What is Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO is an operation bridging in-game objects with the real-world objects in a way that the former is only available in certain physical locations, for e.g. in the park or near the river. Apart from it, newest Pokémon game processes an image grab by the smartphone camera and overlays it with additional elements to create a so-called augmented reality.

On the less capable devices augmented reality mode is not available and users simply see a 3D game universe which is however connected with locations from the real world:

Pokémon GO rules are elementary as follows:

1. Firstly, install an app, register and can use it when your device’s screen is on.
2. The main form of communication is collecting Pokémon by throwing Poke Balls at them (usually can’t catch them on the first try).
3. Since they aren’t staying in one place and create in various locations, users have to passionately move around the area or even the whole city to catch Pokémon.
4. Players also require to renew their Poké Ball supplies on Poké Stops and can fight other Pokémon trainers in locations called gyms.
5. The distance you have walked and the number of Pokémon caught effect your level in the game.

And now let’s figure out how to make a Pokémon game.

Pokémon GO like app development

The essentials we need to create a Pokémon game are:

• Game design,
• Game engine,
• App prototype,
• Map service and geolocation tools,
• Concept for assorting objects on the map and game balance,
• Means to merge with device sensors,
• Server for executing interaction between users and storing their game data,
• Event alerts,
• In-game purchases,
• Game graphics and sounds

You should also consider the following factors that strengthen to Pokémon GO success:

• Eminent Pokémon brand that already had a number of fans with Pokémon apps being only one origin of its popularity.
• Encounter with augmented reality games development (Ingress). To make a game like Pokémon require a lot of resources since data gathered by Ingress belongs to Niantic.
• Precise timing for launch — summer in Northern Hemisphere when most people spend a fair amount of time outside.
• The game needs a lot of united attention which makes it a habit-forming product. You need to take it into consideration if you want to create Pokémon GO like app.
• A great ability for viral growth: if you see a Pokémon, you’ve got to grab it right there and since people see others playing, they want to try it themselves.

And now let’s examine what require to build Android or iPhone games like Pokémon GO

1. Game design

Prior start working on Pokémon like apps for Android or iOS, we need a concept and a design document (specifications). Game designer is generally the one who prepares them and further promote all development stages and gives the right tasks to developers, designers, illustrators, sound people, etc. Impressive game design is essential for your project, so it costs accordingly.

2. Game engine

Game engine is a major software for bringing together all the assets used in the game (code, graphics, sounds) and executing them. Only very simple games do not require game engine but games similar to Pokémon GO don’t belong to this category. Infact game engine makes game creation for Android and iOS or any other mobile platforms much smooth. For Pokémon GO developers used Unity game engine.

3. App prototype

App prototype of the Pokémon GO alternative shows how app will look like and includes all of the screens used in it. Yet it’s not an app, it only shows about operation, menus and other elements that will be available to users when the app similar to Pokémon GO is completed. InVision, Proto.io, Pixate or Flinto are the special tools that helps in prototyping.

4. Map service and geolocation tools

Since before becoming an independent company Niantic was an inner Google startup, it is possibly using Google Maps and location data under some exclusive terms and conditions which are not feasible to anyone else. That’s why designing a Pokémon clone is not a smooth task. In general, to create apps like Pokémon GO we will need to do the following:

1. Attach Google API to the project, pay for a license (price depends on the data volume and number of requests per day). We can also consider Open Street Maps which are free but they do not provide location photos.
2. Note down functions for working with GPS on devices (geolocation). We require them for recognizing device location and displaying the right objects to users.

5. Logic for allocating objects on the map and game balance

We have to aim for a natural feel to create popular app like Pokémon GO. And to accomplish it we need the objects to be distributed on the map in an organic and naturally looking way. We have to identify:

• How frequent new Pokémon will appear on the map.
• Locations which are more pleasant for a certain Pokémon type and how their number switch in various hours of the day.
• how the fame of a certain location affects the type and number of Pokémon one can expect to meet there.

Game balance is vital for a successful Pokémon GO alternative. If the game is well-balanced, beginner don’t feel it too complicated to play while professional players get enough challenges for it to stay fun and playable. After game balance is executed, it is tested and adjusted accordingly.

6. Means to interact with device sensors

In order to resolve device position in space and the speed at which the person is moving (to know whether person is using a car or going on foot while using Pokémon like app) we require data from the sensors built into the smartphone:

• Gyroscope figure out device orientation in space.
• Accelerometer analyze acceleration speed of a smartphone.
• GPS determine user’s position according to the global positioning network.

we have firmly worked with data captured by these sensors and can use our experience in Pokémon like apps development.

