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Ready Player One... Public Perceptions of Virtual Leisure Time Ready player one... public perceptions of virtual leisure time Head office: 3 Pavilion Lane, Strines, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 7GH Leeds office: 2 St. David’s Court, David Street, Leeds, LS11 5QA +44 (0)1663 767 857 [email protected] djsresearch.co.uk FOREWORD “ Audiences today crave unique ways to engage with the experiences that they enjoy. AR/VR provide opportunities for immersion at a fraction of the cost in a wide variety of scenarios. “ Organizations that lean Through carefully crafted AR/VR experiences, people can feel authentically engrossed in situations that they would otherwise not want to partake in. into AR/VR technology This immersive thrill feels increasingly indistinguishable from the physical experience and the added production value that comes from AR/VR can will increasingly find go beyond what a user might be able to participate in, in real life. Digital technologies that enhance a user’s perception of physical space have strategic advantages.” massive potential to revolutionize how people engage with the world around them. The current generation of entertainment is only scratching the surface of what AR/VR is capable of. Applications in construction and healthcare are already creating a paradigm shift in the way industries are engaging with this technology and I do not anticipate that slowing down. Organizations that lean into AR/VR technology will increasingly find strategic advantages stemming from that knowledge base as users come to expect CONTENTS AR/VR implementations of products and services they previously consumed 03 Introduction in their real-world environment.” 04 Methodology 08 Findings Joshua Cooper 27 The future Senior Producer at Harry Potter Wizards Unite, Warner Bros. Games 02 INTRODUCTION In recent years the visibility of and With this in mind we sought to interest in VR (virtual reality) and AR understand the current attraction (augmented reality) have increased among the general public, and dramatically. Pokémon GO reached the degree to which virtual reality 50 million users in a little over two might be an opportunity to engage weeks, whilst Ready Player One, greater numbers of people in more originally penned by Ernest Cline forms of leisure activity. in 2011 and winner of the 2012 DJS Research partnered with Prometheus Award, grossed more Maru/Blue to understand the than half a billion dollars when GB public’s reaction to VR and it was released as a film in 2018. propensity for uptake across a Until recently the highest grossing range of leisure pursuits, as well film of all time was Avatar – a film as in a typical grocery shopping which explored the interplay between environment to provide a point our physical and digital lives. of comparison. Members of the In part, this is due to the technology general public were also asked becoming increasingly accessible the extent to which they felt informed and available. Google Cardboard about technology now, and their offers a range of viewing solutions expectations for VR in the future. for around £10–15, with apps to We interviewed 1,508 individuals go with them readily available from across Great Britain as part of an a number of suppliers. omnibus survey. 03 METHODOLOGY We wanted to understand how consumers To what extent do you agree or • I would rather browse and make reacted to some of the potential benefits disagree, if at all, with each of purchases from a virtual version of of virtual reality, as well as providing an the following statements? my preferred supermarket using VR opportunity to measure responses to a range than go to my preferred supermarket • I would rather visit an exhibition of my of more specific and actionable applications, in person favourite artists’ work for free in VR, with the hope that some of these would be than pay to see it in person Statements were shown in a randomised instantly usable for those seeking to deliver order, and each participant was asked to VR in the wider leisure sector. • I would rather see my favourite band/ answer using the following scale; strongly artist in VR for free, than pay to see We provided a definition of VR, and then agree, agree, tend to agree, tend to them in person at a concert tested reactions to a number of specific disagree, disagree, strongly disagree, statements which take in to account some • I would rather experience a rollercoaster I don’t do this. of the potential benefits of the technology.2 instantly through VR, than queue to ride it in person Those who did not undertake each activity Virtual Reality (VR) is the computer- were excluded from analysis of that activity, generated simulation of a three-dimensional • I would rather have perfect seats to see as it was felt they would be unable