It is always interesting to back a virtual reality-related project on Kickstarter. Unfortunately, not all of these projects have the best of reputations when it comes to delivering on their promise. Virtuix Omni was one of those projects that raised a lot of questions among VR enthusiasts. The company has effectively started to deliver the goods, although they ran into a snag when dealing with international shipments.
Virtuix Omni Shows Crowdfunding Can Be Problematic
When it comes to raising interest for a new VR project, crowdfunding platforms are often the best choice. Companies can raise money to make their vision become a reality. With people from all over the world able to pledge support, a lot of positive things can happen. Unfortunately, crowdfunding campaigns also introduce a set of new problems that need to be taken into account.
For Virtuix Omni, their Kickstarter project has been great. The company wanted to provide VR users with natural movements while exploring virtual worlds. The company raised over $1.1m during their campaign, although they were forced to refund international customers. This unit they were building is very bulky, and international shipping and customs fees were simply too high to handle comfortably.
Even domestically, shipping these units can be quite a hassle. A lot of users seemingly still have not received their unit, although the company seemingly has shipped most of the products already. In fact, one of their representatives stated how over 1,000 units have been shipped to date. The rest of the Kickstarter fulfillment is expected to be completed soon as well.
It is unfortunate to see a company go through a bit of trouble when trying to elevate VR to the next level. Then again, they provide an environment in which one can freely move around while exploring VR. It is a groundbreaking development and one that is quite large in size. It is good to see the company deal well with customer support overall, and respond to inquiries regarding potential shipment delays on social media. For international projects, crowdfunding can remain a big problem, though.
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Image Source: Techcrunch
