This all started when I was invited for an analyst call and the service wanted my opinions on VR and immersive tech and where things would ultimately go. There have been all kinds of promoted studies predicting that VR would sell in the millions of units as early as a year from now, and the industry would quickly grow to be valued in the tens of billions of dollars by 2020. In all cases, none of the studies demonstrated measurable fundamentals; at least none that I could see. With so much on the line for so many people, I knew I had to do better.
It’s with thanks to Jon Peddie Research that I got my hands on the actual GPU sales for 2015, and from this as well as other criteria, I’ve been able to create a market sales analysis that I think is far more accurate and more telling than any other analysis currently promoted in the market. I’ve had it reviewed by several trusted individuals (including Dr. Jon Peddie), and while it’s not an exact science, it has been holding up. At a minimum, analysts better than I will have something to build from. What’s key is I think I’ve identified some challenges the industry can overcome, but we have to work together.
I know – I had a little too much fun with the Soylent Green references. 🙂 It’s still safe to eat your breakfast cereal! It’s just that we finally have core data to make a pretty solid sales prediction and it’s far different from anything that we have seen publicized to date. If the numbers hold up, and I trust my sources, this means the industry will need to work together for the market to last long term. This isn’t an opinion; it’s fact. I just hope I don’t end up like poor William Simonson (you have to watch the above trailer to get it)!
Anyways, read on and see what you think. This has also been published in JPR’s TechWatch journal.