VR - The FAQ
Future of current headsets
This is a link to a list of current headsets, and when manufacturers are proposing to release new models. Its important to realise that, while all technology eventually becomes redundant, the current array of headsets will be relevant for years to come - even when newer models are ventually released.
Planning for a VR project
This is a link to a checklist of detailed questions for any organisation looking to commission a project in VR.
We will always be available to answer any questions along the way, but this is a great tool for clients to use in order to reflect and clarify their own objectives in the pre-production process.
Maintaining a Headset fleet
For those organisations looking at owning and maintaining their own fleet of headsets, here is a simple checklist for managers to consider even prior to purchase and rollout.
Thoughful planning at this stage ensures that establishing a VR fleet is a straightforward process for all.
VR - Brief History
Consumers VR in its current form has been around since 2015. However, it has suffered greatly from over-promising and under-delivering in the early years. If your experience of VR was one of these early experiences, rest assured it has improved by magnitudes and is now a reliable medium when produced welll.
Click here for a brief timeline of milestones in the last decade of VR
What is 3DOF / 6DOF?
If you're new to VR, you'll hear the terms 3DOF and 6DOF mentioned in connection to types of VR. It refers to the range of movement possible for a viewer in a particular experience.
3DOF = 3 Degrees of Freedom
A viewer may rotate their viewpoint in a 3D video but cannot walk 'through' the scene.
6DOF = 6 Degrees of Freedom
In CGI, much like a computer game, the viewer can not only look in 3 axis but can move in 3 axis also - hence, 6 'degrees of freedom'.
2D vs 3D
2D vs 3D is a very important distinction to understand.
In real life, everything we see has 'depth'. On a flat image, including the screens we watch, shapes do not have volume, but depth is approximated by cinematic tools such as lighting and focus.
2D VR is essentially like looking at the world through one eye. At a distance, both in the real world and VR, shapes become flat to our view. For close content - where VR really shines - 3D is essential in order to mimic the feel of a 'real' world.
VR - 360 / 180 Video Vs CGI
VR Video describes any 360 or 180 degree video that was captured using traditional camera sensor technology - also called 'cinematic VR' or 'live action VR'.
CGI VR is VR created with Computer Graphic Images, often through the same technology used to create computer games. Which is better?
VR - Costs
Cost of production and cost of delivery are both fair questions but both not simple to answer.
Cost of VR production mirrors traditional video production - it depends on what you need to achieve.
Cost of headsets, which is the question people often jump to, mistakenly assume that the end user or organisation has to own the headset. Not so...
VR - Program Delivery
The small user base of VR headsets in the general community has been used as a negative by people used to thinking about mass consumer take-up of a technology.
The reality is, for niche message and training delivery, it is not important what any mass market is doing - and in many cases, there is no need for an individual or organisation to own the headsets themselves.
VR - Learning Integration
VR can be used as a adjunct to existing learning materials and teaching, rather than being a replacement for it. In fact, this is what we would recommend as the ideal deployment scenario.
Any educational faciliator can be training easily in the delivery of VR content, if the program is produced well.
VR is a fantastic demonstration medium but should not be seen as substitute for the organic discussions that arise in training and teaching.
VR - The Science
For anyone wanting to dive deeper in the behavioural science around VR - this is for you.
The science behind VR ties into the science of opthamology, physiology, neuroscience, and psychology.
Its not a requirement for a client to understand this - but we find it essential for us, as program creators and designers.