The Commercial Entertainment VR Solution
The basic issues of using HMD’s in public-space have not changed since the late 90’s—and with a extensive experience in undertaking this, it was proposed that there was an urgent need for a rugged, reliable and advanced HMD that could be made available to those wanting to promote and present VR to the masses before any alternative could be offered from the consumer sector. With this the newly merged ImmersiON-VRelia operation and their high-spec HMD platform, approached the new start-up International Immersion Industries (of which I am the Chairman) who retained the services on their board of individuals that had extensive experience in immersive entertainment requirements in the public-space sector.
In August 2014 the partnership was revealed with the subsequent announcement of the PRO Blue Sky HMD that would build on previous experience, and would finally offer a solution to those that have seen initial success with conceiving a public-space application for VR, but could not find a suitable delivery platform to offer their guests.
Following this brief overview of the reasoning behind supporting the commercial entertainment sector, Road To VR was able to put a number of questions to me regarding the scope of this new enterprise:
Road to VR: How are you involved with virtual reality in the commercial entertainment sector?
Kevin Williams: As you know I have been linked to immersive entertainment in all its forms for the majority of my career (working in design, sales, development and management)—having worked most recently on consultancies and research projects on new concepts for the market, it became clear that this industry needed a simple VR solution. Rather than watching from the sidelines I felt I had to support a platform that could best deliver the needed commercial entertainment approach, or we would be in danger of reliving the 90’s and seeing a whole swathe of the mainstream disenfranchised, unable to get their chance to experience VR, with no access to a consumer option.
Road to VR: How does the ImmersiON-VRelia partnership work?
Williams: The partnership between ImmersiON-VRelia and International Immersion Industries, which I represent, draws on the extensive contacts and previous knowledge of the market that we have amassed. I will be working towards establishing contacts with the numerous developers and operators looking at a public-space application of VR, desperate for a solution that can simply fit their requirements and content. The CEO and Chairman (myself) of International Immersion Industries have been invited onto the advisory board of ImmersiON-VRelia, and we look forward to combining our experiences and work on the sales drive for this and future systems.
Road to VR: What are the specifications of the proposed VR headset?
Williams: The PRO Blue Sky will combine what we feel is a number of ground-breaking elements that will make it a true commercial platform for VR from the ground up (rather than a last minute rehash of a consumer unit). Leading the charge is the 120-degree field of view that will be the first of its kind deployed in this sector, along with dual full high-definition 1080×1920 displays. The system will also be the first HMD in the market that will have combined spatial audio, along with positional tracking, making the PRO Blue Sky a single immersive platform solution that can be combined with whatever the client hopes to deliver into the commercial sector.
Road to VR: What’s the timeline for release?
We have hit the road running—after the announcement of the merger, we then worked with the team to establish the commercial entertainment division that saw the partnership with International Immersion Industries. We are now in the final stages of creating production prototypes that will be handed to a number of early adopters; once all the elements have been combined, we hope to see the first production HMD’s fielded in Q2, 2015. It is important to understand that the requirements of the commercial sector are far different to the restrictions of the consumer hardware development sector, and we have to restrict the initial supporters to minimum purchases to ensure a strong business footing.
One aspect of the partnership has not received as much coverage as the announcement of the commercial entertainment HMD; that is the agreement for ImmersiON-VRelia’s The AlterSpace, a delivery platform for content to entertainment organizations on demand. This will offer operators of the system an ability to have access to a wide selection of game content from a central source on demand, and make the instructions of operation and keeping the unit and content updated much easier. This delivery platform will also be available to the VR community, offering a new platform for great content to thrive on, away from consumer (exclusive) restrictions.
Finally, I know that in all things the error of the current HMD developers to not look towards Commercial Entertainment will eventually be recognized, and after a letting of blood, we in this new partnership will see the appearance of competition in the commercial entertainment sector. I am glad to anticipate any competition in this sector; all I ask is that the right product is used for the right job, because the more we see development kits and consumer units forced into service to undertake a job they are ill equipped to achieve, the more there is a danger that the audience will be given a poor experience that will sully their perception of what VR has to offer.
The opportunities for virtual reality in commercial entertainment are bright, and for many of the early explorers of immersive entertainment their first experience will be out-of-their-home. What is needed now is the drive to establish this market with the right tools, and to support what will be a new era of entertainment application in an emerging market.
More information on ImmersiON-VRelia and the PRO Blue Sky headset for the commercial entertainment sector can be found on the official website.
About the Author – Kevin Williams has an extensive background in the development and sales of the latest amusement and attraction applications and technologies. The UK born specialist in the pay-to-play scene; is well-known through his consultancy KWP; and as a prolific writer and presenter (along with his own news service The Stinger Report), covering the emergence of the new entertainment market.Kevin has co-authored a book covering the sector called ‘The Out-of-Home Interactive Entertainment Frontier’ (published by Gower). And is the founding chairman of DNA Association, focuses on the digital Out-of Home interactive entertainment sector. Kevin can be reached at – kwp@thestingerreport.com – http://www.thestingerreport.com
