Virtual Reality

Independent publication by raconteur.net raconteur.net # 0356 17 / 12 / 2015 VIRTUAL REALITY

2016: the year Bringing Virtually Feel like 2016 05 shopping 06 no limit 11 playing 03 of virtual reality to life to VR away?

Analysts are tipping 2016 as a breakthrough Retailers are poised to use virtual reality Ten top areas where virtual reality is Virtual reality is adding an extra dimension year for virtual reality technology to transform the shopping experience making an impact and revolutionising life to gaming and interactive cinema

FB BANNER - HEXAWARE creating immersive, interactive worlds for VR

stinkdigital.com

www.seriousgamesinternational.com Call uson+44(0)2476158222 @SGIntLtd raconteur.net T the 1950s and1990s withoutreally mak all driftedinandoutoffashionbetween have andimmersion helmets headsets, VRis quickly of steam. building a head reality or VR revolutionthe virtual that RACONTEUR /2015 |17/12 Distributed in Distributed to enjoy abreakthrough year in2016. istipped thetechnology the VRpioneers, finally having caughtup to thevisionof andcomputingpower speeds nectivity and applications. With con businesses ofgamers, reality foranewgeneration haveboard more ofa allmadevirtual andGoogle’s Card projects Morpheus Rift,HTC’sOculus Vive, PlayStation’s naissance. Facebook’s acquisitionof re and VRhasenjoyed anunexpected interest. went orlost extinct inarcade gameVReither industry tage abrieflythat hadfuelled thriving cot inVRasthecompanies interest stream ofmain theapex VR, threatened to be which was builtaroundof theconcept ing acommercial breakthrough. [email protected] ore-mail 5230 call+44 (0)203428 please orfeedback, inquiries partnership For schedule, are clearly labelled. anupcoming features is withoutbiasandsponsored throughAlthough thispublication isfunded advertising andsponsorship, alleditorial

Yet later ofacentury aquarter almost The 1992 Man, movie TheLawnmower Getty Images NIC FILDES OVERVIEW proves more than thecase ical innovation andnothing to technolog when itcomes ofdéjàvu here isoften asense BUSINESS CULTURE FINANCE HEALTHCARE LIFESTYLE SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY INFOGRAPHICS ------

Peter Archer Editor Managing Chiou Benjamin Editor Production David Kells Manager Publishing ics on a flat TV screen hadquick screen onaflat TV ics prevalent. For the graph gamers, the ether astheinternet became intoVPL went anddisappeared bust National Enquirer, butitdidn’t last. on thecover American ofScientific and for arcade games. withheadsets success achieved some do. aBritishbusiness, WIndustries, quickly by adapted Mattel andNinten the briefly famousZGlove thatwas includingVPLwhichdevelopednies, oftheworld’ssome VRcompa first to thefoundationoftions whichled toed considercommercial applica VRsystems start with head-mounted Gulf tion duringthefirst War. mid-1960s, that came to frui a project as anadvanced flightsimulator inthe to developNasa thetechnology started create immersive computingsystems. beyond at3Dcinemato early attempts looked of the concept when the pioneers inthe1960s were inprojects rooted ty” $200billionby 2020.reach astaggering networks, software andcontent will that themarket for hardware,estimates tion anymore. Citi,theinvestment bank, By themid-1980s, VRwas featured In thelate-1970s, working students forms of“artificial The earliest reali This is not just the stuff of science fic of the stuff just This is not RACONTEUR Analysts are tipping2016 as abreakthrough yearfor virtual

of virtual realityof virtual Samuele Motta Kellie Jerrard Grant Chapman Design Sarah Allidina Rebecca McCormick Manager Social Digital and Natalia Rosek ofProduction Head reality with major product launches onthehorizon withmajorproduct launches reality 2016: theyear in andtechnology.healthcare, lifestyle are exclusively published reports Raconteur special finance, cover sustainability, includingbusiness, oftopics, awiderange and articles publications Its content andresearch. publisher ofspecial-interest Raconteur isaleading The TimesandSunday Times aswell asonlineatraconteur.net ------

up for big things. up forbigthings. IBM, Apple AMD and Sony all gearing withHTC, sector in thetechnology and VRwas célèbre onceagainacause onthecoverpeared ofTimeMagazine Luckey, Rift,ap thefounderofOculus ignited theVRsector. Thisyear Palmer mower Man, didn’t andre interest lose ofoilwells.such as3Dvisualisations and towards applications, business moving awayso from entertainment up. thatsurvived did companies Those anythingly VRcouldconjure surpassed Yet oneyoung man,afanofTheLawn sector continue to focus on theVRrenaissance how muchcompanies outside thehigh-tech product launchesthis year could determine publications. andbusiness pers to nationalnewspa- he contributes ing andmedia, advertis marketing, writer on Specialist DAVID BENADY The success ofnew CONTRIBUTORS raconteur.net - Stuff reviewergadget at formerly thein-house Wareable.com, shewas Features editorof CHARARA SOPHIE magazine. - - -

a differentiator fora variety ofbusiness VR is quickly becoming with their food. ride sled achancetodiners takeavirtual Friday, chain,offering therestaurant evenPerhaps more left-field TGIwas onthemigrantcrisis. report 360-degree inafour-minuteit hasalready tested something news broadcastingisvirtual, Jauntcalled to prepare for a world where videos.”degree and YouTube, 360- support which both sive networks distribution ofFacebook the mas utilise They also experiences. by the hype reality surrounding virtual ready-made publicityvehicle created trailer. from the benefit Movie-makers willhavenew movies a360-degree pany, says: “Bytheendof2016 allmajor has pointed thewayhas pointed ahead. by accompanied aVRtrailerthat been new The market beyond 3Dglasses. cheap already proving4K screens there isa ofimmersive cinemawith prospects the isclearlyexcited about industry VR.Themovie excitedgetting about Sky has been investing inacompanySky hasbeen CCS Insight, the mobile research com Insight,themobileresearch CCS companies thetechnology just It isnot Star Wars: TheForce Awakens has

is ready forthemainstream. plore whetherthetechnology willing to investes and to ex Jones Newswires.Jones Independent formerly withThe at munications editor Technology andcom- NIC FILDES Publisher. ©Raconteur Media errors. No ofthis publicationmay ofthe part withoutthepriorconsent reproduced be However,Proprietors correct. believe to be forany accepted liability canbe nolegal the from sources obtained inthispublication hasbeen The informationcontained The Times, hewas and Dow

raconteur.net/virtual-reality EuroBusiness. com andeditorof LondonlovesBusiness. editor-at-large of hewas journalist, Award-winning ORTON-JONES CHARLES - - - - on theVRrenaissance. continueto focus the high-techsector outsidemine how muchcompanies year from could deter Sony and HTC this launches ofnewproduct cess forthetechnology.petite Thesuc onthepublic’smuch willdepend ap Kota Ezawa. offinearnest,”takes says Citianalyst is onthehorizon. andoilgassectors in theaerospace maintenance ofhigh-value machinery shelves, andremotecan browse virtual where consumers shopping, Mobile ous applicationsforthetechnology. drivingpilot andthemeparksasobvi drills, remotelights medicine, military Citi high of sectors. element to ahost providing spaces adisruptivevirtual withtheabilityto drawless into users sites. ofoldnuclear sioning projects could utilise VR to wirecould utilise up decommis exploring how 5Gnetwork technology company, telecoms equipment largest the world’s to Ericsson, the classroom teachinginStation to spiceupscience put camerasontheInternational Space pitch campaignsto from Kickstarter The technology is still nascent and nascent is still The technology 2016 the year“We to be that VR expect end forVRcouldbe The prospects Investment inVRisreachingfever Visitors test virtualreality headsets at the VIRTUAL REALITY|03 and travel. finance, technology including business, oftopics wide range editor, shecovers a Freelance writer and SAM SHAW Solutions COP21 exhibition ------

04 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 05

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Bringing the shopping

experience to life VIRTUAL REALITY Retailers are poised to use virtual reality to transform shopping by giving Store Planning & customers a 360-degree 3D experience Shopper Research

RETAIL DAVID BENADY @futurevisualvr irgin Holidays is using virtual reality headsets to entice its customers to exotic locations. V The holiday brand ran a test last year using VR in 50 of its stores and showcased some of its top destinations. Customers were encouraged to don a Google Cardboard headset and plunge into virtual tours around the globe. As customer and marketing director Claire Cronin enthuses: “Rather than just seeing gorgeous pictures of unspoilt Shopping and beaches, VR helps you experience what Immersion Platform it would feel like to go round the roller- (SiP), created by coaster at Disney World or go down one of Future Visual for John

