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  • The Immersive Wire - 19 September 2021 (Sunday edition)

The Immersive Wire - 19 September 2021 (Sunday edition)

The Immersive Wire - 19 September 2021 (Sunday edition)

September 19, 2021

By Tom FfiskeCurated VR/AR analysis every Wednesday and Sunday 

// 19 September 2021

Loving Deathloop; following leads and solving puzzles feels fantastic. Also, I recently spoke at the Metaverse Asia Podcast.

 

Let's talk about the business direction of immersive tech. Sometimes, the immersive industry feels like you’re in the back of a car while the driver keeps saying ‘we’re almost there’ for about ten years. The end is just around the corner, or over the next hill, or by the town ahead. But never is it here, now, in the present.

The growth trajectory is seen as sluggish, lumbering up the growth curve at a leisurely pace while 5G and AI shoot upwards. Forecasts are always positive, and pine for a bold future that always seems to be beyond the horizon.

Take the insights from CCS Insights as one example. As always, treat analyst stats and comments with a grain of salt; Facebook hasn't given any hard numbers on the sales of their headsets, and some houses tend to fudge the definition of VR to make it seem bigger than it is.

All that being said, there is certainly evidence that the Oculus Quest 2 spiked interest in VR dramatically year-on-year, and the company forecasts that 70 million virtual and augmented reality devices will be sold in 2025, with a market value of $2bn. The large market share will be reflective of both consumer and enterprise applications, which will likely contribute far more than $21bn by the time we reach 2030 and the technology gets exponentially adopted across more countries. 

A separate report said that there was an increased appetite for XR investments after the pandemic, with AR enterprise and XR infrastructure remain the most interesting areas for investors. A surge in spending is certainly keeping companies buoyed through the pandemic, and the general sentiment is that the new technologies will help workers collaborate better and help develop new skills in the workforce. But how many companies will survive the pandemic - or perhaps should? As government support recedes over time, it is likely that several 'zombie' companies that should have failed will collapse. Some of these will likely be VR/AR companies, though it is difficult to say which ones.

Still, many companies have a high level of trust in the future of immersive – perhaps few more than Qualcomm, supplying the silicon that powers many, many immersive headsets. Qualcomm is very excited about the future of immersive technologies. 'Over the next few years, it's going to grow exponentially,’ said Qualcomm VP and GM of XR Hugo Swart. 'Every person on the planet is likely going to have one.' He highlights the four parallel tracks of immersive technologies, including VR headsets, enterprise headsets (HoloLens), smart glasses, and wireless viewers. And eventually, a number of these could converge into a true AR device - though the actual specifications and details are several years into the future. More will come in the Immersive Reality Revelation (book title pending), releasing later this year. 

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Ashish Dubey, freelance new media designer-developer.

What is your background?

I’ve done my Bachelors in Information and Communication Technology in 2016. Currently working on finishing my Masters in New Media Design.

Since 2016, I’ve worked on multiple projects as a freelancer within the domain of spatial computing, game development and storytelling, while also educating students about game design and XR as a Unity Student Ambassador.

What are you working on, and what’s a key learning that you’ve had from it?

I’m working on the documentation of my thesis project which is also in the domain of spatial computing. I have realized in my journey of 5-6 years the importance of documentation and keeping making sense out of all the learnings and information you gain.

The XR space is changing so rapidly that it is difficult to keep track of everything, which is why it is also essential to read from research reports and condensed newsletters which give a good summary of regular industry updates. Be jack of all and master of one - be decently good in one specific area but gradually increase your knowledge in other areas too.

Like most of the developers I also started my XR journey with Unity but it is also essential to try out new softwares and gain new skills. There was no go-to tool like Figma or Adobe XD for XR designers, which is why they had to learn Unity / Unreal in order to prototype. But this is also changing soon with applications like Tvori, Adobe Aero, Minsar Studio.

If you had to give one piece of advice, what would you give?

You cannot sit back and be comfortable or indulge in self-doubt, if you want to excel in a field where everything changes so soon. It is very easy to get a comfortable job and a stable life but just because nobody around you is getting it doesn’t mean you stop doing what you love. Not many people free themselves enough to be vulnerable enough and try what they want.

If you want to know more about Ashish, click here to find out more.

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Are you looking for a unique challenge working in virtual & augmented reality with a bleeding-edge technology company? Then read on. Click here for more.ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN DIGITAL MEDIA, UK. We are looking to appoint a dynamic and adaptable course director for our BA (Hons) in Digital Media to lead and deliver teaching, learning and assessment on the BA Digital Media and steer  its next phase of growth.  As well as a track record of academic leadership you will have extensive practical experience in digital media such as immersive storytelling (AR/VR/XR), modelling and animation, creative media design / production, or web / mobile app design and development. Click here for more.SENIOR IMMERSIVE LEARNING DESIGNER, UK. Make Real is looking to expand our digital learning team with a Senior Immersive Learning Designer. Your role will be to consult with clients in order to create exciting and imaginative design solutions. 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That's all for this week! Want to have a chat, let me know about a news story, or talk business? Either reply to this email, or contact tom (at) virtualperceptions (dot) com. Have an excellent day!