7. Server for enabling interaction between users and storing their game data

Since players refer to same game world, are using the alike map and have to follow the alike basic rules, this world needs to be generated somewhere, constantly progress and interact with them. All this occur on the server which all the copies of the app identical to Pokémon GO installed on players’ devices use to interface with each other.

The server is also necessary for users to be able to transfer their game data to a new device in case they have purchased a new one. Without a server for storing game data we won’t be able to create a strong and stable game backend for iOS and Android game like Pokémon, so it’s a vital part of the overall game development.

We should also consider that servers and databases should be ready for high loads so that players won’t be forced to wait:

8. Event notifications

Realtime occurrence allow users to be instantly notified about what is happening within the game. Since Pokémon GO is played with a screen turned on, players see message and tips like these at once:

Realtime act are implemented with Socket connection that allows to interchange data with the player directly and in a duplex mode when he or she is online. When the user is offline, server can send push-messages via third-party services which players get with a small delay.

9. In-game purchases

There’re certain monetization models for mobile startups out there and Pokémon GO is using a model with in-app purchases. Users can buy objects like Poké Balls, Lure Modules, Egg Incubators, etc. Both cheaper (20 Poké Balls for 100 coins) and more expensive listings (6 lures for 680 coins) are there. It is an eminent aspect since it helps newcomers to easily make their first in-app purchase and inspire experienced players to purchase items in amount to save coins.

It is better to execute purchases for each platform via its native service since those services look more reliable to users. For eg., if we are developing an Android app, the obvious choice would be Google Play In-app invoice. By using this service, you will be able to freely fill the app with purchasable items from the developer console without updating the app too often.

10. Game graphics and sounds

Players want latest games to look seamlessly in terms of graphics. Since Pokémon GO uses 3D design of Pokémon, a compelling part of game’s cost will be spent on their creation. It would also be better if 3D modelling is done by the side of the Pokémon GO progress process so that all parts of the app will be import together in a timely manner. Indeed, there’s Unity Asset Store where we can buy pre-made models but they won’t help to create something exclusive like Pokémon GO.

If we have budget, we can offer some options as for sounds, Audio Jungle, Music Loops or The Music Case.

Pokémon GO like app development costs

Now as you are aware with the game development process, let’s take a look at Pokémon GO like video game pricing:

• Client application and game design — $15-25K
• UI/UX — $2-3K
• Back End — $5K (MERN stack)
• Server expenses — (VPS,AWS or any cloud service which could be scaled as user base grows)
• QA and testing — (included in our development service )
• Game models with animation — $5K (2 base character & upto 10 creatures or 3D game objects)
• Sounds — (varies based on selection of effects and theme)

So total Pokémon GO like app development cost is about $25-45K. Indeed, it’s an approximate cost and actual mobile app development costs will differ based on the prescribed features.

Even though the term ‘Augmented Reality’ was coined in 1990 by Tim Caudell, the concept of embedding computer-generated videos and images into user environment has been around since 1968. Considering the fact that the AR market worldwide is all set to top $56 billion by the year 2020, industry insiders believe that this technology is likely to dominate both Google Play and App Store through 2018 and beyond.

Initially, AR powered headsets and because it came with a number of vulnerabilities, companies were hesitant to invest in this new technology. However, everything changed when Pokémon Go got more than fifty million downloads within only nineteen days!

Augmented Reality is Changing the Gaming Industry

Augmented Reality or AR is regarded as one of the greatest technological innovation, which has significantly affected the world of mobile app development, especially the gaming industry.

With the use of AR, game developers can add virtual elements to the physical environment either through a head mounted display or a smartphone device. Thanks to this technology, developers are able to make use of real backdrops and fill it in with game characters that are able to interact with the gamers.

The best part about AR technology is that players can play games from anywhere and the experience is always going to be different!

Following the ready acceptance of AR by ardent game lovers, Microsoft is all set to roll out its proprietary HoloLens. This is expected to provide users with a much more enhanced and fluent experience in the physical space around you. Their headset is opined to be superior and advanced than anything else in the market at the moment. Even Google has announced ARCore, which is an AR platform exclusively for Android devices.

With the different operating systems embracing AR technology, it is making game development and mobile game development easier and maximizing the potential of the mobile gaming industry.