John Lewis Lewis, on display at the the slides and go through the aquarium at retailer’s trend event in the world of branded VR content. Over erated video content platform YouTube, the Atlantis. It really brings things to life.” the past few years we have grown from not launched Google Cardboard last year. This The trial boosted sales of holidays by 60 CREATING A just being a photography and motion spe- is a simple and low-cost headset made of per cent year on year for the stores that cial effec t s studio in London’s creative centre cardboard that consumers can construct took part, while the showcased destina- Shoreditch, into a global creative production themselves, slotting in their mobile phone tions saw a healthy uptake by holiday- test and understand shopper MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE agency, but now also specialising in virtual as the screen. Cardboard, which won the makers. Sales of a Mexico trip, which was VISUALISE behaviour and experience reality and augmented reality with proven grand prix at this year’s Cannes Lions Fes- given the VR treatment, soared by 84 per experience worldwide. tival of Creativity in the mobile category, cent. The company is extending its use Virtual reality is fast becoming a must-have addition to the marketing With studios in London, Shanghai, Mumbai, offers brands some great ways to engage of the technology and also plans to send get their own headsets and VR market- speculative now,” he says. “But there is no Portland and New York, global brands are their consumers. Google Cardboard headsets to customers ing enters the living room. doubt that is the direction it is going to go.” and deliver the Perfect Store mix for many brands flocking to try out our VR campaigns, and we There are some really interesting methods who have already booked a holiday so they The technology behind VR has recently However, not everyone is convinced. have recently signed a strategic partnership of distributing Cardboards. For example, in can watch VR content before they go and made some strong improvements which Scott Ross, chief technology officer at Dig- DESIGN for shoppers and retailers deal with advertising giant WPP’s GroupM Chile, in conjunction with Metropolis Films, prepare for the trip. “Nothing beats VR for are stirring up interest from retailers. De- itasLBi, says VR is being talked about in division in Asia-Pacific to work on VR cam- we created a VR experience for alcoholic showcasing a holiday,” says Ms Cronin. partment store chain John Lewis is team- excited tones by marketers, retailers and paigns with its clients. beverage brand Becker Beer. The campaign 2016 is being promoted as the year ing up with VR agency agencies, but he is scep- In another much-loved and highly engag- allowed consumers to turn the packaging when VR will finally explode into the Future Visual to create tical that it will mean decision making, profitability ing VR campaign, we of the 24-can box of public consciousness. Leading head- an in-store trial of the much to consumers. IMPROVE took 450 plus Londoners Becker into a Google set manufacturers, such as HTC Vive new technology next Some believe VR will “Everyone is hoping and shopper experience on a virtual tour of New Cardboard headset. and Oculus Rift, launch their hardware summer. John Lewis transform society, it will be a significant We help brands create early in the New Year, and retailers and innovation manager new experience, but the York for the launch of They could then watch brands are looking at ways to use the John Vary explains: notably shopping, in reality is I’m not seeing Subway’s Beef Pastrami virtual content that is two VR films we cre- technology to sell their wares. Some be- “In the past we’ve a similar way to the these things making a Melt sub. This sandwich powerful, compelling ated for the campaign lieve VR will transform society, notably been quite sceptical huge impact,” he says. With launches of VR headsets coming thick These early-adopters have earned some The four-minute film, shot on a 360- promises to offer the with Madre, the Buenos internet and and unforgettable shopping, in a similar way to the inter- about the quality of One drawback is that and fast – Oculus Rift, Sony PlayStation and great PR from getting involved with VR right degree camera, told the story of a group of taste of New York City, Aires branch of creative the smartphone net and the smartphone. VR, but we’ve seen a the headset offers an HTC Vive are poised for consumer launch- at the start and have used the medium to trick or treaters who wander into a haunted with two yellow New agency Mother. Harrods has used VR headsets to give real change.” individual experience, es early next year – 2016 is already being forge powerful bonds with consumers. house and have some spooky experiences. York cabs on the South Bank of the Thames VR also has great uses as a sales tool. In one customers a virtual “walk through” of The chain is looking while shopping is be- dubbed the year of virtual reality. VR has a powerful influence on consumer It was shot in 3D video and can be viewed and a bell boy to invite passersby to sit inside of our VR experiences for Honey well, the solu- £10-million penthouse apartments mar- at how it can convert a physical catalogue coming increasingly social. Developers Opinions differ on the growth of VR, for behaviour and boosts people’s propensity to on YouTube 360, launched earlier this year and try a free pastrami sub. tion immerses Honey well ’s trade show visitors keted by its property arm. Car brands have into a walk-through digital experience. say this will be solved over time, allowing example Tractica says consumer spending purchase. And VR ads have also been shown to showcase 360-degree video. It garnered While they were eating, they put on a VR into a virtual world to demonstrate its aircraft used it to showcase vehicle test drives. “When you look at home spaces in John people to share their VR experiences. on VR software and hardware is expected to increase click-through rates. When con- some 1.3 million views. headset and were taken on a virtual tour on-board products and solutions. Where pre- VR headsets also enable people to Lewis with a catalogue, you can’t walk up The big challenge will be creating con- to reach $21.8 billion, and Digi-Capital goes sumers don the headset and headphones, Asda customers were able to experience through the street s of New York . We recreated viously it transported a segment of a plane to have a virtual experience of a fashion and look out of the window, you can’t see tent to power the VR revolution, though even further to suggest the VR/AR market they are transported into an all-enveloping the film in VR on their smartphones using the effect of sitting on top of the cab, allow- trade shows to demonstrate its products, it show or walk around a furniture show- the table from above, but in VR you start this should become easier and cheaper as will reach a staggering $150 billion by 2020. sensory experience. Asda-branded Google Cardboard headsets ing them to look all around as they travelled can dispense with this using the Happy Finish room, from the comfort of their own to bring to life these printed spaces in a new 360-degree cameras are launched. Even though the precise future isn’t clear, VR is seamlessly immersive. You can which were handed out free at some stores. through the city and experienced the New VR system. This has helped Honeywell make sofas. At present, the trials are operated three-dimensional experience.” Google is testing the Jump VR camera, we can see these impressive growth projec- look straight ahead or turn your head to When viewed on a mobile, the film offered York taste of the pastrami sub. This created huge savings in transportation costs and has inside stores, though this is expected to The possible uses of VR for retailers which would enable the public to create tions greatly outperform other advertising see what ’s behind you. You can gaze above TrueView cards, a YouTube feature giving a highly realistic multi-sensory audiovisual boosted their sales offering. change as more members of the public and brands are endless, says J.B. McRee, VR videos of their holidays and other markets and could even be likened to the and look beneath you. It is a truly 360- extra information and click-to-buy options. experience and many customers comment- Over the next few years , having a VR strat- senior manager of product marketing at experiences. This could become a new BUILD A BETTER INSTORE emergence of television advertising. degree experience. Chris Chalmers, senior director for digital ed that they felt they had actually been trans- egy will become as important for brands as HTC Vive. “VR allows brands to engage form of social-sharing, and a huge in- Brands are keen to be part of this revo- We help brands create virtual content that and direct communications at Asda, says: ported to the city. having a social media or mobile strategy. As Virgin with users in unique ways that were never fluence on the way people recommend FUTURE WITH VR lution and are looking to VR as a medium is powerful, compelling and unforgettable. “Working with Google, YouTube, Happy The campaign won great headlines and ever, it will be the most engaging and cre- possible before,” he says. For instance, a brands and experiences. for inspiring and engaging consumers with We believe that brands which can offer con- Finish and Carat on trialling a new, fun way significant social media shares. VR and social ative work that wins over consumers. With brand could recreate a real-world store Retailers are already using VR to visual- sponsored content. sumers a stunning VR experience will be re- to immerse shoppers in our Halloween range media go hand in hand and people are keen our wealth of 360-VR creative storytelling in VR and mimic the layout of a tradi- ise new stores and plan how they stock At Happy Finish, we have been special- membered and respected for years to come. has proved to be a real success for us. to share their VR experiences on social plat- expertise, Happy Finish is well placed to help tional retailer allowing the user to move them. Many will be looking to stay ahead GET IN TOUCH & DISCOVER THE POTENTIAL ising in creating VR experiences for brands The spooky Halloween VR experience “Our customers are ahead of the curve when forms. It is no surprise that two of the big VR brands create these new immersive content through it trying on goods. of the curve and use the technology to But the virtual store would have a differ- inspire their customers to get spending. for the past three years. We have built up we created for Asda is an example of the it comes to social media and we’ve had a posi- headset manufacturers are also significant experiences for their campaigns. Yeomans Drive, Blakelands, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK14 5LS ence as it would be tailored to the person- But these are early days for VR. The 360- UK: +44 (0) 1908 327650 a portfolio of strong, engaging campaigns high-quality content that can give a brand tive reaction from them. We’ve been really im- players in the world of social media and us- alised tastes of that user. It could enable degree experience can only get better. www.fifth.uk.com [email protected] for leading brands such as Asda, Ted Baker, a real point of difference. The campaign pressed with the number of people who have er-generated content. the virtual shopper to hold up two items River Island, RNLI , Honey well, Subway, Vaux- helped the retailer gain traction on social viewed and interacted with the video.” Last year, Facebook bought Oculus Rift, www.happyfinish.com of clothing next to each other to compare hall, Renault and WHIST, which is a project media and boosted its standing as a store to The film further boosted the reputation which will launch its sophisticated headset @Happy_Finish Share this article on social media via 600 Touchton Road East, Suite 1150, Jacksonville, Florida 32246 Virgin’s Google Cardboard enables customers to them. Mr McRee believes there will be huge raconteur.net funded by Arts Council England. visit for Halloween shopping. of Happy Finish as a leading creative force next year. Google, which owns user-gen- [email protected] USA: +1 (904) 332-2584 experience a virtual tour before booking a holiday strides in the way retailers use VR. “It is www.fifth.us.com [email protected] 04 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 05

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Bringing the shopping

experience to life VIRTUAL REALITY Retailers are poised to use virtual reality to transform shopping by giving Store Planning & customers a 360-degree 3D experience Shopper Research

