Viveport Will Be the World’s First Service of its Kind
HTC has announced the launch of Viveport, their VR app subscription service, later this year.
The system will act as a one-stop hub for both consumers and developers, according to an article from MCV. A subscription price hasn’t been disclosed, with the initial presentation only mentioning a “low monthly fee.” Developers will have the option of including their products in the service, maintaining a standalone purchase point, or both.
Viveport president Rikard Steiber expressed his excitement at allowing fans to do with VR what they already do with “music, films, TV and games.” He added that this service will be equally beneficial for developers, allowing them more ways to “monetise and feature their content” for a wider audience.
This same presentation saw the reveal of Viveport Arcade, a dedicated storefront and curation system for VR games. The Arcade will have tools in place to allow “arcades, cinemas and amusement parks” the freedom to tailor their customers’ VR experiences.
The combination of these two initiatives is a big move towards normalization of the consumer VR experience. For the technology to succeed, people need it to be both accessible and robust. Creating a series of public spaces where this tech can be found feels like a throwback to the heyday of the arcade. Perhaps if people grow more accustomed to using the technology it will achieve the home market saturation they need. Even with access to the software made easier, the hurdle of ownership remains.
Hopefully, between efforts like Viveport and rivals like PSVR, VR will start moving into people’s homes this year.
SOURCE: MCV