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VR Is the Fastest-Growing Skill for Online Freelancers (bloomberg.com)
Workers with skills in virtual reality were the hottest thing on the U.S. job market in the last quarter, even though the technology has yet to break into mainstream use. From a report, shared by a reader: Demand for online freelancers with VR expertise grew far faster than for people with any other skill last quarter. Billings on VR projects grew more than 30-fold from the same period a year earlier, according to U.S. data provided by Upwork Inc's website that connects freelancers with employers. VR has so far struggled to break into the mainstream, with the technology largely confined to high-end video gaming. Facebook, which bought VR headset maker Oculus in 2014 for $2 billion, has already been lowering prices for the Oculus headset and is working on a more consumer-friendly version to be sold next year. Other companies that make VR goggles include Samsung, Google and Sony.
"For example, there are just over 2,500 freelancers on Upwork’s site now who list VR as one of their skills, compared with 106 individuals at this point last year. "
translated: I can export a UE4 / unity game with the vr flag enabled. Also I put a RPG maker game I did once with naked japanese cartoon ladies on steam and so I am a published game maker.
You need five years of VR experience before applying for a job. Never mind that decent VR headsets recently came out in the last few years.
Of course, anything that starts from almost zero can experience what looks like a huge growth in terms of percentages, but in actual numbers still be insignificant. Same as VR is still insignificant. Sae as 3d TV is still insignificant.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
I KNEW learning all of that VRML would pay off!
"You know, like numchuku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"
Speaking of fat smelly hippies, Jaron Lanier still hasn't masteredthe holophonor.
The money being thrown at this technology (and jobs) will go crazy after the Spielberg movie Ready Player One comes out early next year....whether totally unjustified, its going to be a match to gasoline. JMHO...
First, the equipment costs about as much as a cheap gaming computer and you need it ON TOP of a cutting edge gaming computer. In other words, if you don't have a computer to plug your VR kit into, 2500-3000 is the price tag you're looking at. If you do have a top notch gaming rig, it's still another 500-800 bucks.
And there is very, very little support from AAA studios (read: ZERO). This in turn means that there are very, very few high quality games available for VR and an unimaginably huge mountain of gimmicky Flashgame knock-offs that some Indie Dev slapped together. They're not really bad per se, but it means that certain genres are overrepresented to the extreme. In other words, what idle-clicker games are to mobiles and zombie shooters are to PC gaming, tower defense is to VR.
There is also very, very little experience what works and what doesn't work in VR. And even less experience with what can only be done sensibly in VR. So far most games mimic what has been done on computer and console gaming for years, and usually they rely on the "shiny" effect of the new, because the games are by no means as polished, user friendly and graphically impressive as their Non-VR computer/console counterparts.
The studios that dared to venture into VR usually treat it as an afterthought rather than a focus, adapting their old games to VR to give them a sales boost, especially on the PS4 with the various racing games that try to gain a new following with the added VR gimmick.
Is it really the "fastest growing skill"? Or, as I'd read it, the highest in-demand skill? I can only say I wish it weren't. At least not yet. AAA studios are not buying into it yet and will probably treat it rather as a quick-buck deal rather than something they want to jump onto and ride as the new platform now that PC and console gaming has pretty much gone stale, with endless streams of essentially identical games being pumped out left and right. There simply is no "VR genre" born yet, we don't know yet what games do and which don't work on VR. There is simply not enough data available so far.
Jumping onto it now will probably lead to VR failing miserably, because the ROI simply isn't there yet for AAA titles (the market size just isn't big enough yet, and the willingness to spend upwards of 100 bucks for a game certainly is not there, not even with people who paid 800 for the VR kit) and large studios tend to shy away from venues that burned them. Even if later it could prove promising.
On the other hand, with VR being basically the playground of mediocre Indie-Games, with the once-in-a-blue-moon gem surfacing, there isn't much incentive to buy the hardware either. Let's be honest, why buy a 800 bucks VR kit so I can play a point-and-click get-out-of-the-room Flash game, with the "awesome new" gimmick of being IN the room instead of seeing it on the screen?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
... always translates into "minimal market that is going nowhere". It's like a business "code phrase".
By the way, I bought a HTC Vive on consumer release, had it for half a year and tried "everything" in it. Wanted to love it so much. It was my childhood dream coming true... or so I wanted to believe. It was actually shit. I won't even bother listing all the issues and annoyances, because the worst and most fundamental problem was a total lack of anything exciting to run with it. It all sucked ass. I wanted a girlfriend simulator made by a AAA studio or something. It was all just crappy "app"-like "experiences" that all felt like they were using the same exact tools and just replaced some textures and added generic models. Very lame and boring and a huge letdown.
I'm never jumping onto the "VR" hype again before it's like in the movies.
The quality of what's out there is "Money for Nothing" music video level. If it was at the same level as what's currently available through monitors then it might be worth it. But I'm not certain the tech is at that level, yet.
....whether totally unjustified, its going to be a match to gasoline. JMHO...
Indeed. A brief flare of light and heat, and then a lingering smell. And then nothing.
Since most slashdotters are unfamiliar with the concept, a "girl" is like "your mom", but younger and not related to you.
And usually they aren't ok with you living in their basement, and get annoyed if you demand they bring you hot pockets.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I have completed Portal 2, does that count as VR experience?
#DeleteFacebook
I beg to differ on the "high end" part. Serious videogaming is about instantaneous response times, not laggy VR headsets.
HTC ! The makers of the best VR headset currently available, by far!
Compared the Oculus Rift, Sony VR, Samsung Gear VR, the HTC Vive offers the best experience and is the most open for developers. And why even mention Google?! What VR headset do they offer for sale? NO, Google "Glass" is NOT "VR", okay?
The person who wrote the summary, if not a Facebook/Oculus shill, will be in for a surprise when they try the HTC Vive.
Do we have an idea of the wonderful VR applications coming ahead?
HTC is by far the best platform for VR and there is no mention anywhere.