John Lewis Lewis, on display at the the slides and go through the aquarium at retailer’s trend event in the world of branded VR content. Over erated video content platform YouTube, the Atlantis. It really brings things to life.” the past few years we have grown from not launched Google Cardboard last year. This The trial boosted sales of holidays by 60 CREATING A just being a photography and motion spe- is a simple and low-cost headset made of per cent year on year for the stores that cial effec t s studio in London’s creative centre cardboard that consumers can construct took part, while the showcased destina- Shoreditch, into a global creative production themselves, slotting in their mobile phone tions saw a healthy uptake by holiday- test and understand shopper MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE agency, but now also specialising in virtual as the screen. Cardboard, which won the makers. Sales of a Mexico trip, which was VISUALISE behaviour and experience reality and augmented reality with proven grand prix at this year’s Cannes Lions Fes- given the VR treatment, soared by 84 per experience worldwide. tival of Creativity in the mobile category, cent. The company is extending its use Virtual reality is fast becoming a must-have addition to the marketing With studios in London, Shanghai, Mumbai, offers brands some great ways to engage of the technology and also plans to send get their own headsets and VR market- speculative now,” he says. “But there is no Portland and New York, global brands are their consumers. Google Cardboard headsets to customers ing enters the living room. doubt that is the direction it is going to go.” and deliver the Perfect Store mix for many brands flocking to try out our VR campaigns, and we There are some really interesting methods who have already booked a holiday so they The technology behind VR has recently However, not everyone is convinced. have recently signed a strategic partnership of distributing Cardboards. For example, in can watch VR content before they go and made some strong improvements which Scott Ross, chief technology officer at Dig- DESIGN for shoppers and retailers deal with advertising giant WPP’s GroupM Chile, in conjunction with Metropolis Films, prepare for the trip. “Nothing beats VR for are stirring up interest from retailers. De- itasLBi, says VR is being talked about in division in Asia-Pacific to work on VR cam- we created a VR experience for alcoholic showcasing a holiday,” says Ms Cronin. partment store chain John Lewis is team- excited tones by marketers, retailers and paigns with its clients. beverage brand Becker Beer. The campaign 2016 is being promoted as the year ing up with VR agency agencies, but he is scep- In another much-loved and highly engag- allowed consumers to turn the packaging when VR will finally explode into the Future Visual to create tical that it will mean decision making, profitability ing VR campaign, we of the 24-can box of public consciousness. Leading head- an in-store trial of the much to consumers. IMPROVE took 450 plus Londoners Becker into a Google set manufacturers, such as HTC Vive new technology next Some believe VR will “Everyone is hoping and shopper experience on a virtual tour of New Cardboard headset. and Oculus Rift, launch their hardware summer. John Lewis transform society, it will be a significant We help brands create early in the New Year, and retailers and innovation manager new experience, but the York for the launch of They could then watch brands are looking at ways to use the John Vary explains: notably shopping, in reality is I’m not seeing Subway’s Beef Pastrami virtual content that is two VR films we cre- technology to sell their wares. Some be- “In the past we’ve a similar way to the these things making a Melt sub. This sandwich powerful, compelling ated for the campaign lieve VR will transform society, notably been quite sceptical huge impact,” he says. With launches of VR headsets coming thick These early-adopters have earned some The four-minute film, shot on a 360- promises to offer the with Madre, the Buenos internet and and unforgettable shopping, in a similar way to the inter- about the quality of One drawback is that and fast – Oculus Rift, Sony PlayStation and great PR from getting involved with VR right degree camera, told the story of a group of taste of New York City, Aires branch of creative the smartphone net and the smartphone. VR, but we’ve seen a the headset offers an HTC Vive are poised for consumer launch- at the start and have used the medium to trick or treaters who wander into a haunted with two yellow New agency Mother. Harrods has used VR headsets to give real change.” individual experience, es early next year – 2016 is already being forge powerful bonds with consumers. house and have some spooky experiences. York cabs on the South Bank of the Thames VR also has great uses as a sales tool. In one customers a virtual “walk through” of The chain is looking while shopping is be- dubbed the year of virtual reality. VR has a powerful influence on consumer It was shot in 3D video and can be viewed and a bell boy to invite passersby to sit inside of our VR experiences for Honey well, the solu- £10-million penthouse apartments mar- at how it can convert a physical catalogue coming increasingly social. Developers Opinions differ on the growth of VR, for behaviour and boosts people’s propensity to on YouTube 360, launched earlier this year and try a free pastrami sub. tion immerses Honey well ’s trade show visitors keted by its property arm. Car brands have into a walk-through digital experience. say this will be solved over time, allowing example Tractica says consumer spending purchase. And VR ads have also been shown to showcase 360-degree video. It garnered While they were eating, they put on a VR into a virtual world to demonstrate its aircraft used it to showcase vehicle test drives. “When you look at home spaces in John people to share their VR experiences. on VR software and hardware is expected to increase click-through rates. When con- some 1.3 million views. headset and were taken on a virtual tour on-board products and solutions. Where pre- VR headsets also enable people to Lewis with a catalogue, you can’t walk up The big challenge will be creating con- to reach $21.8 billion, and Digi-Capital goes sumers don the headset and headphones, Asda customers were able to experience through the street s of New York . We recreated viously it transported a segment of a plane to have a virtual experience of a fashion and look out of the window, you can’t see tent to power the VR revolution, though even further to suggest the VR/AR market they are transported into an all-enveloping the film in VR on their smartphones using the effect of sitting on top of the cab, allow- trade shows to demonstrate its products, it show or walk around a furniture show- the table from above, but in VR you start this should become easier and cheaper as will reach a staggering $150 billion by 2020. sensory experience. Asda-branded Google Cardboard headsets ing them to look all around as they travelled can dispense with this using the Happy Finish room, from the comfort of their own to bring to life these printed spaces in a new 360-degree cameras are launched. Even though the precise future isn’t clear, VR is seamlessly immersive. You can which were handed out free at some stores. through the city and experienced the New VR system. This has helped Honeywell make sofas. At present, the trials are operated three-dimensional experience.” Google is testing the Jump VR camera, we can see these impressive growth projec- look straight ahead or turn your head to When viewed on a mobile, the film offered York taste of the pastrami sub. This created huge savings in transportation costs and has inside stores, though this is expected to The possible uses of VR for retailers which would enable the public to create tions greatly outperform other advertising see what ’s behind you. You can gaze above TrueView cards, a YouTube feature giving a highly realistic multi-sensory audiovisual boosted their sales offering. change as more members of the public and brands are endless, says J.B. McRee, VR videos of their holidays and other markets and could even be likened to the and look beneath you. It is a truly 360- extra information and click-to-buy options. experience and many customers comment- Over the next few years , having a VR strat- senior manager of product marketing at experiences. This could become a new BUILD A BETTER INSTORE emergence of television advertising. degree experience. Chris Chalmers, senior director for digital ed that they felt they had actually been trans- egy will become as important for brands as HTC Vive. “VR allows brands to engage form of social-sharing, and a huge in- Brands are keen to be part of this revo- We help brands create virtual content that and direct communications at Asda, says: ported to the city. having a social media or mobile strategy. As Virgin with users in unique ways that were never fluence on the way people recommend FUTURE WITH VR lution and are looking to VR as a medium is powerful, compelling and unforgettable. “Working with Google, YouTube, Happy The campaign won great headlines and ever, it will be the most engaging and cre- possible before,” he says. For instance, a brands and experiences. for inspiring and engaging consumers with We believe that brands which can offer con- Finish and Carat on trialling a new, fun way significant social media shares. VR and social ative work that wins over consumers. With brand could recreate a real-world store Retailers are already using VR to visual- sponsored content. sumers a stunning VR experience will be re- to immerse shoppers in our Halloween range media go hand in hand and people are keen our wealth of 360-VR creative storytelling in VR and mimic the layout of a tradi- ise new stores and plan how they stock At Happy Finish, we have been special- membered and respected for years to come. has proved to be a real success for us. to share their VR experiences on social plat- expertise, Happy Finish is well placed to help tional retailer allowing the user to move them. Many will be looking to stay ahead GET IN TOUCH & DISCOVER THE POTENTIAL ising in creating VR experiences for brands The spooky Halloween VR experience “Our customers are ahead of the curve when forms. It is no surprise that two of the big VR brands create these new immersive content through it trying on goods. of the curve and use the technology to But the virtual store would have a differ- inspire their customers to get spending. for the past three years. We have built up we created for Asda is an example of the it comes to social media and we’ve had a posi- headset manufacturers are also significant experiences for their campaigns. Yeomans Drive, Blakelands, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK14 5LS ence as it would be tailored to the person- But these are early days for VR. The 360- UK: +44 (0) 1908 327650 a portfolio of strong, engaging campaigns high-quality content that can give a brand tive reaction from them. We’ve been really im- players in the world of social media and us- alised tastes of that user. It could enable degree experience can only get better. www.fifth.uk.com [email protected] for leading brands such as Asda, Ted Baker, a real point of difference. The campaign pressed with the number of people who have er-generated content. the virtual shopper to hold up two items River Island, RNLI , Honey well, Subway, Vaux- helped the retailer gain traction on social viewed and interacted with the video.” Last year, Facebook bought Oculus Rift, www.happyfinish.com of clothing next to each other to compare hall, Renault and WHIST, which is a project media and boosted its standing as a store to The film further boosted the reputation which will launch its sophisticated headset @Happy_Finish Share this article on social media via 600 Touchton Road East, Suite 1150, Jacksonville, Florida 32246 Virgin’s Google Cardboard enables customers to them. Mr McRee believes there will be huge raconteur.net funded by Arts Council England. visit for Halloween shopping. of Happy Finish as a leading creative force next year. Google, which owns user-gen- [email protected] USA: +1 (904) 332-2584 experience a virtual tour before booking a holiday strides in the way retailers use VR. “It is www.fifth.us.com [email protected] 06 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 07 Virtually no limit to the exciting things VR can do…

Virtual reality could be as big for businesses as e-mail. From city planning and luxury cruises to collaborative engineering and data presentations, here are 10 top areas being revolutionised by VR

