philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

VIRTUAL REALITY OPENING UP NEW WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY FOR RESEARCHERS

Speaking on day two of the MRS annual conference, Impact 2018, Becky Loftus, head of audience insight at the RSC, explained a project to understand how audience experience of Titus Andronicus differed according to whether people watched in a theatre, or saw a broadcast in a cinema, or saw the play via a VR headset. Heart rates were tracked via a wrist device, and interviews done with participants afterwards.

Pippa Bailey, head of innovation at Ipsos MORI, which worked on the project, said 91% of the VR group felt there were moments when they felt they were actually in the theatre, compared to just 64% of the cinema group.

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Peter Pashley, head of development with ustwogames, the developers of VR game Lands End, described eight key elements of a successful VR experience:

• Do extensive user testing and react to what people say
• Remember that people are having a physical experience, not just a virtual one
• Make the experience comfortable, and reduce the likelihood of motion sickness
• Make it an interactive experience so users don’t get bored
• Engage people’s curiosity and imagination
• Consistency of visual experience is more important than making it photo-realistic
• Great sound can make a huge difference
• Every second people give to VR is time they’re detached from the real world. Make sure their time is rewarding.

See the full story here: https://www.research-live.com/article/news/virtual-reality-opening-up-new-world-of-opportunity-for-researchers/id/5035812