We just unlocked a new Free Preview of our VR Developer Nanodegree program! Explore your future in VR, today!
It’s tempting to think of Virtual Reality as cutting-edge technology. As an emerging technology. Even as a transformational technology. If this is what you think of when you think of VR, you’re exactly right, because it’s all these things, and more. But it’s also instructive to think of VR not just as a technology, but as a medium. This may seem less intuitive, because VR is not a book. It’s not a play. It’s not an album, or a painting. And yet, we use it to tell stories. From a strictly dictionary-centric standpoint, “A medium refers to the materials that are used to create a work of art.” Unquestionably, creators are using VR to create art.
VR as Art
Why is this important to understand? It is important, because of what art is capable of. Art can soothe. Art can heal. Art can provoke, challenge, and disturb, and art can unify, pacify, and mollify. Art can be political. Art can be social. Art can be emotional. Art can be serious, and art can be fun. VR can be all of this, and more.
VR as Storytelling
These are the new frontiers for VR as a medium, and understood in this way, we can see VR not only as a disruptive and cutting-edge new technology, but also as a next step along a powerful narrative continuum that stretches backwards to the cave paintings of Lascaux, and forwards to whatever the future may hold.
VR Students
The students who come to Udacity excited to learn VR bring with them this spirit of aspiration, this sense of historical significance, and this depth of feeling. Yes, they also come curious about the technology, eager to master the latest skills, and focused on rewarding employment in a rapidly-growing field. But they also come with their visions of what they can achieve with VR, and with the stories they hope to tell.
VR and Social Good
There are VR creators working to help people endure chemotherapy. There are VR creators helping people understand Alzheimer’s and dementia. Surgeons are receiving valuable training using virtual reality. New treatments for PTSD are being developed using VR. Social good non-profits like Pencils of Promise are using VR to raise money for their important efforts. A student-run non-profit called Gamer’s Gift is bringing virtual reality experiences to assisted living facilities and children’s hospitals.
VR and Entertainment
Just as novels, plays, paintings, and songs have entertained us for centuries, VR can and will do the same. Some of the most popular VR entertainment offerings? Ultimate Frisbee. Minecraft. Star Trek. As reported in a recent article in Variety, “Global virtual reality revenues will reach $7.17 billion by the end of this year, according to a new report by Greenlight Insights, which is also predicting that global VR revenues will total close to $75 billion by 2021.” Regarding games specifically, recent numbers from SuperData predict that, “the global VR gaming market size … is expected to grow to 22.9 billion by the end of 2020.”
VR Developer Nanodegree Program – Free Preview: Unlocked!
No matter what your goals are as they pertain to VR, if you’ve got a story inside of you, this is a medium you should explore. And if you think there’s a future for you in VR, then our VR Developer Nanodegree program is a learning experience you should explore.
Whether you’re a beginner, or already an experienced developer, this program offers a point-of-entry that will suit your particular skills and experience perfectly. We just unlocked a new Free Preview, and we invite you to meet our instructors, explore our groundbreaking classroom experience, take quizzes, watch videos, and get a direct feel for our pioneering approach to VR training.
What story are you going to tell? Explore the possibilities of your future in VR, today!
