Pure commentators said: "Don't call "Pokémon Go" augmented reality anymore." But "Pokémon Go" is so successful, who would care what you call it? Just so happy to have such a game. Let's make Xiaobian and everyone look at "Pokémon Go" for augmented reality and virtual reality. What does the industry mean?
No negative publicity is such a thing
However, in fact there is a negative publicity, that is, Google glasses, these four words are enough to explain everything.
Pokémon Go is the singular point in the augmented reality/virtual reality industry that everyone is waiting for (meaning the beginning of an explosion), but it is very different from everyone's imagination. This is not the glasses of the future, nor is it high-tech, does not require new hardware, and it is free. Does anyone know if this is the case?
In all fairness, although the game has achieved unprecedented success, users around the world are eagerly sought after, and this game always occupies the headlines of the media, but even the "Pokémon Go" developer Niantic did not imagine It will be like this.
But the great thing about "Pokémon Go" is that from 8 to 80 years old, hundreds of millions of people around the world are playing this game, or have seen others play, or they have learned from a variety of media channels. Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality is no longer the exclusive possession of industry insiders, innovators and early adopters. Augmented reality/virtual reality became mainstream in less than a week, even years before many optimistic industry figures predicted it.
So why is Pokémon Go so successful?
Status, positioning, landmarks
First of all, "Pokemon" has occupied a very important position in our hearts. Along with the growth of many people, almost everyone knows this IP.
Second, a universal platform is used. This year will soon reach 4 billion smart phones and mobile broadband users, and "Pokémon Go" is quickly popularized with this ubiquitous platform.
Third, the introduction of fast core users. This is not the "Pokemon" that you used to be a child. Now it is easier and more popular than before, so the introduction of core users is applicable to everyone.
Fourth, pure mobile experience. No matter where you are, as long as you have a smart phone you can enjoy the entertainment, and where you go is also the reason why you play the game. This is not only the reason for the success of Pokémon Go, but also a key factor in the success of all augmented reality experiences. Augmented reality has inherent mobility, and mobility has promoted most of the technological innovation in the past decade.
Augmented reality comes from Mars and virtual reality comes from Venus
The purists still tell you that "Pokémon Go is not augmented reality." Are they right?
Let us take a look again at the specific definition. Virtual reality immerses users in the virtual world. Augmented reality overlays the images of virtual objects in the real world. Mixed reality integrates the real world and virtual world to create a new visual environment.
But now these technologies are more diversified than before, so Digi-Capital's Reality Matrix uses the following basic definitions to distinguish between:
Virtual: The real world is blocked (users can only see virtual worlds and virtual objects)
Augmented: The virtual world is not blocked (users can see real-world and virtual objects)
Immersive: Several technical tools combine to make the user's brain mistaken for a true experience.
Ambient: One or more technical tools do not provide the same level of experience as immersion (which may be desirable, especially for some augmented reality applications)
The Reality Matrix consists of four parts:
Host/PC Virtual Reality: When virtual whales flow downstream from the bottom of the sea, they will flash to the side (HTC Vive, Oculus, PSVR)
Mobile Virtual Reality: It can provide a very good virtual reality experience, but because of the lack of key technology tools like location tracking, its immersion is not as good as the host/PC virtual reality (Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, and Daydream).
Augmented Reality: From holographic displays in Iron Man to “enhanced†displays for smart phones/tablets (such as Google Tango).
Mixed Reality: Can Fix Virtual Objects in Real Space under the Sun (Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap, Meta)
But which category does "Pokémon Go" belong to?
This is augmented reality, but not the augmented reality we imagined
Below may make purists feel unhappy, so I will continue to continue.
Pokémon Go is an augmented reality, very basic augmented reality.
In many ways, Pokémon Go is a location-based entertainment experience that is not the augmented reality that industry insiders think. However, this is the key point. It no longer concerns the minds of people in the industry. It is the public’s view.
If the public thinks that Pokémon Go is augmented reality, then it is augmented reality.
When you and your friends are walking down the street trying to retake the elf, it doesn’t really matter what “Pokémon Go†is called; it doesn’t matter if you don’t have too many new technologies (only common technologies such as GPS, clocks, and cameras); Without high-end optical components, instant positioning and map building and advanced computer vision are not as important. It doesn't matter if these things are all right.
Because Pokémon Go is fun, it's everywhere. Whether you like it or not, everyone thinks this is augmented reality, so you'll recognize it.
Everything and nothingness
What does "Pokémon Go" mean for the development of augmented reality/virtual reality?
In terms of consumer acceptance, this is great. Many people who do not know or have tried virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality are actively involved. This has brought great benefits to the industry because everyone now knows these concepts.
For app developers, everyone is trying to keep up with the trend. Those who previously refused to invest resources in virtual reality/augmented reality/mixed reality are now also considering joining these markets. Many engineers still studying in the classroom are also influenced by this trend when deciding their future development direction. It is definitely a good thing for the whole industry to have more and more talents coming to this market.
For companies that have mastered core virtual reality/augmented reality/mixed reality technology, Pokémon Go will not have much impact on their technology development. They still face the same technical challenges, and Augmented Reality still needs an epoch-making equipment, longer battery life, a robust application ecosystem, and telco cross-subsidization before it can truly take off.
For investors, this wave makes them very excited and very confused. "Pokémon Go" is a very special application, it is difficult to copy the success of this game. Nintendo’s share price is more like a yo-yo, not a spriteball. So, although the market is very rampant now, the attitude of venture capital to this market has not changed much.
Apple Executive Director Cook said the best: "Augmented reality is great. We have invested a lot in this field and we will continue to invest. We are optimistic about the long-term development of augmented reality. We think that augmented reality is very suitable for consumers. Application, and has a great commercial prospect..... Augmented reality will have a big market in the future."
For Pokémon Go, this is only a small step, but for augmented reality, this is a huge step.