The current fretting over who will win the battle between cable and over-the-top on the internet (“OTT”) reminds me of the battle between Blu-ray and DVDs; it was a battle between dinosaurs just before extinction, in the case of dinosaurs by a giant asteroid, and in the case of Blu-ray and DVDs, by the emergence of VOD (and its sub-variants, like SVOD). While media stock ticker prices teeter on the perceived victor between cable and OTT, a challenger is coming that will knock them both out of the ring, and that is virtual reality, since it can’t be delivered by either medium.
There will be two types of virtual reality, one relatively well known and the other less so. The better known one involves wearing a headset that transports you to anywhere you want to go. You can do it on your own time and in your own home. So not only will you be able to watch something “when and where you want to” (the mantra of OTT), but now you will be able to be when and where you want to. Want to be on
The lesser known version of virtual reality that is coming is entertainment centers that will provide a 360-degree immersion in all directions (including floor and ceiling) in an environment that can be changed every so often by the center. Want to cross the Red Sea with Moses? Want to go to the Moon? As you walk though, everywhere you look will be screens and holograms that project 3D images of the environment. The sounds will also be 3d, and will be projected around you as though following you. If there are seats, they will be 4D, which move with the visuals and add wind and spray effects.
These centers will be about the size of movie theaters; indeed, probably theaters that are converted after being obsoleted by this technology. For decades, a standard evening out with that special someone has been dinner and a film (other than expensive concerts), and these centers will finally add a new fun alternative to that regimen. The cost may not be much different than the cost of a movie ticket, and the venue will make money by ushering people through in perhaps under an hour. A version of this concept called The Void is scheduled to debut next summer in Utah. One company that could easily be at the forefront of this is Disney.
But whether it is at home with a head device or at an entertainment center, people are going to want to be part of the story, rather than just watch it. In one form or another, virtual reality is coming in a big way and soon, and in time it will displace a big hunk of the current media landscape.
