Exactly: you put it on your head as fast as you can. Next up: connect it to the Xbox 360 at the RLVNT-office to play some ‘Virtual Reality’ FIFA 14. Unfortunately, with a massive headache as a result: the current software-version is only compliant with Mac and PC, so no VR-soccer (yet).
After I hooked up the Oculus Rift with my Mac I could finally enter virtual reality. The first Demo I tried was ‘Tuscany’. Hearing people talk about the Oculus Rift-experience cannot be compared with experiencing it yourself. Wearing the Oculus Rift is like putting on an oversized pair of ski-goggles, which completely excludes you from the ‘outside world’. From this moment on you’re in a created world, which rolls and moves along as you twist and turn your head, 360 degrees, in every single direction. I’ll reply my first Oculus Rift-fitted words for you: “Wow!”, “No way!”, “Amazing!”.
My colleagues went through similar states of excitement. It’s great to see the impact virtual reality has on people who haven’t experienced it before. Sure, the graphics of the Oculus Rift Developer Kit 1 are somewhat disappointing compared to modern day standards. However the experience itself easily makes up for it, demonstrating the Rift’s huge potential.
From the tranquility of a sea-based Tuscany home I switched to the thrilling ride on the Riftcoaster. An app that gives you a real rollercoaster experience with beautiful surroundings. Don’t ride this rollercoaster for too long, you might get a little nauseous. Websites like RiftEnabled already offer more than 500 apps/games for the Rift, with experiences ranging from outer space trips to haunted houses.
Without doubt: virtual reality is going to be huge, one way or another. It’s not without reason Facebook spent $2bn on acquiring the Oculus VR company. It’s easy to imagine next generation gaming and entertainment with Oculus Rift, but how could other companies and categories put it to relevant use?
Imagine virtual reality YouTube advertisements in which the user has a 360° view in the world you as an advertiser created especially for them. For example; an airline gives you a vivid experience of flying in their new Airbus A380 and all its services. Or a movie producer places you right inside a movie trailer. In short: An era where immersive virtual reality ads replace plain pre-roll ads is just around the corner. You as an advertiser will have the opportunity to immerse your audience into a world full of experiences, rather than simply ‘showing‘ them a commercial.
I understand, for the time being we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves here. Patience is a virtue. The consumer edition of the Oculus Rift will probably be released in Q2 or Q3 next year. However, at RLVNT we’ve already started to work our magic and are looking forward to releasing an Oculus Rift app ourselves in the very nearby future.
Michiel van Vliet
Michiel@RLVNT.nl
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