How is AR Transforming the Mobile Gaming Arena?

Augmented Reality makes use of computer vision and track through a smartphone’s camera in order to anchor a virtual object with a physical point in your environment. So, the way you move the camera or whenever you move closer or farther away, the object is able to maintain its location and you get a view of the real world in the virtual world. Some of the popular frameworks that developers are using in game development and mobile game development are given below:

• ARCore (Android): Brand new AR experiences are being shaped by Android’s ARCore. This framework can seamlessly alter and harmonize with the virtual and physical worlds. This development ecosystem blends in the real world with the virtual content and shows it to the users, via their mobile devices with the help of light estimation, motion tracking and an in-depth understanding of the environment.
• Vuforia (Unity 3D): Unity developers are able to develop games having engaging, immersive AR experiences thanks to Vuforia. The technology is redefining gaming experience in new perspectives and ways. With the help of Vuforia, it is easier to create AR-enabled games that are compatible with a wide range of handheld and head-worn devices running on both iOS and Android
• ARKit (iOS): ARKit comes with iOS 11, which is a framework that enables developers to create unmatched AR experiences for iPhone and iPad. Utilizing the ARKit, gamers can definitely push their gaming experience to immersive and beautiful places.

In the gaming industry, AR is getting implemented deeply in different categories, such as:

• Shooting games
• Strategy-based games
• Sports games
• Geo-located based games
• RPG games
• Table and card games
• Casino gambling games
• Quest games

With the implementation of AR technology in game development, users are able to enjoy playing virtual games, which feel very much like real-life games. Since the lines between virtual and physical world is blurred in AR, gamers get a much more engaging and interesting experience. From creating strategies to fighting with enemies, building cities to scoring goals, AR allows gamers to feel like they are live in action and not just a mere spectator.

What are the Benefits of Augmented Reality for Games?

• AR provides developers the perfect opportunity to push their creativity levels and create best-in-class gaming experiences.
• The technology provides unparalleled reliability.
• Advanced vision is generated thanks to the advanced technology.
• Different varieties of 2D, as well as, 3D models and games are supported thanks to the AR technology.
• Offers a completely different and captivating gaming experience that has the potential to even attract non-gamers into the trend.

At the rate that AR technology is growing, it would be a shame for game developers to not make use of this technology. Industry experts have predicted that by 2021, the global AR gaming market is going to increase by approximately 151.4%.

Even though AR was introduced some years ago and it is still in a developing stage, it continues to create ripples across the gaming industry in the world. Not just gaming, but AR can be implemented in all aspects of life. If reports are to be believed, even Facebook is working on a platform that will offer support to AR games with location-enabled features.

It is believed that AR will change the way smartphones are used forever. This technology alone has the potential to enhance the potential of mobile gaming. As mobile developers inch closer to making better use of AR, the possibilities of gaming applications becomes even bigger. Anybody wanting to make their name in the mobile gaming market can do so by utilizing this technology. Even the drabbest games can be brought to life by implementing Augmented Reality. So, if you have an idea for a game and wish to explore more, speak to mobile game developers and find the best way to utilize the AR technology. Do your due diligence and carry out a market survey before commencing the development process.

The probability of true immersion via virtual reality technology is evident to many, starting with the growing gaming scene. While gaming is a lucrative industry, it is important to examine the vast opportunities outside this niche and how such advancements showcase a world-changing platform.

When virtual reality (VR) first appeared on the tech scene, gamers immediately recognized its extraordinary potential. Their enthusiastic embrace of VR caused it to be perceived as frivolous during its early phases and may have contributed to slower adoption in non-entertainment sectors. Alert software pioneers, however, always knew that VR’s capabilities lay far beyond just the gaming universe and continued developing new applications. At this point, enthusiasm for VR is spreading widely, and its enormous potential is finally being realized far beyond gaming. DigiCapital reports that only about 1/10 of all 2017 investment in virtual and augmented reality was directed into the gaming industry. The remaining 90 percent was divided among navigation, photo/video, business, education, music, entertainment, and other sectors. The size of these investments is growing as well, with virtual and augmented reality startups raising over $1 billion in the third quarter of 2018.

