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From: frerichs@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (David J Frerichs)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Consumer Markets for VR
Message-ID: <12617@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 90 00:21:28 GMT
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Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
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I am about to ask a question that should make most VR researchers stop and
think...

Other than interactive gaming, does anyone see any motivation for a consumer
(ie layman who doesn't know much) to buy a consumer priced VR setup when one
becomes available.
I am playing the devils advocate for the research team I am in.
Consider that it probably wont be full color and not of a high enough
quality for professional CAD but convincing enough to give a sense of seeing
3D objects that aren't really there.  It could be stand alone or use a host.

I know the myriad of high end visualization, data manipulation and interaction
uses of VR, but what about Joe Schmoe, what could he use it for other than a
toy?  Remember, Joe doen't have $70K to drop at VPL (modest est.)
(I'm not looking for VR telephones or anything like that. I'm looking at this
year not 5 yrs down the road.)

-dfRERICHS
Univ of IL/CU
Dept of CompEng
IEEE/SigGraph