Is it time for the unformed third-party content platforms upstream and downstream to enter the VR stage?

In the Internet field, third-party content platforms can, to a certain extent, reflect the maturity of the entire industry. As an interface between CPs and users, the prosperity of the platform is always based on the abundance of upstream and downstream industries. This is particularly evident from the comparison between the situations of TV game and mobile game platforms.

Compared with TV games, VR is more rudimentary: the consumer versions of several major hardware are still on the way, and the content is mainly demos. People who have really experienced it can basically be labeled as "VR insiders". In this context, in addition to the equipment manufacturers themselves, some startups focusing on third-party content platforms have gradually appeared in the VR landscape. Is it too early?

A Pioneer's Opportunity

"The current situation of the VR industry is that hardware development must be ahead of content." In the view of WeVR CEO Spiteri, whoever can produce eye-catching content experience first will have the opportunity to win the audience and make a profit. WeVR is a US startup company focusing on VR community and media player technology. Last August, HTC spent tens of millions of dollars to acquire a 15% stake in it. This month, the company raised $25 million in funds from investors such as HTC and Samsung Ventures for the release of the VR content platform Transport.

The current industry structure has not yet been formed, and almost all VR hardware manufacturers have "platform" planning in their blueprints. Perhaps stimulated by the huge share of the mobile game market, domestic manufacturers are particularly enthusiastic about this. For independent third-party platforms, this is not something to be thankful for. After all, the promotion of applications ultimately cannot bypass the hardware level, especially for VR all-in-one machines. But at the same time, the value of time will also be magnified.

In the early stages, any hardware manufacturer will be eager to find content. At this time, the emergence of independent third-party platforms is like a timely rain, which can solve the urgent problem of VR content shortage. After the industry matures, the hardware shipments will form a stable scale and become a channel. High-quality CPs will stand out and gain higher bargaining power. The position of the platform will inevitably become more passive with the emergence of these factors. The first platform to enter the market has a deeper accumulation of users, CPs, channels, etc., so the survival rate is also higher.

There is a long way to go for the two-way promotion of more than just players

Recently, the Game Developers Conference (GDC) conducted a survey of 2,000 game developers, and the results showed that the number of game developers currently developing VR games has increased from 7% last year to 16%, and the number of game developers who plan to join the VR market in the future has also increased from 6% to 15%. It is difficult to say which type of application VR will eventually explode in, but what is certain is that nothing is easier to promote VR in the consumer market than entertainment.

In order to cultivate its user base, WeVR has adopted an operating model similar to that of Netflix, a streaming video site, starting with the creation of high-quality independent dramas. The highly acclaimed virtual reality short film "Blue Encounter" was created by WeVR. In terms of commercial applications, WeVR has also cooperated with music and media giants such as the rap band Run the Jewels, cable TV network Adult Swim, Time Magazine, and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Starting from the most popular content, WeVR uses a refreshing and stunning appearance to try to cultivate the largest possible VR community in the shortest time.

"Transport is actually a VR engine, not just a player," Spiteri emphasized. Based on an open source media format, Transport can also provide content makers with services such as real-time image processing. In this way, the role played by Transport is somewhat similar to Steam, and it can also provide developers with relevant development tools. At this time, the platform plays a role of "clearing obstacles" for the overall development of the industry, and can help developers solve underlying problems such as hardware adaptation and format definition.

At present, the distribution channels of VR content are still mainly online channels of various hardware manufacturers. Domestic projects related to VR platforms include Lanting Digital, Light Chaser Animation, Dream Cinema, 3D BoBo, Fireworks Workshop, Nanjing Ruiyue's "N Play" Hall, Baofeng Magic Mirror APP, etc. Ultimately, the value of these platforms still depends on the support of hardware and content, but their exploration and accumulation in underlying technology, users and developers, and business models will become their chips to seize the initiative in the VR market.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.