From movies to stage productions, VR is changing the way we consume and produce entertainment

You’ve probably read about people bashing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, such as the Oculus. Technology Review bashed Oculus as a “nauseating disappointment.” Meanwhile, WSJ said it was “not yet ready for mainstream.”

True enough, while immersive experiences were a nuanced novelty, the reality is that these had still been technologies under development. It would perhaps take a Pokemon GO to popularize what was once a niche industry. That particular game, released last year, did bring AR to the mainstream – through the smartphones of millions of children and adults worldwide.

Which brings us to the question: What exactly made Pokemon GO a hit, whereas other immersive applications or games are only relegated to niche status? It can be argued that Pokemon GO became a viral sensation due to its mix of innovative gameplay and nostalgia.

In terms of gameplay, it used the entire world as a potential playground. While most games offer an immersive experience within the confines of one’s home or establishment, Pokemon GO let users hunt for Pokemon and items in real-world locations.

In terms of nostalgia, it capitalized on Generation X’s (and some Millennials’) childhood experiences with the Pokemon franchise – games, TV shows, movie, and toys included.

It all boils down to one thing: content

I have written before how content, and not hardware, will drive growth for the VR and AR technologies, with gaming, travel, and real estate industries potentially providing the much-needed push for wider adoption of AR/VR hardware and software. However, there is one thing that could help push for even better and faster adoption: entertainment.

Gaming is just one aspect of entertainment, and Pokemon GO proved that bringing virtual assets into real world situations does have both technical and commercial appeal. The entertainment industry is bigger than gaming, however, and such appeal can also apply to industries like music, movies, multi-player gaming, and even stage productions!

A few months back, the Royal Shakespeare Company experimented with virtual reality right on the stage. In an experimental production of The Tempest, motion sensors play in sync with projectors located around the theater. Whenever the actor playing the character “Ariel” performed magic, a virtual avatar appeared right on stage, in sync with the actor’s movements.

Motion-capture and holographics images make for “live” special effects.

It is this combination of technology and art that can create magical experiences for audiences. In the case of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production, the bleeding-edge technology was done in collaboration with Intel and Imaginarium Productions, which was actually co-founded by Andy Serkis, the pioneering actor and filmmaker who did motion-capture for characters like Gollum and King Kong. The company has since been applying mo-cap technology for films, games, and in this case, stage productions.

However, stage audiences can only attain a certain reach, and this is one limitation that VR and AR are trying to address. It’s now a question of bringing the immersive stage experience to audiences outside of the theater, so that viewers around the globe can appreciate the performance.

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This is exactly the need that upstarts like CEEK VR aim to address. The application aims to extend the reach of sold-out shows, but in ways beyond simple video and audio productions. The company lets users watch concerts and shows in immersive virtual reality. In the long-run, the company also seeks to incorporate other content, as well, including sporting events, VR commerce, and educational experiences.

CEEK’s virtual cinema lets users “explore” for a more immersive experience than just watching shows.

CEEK is taking a tokenized approach, wherein it combines the immersive VR experience with a potential for doing commerce and transactions in the VR world – say trading of digital items or merchandise, which can transcend any specific medium, platform, or production. This means that once you own a digital asset such as an in-game item or a digitally-signed Katy Perry memorabilia, you continue to own such asset regardless of platform (this also means your ownership of such assets is not necessarily connected to any single game, concert series, or other online platform.

No business like show business

The other side of the coin – so to speak – is in such platform’s potential as a revenue-earner for artists and entertainers. In the case of The Tempest, a stage play mainly earns from ticket sales. But theaters are limited, and not everyone can travel to Broadway or the West End to watch their favourites. Immersive VR shows give producers a wider potential reach – far beyond the confines of geography and even time.

And since we’re already talking about entertainment, even the movie industry is about to be disrupted by VR technology – for better or for worse. Just a few weeks back, Paramount Pictures announced that it is releasing Top Gun 3D straight to VR headsets in partnership with companies like Oculus, Samsung, Microsoft, and HTC.

Paramount is also launching its own immersive experience.

With this development, users can experience walking into a virtual cinema, finding a seat, chatting with virtual seatmates – all in the comfort of one’s home. Interestingly, the studios are experimenting with releasing older titles like Top Gun and reportedly, in future, Terminator.

The takeaway

Arguably, attending a concert or stage production in person is a truly marvelous experience. So does going to the movie house and see films on the big screen. But perhaps an immersive digital experience might be a close runner up. Again, it’s not the hardware that plays a big part here, but the content. People come for the novelty, but stay for what works best – their favorite movies and performance art.

Of course, there’s no such thing as eating virtual popcorn just yet, but who knows?

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