You will not should journey to conflict-torn locations for this, because of the New York Times’ new virtual reality app that transports the readers(nearly solely) to the story locales. VR headset makers insist that it causes less strain due to the panoramic nature of the experience, but the virtual reality experience already causes dizziness and general strain, and even a new phenomenon called virtual reality sickness where gamers feel nauseated and disoriented. The producers of the film, from the Times and virtual reality company Vrse, took part in a Q&A after the screening. “So with Google Cardboard at $15 you can just put it on and watch a virtual reality story”, said Seth Liss, editor of Poynter.org, the media blog associated with the Poyner Institute. After all, the magic of VR’s immersive power comes from you, the individual viewer, having control over where you look in the VR experience. People don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on an Oculus Rift or similar high-end VR headsets; all you need is Google Cardboard and a smartphone capable of downloading and running VR apps.
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As to to whether we’re on the cusp of a game-changing wave in journalism, we’ll have to wait and see how the New York Times and other virtual reality documentaries play out.
Also available is an over 11-minute long feature called “The Displaced“, is the first VR film released by the Times.
The Times is betting big on VR.
NYT VR is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and is available for free on the App Store. Live demonstrations involving crowd VR experiences will more likely be the exception rather than the rule.
“I think the tools for making virtual reality have gotten cheaper, while the tools for watching it have gotten more accessible”.
Still, I appreciated the spirit behind the New York Times VR app launch event.
The New York Times has been at the forefront of journalism for 119 years now. The VR film follows three children (from Lebanon, South Sudan, and Ukraine) who are among the 30 million around the world who’ve been driven from their homes by war and persecution.
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The move toward Virtual Reality and Virtual Reality apps is a predictable step for both companies.
