This happened a few years ago, when the 3D TV competition was in full swing.

Major device manufacturers stepped forward to directly build the ecosystem for 3D TV, even blocking their partner companies from collaborating with competitors. Naturally, inter-company exchanges became closed off, and as technology development and content production failed to materialize properly, 3D TV eventually reached its limits.

The lessons learned from 3D TV can be summarized in a few points: that the creation of an ecosystem is necessary for a specific market and technology to develop; that the establishment of an ecosystem cannot be achieved through the unilateral leadership of any single party; and that a lack of content ultimately leads to limitations in market expansion.

With the recent resurgence of VR (Virtual Reality), there is much talk about not forgetting the lessons of 3D TV. I believe expectations for the VR industry are so high that it is often described as the only industry currently being nurtured jointly by the first generation of Silicon Valley IT professionals and the new generation. In particular, the participation of content companies indicates that a distinctly different atmosphere is being created compared to the era of 3D. I consider it a crucial point that a consensus is forming between IT companies and content firms to "work together."

▲ A visitor is experiencing VR using baseball content at an exhibition hall.

Since VR content is produced by combining video footage shot with 5 to 6 cameras, it is relatively large in size compared to general media content, serving as another opportunity for mobile carriers preparing for 5G to take a leap forward. This is likely not unrelated to the reason why KT Executive Vice President Lee Mi-hyang emphasized, “KT will emerge as a next-generation media business operator in the 5G era by combining networks and real-time VR.” This implies that VR will play a key role in providing a rich media experience through the convergence of networks and media.

As if aware of this, Executive Director Lee emphasizes the importance of content, stating, "For content suitable for VR, the planning stage must be different." He continued, "We must build an ecosystem to revitalize the VR market and establish a virtuous cycle, working together from the content planning phase. Game-centric VR content, such as combat sports and extreme sports, will have a chance of success."

SK Telecom also anticipates that telecommunications companies will have more opportunities in the VR industry in the 5G era. Along with VR, AR (augmented reality) is expected to become a core service in the realm of immersive media, a key sector of 5G. Jeon Jin-soo, a team leader at SK Telecom, stated, “SK opened an integrated content service platform last April to provide augmented and virtual reality services,” adding, “This platform includes authoring tools, a content browser, and support for developers to revitalize the ecosystem.”

As VR content becomes increasingly important, it is said that it has become a daily routine for companies in the VR business to first ask "how much content do you have?" when dealing with partners. This likely signifies just how much they recognize the importance of content.

With 360-degree cameras recently becoming more widespread, it appears that VR content created by the general public will also play a key role in VR starting in the second half of the year. Anyone will be able to create content using a 360-degree camera and upload it to YouTube to share.

The VR/AR industry clearly needs to address device issues, such as reducing weight and dizziness and ensuring high image quality, in addition to content. However, with technological advancements, device issues will soon be resolved. Nevertheless, securing diverse content right now is essential to ensure users continue to seek out VR, even if it means enduring some inconvenience.