Virtual Reality Technology: What is it good for?
Jeremy Bailenson, a professor of communication at Stanford University and the founder and director of its Virtual Human Interaction Lab, has some interesting insights about the reasons for using VR, and the places where it is and is not applicable. In a Slate interview, Bailenson points out that VR still comes with certain built-in obstacles, and for this reason, its use won’t become ubiquitous. He cautions enthusiasts that VR is not going to transform consumer technology because it is not only expensive to create, but can also fatigue people’s visual capacity and take a psychic toll. Bailenson identifies four key criteria for judging when virtual technology is beneficial: Can it reproduce (or create) experiences that in real life would be expensive, rare, dangerous or impossible. To Bailenson’s four criteria, we might add a fifth: facilitating unique avenues for creativity. Here’s a quick look at each of these five criteria with examples of each.

1. Leveling the Economic Playing Field
Taking a classroom full of elementary school children to Europe is prohibitively expensive for all but the most well-funded private schools. Using virtual reality evens the playing field, allowing kids from every economic stratum to travel the world together on a virtual field trip. Nearpod VR offers affordable VR field trips, neatly packaged as curriculum material, ready to be licensed by a school or a district. The trips work on a broad range of devices (including VR headsets), enabling students to visit historical and geographical landmarks around the world. Through this type of experience, students will be able to benefit from a realistic visit to important and interesting sites without incurring the cost of physical travel. Furthermore, having once seen a place close-up, young people will feel more connected to that place and its people in real life. TechCrunch commentators opine “Perhaps the most utopian application of this technology will be seen in terms of bridging cultures and fostering understanding among young students, as it will soon be possible for a third-grade class in the U.S. to engage in a virtual trip with a third-grade class in India or Mexico.”

2. Opening the Door to Unique Experiences
Rare experiences in the real world take even more resources than ordinary travel. In his discussion of this criterion for the benefits of VR, Bailenson cites the example of whale-watching. Even if you pick a good day to go out on an excursion boat in the peak of the animals’ migration season, there’s no guarantee that you’ll see a whale breach right next to your boat. With a virtual reality experience, viewers are reliably witnessing a breathtaking encounter at close range.

Similarly, complete solar eclipses occur only a few times over the average person’s lifetime and traveling to one is seldom easy. However, thanks to the coverage of Time and other news outlets, anyone can enjoy the experience whenever they wish.

New opportunities for journalism abound through VR. The Navy recently allowed USA Today to send a reporter and a photographer on board the USS Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as it prepared for a combat mission. These two guests captured and recorded their experience during three days of the vessel’s operations so that their unique access would be virtually accessible to anyone else in the future. Geekwire covered this event, exploring the possibilities offered by VR for the profession of journalism.

3. Providing Safety Amidst Danger
Law enforcement officers and first responders face deadly situations in the course of their daily work, but up until now, it has been nearly impossible to provide frequent training that is sufficiently realistic and diverse. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has acquired a 5-screen simulator from VR provider VirTra with which to provide advanced officer training. The immersive environment is extremely realistic, using actual guns and tasers, and enhanced by vibration and sound from the specially-wired floor. VirTra works with various law enforcement agencies to create custom scenarios for their specific needs. These simulators are in use around the world and are found to improve officer confidence, threat perception, decision-making under stress, and other essential skills.

Companies in dangerous industries are offering instruction via virtual reality training as well so that workers can learn how to safely operate in a hazardous environment. When a false move can cause millions of dollars of damage, injury, or even death, it’s important that staff are able to learn in a more forgiving setting. Bechtel, a global construction firm, uses VR training modules from New York Human Condition Safety, which specializes in construction safety. Bechtel now trains workers within an immersive virtual environment at the company’s innovation center in Houston.

In entertainment and educational sectors as well, virtual reality design welcomes users safely into dangerous environments. A trip to the top of Mount Everest or to the depths of the ocean courts more risk than most of us want in our lives. However, Everest VR and The Blu allow us to experience what a visit to these places could be like without putting ourselves at risk. WildTouch Expeditions offers users a cozy and safe opportunity to explore the continent of Antarctica, and more such journeys are being rolled out continuously.

4. Changing the Meaning of the Possible
Many people learn best from hands-on experiences, but there’s no way to have first-hand interaction with the orbital mechanics of bodies in space. Unless that is, they enter the virtual world of Universe Sandbox. This VR app allows a user to interact with solar systems that behave and evolve in accordance with the laws of gravity, climate, materials, and basic laws of physics. Users enjoy the majestic beauty of intricate creations that they assemble from suns, moons, and planets … and then immolate them all with giant space lasers!

Google Expeditions has received considerable attention as well, offering virtual travel to Machu Picchu, undersea coral fields, and even the surface of Mars. Using Google Cardboard headsets or pricier gear, users can explore any place that can be captured photographically.

