Virtual reality is becoming real with the addition of Facebook-owned Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus which leads one to wonder what other use cases we might see beyond gaming. Could this change the face of media experiences, shopping and travel? The Lab surveyed 300 people, asking them to indicate which, if any, of the following Virtual Reality applications they would like to try. The results may surprise you.
Just when you thought you had a handle on all the over-the-top platforms, Playstation announces the North America release of Playstation TV. The $99 device will stream PS Vita and select PS 3 games to your TV in addition to media services like Hulu and Netflix. More importantly, it enables remote play for current PS4 owners who can stream games to additional TVs without the need to move their main console.
Did you know that video network Twitch has 45 million monthly active users who tune in to watch live streams of people gaming? In fact, there are currently 85,000 tuning into League of Legends right now. Most of these streams are as much about the gameplay as they are about the gamer who simultaneously broadcasts a view of themselves via their webcam. This phenomenon is so prevalent that Google is rumored to be in talks to acquire them for $1 billion.
Is this behavior voyeuristic? Yes. Is it lonely? Possibly. Is it surprising? Not so much. There is actually quite a bit Twitch can teach us about ourselves.
Arcades And Shared Experiences
At first glance Twitch’s growth seems unfathomable but this behavior is actually nothing new. As Slate does a great job pointing out, Twitch harks back to the old arcades where people would congregate to play games as much as to watch others play, peering over to take in the action of Pong or Pac Man. This is the same behavior as Twitch, but in this case technology is enabling it at a far greater scale. And it’s not social in the same way as Facebook or Twitter. This is about shared experience not sharing your experience and I think that is an important distinction.
The Power of Live Events
What Twitch teaches us is the importance of live experiences. In today’s on demand world there is still a desire, likely more than ever to be “in the moment.” There needs to be that sense that if you blink, you’ll miss out which is exactly what Twitch provides to the gaming audience. And Twitch isn’t the exception. In fact, major events are also experiencing growth like the Oscars which has achieved the highest household ratings in nine years.
Microsoft’s E3 Conference can be defined more by what it didn’t say than what it did. There was no mention of the once requisite Kinect, social media integration or video. Instead, the tech giant focused on showcasing their major game partners like Halo 5 and Call of Duty which of course look stunning in the gameplay demos.
Did you know that some of the most engaged audiences are gamers watching other gamers play games? Yes, you heard correctly. Twitch, the video game streaming network has 45 million monthly uniques who gather around displays, armed with Slim Jims and Cheetos to watch videogame play. Not surprisingly, Google is in talks to acquire the service which outpaces YouTube Live. We’ll have to wait and see how this pans out but there is a larger story around live audiences given the huge market for streaming gameplay, concert series, cooking lessons and more.
Sony’s press conference revealed some interesting details regarding the PlayStation 4 which should drop holiday season. The flagship gaming console will have second screen integration with the PS Vita which acts as a controller. Additionally, there will be social features allowing users to share their gameplay via Ustream and Facebook which could be very interesting for gaming brands looking to grow community.
Video content speaks volumes, and is great for jump starting social interaction online. Applifier, the online mobile gaming network, has launched a new feature for its product, Everyplay, which uses the iPhone’s front-facing camera to record the player’s reactions while playing a range of mobile games. The idea behind Everyplay is to give gamers the opportunity to share their best (and worst) gaming moments with friends, or demonstrate tips and tricks. Everyplay is currently compatible with 8 games, but given its promising click through numbers, it certainly has the potential to benefit a wide range of game developers…and produce some entertaining viral videos.
Watch this: Kinect-Powered Motion Capture Mimics Your Facial Movements In Real Time