10 TOP APPLICATIONS CHARLES ORTON-JONES ENGINEERING TOURISM

Product design via VR is probably the In the future we can expect VR holi- number-one business application days, such as The Void theme park in right now. Computer-aided design Utah, where visitors become fighters is transformed when engineers can in an alien war, running through a step inside their creations. Engi- gigantic maze. There will be VR roll- neering consultancy Atkins uses VR ercoasters and VR-friendly hotels. The for design and collaboration. Gareth tourism industry is currently using Tissington, technical lead at Atkins, VR for the more mundane purpose says: “We use VR for exciting our of showcasing real-world offerings. In staff, clients and partners. When you January, Quantas airline launched a bring in VR equipment to an office, three-month trial with Samsung Gear you get a huge queue of people lining VR to give customers tours of lounges up to see it. It gives them a whole and cabins worldwide. Quantas also new perspective on our designs.” partnered with Australian Northern Atkins uses Unity 3D, a design plat- Territory tourism board to create VR form usually associated with games. experiences based on the state’s main Oculus Rift is the headset of choice attractions. Boutique cruise line Aza- with Google Cardboard as a cheap ADVERTISING mara Club uses VR to demonstrate its alternative when showing designs to on-board and destination offerings clients. Mr Tissington adds: “Using Pop-up ads were the bane of the Parcs used VR to show guests what to prospective clients. An Oculus Rift CITY PLANNING VR with stakeholders to help them early internet. Ethan Zuckerman, to expect from its newest site in DK2 headset offers tours of the Azam- understand the design and its impact the inventor, apologised for his role Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. Mar- ara’s two ships, together with destina- Getting planning permission can from Earls Court to ExCeL up to Old on them can save massive amounts in annoying so many people. VR de- keting agency psLIVE created a VR tions such as the Panama Canal and be a nightmare. Digital consultan- Street and down to Battersea. By in iterative design reviews. It could velopers need to learn the lessons. experience to showcase the site. Mi- zip-lining through the Costa Rican 12 cy Wagstaffs is aiming to lubricate embedding real-time Transport cut down 20 per cent of the time we Fortunately, advertising in VR chael Brown of psLIVE says: “Using rainforest. Marriott Hotels recent- the planning process with VR. It has for London camera feeds into our spend checking and manually going worlds can be done in a non-intru- Oculus Rift, we gave customers ly launched its VRoom Service for created a 3D digital model of central model, we are connecting with our through our designs one by one.” sive manner. In-game advertising a 360-degree experience which guests. Lea Simpson, head of strategy London called VUCITY. Planners, city in a way we have never before. is already a fixture in 2D games. transported them to the zip wire at consultancy TH_NK says: “Guests architects and developers can ex- In terms of planning new buildings, Games giant Zynga generates 20 and high-ropes course through will use VR in their own homes and plore a project as if it were real. Jason using our city model we can overlay per cent of its revenue through in- footage filmed at the new Woburn will expect to be taken on a tour of Hawthorne, managing director of sightlines, transport links and sun- game ads. The same approach will Forest village. VR gave them a taste a Marriott hotel before considering Wagstaffs, says: “It covers nearly 100 light paths to help planners under- work well in VR. There’s also the of what they could expect from a to book. Just as we use Trip Advisor square kilometres of central London, stand proposals in context.” consumer-led approach. Eco-wood- visit to Center Parcs in a fun, enjoy- today to validate our travel, hotel and land holiday attraction Center able and tactile way.” restaurant choices, in the future customers will use VR.” ALTERNATE LIVING SPORT MENTAL HEALTHCARE Property prices in the UK’s big cities Sports broadcasters want to get fans POLICE are sky high. Graduates and low-in- as close as possible to the action. VR The Royal College of Physicians has come workers are forced to live in has the potential to offer the same identified mental healthcare as the shoe-box apartments. Maybe VR viewpoint as the players. Bookmaker single biggest failing of the NHS. Any SECURITY can improve their situation. Instead William Hill is developing a VR pro- contribution by VR will be warmly of living in a grimy bolthole above a ject called Get in the Race. Customers welcomed. Plextek Consulting has In this age of terror, security is a seri- laundrette under the Heathrow flight can bet on and experience a live horse been researching use-cases of VR ous concern for all sorts of venues. VR path, our impoverished commuter race from the jockey’s perspective in in mental health. Collette Johnson, gives architects, security planners and can return home to a spacious coun- a 3D virtual world. William Hill head medical business development man- event managers a unique way to assess try villa or log cabin, hosted in a VR of innovation Crispin Nieboer reveals ager at Plextek, says: “VR will help threats. Naturally, solid analysis needs headset. Jonathan Tustain, co-found- Get in the Race will work on Oculus in niche situations where traditional accurate models, which is why nation- er of Freefly VR, is producing escapist Rift and Google Cardboard. “We use therapy is a struggle for particular al map-maker Ordnance Survey is VR worlds to reduce stress. With part- GPS data from trackers in the sad- patients. It would also help with pain demand by VR companies. David ner Pixelwhipt, he developed Dot- dles to recreate the race as live using tients who want to be treated at home Haynes, the developer who creates VR Calm, a virtual bedroom set in a fu- 3D graphics which are scaled to the or by specialists, or are not located ge- worlds at OS, says: “Ordnance Survey turistic skyscraper. A hypnotic voice real dimensions of the race track,” ographically nearby.” The VR would data provides high-resolution terrain narrates soothing stories to draw the he says. “VR applications create the be unlikely to be a real-world simu- geometry of Great Britain with accura- user into a dissociated state. DotCalm illusion that the user is an active par- lator, says Ms Johnson. “It would be cy of up to five meters. The best avail- is viewable on Google Cardboard via ticipant in what is happening.” NHL a virtual environment using gaming EXECUTIVE MEETINGS able public equivalent is 30-meter YouTube. Mr Tustain says: “Most ice-hockey in the United States has SUB-SEA technology that the therapist, medic resolution Nasa data. This means that people hear virtual reality and think run VR trials, streaming a live LA or family could interact with the pa- Video-conferencing is decades cally run on supercomputers, yet game developers can use this data as of fast-paced gaming, but VR offers Kings versus San Jose Sharks game. In the movie Avatar, soldiers operat- The long-term goal is to create fully tient and also adapt the world accord- old. The move to VR is logical and still rely on old-fashioned 2D mon- is for the landscapes in their game something far more enticing and Glamorgan Cricket Club is working ed bodies via remote control in order functional robot avatars, which can ing to the clinical needs of the patient ought to be a big leap forward. It will itors for their output. VR offers the worlds and know the geological fea- therapeutic. Our product is providing with Avaya to offer fans a VR service, to explore an inhospitable new world. be controlled through VR as if the – to help in reflecting mood, behav- change the whole dynamic of board ability to view these in full 3D as tures are accurate, realistic depictions users with a sense of calm, peace and with a choice of more than 50 camera The same logic is being used for un- human was on location. The appli- iour and welfare at the time of ther- meetings. VR meetings will work in well the option to ‘look under’ the of reality as they are directly sampled sensory tingles to reduce stress and angles. Michael Temple at Glamor- derwater exploration. Underwater cations are huge. Sub-sea archaeolo- apy,” she says. Exposure therapy, for a different way entirely to 2D or re- surface of the data and ‘wander’ from their real-world counterparts. induce sleep.” Virtual spas, rural re- gan says: “These could include views archaeologist Michel L’Hour used VR gists estimate there are 200,000 sites example, has high potential. The field al-world situations. Paul Jackson, through the landscape or varia- Currently tools such as World Ma- treats and other exotic locations are from the crease or the umpire’s hat, to explore the wreck of The Lune, a off the coast of France to investigate is young, but developing. Dr Albert principal analyst at Ovum, explains bles, tweaking them with haptic chine are used to generate landscapes, under development. Escapism will even a player’s shirt. So if a spectator three-mast ship of the French royal and three million worldwide. The Rizzo at the University of California why he’s excited. “Data visualis- touch controls if appropriate. This which simulate geological process- be a mainstay of virtual reality. wanted to see what the view was like fleet of Louis XIV. The wreck is 90m oil and gas sector as well as salvage has been using VR to treat post-trau- ation in meetings has the potential is a more portable and powerful ver- es to create this kind of thing. These for the wicket keeper when a particu- deep off Toulon. A simulation, creat- already use remotely operated vehi- matic stress disorder. The VR Medical to be revolutionised by VR headsets. sion of the data-cave idea that has give good results, but cannot, by their lar player was batting, they could tap ed with Dassault Systèmes, allowed cles. VR will introduce a new level of Center in San Diego treats a variety of Complex financial markets, weather been floating about for a number of nature, generate identical reproduc- Share this article on social media via raconteur.net on the camera angle and have a look.” the team to “examine” the scene. awareness and control. phobias and has treated PTSD in Iraq. and people-movement models typi- years,” he says. tions of real-world locations.” 06 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 07 Virtually no limit to the exciting things VR can do…

Virtual reality could be as big for businesses as e-mail. From city planning and luxury cruises to collaborative engineering and data presentations, here are 10 top areas being revolutionised by VR

