We seem to be seeing advances in VR / AR / Xr technologies on a week by week basis. New applications, new announcements, showing that we are on the precipice of a new frontier in technology and the way we interact with it. When we think about gaming, and more specifically immersive worlds, part of our thinking at Terra Virtua was “what happens when the headset comes off?”
Games in VR are amazing. Social experiences in VR are amazing. But the very real challenge with current technology is that there is no incentive to go back to a game, or go back to a world unless there is something calling you back. Nir Eyal in his book ‘Hooked’ says the main driver behind going back to apps is curiosity. In the case of an immersive VR world we realized very quickly that wandering around a world and hoping to find something of interest would get old. Fast. What is the pull to go back — right now we know that entering VR is more of an effort than playing a game on a console.
We realized that we would need something to bring together the virtual world of Terra Virtua and the mobile devices which we carry around every day. We realized that if we had something which you could interact with, your virtual personality if you like, on your smartphone, it would change the game for a virtual world. It would tell you what was new, what may interest you. You could organize your visits, bookmark new attractions, browse marketplaces, plan your team experiences, and check on your blockchain secured in game items, all before you went back to the headset.
We are creating a whole new experience in VR immersion, more to follow but let’s just say we are super excited about it and are even more excited to show it to you guys really soon!