Lost in The Void

Virtual Reality 2.0 has come a long long way in the last two years. Each time we discover a VR experience to amaze and engage, the industry finds a new way to raise the bar. This week I was at The Void in Utah, where the bar has been raised to the stratosphere.

VR can be measured in incremental experience. What that really means is we start with Google cardboard, progress to quality phone units like the Zeiss VR One, add substance with the Samsung/Oculus GearVR then hit the big time with Sony’s Morpheus, HTC’s Vive and the biggest player – Oculus Rift.

The last three have yet to hit high streets but when they do, these headsets will offer something the others don’t – real-world movement. The original Rift allowed us to look around 360º from a fixed point. The second generation added the ability to lean in and this brought a new awareness of presence.

Although Sony’s Morpheus sticks with the lean-in approach, both the Vive and Rift allow the wearer to stand up and walk around, and the difference is breathtaking. Once you realise you can move naturally within a virtual environment, your brain stops playing by the rules and you believe you’re actually where the visuals say you are.

So that’s the ultimate VR experience then? For now, it’s the best you can expect in a home or office. But there’s more, oh so much more. It’s time to enter The Void.

I’ve just spent a day in a small town called Linden, less than an hour from Salt Lake City. This is home to The Void – the world’s first Virtual Reality theme park.

Brainchild of CEO Ken Bretschneider, James Jensen and Curtis Hickman, The Void demonstrates the advantage of mixing virtual and physical environments. Not in the way Augmented Reality headsets or the hybrid Sulon Cortex do, this is full VR with enhanced tactile environments.

These environments are given substance by walled corridors, alien pods, blasts of air and heat and motorised monoliths.

This 4D experience has an incredible effect but when combined with The Void’s wireless headsets, physical weapons and props, the results are nothing short of transformational, especially when you're sharing the same space with multiple players. I felt as if I’d been beamed onto the Holodeck of the Enterprise or the far reaches of Mordor.

Bretschneider and his talented team of designers, developers and engineers have big plans (including continuous development of their own hardware) but the first public opening of The Void is scheduled for late 2016 in Utah, with additional ‘Virtual Entertainment Centres’ rolling out to other locations over the following 12 months.

Content for these environments will invariably lean towards gaming but the scenarios are limitless. From fast and frantic shoot-em-ups to creepy spine-tingling horror, the opportunity exists to commandeer the senses like never before. Storytelling has never had it so good!

I can’t eulogise enough about how incredible The Void is. The simple act of touching a wall or sitting down on a rock in a virtual world is mind-blowing. I fought off hoards of giant spiders with a gun I could not only see in hi-res detail but feel and fire as if I were at the heart of a fire-fight. The next generation guns also feature recoil and pump action reload. I had high expectations before visiting Utah, but The Void delivered so much more.

Virtual Reality offers a creative platform like no other and we’re now seeing clear distinctions between the levels of experience on offer. The Void is the VR Premier League, but its halo effect helps to support development for the ‘lesser divisions’. The takeaway from a 4D adventure is a hunger for the next best thing in-home. Audiences will still love the VR on their phones, PCs and games consoles, but they’ll flock to the Virtual Entertainment Centres when they open. And they won’t be disappointed.

E3: The Blockbuster Generation

Hollywood is rejoicing as cinema-goers flock back to the big screen this summer. In recent years the movie theatre experience looked as if it was going the way of the music business, but now the 2015 summer of excess is serving up the blockbusters.

The current box office takings merely provide the warm up act to this winter’s releases where we’ll see the long-awaited extension to the Star Wars franchise following on from James Bond’s November action in SPECTRE.

I have a point to make here, relating to the millennials amongst us (the kids born this millennium) and my time spent at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in LA this week. Having sat through Avengers: Age of Ultron last month, I came away feeling a little despondent and wondering which came first… the story-less all action ADHD blockbuster or the constantly distracted audience?

I had an interesting conversation in the back of a cab last year. I was heading to the airport having just delivered my TEDx talk in Athens, before jetting off to LA for the next big adventure.

I say the talk was interesting, but I mean ‘challenging’. My esteemed car-sharer was a seasoned TED speaker, with years of experience in the field of human behaviour. He held the view that kids today are bombarded with too much information, especially of the digital variety. He believed that mobile devices should be strictly rationed as they cause more problems for kids than they solve.

I told him that I agreed in principal but ‘all things in moderation’ is a better approach than insisting on a non-digital solution. You don’t filter the noise out by turning it all off, you learn to live with it, categorise it and make use of it.

I’d be the first to admit that my kids don’t lead a normal life. The very nature of my job exposes them to a new piece of tech hardware or delivery platform on a regular basis. They are a fabulous sounding board for the reactions of the next generation of consumers as they’re quick to dismiss and not afraid to speak their minds. They have none of the social or business diplomacy to worry about – it just works or it doesn’t.

They’ve been fascinated by and indifferent to various smart watches and VR headsets over the past couple of years and it’s easy to see that a constant supply of digital watch faces will appeal more than garage door openers and short-form film and games are perfect for VR.

