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YouTube's revealed the secret to making an engaging virtual reality video: put the best parts right in front of the audience so they don't have to move their heads.
Google's video vault offers that advice on the basis of heat maps it's created based on analysis of where VR viewers point their heads while wearing VR goggles. There's just such a heat map at the top of this story (or here for m.reg readers) and a bigger one here.
The many heat maps YouTube has made lead it to suggest that VR video creators "Focus on what's in front of you: The defining feature of a 360-degree video is that it allows you to freely look around in any direction, but surprisingly, people spent 75% of their time within the front 90 degrees of a video. So don't forget to spend significant time on what's in front of the viewer."
YouTube also advises that "for many of the most popular VR videos, people viewed more of the full 360-degree space with almost 20% of views actually being behind them." Which sounds to El Reg like VR viewers are either staring straight ahead, or looking over their shoulders with very little time being devoted to sideways glances.
A video channel wants people to treat VR like video. Hmmm. Perhaps the answer to their question is in the question: people should be considered "participants" instead of an "audience."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @05:27PM (1 child)
Yeah, I'm not sure honestly what kind of potential VR has for movies. Isn't everything the director wants me to see going to be straight ahead anyway? I mean, maybe they could release a remake of Cloverfield where you're the camera guy, which would be cool. I don't see many other movies where that would work.
On the other hand, there's a new Monster Hunter coming out, and I would love for it to support VR. Having 3D on the 3DS with MHGen really helped improve my accuracy. My spatial awareness without depth perception is basically non-existent, and judging exactly how far my character is from the monster can be the difference between dodging the move I know the monster is about to do and then landing a nice combo vs. being sent flying with a pixel of health left. I mean, not that my spatial awareness is great with 3D, but it needs all the help it can get.
Even better if I'm able to glance around when I realize that I'm one wrong move away from getting my ass handed to me and desperately trying to run to the next area over so I can heal. The camera controls on the 3DS were pretty much shit, with which I fault the DS itself. (Options are a nub on 3DS XL that's nowhere near as good as the keyboard nipple on Thinkpads or a touchscreen with no tactile feedback so I have no idea what direction my thumb is pressing until it's too late and I run smack into a wall because the camera is now staring straight at the ground, quickly followed by a death blow from the monster. Also the d-pad is available, which is what I use sometimes, but it's on the same side as the movement stick, which made it next to worthless.) The Wii classic controller on MHTri was excellent, but being able to just glance would be perfect.
(Score: 3, Informative) by arslan on Monday June 19 2017, @11:12PM
Have you actually tried it? I have on my cheap $5 google cardboard, first version a while ago, and it is pretty good. Much better than the gimmicky 3D in cinemas. Yes things you're supposed to focus on is straight ahead, but the things that move past you are within your peripheral vision making it more realistic. Can't really get that in the movies. Of course back then, the resolution was crap but that was a while ago, hopefully they've improved now. Also I can lie down in my hammock or deck lounge comfortably while watching...