10 TOP APPLICATIONS CHARLES ORTON-JONES ENGINEERING TOURISM

Product design via VR is probably the In the future we can expect VR holi- number-one business application days, such as The Void theme park in right now. Computer-aided design Utah, where visitors become fighters is transformed when engineers can in an alien war, running through a step inside their creations. Engi- gigantic maze. There will be VR roll- neering consultancy Atkins uses VR ercoasters and VR-friendly hotels. The for design and collaboration. Gareth tourism industry is currently using Tissington, technical lead at Atkins, VR for the more mundane purpose says: “We use VR for exciting our of showcasing real-world offerings. In staff, clients and partners. When you January, Quantas airline launched a bring in VR equipment to an office, three-month trial with Samsung Gear you get a huge queue of people lining VR to give customers tours of lounges up to see it. It gives them a whole and cabins worldwide. Quantas also new perspective on our designs.” partnered with Australian Northern Atkins uses Unity 3D, a design plat- Territory tourism board to create VR form usually associated with games. experiences based on the state’s main Oculus Rift is the headset of choice attractions. Boutique cruise line Aza- with Google Cardboard as a cheap ADVERTISING mara Club uses VR to demonstrate its alternative when showing designs to on-board and destination offerings clients. Mr Tissington adds: “Using Pop-up ads were the bane of the Parcs used VR to show guests what to prospective clients. An Oculus Rift CITY PLANNING VR with stakeholders to help them early internet. Ethan Zuckerman, to expect from its newest site in DK2 headset offers tours of the Azam- understand the design and its impact the inventor, apologised for his role Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. Mar- ara’s two ships, together with destina- Getting planning permission can from Earls Court to ExCeL up to Old on them can save massive amounts in annoying so many people. VR de- keting agency psLIVE created a VR tions such as the Panama Canal and be a nightmare. Digital consultan- Street and down to Battersea. By in iterative design reviews. It could velopers need to learn the lessons. experience to showcase the site. Mi- zip-lining through the Costa Rican 12 cy Wagstaffs is aiming to lubricate embedding real-time Transport cut down 20 per cent of the time we Fortunately, advertising in VR chael Brown of psLIVE says: “Using rainforest. Marriott Hotels recent- the planning process with VR. It has for London camera feeds into our spend checking and manually going worlds can be done in a non-intru- Oculus Rift, we gave customers ly launched its VRoom Service for created a 3D digital model of central model, we are connecting with our through our designs one by one.” sive manner. In-game advertising a 360-degree experience which guests. Lea Simpson, head of strategy London called VUCITY. Planners, city in a way we have never before. is already a fixture in 2D games. transported them to the zip wire at consultancy TH_NK says: “Guests architects and developers can ex- In terms of planning new buildings, Games giant Zynga generates 20 and high-ropes course through will use VR in their own homes and plore a project as if it were real. Jason using our city model we can overlay per cent of its revenue through in- footage filmed at the new Woburn will expect to be taken on a tour of Hawthorne, managing director of sightlines, transport links and sun- game ads. The same approach will Forest village. VR gave them a taste a Marriott hotel before considering Wagstaffs, says: “It covers nearly 100 light paths to help planners under- work well in VR. There’s also the of what they could expect from a to book. Just as we use Trip Advisor square kilometres of central London, stand proposals in context.” consumer-led approach. Eco-wood- visit to Center Parcs in a fun, enjoy- today to validate our travel, hotel and land holiday attraction Center able and tactile way.” restaurant choices, in the future customers will use VR.” ALTERNATE LIVING SPORT MENTAL HEALTHCARE Property prices in the UK’s big cities Sports broadcasters want to get fans POLICE are sky high. Graduates and low-in- as close as possible to the action. VR The Royal College of Physicians has come workers are forced to live in has the potential to offer the same identified mental healthcare as the shoe-box apartments. Maybe VR viewpoint as the players. Bookmaker single biggest failing of the NHS. Any SECURITY can improve their situation. Instead William Hill is developing a VR pro- contribution by VR will be warmly of living in a grimy bolthole above a ject called Get in the Race. Customers welcomed. Plextek Consulting has In this age of terror, security is a seri- laundrette under the Heathrow flight can bet on and experience a live horse been researching use-cases of VR ous concern for all sorts of venues. VR path, our impoverished commuter race from the jockey’s perspective in in mental health. Collette Johnson, gives architects, security planners and can return home to a spacious coun- a 3D virtual world. William Hill head medical business development man- event managers a unique way to assess try villa or log cabin, hosted in a VR of innovation Crispin Nieboer reveals ager at Plextek, says: “VR will help threats. Naturally, solid analysis needs headset. Jonathan Tustain, co-found- Get in the Race will work on Oculus in niche situations where traditional accurate models, which is why nation- er of Freefly VR, is producing escapist Rift and Google Cardboard. “We use therapy is a struggle for particular al map-maker Ordnance Survey is VR worlds to reduce stress. With part- GPS data from trackers in the sad- patients. It would also help with pain demand by VR companies. David ner Pixelwhipt, he developed Dot- dles to recreate the race as live using tients who want to be treated at home Haynes, the developer who creates VR Calm, a virtual bedroom set in a fu- 3D graphics which are scaled to the or by specialists, or are not located ge- worlds at OS, says: “Ordnance Survey turistic skyscraper. A hypnotic voice real dimensions of the race track,” ographically nearby.” The VR would data provides high-resolution terrain narrates soothing stories to draw the he says. “VR applications create the be unlikely to be a real-world simu- geometry of Great Britain with accura- user into a dissociated state. DotCalm illusion that the user is an active par- lator, says Ms Johnson. “It would be cy of up to five meters. The best avail- is viewable on Google Cardboard via ticipant in what is happening.” NHL a virtual environment using gaming EXECUTIVE MEETINGS able public equivalent is 30-meter YouTube. Mr Tustain says: “Most ice-hockey in the United States has SUB-SEA technology that the therapist, medic resolution Nasa data. This means that people hear virtual reality and think run VR trials, streaming a live LA or family could interact with the pa- Video-conferencing is decades cally run on supercomputers, yet game developers can use this data as of fast-paced gaming, but VR offers Kings versus San Jose Sharks game. In the movie Avatar, soldiers operat- The long-term goal is to create fully tient and also adapt the world accord- old. The move to VR is logical and still rely on old-fashioned 2D mon- is for the landscapes in their game something far more enticing and Glamorgan Cricket Club is working ed bodies via remote control in order functional robot avatars, which can ing to the clinical needs of the patient ought to be a big leap forward. It will itors for their output. VR offers the worlds and know the geological fea- therapeutic. Our product is providing with Avaya to offer fans a VR service, to explore an inhospitable new world. be controlled through VR as if the – to help in reflecting mood, behav- change the whole dynamic of board ability to view these in full 3D as tures are accurate, realistic depictions users with a sense of calm, peace and with a choice of more than 50 camera The same logic is being used for un- human was on location. The appli- iour and welfare at the time of ther- meetings. VR meetings will work in well the option to ‘look under’ the of reality as they are directly sampled sensory tingles to reduce stress and angles. Michael Temple at Glamor- derwater exploration. Underwater cations are huge. Sub-sea archaeolo- apy,” she says. Exposure therapy, for a different way entirely to 2D or re- surface of the data and ‘wander’ from their real-world counterparts. induce sleep.” Virtual spas, rural re- gan says: “These could include views archaeologist Michel L’Hour used VR gists estimate there are 200,000 sites example, has high potential. The field al-world situations. Paul Jackson, through the landscape or varia- Currently tools such as World Ma- treats and other exotic locations are from the crease or the umpire’s hat, to explore the wreck of The Lune, a off the coast of France to investigate is young, but developing. Dr Albert principal analyst at Ovum, explains bles, tweaking them with haptic chine are used to generate landscapes, under development. Escapism will even a player’s shirt. So if a spectator three-mast ship of the French royal and three million worldwide. The Rizzo at the University of California why he’s excited. “Data visualis- touch controls if appropriate. This which simulate geological process- be a mainstay of virtual reality. wanted to see what the view was like fleet of Louis XIV. The wreck is 90m oil and gas sector as well as salvage has been using VR to treat post-trau- ation in meetings has the potential is a more portable and powerful ver- es to create this kind of thing. These for the wicket keeper when a particu- deep off Toulon. A simulation, creat- already use remotely operated vehi- matic stress disorder. The VR Medical to be revolutionised by VR headsets. sion of the data-cave idea that has give good results, but cannot, by their lar player was batting, they could tap ed with Dassault Systèmes, allowed cles. VR will introduce a new level of Center in San Diego treats a variety of Complex financial markets, weather been floating about for a number of nature, generate identical reproduc- Share this article on social media via raconteur.net on the camera angle and have a look.” the team to “examine” the scene. awareness and control. phobias and has treated PTSD in Iraq. and people-movement models typi- years,” he says. tions of real-world locations.” 08 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 09

