Thanks to the democratization of virtual reality (VR), professionals are entering the promising entertainment market: virtual sports, video games, cinema, and attractions; all kinds of experiments are on display until Sunday at Laval Virtual.
This exhibition of technologies and uses of the virtual, until then mainly intended for professional purposes of the virtual reality, is now also aimed at the general public thanks to the arrival on the market for a year of VR helmets.
Thanks to the democratization of virtual reality (VR), professionals are entering the promising entertainment market: virtual sports, video games, cinema, and attractions; all kinds of experiments are on display until Sunday at Laval Virtual.
This exhibition of technologies and uses of the virtual, until then mainly intended for professional purposes of the virtual reality, is now also aimed at the general public thanks to the arrival on the market for a year of VR helmets.
“”We see a diffusion of these masks on all the stands, last year it was Year One, now clearly it’s gone,”” explains Laurent Chrétien, the director of this reference salon.
Along with the Taiwanese HTC and its headset, Microsoft came to Laval (Mayenne) this year to show its HoloLens headset, as well as Samsung. Only Facebook with the Oculus Rift did not make the trip. Video game publishers have been the pioneers in the niche market with a fast-growing niche.
“”In Asia now it is the gaming rooms that are leading the market, but with the development of headphones associated with smartphones, VR games will become more widespread,”” said Hironao Kunimitsu, CEO of mobile game publisher Gumi. It already has about fifteen successful VR games, “”it’s not bad for a start,”” he believes.
“”VR cinema”” sessions are beginning to multiply, with screenings of fiction or documentaries in virtual reality –volcanic eruptions or plunged into ancient history– like those organized by Diversion cinema at The Forum des Images in Paris.
This technology is also full of promise for theme parks or amusement parks: The Partouche casino manager has thus developed a “”Roller Blaster,”” a simulation of roller coasters in which the public wears helmets for more sensations.
Broadcasters like France Television and Arte came to the show to look for content in virtual reality and meet studios that need funding for their projects.
Start-up XXII has already launched with TF1, an app that allows seeing the crochet TV program”” The Voice “”in virtual reality: viewers are immersed in virtual 360° decors and can slip into the skin of a “coach.””
The Japanese Super Human Sports Society is working to popularize new forms of sports in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics. The virtual thus comes to the service of humans to increase or multiply their physical capacities, like the rebound.
While the German designers of “”Table Tennis Trainer”” propose an enriched virtual ping pong table that allows the player to visualize his performances through statistics that appear in augmented reality.
“”Thanks to the expected decrease in helmet costs and performance that will increase with lighter equipment, more resolution without wires, “”says David Nahon, director of the virtual reality laboratory at Assault Systems.”” this is a vast leisure market that is opening up, “” says David Nahon, director of the virtual reality laboratory at Assault Systems.
But the French software publisher also wants to convert the general public to “”v-commerce,”” that is to say, commerce facilitated by virtual reality.
Its application “”homebyme”” thus proposes to the public to create its apartment or house projects in 3D, to visualize them through 360 ° visits and even to test via headphones of virtual reality different arrangements, choosing the furniture or changing the color of the walls.
Building on its success, Laval Virtual announced on Thursday an agreement to export to Asia. Laval Virtual Asia will be held from 3 to 6 November in the Chinese district of Laoshan, near the city of Qingdao (east), which has decided to invest some 500 million euros over a decade to count in this sector.
The annual event of the salon will also lead to the opening of the Laval Virtual Center in September, to strengthen the expertise of the capital of Mayenne on these technologies. This 3,000 m2 building for an investment of 5.5 million euros should house about fifty people.