It's fairly evident from the teaser that this will be a new digital View-Master stereoscopic viewer.
A digital version of the View-Master isn't exactly a new idea, but Google's involvement means that the smart money betting on something compatible with the Cardboard project, which means there will be a big marketing machine behind a ready-built, sturdy VR system compatible with existing (and forthcoming) Cardboard games and apps.
If they're smart, they'll make it cheap compatible with with popular mobile phones; if they're greedy they'll build the display screen in -- a very bad idea in my opinion, since the appeal of this type of thing is likely to be linked to price.
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| Regular readers will recall that I'd referenced the View-Master in my 'Rewind' game concept trailer. The circle comes, um... full circle! |
So, if Google & Mattel are looking to make a big deal of cost-effective VR then we could be in for a format war which will present nightmares for game & app developers. Let's hope they all see sense and work toward a common VR API.
However, in the meantime, a big announcement (and the related surge of interest) means problems for me. I'm months away from turning 'Rewind' into a viable VR game, and had relied upon the marketplace staying relatively uncrowded as a way to get better visibility. Still, such is life for a one-man development studio, so I'm just going to have to plod on and see how things develop,
Update
As hoped, Mattel went for the sensible option and are producing the new View-Master as a tough plastic version of the existing Google Cardboard headset. The price is good, too: $30, which will translate as £20 -- comparable to high-end Cardboard kits.
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| Image pilfered from venturebeat.com. |
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| Photo shamelessly stolen from CNET. |
The device has a comfortable, face-hugging viewport (although I wonder if it could get sweaty after prolonged use?) and a glossy black face on the rear.
I was intrigued that none of the launch photos showed the insides, i.e. the smartphone mounting system; indeed, the reports indicate that the object on display is a non-working prototype -- created to show the design aesthetics only -- just in case the toy-retailing market turns its nose up at the idea. At the event Mattel used normal cardboard headsets to demonstrate the VR aspect.
Reports suggest that they intend to use this for Augmented Reality (AR) as well as VR. For AR the phone's camera would need a clear view, so the back face would need a redesign. If so, I suspect the final product will look rather different to the prototype.
The "reel" discs are a strange aspect to the package. A CNET report suggests that the discs work on AR-style principles: you lay the disc on a table, point the headset at the disc, and it recognises (via the smartphone camera) the image at the centre of the disc and launches an appropriate 360-degree panorama. Discs will be priced at around $15.
Presumably this requires an Internet connection to download the panorama, which makes the physical disc a bit of a useless gimmick -- given that you could just directly download the reel from the app store instead. However, I'm guessing they wanted something to hook to the nostalgia of the old View-Master disc reels, which is understandable from a marketing perspective.
I must admit that I'm ready to part with my £20 to get a sturdy version of Google Cardboard, especially if it has that feel of using an old View-Master with the pull-down 'clicker'. For me, the new View-Master can't arrive in toyshops quickly enough.
Hopefully I'll have a working VR version of the Rewind game ready in time for the launch!