This document discusses the different potential platforms for distributing VR content, including app stores, downloads, and browsers. It notes both advantages and disadvantages of each approach. App stores provide discovery, user reviews, and monetization capabilities but are limited by their interfaces and policies. Downloads require more commitment from users and aren't well-suited for casual experiences. Browsers have no downloads but monetization is less clear and performance lags behind native apps. The document concludes developers should consider cross-platform solutions or choosing a specific platform to maximize their chances of success in the emerging VR distribution landscape.

1. Tony Parisi
The
Coming
Distribution
War

2. who will be…
 The App Store for VR?
 The Steam of VR?
 The YouTube of VR?
 The Netflix of VR?
 The Console of VR?

3. App Stores

4. App Stores: The Good
 Discovery
 User Ranking
 Monetization
 Curated content
– nobody wants bad VR… or do they?
– thank you for making sure I don’t hurl
– um remember that porn you promised…?

5. App Stores: The Bad
 Deployment, distribution and discovery are
bound together
– On Gear VR you can’t deploy without going through the store,
and users can’t find you outside of the store interface
– You can’t deploy Cardboard VR apps without going through a
store UNLESS web (more on this later)
 VR store interfaces, though good, are limited
 App packaging doesn’t always make sense
– A separate app for a Paul McCartney video? Really?
 Curated content
– um about that porn… ?

6. Fun Fact!
In 2013, 60% of developers were below the
“app poverty line”, i.e. earned less than
$500
per app per month (all mobile platforms) 1
1 Developer Economics Q1 2014: State of the Nation
http://www.visionmobile.com/product/developer-
economics-q1-2014-state-developer-nation/
2 Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-01-
07/apple-users-spent-10-billion-on-apps-in-2013
Apple’s 2013 App Store Revenues: $10B 2
Apple’s 2013 App Store Take: $3B 2

7. When you play
the game of
apps,
you win or you
die. There is no
middle ground.

8. #thoughtfortheday
the Metaverse might be too
big of an idea…
for an app store

9. Downloads

10. Downloads: The Good
 Discovery, ranking – Steam’s interface
works.
 Monetization – PC games still making
great money! Even after 30% Steam cut

11. Downloads: The Bad
 Big downloads and installation requires
core/midcore interest level and
commitment
 Consumers don’t like to install stuff on
desktops

12. Fun Fact!
Valve is a private company. It doesn’t publish
Steam revenues. But they must be good. And
developers generally don’t seem to be
complaining.

13. (tries to imagine people
downloading a VR history
experience on Steam)
#headdesk

14. Browsers

15. Browsers: The Good
 No downloads
 Instant publish/update
 Deployment, distribution, discovery are
decoupled – the full power of the Web
 HTML5 lowers barriers to entry for
developers
 Hyperlinks

16. Browsers: The Bad
 Monetization – not so obvious
 Second-class support; WebVR catching
up to native features
 Performance gap, though small, is critical
for many apps
 Browser UIs are getting long in the tooth,
not designed for navigating the Metaverse
 Uh-oh… watch out for bad VR :-o

17. Fun Fact!
YouTube creators get $1.50-4.00/1k views 1
1 Quora
http://www.quora.com/How-much-money-can-you-
make-on-YouTube-if-your-video-goes-viral-and-is-
monetized
2 WSJ
http://www.wsj.com/articles/viewers-dont-add-up-to-
profit-for-youtube-1424897967
YouTube grossed $4B in 2014 2

18. #ihaveadream
creating VR will be as easy
as making web pages,
sharing VR will be as
simple as sending a link,
and experiencing VR
happens
at the touch of a button

19. “Winter is coming.”

20. Survival Strategies
 Be platform-agnostic
– Cross-platform solutions like WebVR, OSVR are in
their infancy
– Unity’s a good bet… but you’re still cooking an app for
each platform
– We could AT LEAST figure out a portable, cross-
platform video format… ?
 Be platform-specific
– Choose a side
– If you choose well, you will live to see another
day

21. Tony Parisi
tparisi@gmail.com
@auradeluxe
The
Coming
Distribution
War