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By Cathy Aronson, localmattersne.wpengine.com Digital Editor
Don’t read this column. Just watch this TedTalk on ‘The birth of virtual reality as an artform’ to ignite your imagination and with.in/ted to experience it.
Turns out virtual reality (VR) is all about getting up close to tell local stories to ignite your senses.
Sound familiar, like real life? Yup, digital is getting real, and VR could be our new empathy machine.
In the beginning
The slow path to virtual reality has been bugging me since a dubious introduction at a 90s underground dance party, with the 10 minute dizziness limit often exceeded. Despite the blocky graphics, I was instantly lost in the virtual world.
The next evolution of the human mind became popular culture, as imagined in The Lawnmower Man.
“Sometimes the world takes its time to catch-up with possibilities.” Chris Milk
New reality
After 20 years of mystery, VR has finally returned to the masses and is becoming reality. Turns out they had to get devices and social distribution working first.
Plus billion dollar bets by big players including Facebook’s Oculus Rift and various versions by video game console makers Sony and Microsoft, Samsung’s Gear VR, and the DIY Google Cardboard version are on the market. Apps from rollercoaster rides to brain surgery are a plenty.
With YouTube player and Facebook now compatible with ‘360’ VR video and Google’s Daydream platform for mobile VR on it’s way, it’s more viable for making mass consumption and social sharing.
Let’s get real
So now we can produce, publish, share and reach an audience, some amazing virtual experiences are re-igniting senses and shining a new light on stories.
The New York Times is leading the way for journalism with The Displaced, a first person story told by three children, putting a face and virtual experience to the 30 million worldwide driven from their homes by war.
If we have become desensitised in our social mass media world but are hard-wired to care, VR could be our new empathy machine.
Don’t take my word for it. Experience it yourself, if you can handle the reality.
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