VR allows the digital world to finally become a physical reality
I didn’t know what to expect as I stepped into the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES this past weekend. Part of me, from what I remembered from my childhood looking at pictures of it on the Internet, thought I was going to see robots whizzing around and stumble on completely new products that were knocking my socks off with their ingenious innovation.
And for the most part, I should have been more in awe. Here were million-dollar exhibits — cars that could respond to your heart rate and remember what songs you like. There were webcams attached to life size, mobile robots that allow someone from miles away to actually move around the house. There were virtual reality exhibits, gigantic TV screens (that were also paper thin), performers, dancers, actors. The entire thing was a huge spectacle reminding us that we’re at the peak of our technological prowess.
But I approached the entire endeavor with a big, “eh.”
But why? I remember just 10 years ago the entire world was buzzing about one new product, the iPhone. The entire thing was electric, almost as if Steve Jobs had just scored the winning Super Bowl touchdown with this announcement. If you don’t believe me, watch the video below. Even at the mention of a phone that could change the world, the crowd goes nuts.
But now we’ve gotten to the point where everything is so awesome, so hyped and so in our face, each touting themselves as the next big thing in technology.
Our lives are so filled with technology to this point that it would take a dramatic shift to change our lives dramatically. Need a way to get information faster? Just get the new iPhone. Need a way to know where you’re going and how fast you’re going to get there. Go on your smartphone. The smartphone has become the Swiss Army knife of the digital century and it has replaced and ruined most new technology for us going forward.
And that’s why I think there’s so much doubt over the VR industry. At this point, people can’t see themselves placing VR within their everyday lives like they could the iPhone.
But might I remind everyone that even the iPhone had its naysayers. Matthew Lynn of Bloomberg once said ““iPhone is nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks.”
Sound a little bit like how we talk about VR today?
That’s because we will begin to realize the mediums worth as we begin to explore the physical representations of the digital world. We must study storytelling, study theatre, gaming, filmmaking, UI, design, shopping habits, and everything in between if we ever hope to create experiences that will change the game.
Like the iPhone, VR has the chance become the Swiss Army knife of how we interact with the digital world — one that allows the digital world to finally become a physical reality.
And once that promise becomes real — that’s when people will start cheering.