Over the past few years, it has become rather apparent the TV industry has high hopes for virtual reality. Some people would even say TV producers are obsessed with the concept. Virtual reality has been around for decades and has never gotten much attention from producers. Now that the industry is finally coming to market, things are changing quickly. Quite a few shows have incorporated VR references over the past few years.
TV Producers Are Keen on VR Technology
Perhaps the most famous video content referring to virtual reality technology are The Matrix movies. In this series, users find out they are living their entire lives in a simulated world. While our lives may be very different, one should not exclude the possibility of us living in simulated environments as well. However, given the current state of VR technology, it seems highly unlikely anyone will spend more than a few hours in a simulated environment.Even then, the “simulation” is not all that convincing either.
Other productions focusing on virtual reality include The 100, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Doctor Who, and the recently launched American Gods. Some readers may notice all of those shows include a healthy dose of science fiction and things that often make little to no sense. This gives the writers and directors a bit more leeway to experiment with new technologies without facing major backlash while doing so. Then again, it is still somewhat surprising to see this sudden interest in the technology.
Not all of these VR-focused stories work flawlessly either. So far, the productions have been acceptable, although it is a fine line to walk between writing plausible developments and things that make people turn away from the show for good. The general consensus appears to be in favor of continuing to watch, although that may change at any given moment. Once viewers see too much of the same across multiple shows, they will eventually lose interest.
Thankfully, the vast majority of shows does a VR-themed episode once a season or even less frequently. However, it is only a matter of time until shows only focus on this technology. Whether or not hat will be a good thing for the VR industry, remains to be seen. Consumers want engaging yet fun content to consume, and not get mixed up in technical concepts they don’t understand or care about. It is certainly possible this focus on virtual reality technology will have an adverse effect on the VR industry.
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