Happy Friday! Welcome to Issue 22 of Rerun, your weekly digest of digital storytelling, interactive media and the future of TV curated by Axonista.
In our Top Pick this week Rerun's own Ian Goode reviews Google Cardboard 2.0, we look at the rise of VidCon, the futures of ESPN and Nintendo, VR Sports and Megabots! Let's get straight to it!
Top Pick
Google Cardboard 2.0 Review
In the midst of the VR technology arms race, Google decided to swim against the current. Their initial entry into the space is unapologetically low-tech, it's literally a cardboard box. The reaction when it was announced last year was mostly along the lines of “is this some kind of belated April Fools?”. And yet it's definitely a real VR device, it's actually the most cost-effective way to experience VR. All you need is your smartphone and maximum $30.
But just how useful is it really? Does it even come close to something like the Oculus? We've checked it out and this is our Google Cardboard review!
Mark Zuckerberg explains why VR is going to be a huge deal for Facebook
“Immersive 3D content is the obvious next thing after video".
At Facebook’s Q2 earning’s announcement, Zuckerberg said that virtual reality will be hugely important to Facebook’s roadmap and with the added value of Oculus VR, users will be able to achieve richer ways of sharing what they’re thinking with the world. However, it could be a little bit of a wait until virtual reality comes to the Facebook platform as Zuckerberg thinks it could take 10 years to become mainstream.
Future of TV
At VidCon Nickelodeon is making a play for the YouTube Generation
This week former Top Gear hosts and show producer signed up to make a new show for Amazon's streaming video service. While it remains to be seen if this new show will be of the caliber of its BBC predecessor, what's certain is the landscape of TV is clearly shifting. There's no bigger sign of this shift, than VidCon, now in its 6th year, becoming a must attend event on the TV industry calendar.
VidCon is a conference where some 20,000 fans come to meet and greet their favourite stars of the small screen - but these are stars born, not of traditional TV, but of online video.
At VidCon 2015, conspicuous outsider Nickelodeon held open casting auditions in an effort to attract Internet personalities with the promise of TV-scale audiences and, no doubt, budgets. Perhaps the prestige of fronting a show on network TV still holds some allure over digital. But for how long ?
Disney CEO says ESPN will eventually be sold straight to consumers
Disney CEO Bob Iger is probably being quite optimistic about ESPN’s future even while acknowledging publicly for the first time that it lies in an unbundled direct-to-consumer model. This post by M.G. Siegler paints a more doom-laden future of the venerable sports channel. At Rerun, we reckon the truth lies somewhere between these two views.
The iTV Doctor Is In! Actually, It's Not OTT; It's Television
Friend of Rerun, Rick Howe, aka the iTV Doctor, was recently given the 'OTT Guru' award at the OTT Executive Summit in New York. Having been actively involved in the evolving cable industry from the late 70s, this title has been well earned. There's nothing this man doesn't know about OTT. In this edition of his column, Rick calls out that OTT is in fact Television, and that brands, quality and search are still the key things that matter.
Interactive Media
Could Social AR/VR Be Nintendo’s Next ‘Blue Ocean’?
Tim Merel speculates on what's next for Nintendo.
If you do the same thing as others, it will wear you out. Nintendo is not good at competing so we always have to challenge [the status quo] by making something new, rather than competing in an existing market. … It’s often called the “Blue Ocean Strategy,” looking for something that no one else is working on. … It is an unwritten company credo, something that runs deep in our DNA. — Satoru Iwata
Storytelling
Imagine Dragons to stream life on the road to Twitch channel
Even for a rock band like Imagine Dragons, the downtime between tour dates can sometimes be a little boring. What better way to pass the time than to engage with their fans doing something they love like playing video games on Twitch. A mash up that's so unlikely, it really works. Maybe the music streaming industry should sit up and take notice.
Virtual Reality
Live VR Broadcasting from the Field with Man Utd v FC Barcelona
Despite being a few feet from Luis Suárez, I was only mildly concerned that he’d be lunging towards me to take a bite out of my shoulder.
NextVR have created the Live sport VR experience we have always dreamed of. At the Man Utd v FC Barcelona game last week, Lucas Matney decribes how it felt to be standing beside the net as Man Utd scored a goal. The magic of VR puts the fans up close to their favourite athletes to experience moments and assume different perspectives that would otherwise be unattainable.
Nokia reveals Ozo, a futuristic new camera for filming virtual reality
Another week another VR cam! Nokia have taken a new direction this week, introducing us to Ozo, their 360 VR camera, targeted at the Hollywood film industry. They claim it is the most advanced VR filmmaking platform yet, with live monitoring and rapid playback. We think that with a design that looks like a cross between a sentient hairdryer and the Death Star from Star Wars, the Ozo may fit in well in a Hollywood movie.
Briefs
- Watch some drones race like crazy!
- Al Roker Might Be Onto Something
- The Apple TV rumour mill starts up once again
MegaBots - an entirely new, worldwide sport
This is not a TV show ... yet. Nor is it an interactive video app or immersive VR experience ... yet. What it is though, is giant battle robots - for real. So. Much. Awesome. Coming soon to your favourite interactive TV format!