Thursday, October 1, 2015

Microsoft Potential in Virtual Reality

Microsoft's Potential in Virtual Reality

As technology becomes more and more advanced and innovative, companies begin to invest in areas of technology that they believe have the potential to draw consumers in. According to an article by cnet’s Katie Collins, one area of technology that companies such as Samsung, Sony, HTC and Facebook have spent $2 billion dollars of investment in is virtual reality. Virtual Reality is technology that can, “transport you to an entirely new world through a headset.” More specifically, Virtual Reality is a hardware that can track the motions of a person’s head and then display 3D imagery. Just recently, Microsoft announced that it would be creating its on virtual reality headset to compete with the likes of Googles “Cardboard,” a cardboard phone case that, “uses a pair of glass lenses and an app to drive your virtual reality experience.” Microsoft introduced what they called the “HoloLens” at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in January, which reportedly uses a full computer and a holographic processor.
It is suggested in the article that “Windows Phone has traditionally struggled to compete for market share in a world dominated by Android devices and iPhones.” Although I agree with this, I don’t think that Apple completely dominates the tech world because Microsoft without a doubt dominates in an area in the mainstream market that brings in a lot of revenue, in that of video games. Furthermore, Microsoft’s popularity among video gamers could put virtual reality on the map if it is integrated into video game systems. I would even say that Microsoft could pose a threat to other companies invested in virtual reality because Microsoft as a company offers more popular options than other companies such as HTC and Facebook.
How can Microsoft become a threat to other companies who have invested in Virtual reality? You can look the seemingly short battle Netflix had with Blockbuster as an example. We all know that Blockbuster was the mecca of its time when it sold a wide range of videos that could be picked up and watched at home, but when Netflix came into the picture and offered streamed movies at the comfort of your home, Blockbuster crumbled quickly. This could be the case for anyone who tries to compete with Microsoft as it begins to invest further in virtual reality. With video games systems generating a lot of revenue and new systems being released almost every two years, Microsoft pretty much has everyone beat in that companies such as HTC and Samsung have never invested in gaming systems.
It is rumored that Apple plans to release an update for their “Apple TV” that allows for games to be played on an HDTV.” I personally think that this could be Apples way of recognizing that they need to step up if they want to compete with Microsoft who because although Microsoft cannot compete with them in phones, they completely sweep Apple when it comes to the video game industry.

Articles Cited:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/06/15/microsoft-demos-mixed-reality-gaming-capabilities-of-hololens-with-minecraft


1 comment:

  1. I think that virtual reality software will definitely enhance gaming and other practical applications. Google glass was a flop because of a product and advertising deficiency. Holo Lens gives an augmented reality. The vision field is holograms. Virtual reality is almost like tunnel vision. You are fully immersed in an alternate reality.

    However, I do not like that gaming and other uses of technology are eliminating face to face communication. We are embarking on a more and more anti social world. Technology is moving the human race forward at an exponential rate. Virtual reality is full emersion into a game. At this rate, playing with other people will become obsolete because the virtual reality is a "better experience" to the product manufacturers. This is a false value.

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