At E3, the audience is hungry for new games, but still prefers the familiarity of a sequel and will happily immerse themselves in a single game for hours on end if the content offers enough variety and a continual challenge.

Minecraft is already huge but Microsoft demonstrated a whole new level of immersion at E3 – on HoloLens. If you’re not familiar with this new platform, it’s Microsoft’s foray into the augmented reality market. projecting seemingly real content into the wearer’s field of vision. I’ll be getting hands-on today and will update this article in a few hours.

So where does this leave our kids? Lost in a digital world of shock and awe, content and distraction? Yes, all of the above and it’s brilliant.

I saw the Disney movie Tomorrowland a couple of weeks ago and I loved it. It touched a creative and technological nerve and moved me to write this article. It’s not an explosion-a-second blockbuster like Age of Ultron as it manages to combine an all-action adventure with something subtly cerebral.

It’s a film with a message. Don’t lose your sense of wonder, investigate new technology and be creative with it. Use it to push boundaries, not live within them. We wouldn’t have reached the moon or built electric cars without a commitment to improve the world in which we live. We can also have fun whilst doing it!

It’s our responsibility to encourage kids to live with and use technology to their advantage, rather than distance themselves from it, and a brighter future.

Oculus: Leading the VR Gold Rush

There’s virtual gold in them there hills and it’s time to think seriously about where you stand. Are you in or out?

The road to VR nirvana is paved with poor quality content, low res visuals and people claiming they’re the world’s greatest storytellers because they’ve ‘been at this for years’. Well, I’ve got news for you, the future for VR and AR belongs to those with both technical know-how AND creative vision.

If you’re thinking about “seeing how it goes” or if “this VR thing will take off”, think again. We have been gifted an invaluable assessment period in the development of VR and for the past 18 months, this exciting new platform has been in a very public beta.

Designers, developers and ‘tech explorers’ have had access to a number of head mounted displays (HMDs), including the original Oculus Rift (funded by a $2,437,430 Kickstarter campaign) and subsequent DK2 (118,930 global shipments), the Samsung/Oculus Gear VR and numerous Google Cardboard budget headsets for a while.

A few visionaries are starting to put their money in the right places. Recent funding rounds have hit the headlines for JauntVR, NextVR, Reload Studios and self-funded ‘The Void’, a VR theme park. The most notable move came last year when Facebook bought Oculus, the company credited with starting the current resurrection of the Virtual Reality market. 

The Oculus PR machine has been busy again today, revealing the final consumer-friendly Rift headset, input controllers and some of the launch titles. I tested the latest developer edition, Crescent Bay, at CES in January and that was a big step forward. Oculus have upped the game yet again with the consumer Rift but it’s not available to test until next week. More to follow…

It’s a stunning piece of kit with accurate head-tracking, a wireless X-Box controller, freestanding desktop motion sensor, built-in 3D stereo headphones and it’s light, very light compared to rivals. 

Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey also previewed ‘Oculus Touch, a pair of hand controllers used for more accurate input for digital interaction. They won’t be available when the main headset launches in Q1 2016, but should follow before 2017. Rift Pre-orders begin later this year.

But that’s not all as you’ll still need a PC to run the VR content. Officially, the Rift isn’t for Mac at launch but there have been VR titles in development for Mac since the original DK1 headset arrived in 2013 so they’ll still work, just not through the official Oculus store.

Next week, I’m at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) where the tone will be set with a heavy focus on Virtual Reality as Oculus, Sony, HTC, Samsung, Sulon and Microsoft will all push VR headsets to the frontline in preparation for a very busy 12 months for consumer releases.

It’s these next 12 months that are so important for creative thought, innovative development and targeted investment. If you really want to make an impact, start planning, designing and building now. If you want an unprecedented investment opportunity in a guaranteed platform before it hits the market, it’s time to make your move.

There will always be room for software production houses but in these early days of VR, the spoils will go to those willing and able to push boundaries and do so with quality in mind. I can’t stress strongly enough how exciting this new dawn of VR is.

Making Music at WWDC

If you’re looking for a comprehensive summary of everything covered in today’s WWDC keynote, move along now, there’s nothing to see here. If however you’re after a look behind the scenes of the Moscone memorandum and its impact on developers, brands and consumers over the next 12 months, you’re in the right place.

My day began at 3:15am when my alarm jolted me rudely into consciousness. As my jet-lagged brain took in the surroundings of my shabby-chic San Francisco hotel room, I checked the charge levels of my mobile devices. It was going to be a long day.

Armed with my 15” MacBook Pro, 11” MacBook Air, iPad Mini, iPhone 6, 42mm Apple Watch and a bag full of battery chargers, I made the ten minute cold, dark and lonely cab ride to the Moscone Centre. It was keynote day and to ensure a decent seat I had to begin my queuing ‘experience’ at 4am.

I’m no stranger to the iQueue. In 2010 I stood outside the 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York waiting a mere 12 hours for the launch of the iPad. We were 6th and 7th in line, behind representatives of the four corners of the world… and a guy in a deckchair that waits in ALL the lines. He’s not a developer so isn’t at WWDC.

