While virtual reality is fast becoming a familiar term in the popular consciousness, the excitement and opportunities it offers need to be pushed front and centre by encouraging wider trialling and take-up.



The tech is certainly on the way with all the usual suspects piling into what they hope will be a goldmine. Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Samsung’s Gear VR, Microsoft’s HoloLens, Sony’s Project Morpheus and the wild card – the low-tech, low-cost Google Cardboard – are in the market or on the horizon.

These devices are already being used across a variety of industries and VR’s versatility is one of its many strengths. As purveyors of larger-than-life experiences, both Hollywood and the gaming industry are likely to be the pace-setters for VR.

Tech companies are developing tools for professional film-makers to create amazing VR experiences. Nokia has just unveiled its next-gen camera, Ozo, which could impress high-tech savvy directors such as James Cameron.

Ozo can capture audio and video in 360 degrees, and viewers of the footage via VR headsets have reportedly been amazed by what they have experienced: voices sounding as if they are coming from behind the user, as well as the ability to turn round and see the character talking. Plenty of other companies are also targeting Hollywood, including GoPro and Samsung.

Hollywood is one way people will experience the wow factor of VR, the other way is via the gaming industry. Gaming has a massive audience who are passionate and hugely loyal to games makers. They prefer to be involved and interact rather than watch.

At Rebellion, we’re in the process of developing a VR reboot of the 1980s classic Battlezone. We’re understandably excited at the idea of giving such a game an immersive update.

During a recent trial of the game, my partner turned to me and said: “I’m enjoying just trundling around the landscape you’ve created, it’s fun just being in that world.” I completely understood. That feeling could have huge implications for the kind of games that will be developed for VR devices.

VR is so far beyond the two-dimensional, detached experience of the majority of our visual entertainment that it’s able to tap into our more instinctive behaviour. Users may be sitting in a chair but their headset is delivering heightened sensation and an immersive experience.

Some adrenaline-chasers want the thrills of roller-coasters and rock-climbing, but where VR really excites is when it comes to exploring. Developers able to provide these experiences could engage a wider audience of all ages and drive VR innovation. Some companies in the travel and leisure sector are already using the tech to showcase their offerings – South African Tourism being a pioneer with a shark-diving experience.

But why limit VR tourism to the present day? Further potential lies in time travel tourism. People could see life in early Egypt and watch the pyramids being built or be in the audience for a performance of Hamlet at the original Globe theatre. And why stop there? We love exploring imaginary places in films and books. The games industry is full of developers with the skills to conceptualise and build fantastic worlds to explore – and they could be aided by the ideas of some of the greatest storytellers and world-builders of all time, from Jules Verne to JRR Tolkien.

Given the lower-than-expected cost predicted for tech such as Sony’s Project Morpheus headset, VR could also become a way to experience things people would normally not be able to afford on a regular basis. Fans could watch a Champions League match as a member of the crowd, or have a view through Lewis Hamilton’s visor for the duration of the Monaco Grand Prix.

The games industry is at a tipping point where the possibility and potential of VR are all there – we just need more developers, and consumers, to get behind it. The real obstacle is finding the right people to create VR games and movie experiences; it’s not enough to rely on teams accustomed to traditional games design to become immediately immersed in the different technical factors involved in designing powerful VR experiences.

Some might see cost as a barrier, yet the investment involved in purchasing a developer’s headset isn’t significant when we consider the vast consumer interest in the technology. It’s clear that this new world needs new architects and savvy studios to jump in feet first. If we build a new virtual reality, they will come.

Famously when the Lumiere Brothers showed Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat at one of the world’s first cinema screenings, the audience was so amazed many people ran for cover. VR in 2015 presents games developers with the chance to cause a similar reaction: we can make our own history.

Jason Kingsley OBE is co-founder of Rebellion



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