From: jmelzer@aol.com (JMELZER)
Subject: Re: INDUSTRY: The VR future (was Immersion studies)
Date: 12 Oct 1996 16:04:15 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)


>>Marc Bernatchez <mbernat@gel.ulaval.ca> wrote:
>>Is it because the industry of VR is slowly dying?

>I don't get the sense that it's "dying", so much as "evolving".
snip. . . .
>It's true that the "VR" label isn't being used as often, mostly
>because of all the hype it received in the early days.  However, the
>industry is still alive and well, even if the buzzword isn't.

I would agree with this assessment of the situation. There was a lot
of initial hype, but little to show for it, no real "killer
applications" to use with "VR". I think we are beginning to see a lot
more happen now, much like what the early personal computers went
through. All of a sudden, we had spread sheets, word processing and
data bases and the PC market went from a curiosity that could do only
Basic programming to something that is now on everyone's desk.

>A low-cost, high-quality HMD would revitalize the consumer VR market.

I would agree and I think there will be some interesting new hardware
in the coming months. We saw the Sony Glasstron recently and it was
really impressive. If (when?) it comes to the US, it will certainly
give all the other commercial HMDs competition.

I still think we need that "killer ap".

Regards,

Jim Melzer
jmelzer@aol.com (JMELZER)