Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings. Chances are, you’ve heard of it before. Between the recent success of the Oculus 2 and Facebook’s pivot to Meta in order to push the Metaverse, VR technology is on its way to becoming an absolute force in the tech industry. In this blog, we will walk you through the history of VR. Then we’ll dive into Meta’s “quest” to revolutionize the industry. Let’s get started…
The History of VR
Virtual Reality is far from a new trend. In fact, it’s been around since the 90’s with the earliest attempt being then gaming giant, Sega with a brief demo at 1993 Consumer Electronics Show. The project was canned before its release. There were other competitors trying to cash in on VR early including Sony. The technology was not there yet. It wasn’t until a few decades later in 2012 when a small tech startup called Oculus emerged with a crowdfunded kickstarter campaign to create a high end VR headset with big names backing it. Id Software’s co-founder, John Carmack. endorsed the project and the fundraising campaign raised more than 10 times its original goal of $250,000. The oculus project released to consumers in 2016 to the tune of $599. Given the high price, sales were not exactly through the roof. Even though the Oculus wasn’t initially a gargantuan commercial success, it broke the VR Market wide open. Eventually new players entered the VR market including HTC and Sony.
Fast forward to today and VR is much less of a novelty. VR gaming headsets are becoming more popular. The progression of technology has allowed for lighter headset equipment, more computing power, and accessibility functions. The future of VR seems up for grabs. And no one seems more eager to grab all of it than Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta’s Quest for a VR Revolution
The Meta Quest Pro was revealed on October 12th this year to very mixed reviews. For starters, the $1500 price tag is hefty enough to make even the most zealous early adopters a little squeamish. Though most VR plans revolve around gaming, Zuckerberg envisions the Meta Quest Pro as more of a business communication tool. He wants to replace Zoom meetings with VR meetings. He wants to position the Meta Quest as a B2B tool. Though these lofty goals have been met with scathing reviews:
“The problem is, the Quest Pro isn’t very good. It’s a device seemingly launched without plan or purpose, highlighting VR’s persistent drawbacks without making good use of its strengths — and topped off with some irredeemably bad software. We might be seeing a roadmap for where Meta is going, but right now, it’s not a particularly fun place to be. And if Meta lingers there much longer, its metaverse is in trouble” – Adi Robertson, The Verge
One of the main complaints about the new Meta Quest Pro is that it’s heavy and clunky and that the software is abysmal. Even the Meta employees who developed the product were iffy about it…
In a memo to employees from Meta’s VP of Metaverse, Vishal Shah, the executive wrote, “For many of us, we don’t spend that much time in Horizon and our dogfooding dashboards show this pretty clearly. Why is that? Why don’t we love the product we’ve built so much that we use it all the time? The simple truth is, if we don’t love it, how can we expect our users to love it?”
Vishal Shah raises a great question. If Meta employees don’t love it. How can they expect users to love it? The main pain points they need to work on is the disorientation that the headsets cause. Because of the weight of the headset and the nature of VR, many users have reported becoming nauseous after repeated use. This is definitely an issue that needs to be resolved before VR can truly take over. The next big hurdle is simply the price. The top barrier to VR adoption is that it’s too expensive, with 55% of survey respondents listing this as their hesitation.
The State of Virtual Reality
Just because Meta isn’t currently seeing high returns for their lofty investment in VR, doesn’t mean it can’t be a lucrative endeavor. In fact, Here are a few interesting statistics about VR technology…
75% of industrial companies that have implemented large-scale VR and AR technologies saw a 10% increase in operations.
With numbers like these, the future of VR is solidified. So what can we learn from Meta’s mistakes and triumphs? For one, VR needs more time in the oven. The technology needs to be at a place where the headsets can be offered at a more reasonable price. Not many are jumping at the idea of spending close to $2,000. Secondly, the software needs to be flexible so that there is a smooth transition between people using Zoom and people using Meta Quest. The ultimate goal would be to create a virtual workspace sophisticated enough to make up for some of the disadvantages of remote work. Imagine a space where you get to interact with your remote coworkers in a way that’s more engaging than a few questionable emojis and the occasional Zoom call. The future is bright for VR. The only real question is, how far into the future are we talking?
Chris has led brand campaigns across creative and technical landscapes for British Telecommunications & Toni & Guy.
He’s helped build creative agencies from the ground up with to his universal design acumen and ability to manage creative talent!
At J. Arthur & Co, he is a key pillar to our team due to his innate ability to connect brand vision with user interface/experience concepts, finished with stellar execution.
When things need to happen behind the scenes — He’s our guy.
Having started his career in finance, Tom has been working in Ecom going on 5 years now.
Although he changed industries, he really values his time in finance picking up a lot of valuable and transferable skills.
Tom’s passion is the customers and the relationships he’s built with them over the years.
He’s been extremely effective for us in balancing many tasks, strategic planning, logistics management and always coming up with ways to thrill customers.
Having studied Music Production & Music Business at Point Blank Music School in London, when he’s not working hard, Tom runs a small record label with a group friends.
