Fans of gaming, science fiction, and technology are looking forward to the movie adaptation of Ready Player One. This iconic book and audio novel by Ernest Cline has become a cult hit over the past few years. With the movie release drawing near, a second trailer was shown to the public late last week. This movie will also help put virtual reality on the map, as it plays a big role in the movie.
Ready Player One is a Godsend for VR
Those who have read the book or listened to the audiobook will remember Ready Player One revolves around the virtual world of OASIS. Players explore this virtual world in search of other players, easter eggs, and they “level up” their characters. However, if you die in OASIS, your character is dead forever. It is a very dystopian future, even though the story is filled with 80\s pop-culture references. It makes for a brilliant mix nostalgia, immersive technology, and a gripping story.
Whether or not the movie adaptation will live up to the fans’ expectations, remains to be seen. The second trailer certainly got us excited even more about this movie. According to Ernest Cline, there is a good chance people will show a genuine interest in virtual reality technology after seeing the movie. The story paints a world in which escapism and the real world need to be balanced precariously. This is pretty much how virtual reality affects our society today.
Although it remains to be seen if people feel more or less confident about VR after seeing this movie, it certainly sets an interesting tone. Cline mentioned a sequel to Ready Player One is being written as we speak, and it will only delve deeper into the same environment we have learned to love through the first book. It is unclear if the new novel will focus on VR even more than the first one, but we will find out more when the book comes to market. It remains unclear when that will happen exactly, though.
With such a major movie release hitting theatres in March of 2018, it is evident a lot of things may change in the VR industry in the future. Declining VR headset prices, a growing content ecosystem, and generally positive news associated with VR are certainly moving things along right now. Ready Player One will certainly get a lot of people thinking differently about VR, although it may not necessarily be for the better.
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