too-distant future. Instead, more importantly, its message focuses on the people at the center of its great adventure.
Gaming universes have become relatable to people — especially when there are underlying and compelling stories behind the mechanics. They represent a type of life experience, replete with memories. Social games are more than they appear and within VR they become a parallel chance to realize a version of one’s personal narrative — an opportunity to become our better (or different) selves.
In that way, ‘Ready Player One’ represents the bigger purpose behind VR — it is a living, breathing universe where human beings interact, create and build. It has true meaning and value to those who engage in it — far beyond a 20-minute run on a regular video game translation.
VR faces many technical and design challenges. But solving each of these challenges moves us closer to a day when virtual technologies become a positive force in all our lives.
Virtual reality tech will get there, as other pioneering technologies have done time and time again in the past — but it will only be successful if developers focus on the human at the center of the experience. Spielberg’s movie captures the essence of this perfectly. This is the message that needs to resonate in this new and young industry.
A leap of faith and understanding of what’s possible is required for the magic of VR to come to life and be enjoyed by everyone.
More and more people are discovering the VR experience for themselves — those that would have otherwise rejected the idea are surprised and delighted once they actually get inside a headset and see it with their own eyes. The FT article also mentions the importance of location-based VR experiences — such as within arcade environments — which is a solid step towards exposing wider audiences to VR and helping people form opinions with a better informed mindset.
Just weeks ago, few would have predicted ‘Ready Player One’ would be one of Steven Spielberg’s biggest hit in a decade. It is also his sixth-largest money maker of all-time.
Spielberg captured the essence of VR and the audience has responded. The human being and their potential must be at the heart of the experience. When developers focus on this, VR will see its day in the mainstream.
Ciaran Foley is CEO of Ukledo and Immersive Entertainment, Inc. a Southern California virtual reality software company developing a new virtual engagement platform called Virtual Universe (VU).
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