What Is Oculus Rift? And Why Does Kevin Spacey Think It Will Change Storytelling Forever?

Kevin Spacey thinks he’s come across the future of storytelling, and it’s called the Oculus Rift.

The virtual head-mounted display is currently being developed by Oculus VR and they are set to release a version of the product in April 2015. Videos of the Rift’s gameplay and impressions have also gone viral on the internet, with the “My 90-year-old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift” YouTube clip being watched by over 2 million people. You can check out what all the fuss is about at the bottom of the page.

According to IB Times, while at the IAB MIXX 2014 on Tuesday, Kevin Spacey discussed the future of digital media, and he revealed that, during his work on the upcoming Call Of Duty game he got to try out the Oculus Rift. The House Of Cards admitted that it opened his eyes to the future of storytelling. In fact, Spacey predicted that the games industry is about to collide with the film business in an exciting and innovative way.

“I think the games industry is slowly moving into the film business, to tell stories and to do so with an actor like me. The Oculus Rift opened my eyes to the possibility of virtual reality in the theater world. Imagine slipping on the goggles and suddenly you’re in the front row of the Sydney Opera House, or in the pit of a theater as it was in the 1600s, or you’re on stage running the lines with actors. The technology has arrived, it’s up to us to see how to apply it.”

Wow. That’s pretty stirring stuff from the Oscar winner. Spacey even went on to discuss the possibility of one day being able to follow several characters across multiple screens, and he also envisioned that this platform would allow viewers to evolve the story based on the character they wanted to follow.

Spacey also declared that the time is now upon us to embrace all of the new mediums at our disposal because the storytelling landscape has already changed forever.

“We no longer live in a world of appointment viewing. The water cooler has gone viral. The audience wants freedom. They don’t care about the platform, they care about the content. There’s no difference between watching Game of Thrones on an iPad or Between Two Ferns on a laptop.”

What do you think of Spacey’s comments? Are you excited about the possibilities that the Oculus Rift opens up?

Also, because I know you really want to watch it, here’s a 90-year-old grandmother enjoying the Oculus Rift.

[Image via Zimbio]