USA TODAY Announces “VRtually There”, A Virtual Reality News Feed
Virtual reality sees its applications in many industries, not only in games or virtual worlds, but also for delivering the top stories that’s happening around. Media companies, such as USA TODAY, are taking advantage of VR’s benefits through channeling content using VR.
The USA TODAY Network announced that it plans to launch a site dedicated to bringing the latest news using virtual reality this spring. Named “VRtually There”, the series will spotlight top stories from news, sports, entertainment and business. Users can have access to VRtually There through one of the following channels: on a dedicated site by USA TODAY, and on its VR Stories app available for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Segments will feature a variety of formats that include scripted narration, hosted episodes and graphics.
The company also plans to use VRtually There as a medium for VR advertising, taking content from its in-house production group called GET Creative.
Initially, news videos on VRtually There will be updated on a weekly basis. Its 360-degree content can be viewed using a wide array of capable hardware – from the basic panning capabilities on a desktop or laptop computer, to the immersive field of view brought by VR headsets including the Google Cardboard and the Samsung Gear VR.
USA TODAY begins its experimentation with VR on bringing stories with basic hardware such as the Cardboard and Gear VR, but the company ultimately sees the future of VR news using high-end and truly immersive VR hardware, such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and the Sony PlayStation VR. These VR kits can cost upwards to $2,000.
Many other news groups have started to experiment with virtual reality in delivering news and features in an immersive way. Notable news organizations include The New York Times, the United Nations, and Time.
For more information on VRtually There, please visit the following websites:
http://www.usatoday.com/vrstories/
http://www.techspot.com/news/64077-usa-today-developing-virtual-reality-news-show-called.html
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160310006361/en/USA-TODAY-NETWORK-Premieres-Virtual-Reality-News