You’d think 4am would be early enough, right? Not a chance. I began writing this crouched on the floor round the back of the Moscone West Convention Centre, next to the bins. This international globe-trotting ain’t as glamorous as you think. Assuming you think it’s glamorous of course.

To cut a long and rather tedious story short, the Moscone Center doors opened at 7am and the iQueue was directed like a shuffling chain-gang to the inner hall where our next 3 hour wait began.

Through a combination of running, elbowing and misdirection I found a seat in the front row of the ‘non-VIP’ enclosure with a good view of Tim Cook’s kick-off. He took to the stage to deliver the usual stats about global eyeballs and fingertips on iOS and OS X and positive words about Apple Watch.

Others will have summarised word-for-word the minutia of the keynote. As mentioned, I don't intend to do this so here are my top 5 announcements.

Watch Kit 2.0

Apple set the standard for Apple Watch apps early on. We were restricted to a limited feature set, using official Watch Kit designated GUI (Graphical User Interface) and restricted access to the sensors on the watch itself. We made the most of this with our Porsche Car Connect app, launched on Day 1. You can read more about that [here].

This tight control wasn’t out of character for Apple (the original iPhone didn’t even have an App Store at launch) and the idea was to keep the focus firmly on the hardware and its OS, rather than take the Android Wear approach and encourage a free for all.

At WWDC, the development door has been pushed open a little and we now have access to sensors and buttons not previously in our armoury, making the watch a much more interesting proposition when pushing creative barriers, if not breaking them all down just yet.

Consumers will appreciate the new photo watch faces and customisable content but I’m still waiting for full watch faces to make the device truly personal or an easy win for brands.

Apple Music

Hands up if you love iTunes… anyone? Bueller? Yep, it’s been a necessary evil since day one. Poor search (that still applies to the App Store and iBooks Store), cranky UI and little or no encouragement to actually access all your music, movies and books.

Apple wants all that to change with the introduction of Apple Music and Beats1. With the focus firmly on streamed music and playlists or shows curated by humans rather than algorithms, Apple have proved they are probably the only organisation capable of combining all the essential content, features and platforms to deliver an end-to-end music service.

That doesn’t mean everything they offer from the start will be the best but by placing it all in one place, they certainly make it easier. The music labels should also be happy with Apple Music as it offers them a higher profile for both new and established artists and brings music, video and more to an audience likely to pay for both a streaming service and downloadable tracks.

So, farewell to cranky old iTunes on our desktops? No, I'm afraid we'll have to suffer that for a while longer, until the new UI and user experience filters down from Apple Music. It's a shame this isn't a replacement, just an improvement to music discovery, not its storage once purchased.

Apple Music is available soon in the US, UK and Australia and on Android by the end of the year. The first three months access will be free then $9.99 a month. I think the Tide may have just gone out for Jay Z…

Apple News

It will probably be referred to as ‘News’ but whatever it’s called, it looks like a potential Flipboard killer. Having worked with publishers, Apple revealed its digital magazine platform, providing a customisable feed with live interactive content.

The proof will be in the simplicity of integration with online content and how this will be monetised when News looks as good as a regular digital magazine. Publishers or bloggers can now sign up to use ‘News Publisher’ and get their hands on the tools required. Watch this space…

Car Play

Greater integration and wireless connectivity and now Apple Music. All cars should offer both iOS and Android integration as standard in the next few years, adding functionality both in and out of the car so we’re ticking boxes here.

Clearly our Porsche Car Connect app is the perfect example of this but the challenge remains for designers, developers and marketers to make the brand experience as seamless as possible with both technical, lifestyle and service information living in digital harmony within the app ecosystem.

Apple TV 2.0

Only joking, it didn’t make an appearance because Apple hadn’t joined all the dots – hardware, software (including apps) and the big one… content. The content is there, it’s just the issues that remain, such as localisation, advertising and subscription models.

This hasn’t been an easy business for Apple as the direct download and rental models are far less complicated than streaming. Whilst Apple has been trying to own the end-to-end experience, the market has moved on around them with major players such as NetFlix and Amazon making substantial gains. Apple TV is still poised to make the next step very soon…

The two main headlines this year were Apple Watch OS2 and Apple Music. The rest provided interesting updates but nothing to change the world, unless you aim to use these tools to do it yourself.

WWDC is an Apple Event so naturally we all have iPhones and MacBooks of one shape or size. I’m comfortable with this as it’s the right (and in our collective opinion) the best kit for the job. I’m less at ease with the fact we all have Apple Watches. I’ve always worn a watch 1. to tell the time and 2. because I actually like wearing one - as a personal statement. It’s not very personal when everyone has the same thing.

I’ve ordered my personalised strap from Casetify to alleviate some design anxiety but I’m still not happy to run with the crowd. I’ll feature that strap later this week in my new Dawn of The DumbWatch article, alongside the Olio Model One and metal Cogito Classic.

I’m also surrounded by developers wearing the official WWDC15 fleece. I have mine on under a jacket as it feels a little like a school uniform. That and it was freezing next to the bins!