5. Amplifying Creativity
In the world of art, the use of VR is still in its infancy, although pioneers in the field have created several fascinating early efforts. Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea exhibit uses VR to offer entirely different viewpoints on the sculptural works in Mark’s Park. Visitors book ahead for appointments to this on-site experience, deepening their appreciation of the artists’ work.

VR provides powerful new tools for creating narrative experiences as well. Due to this advancement in technology, storytelling has entered an entirely new arena. Mind Show allows storytellers to create their own animated VR experience and share it with others. Users choose a background, characters, and props, and then act out their stories. After giving the animated characters the actions and voice, they then invite other users to enter the created world and view the action from any angle.

A Statista Survey notes that what people find most interesting about virtual reality technology is “the feeling of jumping into another world.”

In addition to offering new ways to experience artists’ work, VR enables terrific creative tools for visual arts. Tilt Brush and Google Blocks provide 3D painting and sculpting tools that allow anyone to create paintings and sculptures with an intuitive ease that is difficult to achieve in any other medium, which can also even be 3D printed– bringing them into the real world.

SoundStage is a music production toolkit that allows the user to float drum kits, keyboards, synthesizers, theremins, and more in virtual space around their body, and then to play them in real-time.

As we’ve seen, VR provides opportunities for its users to create and enjoy content and information in a tremendous number of new ways– ways that would have been impractical or impossible before. Clearly, VR is a substantial force in sectors far beyond just gaming and will only continue to grow more important over time as businesses, artists, musicians, and educators continue to embrace it.

 
The ability to enter different realities may well become the 21st century’s defining characteristic, and this technology will transform every industry.

1. Travel: Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia provides 18 different 360-degree film sequences, showcasing various destinations. The most popular of these include some interaction with wildlife, such as swimming with sea lions or snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. Users can view the film clips with a Google Cardboard or any other mobile headset. The tourism board’s chief marketing officer, Lisa Ronson, comments, “We have a very competitive landscape in destination marketing, with national tourist offices spending a lot of money. We need to be able to tell the story of Australia in new and engaging ways.”

After launching their campaign, Tourism Australia partnered with Google Think Board and TNS to study its effectiveness. The results provide solid evidence for VR’s value: The videos have been viewed over 10 million times, and they have helped drive a 9 percent increase in visits to the country. After introducing this campaign, the Australia tourism industry experienced a record-breaking year.

To draw travelers with more resources, tourism boards and hospitality brands are offering a sensory taste through VR. Tourism Australia comments, “Virtual reality is one of the most exciting innovations in tourism marketing, enabling consumers to live and experience a destination directly from their living rooms.”

Future Directions for VR in Travel
Video tourism previews such as these are only the beginning. Virtual reality offers many fresh possibilities for the travel industry. A virtual tour guide could provide consumers with a deeper dive into the real-life location they are contemplating. This tour could have an added story element, allowing users to “choose their own adventure.” Some light gamification could also enhance the travel shopping experience. A travel game could give people simple tasks within their virtual preview. Offering them rewards for these tasks would encourage them to make the leap and actually go on vacation.

2. Automobiles: Toyota

Toyota’s virtual reality strategy contributed to a 5 percent lead conversion rate, and that’s not surprising: Shoppers who can personally experience a car and virtually activate all of its features will develop a highly engaged relationship to the vehicle.

In their real-life marketing, Toyota whetted the appetites of customers for its model C-HR before it was released. By offering a virtual experience powered by Zero Light, Toyota captured users’ interests and then stayed connected with those users through an at-home mobile VR experience.

Toyota Takes the Lead in VR
Toyota has been stepping forward aggressively into the world of VR automobile marketing. As an exhibitor at the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference in 2016, Toyota previewed their immersive VR sales experience. Their demo offered the high-quality immersive technology of the HTC Vive, as well as spatial audio and a steering wheel with haptic sensors. The compelling demonstration uses an actual seat from the Prius Prime. Sitting in this seat contributed to a powerful sense of immersion.

VR Actively Engages Auto Shoppers
Enjoying a virtual test drive as part of a game can help people move beyond passive viewing and begin to actively engage with the car. Toyota’s VR experience puts people in the middle of a story. Customers play the role of a getaway driver for a mysterious rider carrying a briefcase. They virtually careen through traffic and escape other vehicles until they reach the culmination of the story and find out what was inside that briefcase.