to provide environment that can be interacted with in my favourite sports team play in a major a reasonable comparison. They were however a seemingly real or physical way by a person competition final, through VR, than pay included for any activities they did do, and using special equipment, such as a helmet to see them play that match live for any questions which were broader – such with a screen inside and/or gloves fitted as how much leisure time we might spend with sensors. • I’d rather have a personal training session at my own home through VR in VR by 2030. The bases achieved for those than have personal training sessions who ‘did’ the activity and thus were included 2 Keeping all other variables consistent, we felt that people in person at the gym for analysis are provided in the main body might reasonably be expected to choose a ‘real’ over VR experience. Instead, the statements we tested were of this document. designed to provide them with realistic ‘real world’ choices. 04 Confidence with new technology is undoubtedly n informed Very well informed Quite well informed very well Not informed all at Not Don’t know an important precurser to adoption and, as might be expected, younger people generally feel better informed than older age groups (81% of 18 – 24 year olds feel informed compared to just 50% of those aged over 65 years). Males (21%) are around three times as likely to feel ‘very well informed’ compared to females (7%). Overall 1,508 14% 55% 26% 4% 1% Male 746 21% 56% 20% 3% 1% Female 762 7% 53% 33% 5% 2% 18 to 24 166 16% 65% 17% 2% 0% 25 to 34 256 17% 58% 22% 1% 2% 35 to 44 271 21% 55% 22% 0% 2% 45 to 54 271 17% 56% 21% 3% 2% 55 to 64 226 7% 55% 31% 6% 1% 65+ 318 6% 45% 40% 9% 1% 05 APPROACH Respondents were provided with the opportunity to say they did not undertake an activity at all, and we have removed these individuals from the analysis as they would be unable to give an informed comparison. When we only consider those who actually undertake the activity some groups show an interesting affinity for virtual reality experiences. In the chart on the following page, the percentage that agree at all includes those who said ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’ or ‘tend to agree’. 06 ACTIVITIES RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS IN OUR SAMPLE IN OUR SAMPLE IN OUR SAMPLE WHO DO IT: 1,165 WHO DO IT: 1,259 WHO DO IT: 1,054 “I would rather “I would “I would rather visit rather experience an exhibition of my see my favourite % AGREE AT band/artist in VR % AGREE AT a rollercoaster % AGREE AT favourite artists’ work ALL THEY PREFER ALL THEY PREFER instantly through VR, ALL THEY PREFER for free in VR, than pay THE VR OPTION: for free, than pay to THE VR OPTION: THE VR OPTION: 31% 27% than queue to 34% to see it in person.” see them in person at a concert.” ride it in person.” % STRONGLY AGREE % STRONGLY AGREE % STRONGLY AGREE THEY PREFER THE THEY PREFER THE THEY PREFER THE VR OPTION: 5% VR OPTION: 6% VR OPTION: 9% RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS “I would rather IN OUR SAMPLE IN OUR SAMPLE “I would rather IN OUR SAMPLE WHO DO IT: 1,018 “I’d rather have WHO DO IT: 978 WHO DO IT: 1,356 have perfect seats to browse and make a personal training see my favourite sports purchases from a virtual session at my own team play in a major % AGREE AT % AGREE AT version of my preferred % AGREE AT ALL THEY PREFER home through VR than ALL THEY PREFER ALL THEY PREFER competition final, through THE VR OPTION: THE VR OPTION: supermarket using VR THE VR OPTION: have personal training VR, than pay to see 33% 45% than go to my preferred 31% sessions in person them play that supermarket at the gym.” match live.” % STRONGLY AGREE % STRONGLY AGREE in person.” % STRONGLY AGREE THEY PREFER THE THEY PREFER THE THEY PREFER THE VR OPTION: 8% VR OPTION: 12% VR OPTION: 7% 07 “ What is real? How do Findings you definereal ? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” MORPHEUS, THE MATRIX, 1999 08 THE FIELD OF VIEW Across the entire sample, one in five of the respondents we spoke to said they strongly agree that they would prefer to undertake at least one of the activities asked about in VR as opposed to in real life. Given that virtual reality has not yet achieved mainstream adoption, we feel this is a strong indication of its potential in a leisure context. 09 ROLLERCOASTERS “ I would rather experience a rollercoaster instantly through VR, than queue to ride it in person.” Almost a third of people who said that Whilst those over 65 simply may not like they do ride rollercoasters agreed that the idea of standing in a queue for a long they would do so in VR if it saved them period, this group may also find appeal the time spent in a queue, and almost in the lower ‘real-life’ risk of virtual reality.
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