No sooner have Google told us that the Google Glass Experience is programmed to end at the end of this month, then Microsoft announce the HoloLens. Looking rather like a visor you would expect the intrepid space hero Dan Dare to wear, Microsoft tells us that this device blends reality with holograms.
Actually, the more I read about it, the more I’m liking it! For instance, you use gestures to control your holograms; it will react to your movements, vision and voice which in turn will allow you to interact with content and information. So far, so good then. With it’s transparent lens, your holograms become part of your every day world. You can pin your holograms to physical locations and Microsoft demonstrate this by showing how you can build your Minecraft world on the coffee table in your lounge. Awesome,
I guess one of the main advantages of this piece of kit is that it doesn’t need any other device to function, so you won’t have to tether it to your mobile phone for instance. Technical specifications are sparse at the moment so we don’t know how long batteries will last for example, but looking at the somewhat limited information, I think we could be cautiously optimistic. If we put the engineering advantages to one side where this will be a fantastic step forward, this could also be a game changer for the gaming world inviting total immersion, something to look forward to then.
But could this be a marketing opportunity? If not for Microsoft, then for third parties. Imagine an holographic advert for the latest BMW, not only would you be able to see it in 3D, you’d be able to walk around it, change its colour and it’s specification and see how it would look out there on your drive. Now that’s food for thought. Talking of food, choose your restaurant by walking through the front doors, sitting at the table and viewing the food on a plate right there in front of you.
So yes, there is a true marketing value here and one I suspect most people would enjoy or initially at least.