“Be it expediting orders, overseeing our ambassadors program, or assisting with marketing needs, I’m a jack of all trades (master of none).
My ethos has always been to keep things fun & light hearted, but professional at the heart of it.
You’ll even sometimes catch me in the gym…
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
What’s up guys, I’m Jeff and I started this shop in 2014 out of my bedroom.
I had moved into an apt with a buddy, lived on $200/mo rent and got going.
You had to walk through my room to get to the kitchen and that room became sort of a hybrid br/office.
It took me a couple failed ideas before gaining traction with J. Arthur and for a period of almost two years I slept on a couch to get the company off the ground.
First in that room and then the back of our first (real) office. Both times a couch.
I love delivering results for clients, working with our team here and growing this co (obviously), which now has a humble but global base of both team and customers.
We have just barely started and I know the sky is the limit.
Admittedly I don’t have that many hobbies, But I enjoy all types of physical training and you can usually catch me doing things like: expounding on the pitfalls of fractional reserve banking, discussing the standards of American liberty, or eating unreasonable quantities of food.
I also like to read.
Love spending time with family.
Thanks to Lensa for tightening up my hairline in exchange for my facial dna in some Orwellian database 🙂
Jo has worked in the advertising and design industry since 2015 and has over 8 years of experience with visual communication and design.
Product is her passion with a deep focus in sportswear design and creative direction.
Her key expertise combines many years in both retail and manufacturing with a proactive vision of creating new products and driving them successfully to market.
“I believe in keeping things simple, having honest intentions, and making things fun. Working in an ego-less manner, I bring my whole self to every project, always aiming to exceed expectations and create work that is well thought through and commercially compelling.”
And exceeding expectations she does. We’re very lucky to have Jo’s rare combination of marketing creative, outstanding product design, ambitious strategy and true dedication to her craft.
In Joanna’s free time her hobbies include yoga & aerial fitness, functional training at the gym and occasionally snowboarding.
You can catch much more of her branding magic at @physiqapparel 💪
Aish graduated with a bachelor of engineering in computer science, freelancing for several years before joining J. Arthur as a Junior Web Developer. She’s now been with the company for 3 years.
Aish has the intangible qualities that make a fantastic developer: the desire for continual learning, a “whatever it takes” mentality, and an intense focus on the (ever-changing) task at hand.
She meets every obstacle with optimism and has grown to become a core member of our team who we’re all grateful to work alongside everyday.
In her off time she likes to get outside and go for a much needed walk. She also loves reading books + daily news to learn something new every day. And of course, watching movies 🍿
Shortly after getting a marketing degree from Clemson University, Denton amassed a large following on Twitter after creating several viral, funny tweets that touched on everything from pop culture to music and sports 📲
Realizing he had a knack for creative writing and social media, he decided to continue developing his talents even further.
As a content manager at J. Arthur, he’s has been able to show off his creativity and bring unique ideas to the table.
He’s currently based in Raleigh, NC with his fiancé and their two cats (Nova & Bean).
In his free time you’ll find him playing tennis, listening to music, or knee deep in a good book.
We appreciate his creative adaptability, consistency & steadfast commitment to deliver success on every account.
Dhan is a multidisciplinary solution architect who helps people translate ideas from words and visuals into prototypes and applications, using code that helps organizations address business challenges.
He motivates people to think positively through the power of technology by helping solve a large number of critical situations quickly.
Having been involved in both collaborative and independently-driven roles, he is a forward-thinking leader with refined analytical and critical thinking skills, with deep experience in translating business priorities to IT roadmaps and fine-tuned IT Operating models.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling playing (and building) video games, watching movies and listening to music.
Dhan is responsible for making our critical IT and technology decisions and has been with J. Arthur for 5 years and we greatly value his leadership.
He’s a grandmaster in complex problem solving, rapid analysis and delivery, high level infrastructure planning, and full stack engineering.
His character is proven time and again by always working in our clients best interests and never failing to deliver a solution to even the most brain busting and urgent issues, with a coolness and poise to be admired 🙌
He studied Computer Science in Brazil before coming to the States four years ago and now works out of our Newport office.
If you’re a J. Arthur client you’ve probably been in contact before, as he works directly with the team and clients to bring projects to completion.
But if you’re within his close friends, you probably know him for playing (very loud) guitar!
Paulo is responsible for tracking an often high paced workflow between project management, design, development and vendors to ensure successful delivery to customers.
We admire his patience, agile ability to learn new skills, and laser focused commitment to problem solving 👏
Based in Chicago, she loves work from home days alongside her furry co-workers. Ralphie likes his personal space, but Murray prefers to sit on mom’s keyboard to help with important emails – and he never misses a team meeting.
What keeps her motivated throughout the day? A combination of matcha lattes, espresso, and Liquid IV (often consuming all of them at the same time).
Outside of work, Hannah likes to unwind with yoga, check out local coffee shops, and spend time outside in the sunshine.
We value her outstanding communication, marketing savvy, ability to bring positivity to every situation and too many other traits to list 🙌
