Could VRs rapid expansion into the mainstream herald a tipping point for the technology? From Oculus becoming Meta to all the VR news at CES, we here at Andromeda Entertainment think 2022 could indeed be the year VR transcends to the mainstream.
Hi, I'm Ashley “ashleyriott” Blake, the new Senior Director of Marketing at Andromeda Entertainment; nice to meet you!
Cloudhead Games, 2022
Before joining the Andromeda tribe, I was the Social Media & Community Relations Specialist at Cloudhead Games, where I steered the ship on communications, marketing, and community of over several major updates for award-winning Pistol Whip VR, including two campaigns, a PlayStation VR launch, and a price increase.
Cloudhead Games, 2022.
I believe passionately in building better communities, starting with authentic feelings of belonging, and have been doing so--both online and IRL--for about a decade. My focus has been sharply on the spaces surrounding VR since 2018 when I used Beat Saber to learn to walk again after a life-changing discectomy freed me from my dependence on an aide.
This is, in part, why I was beyond elated at the opportunity to rejoin Andromeda Entertainment after having worked with them as early as 2019. As the first publisher to super-serve the growing interest in mindfulness and wellness, their focus on creating transformative content and virtual entertainment experiences has only grown more defined over this time, and my confidence in their commitment to building a better future is unwavering.
But before we get too far into the future…
Meta, 2022
The big Meta bang
I remember when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg first announced Meta, the new company brand meant to bring together the corporation's apps and technologies under one umbrella. It was last year, on October 28, during the opening letter of the years (all digital for the second year in a row), Connect. I was streaming to my colleagues--a studio of VR developers, and the content was exceedingly relevant to our interests. We all watched as Mark went on to describe the focus of Meta as being “to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses.” The videos and presentations that followed were fantastical--meant to ignite one’s imagination to the possibilities of this more immersive & connected “next chapter of the internet.”
It worked, on me at least. I was excited, and I let my mind race, untethered and scopeless, with infinite ways we might see this new metaverse emerge over the coming months and into the following year.
The search for the Metaverse
Not even this exercise in fantasy could have prepared me for the rapid expansion Meta and the Metaverse would see in 2022, starting with a deluge of announcements in the first few days of the year at the Consumer Electronics Show. Taking place January 5th through the 8th in Las Vegas with “strict strong safety measures in place,” the first in-person CES since 2020 delivered several doses of long-awaited VR news. Some of our favourites are highlighted below.
Sony's PlayStation VR 2 Announced!
Well, kind of. While Sony shared some sweet technical specifications while confirming the upcoming hardware, we still don’t know exactly how much the highly-anticipated headset will cost or when it’s launching.
Microsoft & Qualcomm announce collaboration
Both companies are powerhouses of their respective domains, and their recent individual business moves have shown a commitment to VR that has us at Andromeda excited to see what the future holds with this collaboration focused on Designing Custom AR Chips and Integrating Software Platforms
HTC Vive Wrist Trackers
HTC Vive showed up to CES with lots of announcements and new technology for visitors to try; however, I’m most excited by the potential offered up in their new wrist trackers, which promise to “make accurate tracking easier from the fingertips to the elbow on VIVE Focus 3.”
The future at Andromeda Entertainment
So, what does all the VR news and Metaverse mentions mean for the future of VR in 2022? While the tidal wave can be confusing at times and maybe even a bit comical, I also think it could mean VR is on the cusp of becoming something truly special to the mainstream consumer. The attention has us at Andromeda energized for what this year has in store and all of the things we are excited to share more about.
In regards to that, if you haven’t subscribed to this newsletter, here’s your call to action that you should! I plan on updating this and our blog more regularly with more announcements about what we are planning here at Andromeda Entertainment, as well as more updates on all the exciting things our titles are up to, so there is no better time! Please be sure to follow us on our socials below if you want to stay up-to-the-minute on everything we’re working on.
We hope you are having a truly transformational year already.
Virtually yours,
Ashley “ashleyriott” Blake
Senior Director of Marketing, Andromeda Entertainment | ashley@enterandromeda.com
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram or check out our presskits for more information & media.
Works mentioned in this blog
- Founder’s Letter, 2021. (2021, October 28). Retrieved from Meta: https://about.fb.com/news/2021/10/founders-letter/
- HTC VIVE Announces New Products and Content at CES2022. (2022, January 05). Retrieved from Vive Blog: https://blog.vive.com/us/2022/01/05/htc-vive-announces-new-products-and-content-jan-2022/
- Introducing Meta: A Social Technology Company. (2021, October 28). Retrieved from Meta: https://about.fb.com/news/2021/10/facebook-company-is-now-meta/
- PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR2 Sense controller: the next generation of VR gaming. (2022, January 04). Retrieved from PlayStation Blog: https://blog.playstation.com/2022/01/04/playstation-vr2-and-playstation-vr2-sense-controller-the-next-generation-of-vr-gaming-on-ps5/
- Qualcomm Announces Collaboration with Microsoft to expand and Accelerate AR to Usher in New Gateways to the Metaverse. (2022, January 04). Retrieved from Qualcomm: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2022/01/04/qualcomm-announces-collaboration-microsoft-expand-and-accelerate-ar-usher
- Sony Announces PlayStation VR 2 Specs IncludingEye-tracking, HDR, & 110° Field-of-view. (2022, January 04). Retrieved from RoadtoVR: https://www.roadtovr.com/sony-playstation-vr-2-announcement-psvr-2-specs-field-of-view/
- The Metaverse Ideas From CES 2022 That We’re Most Excited – and Confused – About. (2022, January 13). Retrieved from Time: https://time.com/6138973/metaverse-ces-2022/