Posts

Augmented Reality

Why Augmented Reality (AR) May Ultimately Outstrip its Virtual Counterpart

If you were to believe everything that you read, you could be forgiven for thinking that virtual reality (VR) was set to take over the world during the next decade. While it may be true to say that 2017 is set to be a seminal year for the technology, there is an argument that its potential dominance in the worlds of gaming and entertainment has been grossly exaggerated by experts.

Whisper it quietly, but it may not even emerge as the dominant technology within its own sector in the years ahead. In fact, there are data sets which suggest that its near-term growth is likely to be outstripped by augmented reality (AR) between now and 2020, while the latter has already begun to enhance certain gaming and overarching, entertainment experiences.

 

The many form-factors of smartphones and tablets

 

In Real Terms, Why Might AR Supersede VR in the Years to Come?

In factual terms, there are subtle but ultimately decisive differences between AR and the lauded, VR alternative. While they are essentially variations of the same, underlying technology, AR combines elements of the virtual and corporeal worlds within a single space, creating an environment where individuals can interact with both fabricated and real-world contents simultaneously. In contrast, VR offers an entirely fabricated realm that visitors can explore and interact with, creating a greater scope for developers but less well-defined applications.

This offers us an insight into the greater accessibility boasted by AR, which has already been applied to revolutionise online gaming experiences such as Minecraft. By offering a tactile experience to players, it has elevated the game to a brand new level, while leveraging relatively accessible and affordable technology that appeals to both developers and gamers alike. This instantly earmarks AR as a potential growth vehicle, and one that has more tangible and relevant value than VR in the current market.

So how does this translate into growth and profitability? In sheer numerical terms, the AR market is expected to outstrip the virtual alternative by a staggering $90 billion by the year 2020, which is quite incredible when you consider the media coverage that is afforded to each concept. It reflects that basic fact that AR represents less of a leap for game designers and customers, while from a wider market perspective it is fair to say that the technology enables images to be integrated with the physical world and offers far greater relevance outside of the gaming industry.

 

Augmented Reality

 

The Near-term Future for AR and VR

While VR has immense potential and may ultimately have a greater impact on niches such as gaming and entertainment (and while it may enjoy a breakthrough year in 2017) for now there remains a noticeable disconnect between theory and practical application. In contrast, AR already adds tangible valuable to immersive gaming experiences, while it also has a wider range of near-term applications including education, enterprise, e-commerce and more. This is reflected by its projected growth through to 2020, which supersedes the numbers forecast for VR and hint at the natural advantages that drive AR in the current technological climate.

While VR may have taken the technology market by storm in 2016, augmented reality appears to have slipped silently under radar. Make no mistake; however, augmented reality has many potential applications for your business, and at 3drenderingservices.co.uk we can help you to understand these in further detail.

With this in mind, why not give 3drenderingservices.co.uk a call today to find our more?

Audience of VR-Headset Users

How Virtual Reality is changing the world of Advertising

Given that VR only truly entered the consumer mainstream towards the end of 2015, it has achieved considerable growth during this time. This is particularly true in the field of gaming, where VR has found a natural application that enables it to achieve its full potential.

Incredibly, virtual video game sales totalled $1.5 billion in the U.S. market alone last year, with the global industry recording a yield in excess of $5 billion.

 

Virtual Game Playing wearing a VR-Headset

Will Advertising Emerge as a Viable Application for VR?

Of course, gaming will not be the only application that truly optimises the potential of VR technology over time. In fact, we have already seen virtual reality impact on a host of additional markets, from the entertainment sector to travel and the world of marketing.

In many ways, the nature of VR offers a wide range of natural advantages to marketers. This is especially true for product-orientated brands, who have a physical entity that they can use as a focal point for their advertising campaigns. The application of VR will elevate these by enabling consumers to interact with a specific product in real-time, helping to reinforce its appeal and forge an emotional connection with individual customers in the process.

 

Audience of VR-Headset Users

 

This represents just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the relationship between VR and advertising, however, as there is the potential for boundaries to be pushed even further in the future. After all, VR is capable of replicating and capturing genuinely unique experiences, which can be shared and relived as often as desired.

Advertisers can successfully leverage this to create incredibly emotive customer propositions, which tend to be far more effective than those focused on basic utility and need.

Emotion is Key, and VR Can Help Advertisers to Create New Product Propositions 

While it is hard to quantify the precise impact that VR will have on advertising, there is no doubt that this technology can change the way in which marketers place, present and sell their products. It will also breathe new life into concepts such as event marketing, creating real-time and emotive campaigns that engage customers like never before.

Make no mistake; however, it is the emotional capacity of VR that will be of most interest to advertisers. For years, brands have been forced to market products based on value or quality propositions, while utilising imagery and music to form emotional connection with a targeted audience. VR can elevate this emotional experience onto an entirely new level, however, as it allows customers to interact with products and experience physical feelings and sensations as part of this process.

Does This Make VR a Game-changer for Advertising? 

In short, yes. VR will most likely have a gradual, but seminal, influence in the field of marketing and advertising, by establishing a new communication channel that creates experiences and emotional connections.

Over time, it will also challenge the way in which customers interact with products and appraise their value, as VR advertising campaigns create a simulate shopping experience where goods can be trialled in real-time.

Given the scope of VR and its potential, you may well be struggling to understand how it can drive your business forward in 2017.

We are here to help, however, so why not contact our team at 3drenderingservices.co.uk and unlock the potential of VR for your venture?