The following is an article being printed in Jon Peddie Research’s TechWatch based on JPR data, and while I’m under embargo until this evening, I got the go ahead to share it here early as I think it’s the only place where the industry can feel comfortable to openly discuss it. I half-jokingly make the comparison to Soylent Green because we finally have core data to make a pretty solid sales prediction and strategy for immersive tech. While some will like it and some will hate it, there isn’t much room for opinion here unless the numbers fail to hold up to scrutiny, though I trust my sources. I’m hopeful this information will make it easier for ventures in the space to plan for the long term and appreciate the urgency to work together so this market is built to last. Read More
James Stewart is the Founder of Geneva Film Company which produces live action, VFX, stop-motion and CG animation on platforms ranging from mobile to giant screen including gesture control and VR.
James shares his experiences with storytelling in 3D, 360, and virtual reality.
Ben Miller is the Director of Content Development for WEVR. In this presentation, Ben talks about the lessons learned when designing content with the HTC Vive’s Lighthouse controllers.
Note: The audio was plugged directly in the camera for this presentation, and there is some distortion. It gets easier to hear once Ben starts talking.
Jan Nordmann is Senior Director Business Development for New Media at Fraunhofer USA Digital Media Technologies. This technical presentation talks about the effective use of audio in virtual reality. Very well received!
Note: The audio was plugged directly in the camera for this presentation, and there is some distortion. It gets much easier to hear once Jan starts talking.
Dr. Jason Jerald is the Co-Founder and Principal Consultant for NextGen Interactions. This presentation speaks to design considerations in virtual reality.
NOTE: The microphone was plugged directly into the camera for this day’s sessions, and there is noticeable distortion. You will still be able to hear what the speaker is saying. Sorry for the inconvenience.
This panel talked about the processing power and benchmarking tools needed to make modern virtual reality work. Panelists included:
- Alex Davies, Writer, Tom’s Hardware (Moderator)
- Sasa Marinkovic, Head of VR Marketing, AMD
- Dr. Jon Peddie, CEO, Jon Peddie Research
- Arto Ruotsalainen, Co-Founder & VP Operations
Basemark
Kharis O’Connell is the CEO and Co-Founder of HUMAN. This presentation talks about effective user interfaces for augmented and virtual reality and blasts many of the myths promoted with influential Hollywood cinema. Kharis even brought props to demonstrate their latest work on stage which was bravely compiled just thirty minutes prior!
Andrew McGovern is the Vice-President of Media & Entertainment for IM360. IM360 has one everything from an immersive Taylor Swift experience to Conan O’Brian in VR to delivering babies across great distances (ok, maybe we are stretching a little…just a little!).
Matthew McGinity is the Founder of 2666 and has been creating immersive systems and applications in academic, industrial and artistic contexts for almost two decades, from prototyping VR simulations for astronauts at the European Space Agency to heading the computer science team at the iCinema Centre for Interactive Cinema Research at UNSW Sydney. His presentation is all about achieving presence in virtual reality; very interesting stuff!
With all the excitement about virtual reality in the home, it’s easy to forget that there is a viable and growing public exhibition market as well that has a very rich history to stand on. This panel features:
- Jose Luis Navarro, CEO, InMediaStudio
- Kevin Williams, Chairman, DNA Association
- Chuck Ian Gordon, Gordon’s Arcade
This proved to be very entertaining!