An Updated Review on the New York Times VR App

Its been a month since I last checked the New York Times VR app and they have some new content! Now before you get excited, its only four new videos and TWO of them are sponsored by commercial corporations. So it seems the percentage of commercially sponsored content is going up. Well, can you be surprised? And in a way its a good thing, because it means corporations are recognizing the mass market potential of VR and investing in it. It just means you have to put up with a few more logos that tell you you’re not beautiful enough or that you’re not a whole person without their product. Anyway, if you want to compare the previous NYTVR post I wrote its here.

As of April 5, 2016 this is the complete list with my own thoughts:

• “Smile More” – a journey of a new song by Syd and the Internet, from rehearsal studio to concert stage.
• “Destination: Inspiration” – a picturesque waste of time travel video sponsored by Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• “NYT Picks: Crown” – music video by Killer Mike and El-P, a.k.a. Run the Jewels
• “Crafting a Legend: Ride with TAG Heuer” – basically an animated commercial of TAG Heuer’s Carrera watch, of course, sponsored by TAG Heuer and possibly a bigger waste of time than Hilton’s above video
• “10 Shots Across the Border“ – the killing of a Mexican teenager by the US Border Patrol (also has the full video in Spanish, “10 disparos a traves de la frontera“)
• “The Contenders” – be one of the crowd during a candidate’s campaign speech
• “American Bison” – witness roaming American bison. Beautiful landscapes.
• “Kiya” – a reenacted 911 call on domestic violence
• “Waves of Grace” – An Ebola survivor cares for orphaned children in her Liberian village. Great visuals of places in Liberia.
• “Take Flight” – weird flying experience with actors spookily hovering around you
• “The Displaced” – war stories of three displaced children from Syria, Sudan, and Ukraine. Makes you feel pretty spoiled that you’re watching them from a comfortable room with your $500 cell phone stuck to your face.
• “Vigils in Paris” – experience the candlelight vigils in honor of those who died during the Paris terrorist attacks
• “The Drop” – a short excerpt from “The Displaced” about experiencing a food drop
• “Walking New York” – a behind-the-scenes view of the creation of the block-long art featured on the NYT Magazine cover
• “Backwater” – heist and car chase sponsored by Mini – not that interesting and not good storytelling elements either
• “Nature is Inspiring Our Industrial Future” – exploring the connections between nature, humans, and what could be our future – sponsored by GE

I’ll keep updating this as things change on the app. Good luck to all you teachers experimenting with Google Cardboard in your classrooms. You are riding the wave of the future!