Virtual Perceptions

The Immersive Wire

Weekly analysis of the immersive industry

By Tom Ffiske // 24 June 2020Been forwarded the newsletter? 

Day XX of lockdown. Half my bodyweight comprises of bread.

Blending learning theory, gaming interaction design and technical excellence, Make Real Ltd creates immersive learning experiences based upon measured, validated outcomes. From Virtual Reality to web and mobile serious games, Make Real Ltd works with large global enterprise customers across a range of sectors, including AEC, automotive and finance.

Find out more here.

THE BIG STORY

Let's talk about spatial storytelling, Bose, and Apple. Strip away graphics and gestures, and audio is one of the most important parts of any experience. Good graphics go far, and mechanics make a world feel alive - but good audio brings is absolutely necessary. No audio is like a house without walls. Spatial audio is not as sexy as good graphics, but its impact far exceeds pixel counts.We've already seen some incredible work in the area. Oliver Kadel runs a great podcast on audio and immersive projects, interviewing key figures bringing their work to life (Oliver's experiences running the podcast are worth a read). Perhaps my favorite is by Playlines and Harry Shotta, called Consequences; an immersive AR rap experience that's part-concept album, part-silent disco, and part-close encounter with the British grime scene. Yes, you read that correctly.It's a real mix, but Muki Kulhan did a fantastic job. But what really helped it turn up a notch was the Bose AR glasses, which tracked when people are near certain location to continue the story. Location-based storytelling, enabled with spatial audio. Brilliant. So when Bose closed its AR platform, I was sad. The potential was there and used, but the lack of commersial use wrung the product up to dry. Then a week later, Apple announced that their AirPods Pro will update with spatial audio capabilities. Audio projects like Consequences may then move to Apple as they pursue their (very impressive) tech. Last thought. Apple's upcoming AR glasses aims to be as lightweight as possible. It's not a stretch to think that, to save size and space, audio capabilities would be partitioned to AirPods Pro, and that the upgrade to spatial audio helps with their upcoming project line.

OTHER STORIES

• Facebook is retiring the Oculus Go this year... and opening up its Quest platform. Big enough as this story is, what struck me was the company also granting additional ways for developers to put titles on Quest units.... which means it is no longer a closed garden. I asked SideQuest about this, and they responded: 'We are delighted to see that developers are getting more options. We are eager to integrate this new system and continue to provide great discovery and community for developers on SideQuest!'

• IKEA is still exploring immersive reality. IKEA and its research and design firm SPACE10 launched an online platform called EverydayExperiments.com, which showcases a series of digital experiments that explore new ways of how we interact with the spaces we live in. 'Technology is part of almost every aspect of today’s daily life and a driving force for innovation. IKEA is constantly looking for new ways to create a better everyday life, wherever people feel at home. This also includes exploring Immersive Reality technologies to pave the way for a new way of living,' said Fredrik Axén, Digital Manager Core Business Franchise, Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

• PRELOADED is launching its 2020 guide to AR today. Check out the announcement livestream here.

• VRTO is still in full swing. The conference is running from June 6 - July 6th and takes place on Discord & a custom VR venue (Mozilla Hubs). There's still a lot going on, so make sure to take a peek.

• The first LGBTQ+ VR channel launches with pride. Littlstar has teamed up with Revry, the first LGBTQ+ virtual cable network, to launch the first VR streaming channel for the queer community during this season of Pride. Awesome stuff!

• Bublar's working with Dafo tand using Vobling's VR tech. Bublar Group announces a new strategic partnership with market leader Dafo as reseller of the new stand-alone version of Vobling’s “VR Fire Trainer”. The two-year licence deal is the first reseller agreement for training solutions built on Vobling’s Virtual Training platform.

• Considering taking a deeper look into VR/AR as a career? This event may help you out.

• CCS Insight launched its newest report on immersive tech, with very few surprises:

  • Fewer than 9 million extended reality devices will be sold globally in 2020, up just 22% from a weak market in 2019;

  • The outlook beyond 2020 is more promising, with sales accelerating to reach 69 million units in 2024 – made up of 55 million VR and 14 million augmented reality devices;

  • In the next three years, CCS Insight expects VR devices will dominate sales of extended reality devices that are tethered to a smartphone, as these devices have a clear use in people's minds: games, video, entertainment, education.

• Star Wars: Squadron is the flight game with VR capabilities. My body is ready.

• Facebook acquired Ready At Dawn. Now the developer will meet Beat Games at the pub, nod, and say, 'you too?'

• Hulu shuts down its VR app. As The Ghost Howls noted, it likely means that 3DoF VR doesn't have much interest.

PEOPLE MOVES

• None of significance for this week.

If your company has a significant hire or promotion, please let me know by replying to this email and I shall add them.

ED BARTON - THE IMMERSIVE WIRE INTERVIEW

Ed is the CEO and co-founder of Curiscope, a Brighton based startup pioneering the use of virtual and augmented reality to inspire kids.

In the episode, we explore how AR is a great way to educate children, and how the Brighton community flourished.