That Time VR Was Mainstreamed By Google & Disney
There are a lot of times in VR's history which led to tons of user adoption, and one of those times was when Google created a mobile app that turned your phone into a simple VR headset that could look around at depth-enabled content and even connect wirelessly to your computer to play games with stereoscopic 3D visuals. Soon after that, Disney partnered with HTC to advertise a Google app called Tilt Brush which ran on the HTC Vive as a launch exclusive. Tilt Brush was actually release April 2016 as a freebie for Vive purchasers. That's right, Tilt Brush was a launch title for the HTC Vive, and its advertising was about Disney using it to create 3D Little Mermaid drawings. Times were simpler.
Here's the video documentary they posted way back in 2015, before the HTC Vive was even available for purchase:
Okay, so it wasn't an actual Disney-sponsored app or anything like that, but it was one of their animators admitting he was excited for the technology while also showing himself drawing in three dimensions and having a blast with it. It is an inspiring clip, seeing that 3D Ariel sketch, and it was the point where I was sold on getting a HTC Vive. Ironically, I didn't really play with Tilt Brush much once I actually got the hardware. I was more interested in other apps, like Google Earth and sculpting apps and games. Still, the idea of using VR as an artistic tool was what sold me on the idea of buying a $900 kit, and after that, I delved into using VR for gaming and virtual theaters and arcade simulations and so many other use cases.