At the IFA Consumer Electronics Show, mobile and intelligent hardware in addition to a large wave of new products, consumer version, HTC Samsung Gear VR Vive virtual reality stars as well as many domestic products will appear one by one. Starting in 2014, is famous for its immersive experience of VR equipment has frequently become one of the main characters of the show.
But what do virtual reality has a status quo? author contacted a number of practitioners and VR VR hardware content developer, came to this conclusion: the virtual reality industry in fast forward like a wheel, but the wheels have started into a quagmire.
Glasses box Lite has become mainstream
In General, the immersive VR devices can be divided into three categories: external headset, integrated headset, glasses case. External headset user experience better, representative product of Oculus Rift and Three Glasses, with an independent screen, product structure, higher technology content. Small integrated headset products, the most famous are the Bossnel head-theater. And simple structure, low price, low technical threshold known glasses box, Google mirror attributed to this type of Cardboard and a storm.
Overall, in the domestic consumer market, glass box is to be a choice of mainstream products. Glass boxes are popular, the biggest push factor is price. From startups to raise these glasses box price below 300 yuan, mirrors and other products of the storm even put prices to less than a hundred, but lower prices also are active in the stronghold of the Taobao products. A VR glasses sales personnel for the author to provide some products on Taobao and Alibaba's sales data, the author finishing as follows:
It is easy to see, price to sales has a decisive role, even in a lot of effort on the marketing storm mirror still failed to break out of this situation. I think probably because of the following three points:
First, VR glasses remain in the stage of selling hardware. A solution for VR glasses friend Frank, currently has more than 100 large and small domestic VR glasses, homogeneity is extremely serious. Because the VR device as a new product, market acceptance is not high, did not dare to touch on traditional channels, and compared to other mobile phone accessories, VR glasses box of profit is not dominant. As a result, online has become a major distribution channels, brand awareness under similar circumstances, price becomes the absolute factor makes explosions.
Second, cost control advantages of shanzhai. Although all manufacturers for their own product development, an independent APP, in fact, different glasses box between APP and can be compatible, which gives shanzhai products breeding space. Companies such as storm detonation product without "burning money" shanzhai products low prices are derived from the product control, after all, is a pure hardware, eliminating the need for software development costs directly, invest in content is equal to zero.
Third, early adopters of user psychology. Smart bracelet like the original shared almost no consumer VR glasses box as "products", for dozens of dollars from Amoy Taobao a VR glasses, simple experience virtual reality scenes feel, then send friends ridicule a few words, abandoned in the corner of the VR glasses. Many people even in blindly, after all, in the media and studies there, virtual reality was touted as the next trillion-dollar markets, have a bright market prospect.
In the virtual-reality industry chain and standards before it is ripe, inevitably to be found to weigh in the cost and experience, and intellectual enterprise is to test the waters and see. After the stock market tumbled, VCs are wary, and virtual reality the overall market is still rather cold, domestic VR industry or to stay for a long period of time in glass boxes.
No Demo no
When a content developer compare VR hardware products, compared it to the difference between domestic and import vehicles, and in terms of content development, standing on the same starting line, but now the difference both at home and abroad is also growing.
As of right now, the many outstanding VR content developers, TVR, transcendental magic, dream guest, K-Labs, Shanghai day care are on the more well-known VR games team. As said above, national or even international VR industry is not standard, due to software compatibility, burn few hardware manufacturers in the domestic content, whether it is glasses or PC level VR content needs to stay in the box on the demo.
It is understood that at present developing a demo product prices between 100,000 to 200,000, many developers rely on outsourcing for a living, of course, also will do some research and development nature of the demo. In addition, some developers is more willing to tend and foreign universities or platform, demand uncertain, second, earnings will be relatively high. Excellent domestic VR games team have tried to cooperate with oculus platforms such as. For domestic development platforms such as, for example 87870.com, corners, some teams said they do "a lot", but is still in a wait-and-see.
I think the reason for this situation generally has the following two points.
First of all, VR ecology has not been developed, hardware and content belong to fighting each other. Oculus and HTC have invested millions of dollars to encourage development, while still producing quality content, Sony and other game makers are also into the VR industry, but often need to buy a game console. No real domestic VR industry giants, even if money is also in product promotion phase not, such as mirror of the storm.
Second, the hardware manufacturers on contents of blind optimism. From a user experience, hardware products just a few demo can tell the user and most VR glasses box content is developed based on Android, have little difficulty compatible. Perhaps because of this, domestic fight product prices, which lack developed some products even when they were introduced to the market, which makes many boutique firms are forced to compromise.
Overall, the hardware product to play mentality malaise led directly to content. In addition, the domestic game Tycoon and television giant and favored did not show intent of VR products. Bad hardware, software is broken, I do not know no demo content situation last long.
Three recommendations for domestic VR industry
It is undeniable that domestic VR industry is still in its infancy, the anarchy is also in line with the development trend of domestic hardware products, mobile and intelligent hardware, after all, is what came. I agree with VR industry future prospects of domestic VR practitioner has the following three suggestions.
First, targeting market segments. Have added to VR industry, is that it has a lot of market segments to accommodate more players, facts prove that only dig a niche in the industry tend to mature in order to avoid elimination. Education, medical, military and niche market, has opened the door to VR manufacturer, and only deep market segments to accelerate the VR industry prosperity, or homogeneity of hardware is getting worse, but in short, is not favored by the capital's team, ending only to be eliminated. GLXSS smart glasses experience good marks
Second, proper training of users. When I asked whether VR products under 100 Yuan conducive to industry development, number of VR practitioners said good, at least in the education level has a lot of help. Although the VR game is still relatively Low in the field of video is able to meet the needs of some users, after all, users just need to immersive feel. In addition, many low order after VR user experience, will go to buying PC for a more immersive experience. However, VR manufacturer in the product iteration is slightly slow, in storms, for example, mirror has released the third generation of the storm, but still in the glass box stage, you might want to develop products suitable for advanced users or other VR and manufacturers, to provide users with a better virtual reality experience.
Third, the industry giant. Released when millet millet bracelet when the wearable industry there are three implications. Depends on the price advantage out speculators and a follower; the second is to attract more users embrace wearable device; the third is to promote the good development of the wearable industry, many users from the band began experimenting with more wearable products. The VR industry, Giants star power will attract more investor interest in this field, also allows developers to see the dawn of the VR industry, so VR industry as a whole moving in the positive direction.
Not so long ago came the news that Apple will enter the virtual reality, Silicon Valley giants such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook layouts before this. It was noted that the GoPro and spherical 16 cameras Google released Google Jump to virtual reality contents of gridlock solutions. From this point of view, the future of virtual reality will gradually clear.
In General, domestic VR industry continues to follow step abroad, perhaps the success of foreign markets to domestic prosperity, it's like the wheels after the drowning, was pushed out with the help of external forces, the continuous rolling of the wheel when we can rely on their own power?