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Virtalis

EDUCATION AND TRAINING SAM SHAW

here are bombs stuffed inside dead animal carcasses EXPLORING THE because 18-year-old lads, 20m with their morbid fascina- global virtual reality (VR) T shipments are expected every year tion with death, would go over and kick POSSIBILITIES by 2018, up from 2.2 million in 2015 that carcass, detonate the bomb and get blown to bits. Those are the kind of sce- narios we can prepare you for.” OF VR Hidden Creative chief executive Mat- thew Trubow gives an example of a less obvious threat to be rehearsed using vir- Businesses are waking up to the potential of tual reality (VR) in military training. It wasn’t quite the Atari-style simulation 90% virtual reality to transform everything from of all VR device sales will be many youngsters may have pictured the for use with smartphones military using when they were growing up. retailing to product design Mr Trubow explains how with the use of Source: CCS Insight 2015 smart headsets and response sensors, the quality of data transmitted using VR can enable the military – or other clients – to “read the mind” of their subjects. “In some areas of training, it’s about a task list. That applies to anything from medical procedures to astronaut training,” he says. The immersive nature of The live data will be VR and AR embeds the task list deeper floating in the air while Virtalis’s Helicopter Crew Reality (HCR) virtual training system in use in the memory. they are working – that Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami signed an agreement earlier this year is the future with Next Galaxy to use VR for various life-saving procedures. The hospital says it takes things “far beyond today’s The order in which tasks are tackled, Learning the easy way methodology of passively watching any delay or preference – subconscious video and taking written tests”. elements – are monitored and logged, Participants can “walk around”, inter- whether you like it or not, removing sub- acting with voice commands, gesture jectivity. And there are no more labyrin- with no hard knocks and eye-gaze control, being measured When virtual reality or VR emerged it was optimised for VR and developed in conjunc- Using VR for business requires the very product life cycle management tools. It has thine spreadsheets to decipher. on decision-making and technique. widely assumed the primary market would tion with British specialists Zerolight. By working with the best tools. The improvised smartphone-in- chosen to work with HTC Vive. While such an “ecosystem” with ana- The ability to recreate real-life training environments in virtual reality They are informed of errors and their be consumers playing games. Then very Since the beginning of the year, staff at a-cardboard-visor method of VR is fun for David Nahon, leader of immersive virtu- lytics could cost upwards of £1 million, successes are celebrated. quickly businesses in all sectors began to Audi headquar ters in Ingolstadt have been right headset in the children, but not suitable for portraying a ality at Dassault Systèmes, says the tie-up prices have come down significantly is no longer a science-fiction setting on the Star Trek Holodeck So from 3D holograms to virtual ca- see how the technology could reshape the working on the latest version of the VR ex- ideal development professional image to consumers or for de- came after a demonstration with the HTC way they create produc t s and how they sell. perience, which will soon be launched in veloping commercial-grade VR applications. Vive. He recalls his reaction. “After a 20-year in recent years. VR “caves” still exist – it’s happening davers, healthcare is hitting the VR environment, which design teams visit to work off- headlines. Last month, for example, sur- German car manufacturer Audi recog- Audi city showrooms and in first regular companies can At the high end of VR there is a lot of career in the VR hardware and software in- site, but they cost millions. geons in Warsaw wearing Google Glass nised very early on the potential of VR as dealerships. Using HTC’s Vive VR head- variation in headset quality. For example, dustry, I have just lived the most amazing Antonio Tallon, HTC’s head of region- unblocked a coronary artery – a first for a key future technology for digital retail set in a 5x5-metre space, the expansion accelerate their progress some VR headsets use cameras to track immersive experience ever,” he says. al product management for Europe, the in-human VR use. formats. For almost three years, Audi has stage of the system enables customers in creating stunning head movement. The use of cameras in- By combining the HTC Vive with the Middle East and Africa, says the cost for While never a direct replacement for been developing, in co-operation with six to experience their virtual dream car in an VR applications troduces a lag. When looking at immer- Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE suite, businesses will vastly reduce as the con- breaking things, you have to be more se- kinds of jobs unless you are actu- a very passive and intuitive way to work.” the human touch, by stripping away specialised companies, a VR retailing tool exceptionally realistic way and is due to be and products sive environments, this lag is particularly companies can use CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, sumer market explodes. lective with your training allowance.” ally doing them – it’s a very short While you’ve kicked your dead carcass the practice barriers of cost, time and that is unprecedented in its scope, called introduced to the public for the first time noticeable and undermines the effect. The DELMIA, SIMULIA or 3DEXCITE in full VR. “As we introduce the technology to con- So while not having to repeatedly learning curve.” and your friend might have watched you legislation, VR continues to push the the Audi VR experience. The system has at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in very best headsets, such as the HTC Vive, “They will use VR all the time, every time,” sumers that brings scale, which means destroy a $4-million AgustaWestland Vincent Higgins, chairman and chief ex- blown to pieces, they might understand- medical envelope. now been successfully tested internation- Las Vegas. use lasers to track movement. The pinpoint says Mr Nahon. “This has proven to reduce we can bring compelling experiences at a AW119K helicopter is a big tick in the ecutive of OpTech4D, explains how since ably suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr Fernando Bello of Imperial Col- ally and is set to be introduced to first deal- “High-quality VR retail applications Audi’s top management predict a great accuracy helps to create a truly convincing design errors, achieve more accurate fraction of the price,” he says. “pro-VR” column, there is more to it the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster safety They too can seek solace in the virtual lege London sees the future: “When we erships worldwide from 2016. that are now possible with advanced VR future for the technology. Sven Schuwirth, VR experience. insights, shorten production cycles and Firefighting is a hazardous area just than just dollar signs. is firmly entrenched at the top of all the oil world. In being cast back into the envi- can follow a patient through a complex The Audi VR experience gives custom- headsets, such as HTC’s Vive and its pow- senior director of brand strategy and dig- Resolution and sensors are important. avoid unnecessary physical prototypes.” starting to exploit the full potential of VR “Some of the guys being sent out to work majors’ priority lists. ronment that might trigger a reaction, operation, using their own anatomi- ers the opportunity to configure any Audi erful tracking system, were inconceivable italisation, says: “As a pioneer in digital The HTC Vive offers a 1,080x1,200-pixel By working with the right headset in the and augmented reality (AR). “If you need on the offshore oil rigs in Middle East, Using VR simulation rather than send- but in a controlled, virtual “safe place”, it cal scans to generate 3D models that model with the sales adviser, and to expe- until very recently due to our high quality business, we have a unique opportunity screen for each eye, with a refresh rate of ideal development environment, compa- to keep burning stuff, it can get quite sadly, are not always the most educated or ing teams out to the rigs for training days eventually reduces the time soldiers think are loaded into the software, the whole rience in virtual reality their dream car in standards and the associated costs,” says to not merely wait for immersive tech- 90 frames a second. There are gyrosen- nies can accelerate their progress in creat- costly. Using VR you can do it as many street smart and they were dying at a rate saved one of the big oil companies mil- about the horrors they witnessed. team can practise any challenging as- a highly authentic way and in every detail Marcus Kühne, project lead and tech scout nologies such as virtual reality to make a sors and accelerometers on both the ing stunning VR applications and products. times as you like,” says Mr Tallon. “Simi- of one per month,” says Mr Trubow. lions on flights alone, he says. Adrian Leu, chief executive at Inition, pects, identifying any possible risks but through an advanced VR headset. Audi has at Audi. “The benefits of VR technology breakthrough among the general public, head-mounted display and controllers. Anyone prepared to take the leap into VR larly, with car engines, if you have to keep “And you can’t really train for those The long game, of course, is invest- has developed VR in a similar way to treat in a simulated environment – that will ment in people. There is a well-docu- autism and phobias, as well as to practise be the Holy Grail.” invested considerable time and effort in re- will not only help customers to make their but to play an active role in achieving that It is also important to have a strong will find the industry hugely supportive. mented skills gap in the engineering and cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR alising an individual interaction and sound purchase decision, but will also offer them breakthrough.” It’s an opportunity that development infrastructure for the head- HTC offers a development kit, including the oil and gas sectors. As the current work- and simulate a tracheotomy. In theory, concept as well as a special graphics engine, truly fascinating experiences.” Audi is clearly making the most of. set. Developers need a platform they are headset with laser trackers, controllers and Share this article on social media via force retires, they are being replaced there seem to be few limits to the applica- familiar with and which offers support. software. In fact, HTC is poised to send out

Corbis raconteur.net with young minds that need to be stim- tions of the technology. Currently the most widely used is Steam another wave of 7,000 development kits ulated in different ways. Anyone under VR, created by the world’s biggest games at the turn of the year. Other big technol- 35 is thought to adapt far more quickly distributor Valve. Steam’s official partner ogy brands are committed to support VR. in VR is HTC. HTC works with Nvidia, Intel, HP and Dell, to the simulated environment, which in GLOBAL VIRTUAL REALITY HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY SHIPMENTS (M) turn improves retention rates. Jon Goddard, head of marketing for to name a few. By training people using so-called “gam- 30 HTC Vive in Europe, says: “Valve’s OpenVR This is the age of VR. As Mr Nahon con- ification” and VR headsets, they are en- gives developers the perfect way to create cludes: “3D is a universal language that gaged from day one, their careers advance 25 virtual reality experiences. It includes Uni- simplifies the communication of ideas, more quickly and the industry progresses, ty3D, Unreal and many other games en- dreams and life. 3D can be immersive. It along with its public image. 99% compound annual gines which are used by the world’s best lets people understand complexity in Mr Higgins describes his nirvana: 20 growth rate games developers. Our partnership with simple ways. And that helps them make “When training and operations are expected between Steam means developers can harness better personal and professional decisions brought together on the same platform, 2015 and 2020 15 all the support of the Steam community. when they can see the big picture with all when every field operator is taking When you upload a VR application you’ll of its details.” off their safety glasses and putting on get feedback and pointers. And Steam is Businesses are going to love exploring smart glasses. 10 the perfect way to distribute your VR ap- the possibilities of VR. “They will have all the data they need in plications to a global audience.” the field – documents, schematics or liai- 5 Versatility is crucial. Product designers son with an expert in the office who can see will need to know they can use their core For more information about Vive what they are doing and give advice, liter- applications with the headset. Dassault business solutions e-mail ally say ‘turn your head left or right’. The 0 Systèmes is the creator of the 3DEXPERI- live data will be floating in the air while 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 [email protected] Virtual reality cognitive therapy, designed to help elderly people and Alzheimer’s sufferers, at the EHPAD ENCE suite of computer-aided design and www.htcvr.com @htcvive retirement home in Laval, France they are working – that is the future. It is Source: BI Intelligence 2015 08 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 09

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Virtalis

EDUCATION AND TRAINING SAM SHAW

Corbis raconteur.net with young minds that need to be stim- tions of the technology. Currently the most widely used is Steam another wave of 7,000 development kits ulated in different ways. Anyone under VR, created by the world’s biggest games at the turn of the year. Other big technol- 35 is thought to adapt far more quickly distributor Valve. Steam’s official partner ogy brands are committed to support VR. in VR is HTC. HTC works with Nvidia, Intel, HP and Dell, to the simulated environment, which in GLOBAL VIRTUAL REALITY HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY SHIPMENTS (M) turn improves retention rates. Jon Goddard, head of marketing for to name a few. By training people using so-called “gam- 30 HTC Vive in Europe, says: “Valve’s OpenVR This is the age of VR. As Mr Nahon con- ification” and VR headsets, they are en- gives developers the perfect way to create cludes: “3D is a universal language that gaged from day one, their careers advance 25 virtual reality experiences. It includes Uni- simplifies the communication of ideas, more quickly and the industry progresses, ty3D, Unreal and many other games en- dreams and life. 3D can be immersive. It along with its public image. 99% compound annual gines which are used by the world’s best lets people understand complexity in Mr Higgins describes his nirvana: 20 growth rate games developers. Our partnership with simple ways. And that helps them make “When training and operations are expected between Steam means developers can harness better personal and professional decisions brought together on the same platform, 2015 and 2020 15 all the support of the Steam community. when they can see the big picture with all when every field operator is taking When you upload a VR application you’ll of its details.” off their safety glasses and putting on get feedback and pointers. And Steam is Businesses are going to love exploring smart glasses. 10 the perfect way to distribute your VR ap- the possibilities of VR. “They will have all the data they need in plications to a global audience.” the field – documents, schematics or liai- 5 Versatility is crucial. Product designers son with an expert in the office who can see will need to know they can use their core For more information about Vive what they are doing and give advice, liter- applications with the headset. Dassault business solutions e-mail ally say ‘turn your head left or right’. The 0 Systèmes is the creator of the 3DEXPERI- live data will be floating in the air while 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 [email protected] Virtual reality cognitive therapy, designed to help elderly people and Alzheimer’s sufferers, at the EHPAD ENCE suite of computer-aided design and www.htcvr.com @htcvive retirement home in Laval, France they are working – that is the future. It is Source: BI Intelligence 2015 10 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 11

