Is Google Cardboard Oculus Thrift?

After the I/O Keynote speech, Google's gift to developers seem to be a strange little cardboard box you would find an book shipped from Amazon in. As developers opened the box and saw cutout that could be similar to what you would find in a cereal box, the developers put them together and turns out, it was a mock VR headset similar to Oculus Rift. While Facebook is pouring in billions of dollars developing the VR headset, Google not only released a cardboard pizzabox cutout of a headset, they released an APK and an app that runs a game, Youtube and photospheres for this app.

So who cares right?

Google just gave developers a green light to dabble in the realm of Virtual Reality. Google has always had the model to give developers and consumers more than they need and ask for and see what sticks (give more than what Apple gives consumers); what doesn't go away and what does stick gets developed into something. What may have started as a mock to Facebook and also Oculus may as well turn into something worth developing.... and this is brilliant... if the product and also the idea fizzles out and fails, well it was a gimmick and it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously. But what happens if it did catch on and there is something there? Well then this changes a lot and gives developers something new to give the consumers as well as  new ideas and creative space. Seeing this and exploring what it can do, it doesn't seem like the
Google Glass Technology and also Project Tango is that far away and different where we have a merger in the technology.

CNETs Article for Google Cardboard



This is an interesting program because there is so much upside to this without it really being heldback by price and cost to consumers. Similarly the Chromecast was released as a dongle to stream content from your device to your TV, was that a Gimmick? No, is it a revolutionary device? No, was a convenient and price affordable? Yes!! And the consumers everywhere bought into it and volumes sold of this product and you could get one for the first couple months of the release. The consumers said "Well if this thing doesn't work, I'm only out 30 bucks...So hpw bad can it really be" turns out, this device is widely used and is growing everyday.

Am I comparing Chromecast to Google Cardboard... No... but what I am saying that there will be something there. Is this the same as suggesting that a girl should go out with you as a joke so you don't feel bad when you get shot down... what's the worse thing that could happen, she says no... But what happens when she says yes???!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks for reading!