From: lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (a.k.a. Chri)
Subject: Re: Consumer Markets for VR
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 90 15:11:04 GMT
Organization: Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene


arc!steve@apple.com (Steve Savitzky) writes:
>In article <12617@milton.u.washington.edu> frerichs@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (David J F
r
>erichs) writes:
>  Other than interactive gaming, does anyone see any motivation for a consumer
>  (ie layman who doesn't know much) to buy a consumer priced VR setup when one
>  becomes available.
>There are forms of entertainment that are not specifically "gaming",
>i.e. VR "movies", tourism (the exploration of a virtual universe,
>whether a simulation of some real place or a fantasy), etc.  Leaving
>all these variations aside, there are many "useful" things that could
>be done at home:
>
>[Specific examples left out here to save net bandwidth]

While all of these things sound nice, there is a risk: people are
going to grow fat and plump sitting at home experiencing their virtual
realities.  Americans already spend incredible numbers of hours in
front of the TV; I wonder what would happen if virtual entertainment
was available.  We are rapidly developing a society of stay-at-home
couch potatos, and virtual entertainment might easily make this worse.

While virtual shopping and virtual travel sounds nice, I would prefer
to get out of the house myself.  Conversing with someone in a virtual
cafe might be nice in concept, but I prefer the living, breathing
flesh of the real person in front of me.  Then again, I likely spend
more hours per week commuting to and from cafes and movie theatres
than watching TV. 

Another thing to keep in mind: TV, movies, and radio (all major forms
of mass-market entertainment) are all *static* forms.  In other words,
the viewer does not need to do much but sit there.  I wonder whether
virtual entertainment forms that require actual activity and
participation from the "user" will indeed catch on with the general
public, or whether the public will simply embrace a virtual
entertainment that is static in nature. 

-- 
Christopher Lishka 608-262-4485     We carry in our hearts the true country,
Wisconsin State Lab. of Hygiene     And that cannot be stolen.
   lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu        We follow in the steps of our ancestry,
   uunet!uwvax!uwslh!lishka         And that cannot be broken.  --  Midnight Oil