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Feeling like ImagesGetty UNLOCKING THE AHEAD OF THE CURVE Over the last three months alone, apps made with 80% of apps on the GearVR store are Unity were installed more than three billion times made with Unity you’re playing POTENTIAL OF VR across more than one billion devices WITH UNITY somewhere else 1 BILLION DEVICES Virtual reality is poised to be the biggest Virtual reality is adding an extra dimension to 80% advancement in technology since the gaming and moving into interactive cinema as smartphone. It will revolutionise the way entertainment calls on new levels of technology we view and interact with content, bringing experiences to life in a way that has never FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT Station VR, but feeling like you’re really before been possible SOPHIE CHARARA somewhere else. DATA HEADLINE “I had stopped thinking about the e binge watch Netflix. thing on my face, about the technology. Cringe at decade-old spe- It was this really bad programmer art, cial effects. Demand dia- these little spirals that went up into the Wlogue and flair from games, fog. I was 100 per cent there – my brain Gamer trying out the HTC Vive VR headset at EGX 2015, the UK’s largest video game expo thrills from cinema, production values couldn’t understand that I wasn’t there.” from holiday videos. In short, we’re get- That’s Valve’s Chet Faliszek, the man GLOBAL CONSUMER VIRTUAL REALITY MARKET REVENUE ($BN) ting harder and harder to please. who co-wrote the Portal and Half-Life If cinema is a shared dream, this is a Virtual reality will shock the systems series, and now works with VR devel- Hardware (devices) Software (games and apps) shared reality – in fact, millions of shared of even the snobbiest armchair critics opers, describing an early demo of the realities. Because VR as a medium won’t 6 with something genuinely new and im- HTC Vive headset with Valve’s Light- be limited to computer-generated ani- possible to ignore. Remastered is about house tech tracking his position and mation. Thanks to one prolific studio, Games made with Unity 5 to take on a whole new meaning. 3D is movements in the room. That was his VRSE, documentaries outnumber short account for nearly a third of all cool again, essential even, just not quite VR moment. films on mobile VR. Soon, our own 180 Android and a quarter of all iOS 4 1/3 mobile games 1/4 how James Cameron imagined. Star Instead of catering only to FPS or 360-degree videos will sit alongside Wars, Gran Turismo, Game of Thrones, (first-person shooter) gaming fans, Mr big budget VR movies. And Facebook, 3 While many people think VR is still years INVESTING BIG IN VR Final Fantasy – all Faliszek predicts VR which owns Oculus, is set to encourage away from becoming a reality, the tech- We’ve always been at the forefront of the are getting the VR will be more diverse this shift. nology and tools are already in use today. latest trends – from the latest consoles to treatment in one than PC and console 2 “For Facebook, it’s about delivering a Headsets such as Samsung’s Gear VR have PC to mobile – and we strongly believe VR form or another over I was 100 per cent gaming as new groups completely immersive timeline,” says given consumers a taste of the future and a is the next frontier. That’s why we built a the next 12 months, there – my brain take advantage of 1 Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS In- host of more powerful products, including full suite of VR and AR (augmented reality) joining indie, made- couldn’t understand the slower rollout. sight. “This will start with movie trail- 0 Oculus Rift and Microsoft’s HoloLens, will development tools into the core of Unity’s for-VR films, games “The tools are easier 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 ers, experiences inside cars and video and everything in that I wasn’t there to use, we’re seeing postcards. User-generated content is be available within months. engine, letting developers test concepts, Source: KZero between. more bespoke ex- only a matter of time. Say, I go on a trip What’s more, these platforms are challenge design constraints and build In Apple’s best Total 360-degree, periences for small- of a lifetime to the Amazon rainforest. already being leveraged to create amazing experiences quickly. Our team of of 2015 list for mind-blowing vir tual experiences , the vast 450-plus engineers are also working tire- the UK, 40 per 3D visuals, binaural sound that reacts er, niche groups,” he says. “People reach out and grab virtual items in a “We’ve been building something that I record it, come home and share it on majority of which are created using Unity. lessly to create new VR and AR features to 45% cent of the top to your head movements, haptic, ges- underestimate use cases such as ‘I kitchen or office, say, using movements takes advantage of room-scale VR in a Facebook or YouTube. My friends can To date, more than three quar ters of games serve developers. games across ture-based controllers that know the dif- come home from work and just want intuitive enough your grandparents pretty unique way,” says Denny Unger, then have a full, immersive experience and experiences on the Gear VR store, and iPhone and iPad ference between a thumbs-up and a trig- to mellow out’. We don’t think one big could master them. chief executive and creative direc- to ‘see what I saw’.” were made ger finger. VR gaming will be intensely piece of software is going to launch “Players with less gaming experience tor of Cloudhead Games, makers of Samsung can monitor which free and an estimated 70 per cent of all VR content DEMOCRATISING VR CONTENT with Unity personal and private, uninterrupted by this, it’s going to be many pieces are having a much easier time picking The Gallery: Call of the Starseed. “We paid-for apps and games owners of the was made with Unity. Our goal is to give everyone access to the outside world. of software.” up and enjoying our game,” says Alex hope that it’s a great ‘first-time’ expe- £80 Gear VR are actually using. It’s an powerful development tools and empow- It will also be social and hyper-con- Alongside reworkings, such as Rock Schwartz, Job Simulator creator and rience for people looking for a deeper accessible headset, but there are al- WHAT IS UNITY? er people to create compelling VR content. nected with avatars and facial rec- Band VR and Ace Combat 7, entirely founder of Owlchemy Labs. “There VR journey. People will interact and ready some boundary-pushing apps. In shor t, Unit y powers the world ’s creativ- Using Unity, developers and content cre- ognition. But if there’s one thing VR new games are taking advantage of the are multiple new genres of games that play together more deeply, not less, in “Being able to stream live events in ity. Unity is an end-to-end development ators can make their ideas come to life in offers, once the novelty wears off, it’s change in interaction to reach new au- have not yet been invented but will VR because there’s a profound sense VR, especially sports events with the platform used to create rich interactive virtual reality. presence. Not just being immersed in diences. Take Job Simulator, a fine ex- emerge as a result of the new, more of shared presence.” NextVR app, will be a game-changer 3D and 2D experiences. Unity’s powerful while lowering costs. The effects will be in the early stages. In the coming years, a VR version of Final Fantasy XIV or ample of future whimsy and launching natural interaction methods of VR.” VR can also change how tradition- in the coming years,” predicts Jason engine and editor serve as the foundation INDUSTRY IMPACT By giving everyone far reaching, with interesting use-cases in virtual school trips, vacations, business Ubisoft’s Eagle Flight for Sony’s Play- on the three main platforms. Players It’s not all light, Wii-style fun, though. al gamers game. “In a 2D game, you Lovell, Samsung UK’s senior product to develop beautiful games, apps and ex- While Unity is most known for its contribu- almost every industry: meetings and immersive entertainment eat up content really quickly,” says Mr manager for wearables. periences, and easily bring them to mul- tions to the gaming industry, developers access to the tools and • Healthcare providers and pharma com- will be commonplace. Faliszek. “In virtual reality, you move For all the talk of 2016 as a break- tiple platforms – 23 in all. With more than use Unity to power ideas across a wide technology to create panies can leverage VR for a variety of Further down the line, VR will make an slower, especially if you’re standing. through year, Gear VR users can al- 4. 5 million registered developers and over range of sectors, including architecture, in VR, we are sparking uses , from educating patient s on drug -in entirely new metaverse possible, where That allows designers to slow down ready get inside music videos or browse Ubisoft 1.1 million monthly users, Unity is by far training and simulation, education, and creativity and fuelling teractions to offering pain relief through users can interact and create entirely in the amount of content that people go the web in solitude, game in a retro the world’s most popular cross-platform art, among many others. In a world where tranquil visuals . a virtual environment. From remotely at- through and instead let them go deeper, arcade or even chat and share links game engine. content is king, it’s more important than the industry’s next phase • In media, VR is powering “immersion tending school, creating a new game or let the game be denser.” with friends’ avatars. of growth journalism”, where companies create training as a trauma surgeon, these metav- Elsewhere, short computer-gener- No other near-future tech is harder compelling content that enables viewers erses become the destination to create, ated films, such as Lost, directed by to describe fully with words. If nothing to fully experience issues and situations work, play and learn. Saschka Unseld, ex-Pixar and head of else, movie and game reviews are about ever to engage and excite consumers in a first-hand. All of this can be created in, and pow- Oculus Story Studio, and the upcoming to get trickier. As Valve’s Mr Faliszek ad- meaningful way. Unit y makes that possible • VR brings blueprints to life in architec- ered by, the Unity engine. By giving every- Henry are more interactive than tradi- vises, just get yourself inside a headset. by bringing your ideas to life, which is why ture, enabling retailers and developers one access to the tools and technology to tional movies, as their plots, sound and “I was dismissive of VR until I had my more and more industries are leveraging to experience buildings and spaces create in VR, we are sparking creativity pacing react to headtracking and the moment. Try it, try one of the high-end our technology and tools than ever before. before they’re built. and fuelling the industry’s next phase of viewer’s attention. systems coming out next year. Don’t be With the introduction of VR, compa- • In training and simulation, immersive VR growth. The applications are truly endless The user “plays” through the film, scared of thinking you don’t play a cer- but the future of how to tell sto- tain kind of game, just try it, whoever nies now have a fully immersive medium provides a safe and secure environment and we are excited to see what people ries is being toyed with, manipu- you are,” he says. “You just need to have to engage with customers. Whether for to practise tasks that were previously come up with next. lated, expanded and these exper- that moment.” training, collaboration or more effective only possible in real life, from public iments haven’t yet settled down communications, VR will have an enor- speaking to parachuting. To learn more about Unity and how into a recognisable form with, for mous impact on the corporate world and This is just a small sampling of what ’s being to download the latest software, Share this article on social media via instance, VR’s equivalent of a cut raconteur.net help companies increase productivity created in VR using Unity – and we’re still visit unity3d.com Ubisoft’s VR game Eagle Flight or close-up. 10 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 17 / 12 / 2015 raconteur.net VIRTUAL REALITY | 11