A CBS news video in January 2018 highlighted some of the uses of VR in future auto sales. The report emphasizes the fact that virtual reality allows buyers to avoid human sales representatives. Instead, buyers can privately (and safely) explore the car’s features and behavior through a virtual test drive.

3. Commercial Real Estate: Macerich

The ability to visualize what an office or apartment building will look like before it’s built is only one advantage of VR Another key benefit is the ability to offer virtual tours to multiple people at once, so an entire investment team can simultaneously tour a property. Decision-makers in a different city can get a full view without having to personally travel to the site.

Residential home buyers have been able to access 3D walkthroughs for a few years. Commercial real estate is breaking new ground with virtual reality design, offering 3D views of future properties. As commercial leasing platform VTS explains, “On the commercial side, one of the most prominent applications of VR is marketing for space that is under construction– or even still on the drawing board. Virtual tours can help potential tenants visualize a space that doesn’t yet exist, and effectively speed lease-up for developers and owners.

Removing Time and Distance Barriers
When Macerich wanted to showcase its 500,000 square foot shopping development in San Francisco, it used VR technology from Floored. Macerich has been at the forefront of defining VR’s usefulness in the commercial real estate market. AZ Big Media notes that Macerich has been using VR to “enhance a building’s impact for stakeholders.”

Customizing Spaces with VR.
Seeing a space ahead of time can be interactive, rather than simply passive. VR gives buyers the ability to reconfigure layouts altogether, including moving walls and reshaping rooms. Leaseholders can choose the right colors and furnishings, customizing their space before it’s assembled. Links to furniture retailers within the virtual showroom allow customers to purchase the furnishings they prefer.

4. Education: Oxford University

A Classroom of Avatars
At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Oxford University teamed up with Immersive VR Education to showcase its new offerings. The platform, called Engage, uses HTC Vive headsets to accommodate up to 30 students at once. The students are represented by avatars in the virtual world, allowing the teacher to provide real-time feedback on student work. The subject of the demonstration is Oxford’s “Life-Saving Instruction for Emergencies (LIFE) Project,” which trains health workers who will be doing medical relief work in developing countries. Dr. Chris Paton, Group Head for Global Health Informatics at the Centre for Tropical Medicine, states that “VR allows students in remote areas to connect with trainers in a virtual hospital ward where they can access equipment and practice performing tasks with a virtual instructor.”

People learn best when they are involved, and VR is the most direct way of actively engaging students with any subject matter. Placing people in new environments often evokes emotions, and these emotions help form strong memories.

Teaching is an ideal example of virtual reality use cases, and new technology will make it easier to share such experiences. This technology enables instructors to set up virtual classrooms, in which students all over the world can interact at the same time.

5. Retail: Alibaba

Redefining Today’s Virtual Shopping Experience
Alibaba is the largest online shopping site in China, and they are using virtual reality to fundamentally transform the shopping experience. In Fall 2016, Alibaba launched its Buy+ VR platform, giving users the chance to view virtual representations of a selection of products. The only equipment needed was a Google Cardboard VR headset and a smartphone. Within one hour of launch, 30,000 users had tried out the experience. A year later, Alibaba upgraded this platform by erecting a “virtual mall” in which shopper could explore offerings from six different retailers.

These sensory explorations are still in their very early phases, but Alibaba’s innovations suggest the shopping methods of the future. A few technologies need to become more sophisticated in order to make the virtual storefront comparable to in-person shopping. Gaze-based interfaces are beginning to be functional, but they still face design challenges. Haptic gloves, which allow users to experience tactile sensations with their hands, will inevitably become part of the virtual shopping experience.

VR’s Bright Future
To recognize the enormous power of VR’s emerging influence, one only has to look at the investment forecasts: IDC projects that global spending on AR and VR will rise from 2017’s $11.4 billion to over $200 billion in 2021. The ability to enter different realities may well become the 21st century’s defining characteristic, and this technology will transform every industry.

Just as Amazon disrupted brick and mortar storefronts, virtual reality is enabling the next quantum leap in retail. Although the state of portable VR technology is still evolving, some companies are pushing the envelope of what’s possible.

Appealing to the Senses
As part of its virtual shopping mall, Alibaba rolled out a new form of payment. VR Pay allows customers to make purchases within the virtual environment. They only have to look or nod at a product, and it is placed in their shopping cart. The user provides personal identification through voice print technology. They also have to input a password, which they can do by directing their gaze at a certain point for a specified length of time.