CAVRN: An Exploration and Evaluation of a Collective Audience Virtual Reality Nexus Experience

The virtual reality ecosystem has seen an immense gain in momentum around the gaming, entertainment, and enterprise markets, but is hampered by limitations in concurrent user count, throughput, and accessibility to mass audiences. Through analysis of the current state of the virtual reality ecosystem and relevant aspects of traditional media, we propose a set of design hypotheses for practical and effective seated virtual reality experiences of scale. Said hypotheses manifest in the Collective Audience Virtual Reality Nexus (CAVRN), a framework and management system for large-scale (30+ user) virtual reality deployment in a theater-like physical setting. A mixed methodology study of CAVE, an experience implemented using CAVRN, garners rich insights into the proposed hypotheses. Findings on content design, audience representation, and audience interaction are discussed at length.