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Feeling like ImagesGetty UNLOCKING THE AHEAD OF THE CURVE Over the last three months alone, apps made with 80% of apps on the GearVR store are Unity were installed more than three billion times made with Unity you’re playing POTENTIAL OF VR across more than one billion devices WITH UNITY somewhere else 1 BILLION DEVICES Virtual reality is poised to be the biggest Virtual reality is adding an extra dimension to 80% advancement in technology since the gaming and moving into interactive cinema as smartphone. It will revolutionise the way entertainment calls on new levels of technology we view and interact with content, bringing experiences to life in a way that has never FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT Station VR, but feeling like you’re really before been possible SOPHIE CHARARA somewhere else. DATA HEADLINE “I had stopped thinking about the e binge watch Netflix. thing on my face, about the technology. Cringe at decade-old spe- It was this really bad programmer art, cial effects. Demand dia- these little spirals that went up into the Wlogue and flair from games, fog. I was 100 per cent there – my brain Gamer trying out the HTC Vive VR headset at EGX 2015, the UK’s largest video game expo thrills from cinema, production values couldn’t understand that I wasn’t there.” from holiday videos. In short, we’re get- That’s Valve’s Chet Faliszek, the man GLOBAL CONSUMER VIRTUAL REALITY MARKET REVENUE ($BN) ting harder and harder to please. who co-wrote the Portal and Half-Life If cinema is a shared dream, this is a Virtual reality will shock the systems series, and now works with VR devel- Hardware (devices) Software (games and apps) shared reality – in fact, millions of shared of even the snobbiest armchair critics opers, describing an early demo of the realities. Because VR as a medium won’t 6 with something genuinely new and im- HTC Vive headset with Valve’s Light- be limited to computer-generated ani- possible to ignore. Remastered is about house tech tracking his position and mation. Thanks to one prolific studio, Games made with Unity 5 to take on a whole new meaning. 3D is movements in the room. That was his VRSE, documentaries outnumber short account for nearly a third of all cool again, essential even, just not quite VR moment. films on mobile VR. Soon, our own 180 Android and a quarter of all iOS 4 1/3 mobile games 1/4 how James Cameron imagined. Star Instead of catering only to FPS or 360-degree videos will sit alongside Wars, Gran Turismo, Game of Thrones, (first-person shooter) gaming fans, Mr big budget VR movies. And Facebook, 3 While many people think VR is still years INVESTING BIG IN VR Final Fantasy – all Faliszek predicts VR which owns Oculus, is set to encourage away from becoming a reality, the tech- We’ve always been at the forefront of the are getting the VR will be more diverse this shift. nology and tools are already in use today. latest trends – from the latest consoles to treatment in one than PC and console 2 “For Facebook, it’s about delivering a Headsets such as Samsung’s Gear VR have PC to mobile – and we strongly believe VR form or another over I was 100 per cent gaming as new groups completely immersive timeline,” says given consumers a taste of the future and a is the next frontier. That’s why we built a the next 12 months, there – my brain take advantage of 1 Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS In- host of more powerful products, including full suite of VR and AR (augmented reality) joining indie, made- couldn’t understand the slower rollout. sight. “This will start with movie trail- 0 Oculus Rift and Microsoft’s HoloLens, will development tools into the core of Unity’s for-VR films, games “The tools are easier 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 ers, experiences inside cars and video and everything in that I wasn’t there to use, we’re seeing postcards. User-generated content is be available within months. engine, letting developers test concepts, Source: KZero between. more bespoke ex- only a matter of time. Say, I go on a trip What’s more, these platforms are challenge design constraints and build In Apple’s best Total 360-degree, periences for small- of a lifetime to the Amazon rainforest. already being leveraged to create amazing experiences quickly. Our team of of 2015 list for mind-blowing vir tual experiences , the vast 450-plus engineers are also working tire- the UK, 40 per 3D visuals, binaural sound that reacts er, niche groups,” he says. “People reach out and grab virtual items in a “We’ve been building something that I record it, come home and share it on majority of which are created using Unity. lessly to create new VR and AR features to 45% cent of the top to your head movements, haptic, ges- underestimate use cases such as ‘I kitchen or office, say, using movements takes advantage of room-scale VR in a Facebook or YouTube. My friends can To date, more than three quar ters of games serve developers. games across ture-based controllers that know the dif- come home from work and just want intuitive enough your grandparents pretty unique way,” says Denny Unger, then have a full, immersive experience and experiences on the Gear VR store, and iPhone and iPad ference between a thumbs-up and a trig- to mellow out’. We don’t think one big could master them. chief executive and creative direc- to ‘see what I saw’.” were made ger finger. VR gaming will be intensely piece of software is going to launch “Players with less gaming experience tor of Cloudhead Games, makers of Samsung can monitor which free and an estimated 70 per cent of all VR content DEMOCRATISING VR CONTENT with Unity personal and private, uninterrupted by this, it’s going to be many pieces are having a much easier time picking The Gallery: Call of the Starseed. “We paid-for apps and games owners of the was made with Unity. Our goal is to give everyone access to the outside world. of software.” up and enjoying our game,” says Alex hope that it’s a great ‘first-time’ expe- £80 Gear VR are actually using. It’s an powerful development tools and empow- It will also be social and hyper-con- Alongside reworkings, such as Rock Schwartz, Job Simulator creator and rience for people looking for a deeper accessible headset, but there are al- WHAT IS UNITY? er people to create compelling VR content. nected with avatars and facial rec- Band VR and Ace Combat 7, entirely founder of Owlchemy Labs. “There VR journey. People will interact and ready some boundary-pushing apps. In shor t, Unit y powers the world ’s creativ- Using Unity, developers and content cre- ognition. But if there’s one thing VR new games are taking advantage of the are multiple new genres of games that play together more deeply, not less, in “Being able to stream live events in ity. Unity is an end-to-end development ators can make their ideas come to life in offers, once the novelty wears off, it’s change in interaction to reach new au- have not yet been invented but will VR because there’s a profound sense VR, especially sports events with the platform used to create rich interactive virtual reality. presence. Not just being immersed in diences. Take Job Simulator, a fine ex- emerge as a result of the new, more of shared presence.” NextVR app, will be a game-changer 3D and 2D experiences. Unity’s powerful while lowering costs. The effects will be in the early stages. In the coming years, a VR version of Final Fantasy XIV or ample of future whimsy and launching natural interaction methods of VR.” VR can also change how tradition- in the coming years,” predicts Jason engine and editor serve as the foundation INDUSTRY IMPACT By giving everyone far reaching, with interesting use-cases in virtual school trips, vacations, business Ubisoft’s Eagle Flight for Sony’s Play- on the three main platforms. Players It’s not all light, Wii-style fun, though. al gamers game. “In a 2D game, you Lovell, Samsung UK’s senior product to develop beautiful games, apps and ex- While Unity is most known for its contribu- almost every industry: meetings and immersive entertainment eat up content really quickly,” says Mr manager for wearables. periences, and easily bring them to mul- tions to the gaming industry, developers access to the tools and • Healthcare providers and pharma com- will be commonplace. Faliszek. “In virtual reality, you move For all the talk of 2016 as a break- tiple platforms – 23 in all. With more than use Unity to power ideas across a wide technology to create panies can leverage VR for a variety of Further down the line, VR will make an slower, especially if you’re standing. through year, Gear VR users can al- 4. 5 million registered developers and over range of sectors, including architecture, in VR, we are sparking uses , from educating patient s on drug -in entirely new metaverse possible, where That allows designers to slow down ready get inside music videos or browse Ubisoft 1.1 million monthly users, Unity is by far training and simulation, education, and creativity and fuelling teractions to offering pain relief through users can interact and create entirely in the amount of content that people go the web in solitude, game in a retro the world’s most popular cross-platform art, among many others. In a world where tranquil visuals . a virtual environment. From remotely at- through and instead let them go deeper, arcade or even chat and share links game engine. content is king, it’s more important than the industry’s next phase • In media, VR is powering “immersion tending school, creating a new game or let the game be denser.” with friends’ avatars. of growth journalism”, where companies create training as a trauma surgeon, these metav- Elsewhere, short computer-gener- No other near-future tech is harder compelling content that enables viewers erses become the destination to create, ated films, such as Lost, directed by to describe fully with words. If nothing to fully experience issues and situations work, play and learn. Saschka Unseld, ex-Pixar and head of else, movie and game reviews are about ever to engage and excite consumers in a first-hand. All of this can be created in, and pow- Oculus Story Studio, and the upcoming to get trickier. As Valve’s Mr Faliszek ad- meaningful way. Unit y makes that possible • VR brings blueprints to life in architec- ered by, the Unity engine. By giving every- Henry are more interactive than tradi- vises, just get yourself inside a headset. by bringing your ideas to life, which is why ture, enabling retailers and developers one access to the tools and technology to tional movies, as their plots, sound and “I was dismissive of VR until I had my more and more industries are leveraging to experience buildings and spaces create in VR, we are sparking creativity pacing react to headtracking and the moment. Try it, try one of the high-end our technology and tools than ever before. before they’re built. and fuelling the industry’s next phase of viewer’s attention. systems coming out next year. Don’t be With the introduction of VR, compa- • In training and simulation, immersive VR growth. The applications are truly endless The user “plays” through the film, scared of thinking you don’t play a cer- but the future of how to tell sto- tain kind of game, just try it, whoever nies now have a fully immersive medium provides a safe and secure environment and we are excited to see what people ries is being toyed with, manipu- you are,” he says. “You just need to have to engage with customers. Whether for to practise tasks that were previously come up with next. lated, expanded and these exper- that moment.” training, collaboration or more effective only possible in real life, from public iments haven’t yet settled down communications, VR will have an enor- speaking to parachuting. To learn more about Unity and how into a recognisable form with, for mous impact on the corporate world and This is just a small sampling of what ’s being to download the latest software, Share this article on social media via instance, VR’s equivalent of a cut raconteur.net help companies increase productivity created in VR using Unity – and we’re still visit unity3d.com Ubisoft’s VR game Eagle Flight or close-up. 12 | VIRTUAL REALITY raconteur.net 17 / 12 / 2015 | RACONTEUR