“Futures made of virtual insanity now…” sang Jamiroquai in 1996, foreshadowing society’s current voracious appetite for all things digital. Virtual reality has become the latest buzzword banded around by tech giants and futurists alike. But the concept is nothing new. Much like hover-boards and tinfoil space suits, virtual reality has formed part of our projected vision since the early 80s.
Now that the innovation is finally catching the fantasy, what is the likelihood of virtual reality taking off on a global scale?
Pretty high.
Our money is on virtual reality consoles seeping even further into the fabric of our lives. We will play with them, communicate with them and work with them. As a computerised simulation, the possibilities of what can be explored are boundless.
At Cogs, we like to keep pace with new developments and the potential industries of the future so we can provide you with the most up-to-date job information around.
Already, job roles such as an Application Developer, Full Stack Developer and DevOps Architect are appearing on the job market, all requiring VR experience or have potential for breaking into the technology in the near future, making the possibilities of working with VR more likely.
With all this in mind, here are five indicators that virtual reality is very much a creative revolution – and not some flash-in-the-pan fad.
- Society loves to augmented reality
Dog ears and flower crowns on Snapchat. Sepia-toned filters on Instagram. Photoshop rife in magazines. And that’s not even counting the beauty obsession with contouring. These days, society very much enjoys bending the boundaries of reality and creating a soft-focus, world. Virtual reality really is the next obvious extension of this predilection with augmented reality.
- VR is getting tonnes of investment
Singapore is pumping funds into the development of virtual reality for use in primary schools and clinical training. Meanwhile, a Sydney-based virtual reality start-up has secured $2.25 million in investment. This splashing of cash generally comes with a degree of confidence in the project in question – and its continues success.
- We’ve been waiting for VR since the 80s
Tron (1982), Arcade (1993) and Hackers (1995) all imagine a world where virtual reality is the norm. This hype for VR has been building and intensifying across the decades. Now that we finally have the know-how and funds to make it happen, why would we suddenly lose interest? A fad suggests something that suddenly becomes popular (and just as quickly disappears) but virtual reality has already demonstrated considerable staying power.
- Facebook has a track record for predicting success
Facebook has bought well over 50 companies during its meteoric rise. Its groaning portfolio now includes tech giants like Instagram and Whatsapp. And recently the social media giant has been pouring money into virtual reality by buying up companies like Oculus VR, Surreal Vision and Pebbles. Given everything Zuckerberg touches seems to turn to gold, we reckon he knows something we don’t.
- Gaming has become bigger than ever before
Gaming has become a sport. The kind of sport where the stars are paid millions and the tournaments attract frenzied fans to sell-out stadiums. In this environment, with this appetite for gaming, it’s conceivable that virtual gaming will take off to the same extent.