After years of secrecy, rumors of vaporware and of a giant processor that users would need to wear on their back, Magic Leap's first edition of its augmented reality system is finally revealed, and promised for an early 2018 release targeting developers. Unlike, say, the Oculus' first developer-facing HMD, the Leap's Creator Edition looks decidedly sleek and consumer ready. The "backpack" looks more like a portable CD player from ancient times (by which I mean the 90s), and the goggles are certainly cooler than any other AR HMD on the market (e.g., Microsoft's dorky HoloLens), resembling Snapchat's "AR training wheels" Spectacles. (Not necessarily a good thing.)
It's an impressive reveal, to be sure, though it strikes me that the future of Magic Leap won't be decided by Magic Leap, but by holiday sales of other VR/AR devices:
Since last year's sales of HMD headsets was such a disappointment, VR investors will need to a see a strong uptick of VR devices from holiday sales this year. If there's a significant uptick -- suggesting a strong and growing market for AR/VR content -- Magic Leap will have the backwind of interest it needs to reach the consumer market. If sales slump, investors will start pulling away... leaving Leap in the lurch.
Pastel
#1433 An Elisabeth Belldwin Class AR Team arriving on Scene
http://www.epicdewfall.ca/paintings/1400/1433aneli.jpg
Posted by: Earl Dinkin | Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 08:35 AM