Talking Location-Based VR — On Location
The team here at The Soap Collective recently traveled to Japan to talk VR trends with some industry professionals. A couple interesting comparisons came to light as we shared stories over sashimi:
Our colleagues in Japan are seeing a huge interest in location-based VR. There seems to be less likelihood to step into VR at home, in favor of a social destination meant specifically for that type of experience. Potentially due to smaller, quieter homes, sales of tethered HMDs (e.g. HTC Vive or Oculus Rift) are much lower than they are in the US. A room-scale home set up might be hard to achieve and less in line with current home activities.
The demand for location-based VR seems to revolve around shared social experiences.
Our colleagues noted that a popular pastime in Tokyo is to gather friends around a common shared activity like karaoke, or sharing food. Although these activities can be shared in someone’s home, Tokyo sees a demand for spaces centered around a specific activity. VR arcades, for instance, draw groups of friends to try different VR experiences together or to watch each other explore a new world.
Our colleagues pointed out that in-home gaming console use was not high in Japan either, but mobile gaming has been growing rapidly. Hypotheses here have to do with a greater deal of time spent commuting by public transportation. Going mobile brought the gaming market to the tips of their fingers in the moment their fingers were free. Tethered HMDs are still literally bound from giving commuters this level of freedom, though this may not be the only reason for the slow adoption.
Another argument might be that the culture forming around VR globally is social and shareable. Consumers want to experience VR with others who are having similar experiences. We are seeing this more consistently as creators are developing platforms, hardware, and content that supports multi-player activity. As consumers are seeing VR as something inherently social, developers are moving the industry toward more social experiences. It is reasonable for consumers in Tokyo to look for larger spaces in which they could explore VR together.
Alternatively, there is less of a demand for location-based VR in the US — aside from conferences and VR meetups. The demand for shareable experiences is very high, but that demand is for content that is shared between users from the comfort of their in-home systems. There are many possible explanations for this including larger in-home play spaces, or less of an arcade culture. That said, location-based VR has more popularity when paired with locations/activities consumers are already engaged in (shopping, airports, museums, etc.). This may be why US consumers lead the market in tethered HMD sales.
This all begs the obvious question: what about mobile VR? Shouldn’t there be a large demand for mobile VR in Japan for the same reason mobile gaming is on the rise? Our colleagues did not have answers to these questions. Together we brainstormed remembering that although commuting by train does not require your full attention, VR does. When commuting, covering yourself with a headset and earphones could cause you to miss your stop. It also leaves you vulnerable to the world around you.
That said, mobile VR is not saturating the US market either. Google cardboard, 360 video, and mobile HMDs like the Samsung Gear VR made mobile VR much more accessible, but they’ve become a part of a user’s everyday life.
There is no reason to carry a VR headset everywhere you go.
Typically, for example, I leave my headset in some permanent location where I can easily find it. If that location is not strategically selected, I end up with a mobile HMD in the same room as a tethered HMD. I’m then left to choose.*
Our conversation ended agreeing that the US has something to learn from the Japanese trends and vice versa. We may, in fact, see an increase in location-based VR and as the industry becomes more social we might see increased global sales of computer-linked HMDs. We also concluded with a consistent takeaway from most of our conversations in the field: in order for the industry to move forward, we have to support the creation of premium content.
What have your travels taught you about VR? Where do you see location-based VR fitting into the VR ecosystem in the US? Let us know in the comments below. We also create content. Join our newsletter to find out more about our upcoming release.
*Ok, bad example. I’m a product manager, of course I carry a headset with me wherever I go. But you know what I mean. And when I am forced to choose, I go with the one that allows me the most content and least opportunities for breaking my immersion. For me, that’s my Rift. My phone is not only likely to ring, but even more likely to die if I’m coming home from a long day of work.
Jarreau Bowen is a sagittarius who enjoys long walks on the beach, fireworks, and exploratory fiction…all through a VR headset. He spends his not-so-free time trying find the poke feature on Facebook.
