Creative Industries: Challenges and Opportunities in XR Technologies

Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Univerzitní 2431, 760 01 Zlín, Czech Republic

^* Corresponding author: h1_novakova@utb.cz

Abstract

The paper aims to point out current challenges and opportunities in extended reality (XR) technologies that cover augmented, mixed and virtual reality (AR, MR, VR) within the frame of creative and related industries and current technological progress particularly based on the results of primary research. While the XR technologies struggle with limitations of the proper research on one side, multiple research projects including this one, have shown significant acceptance and potential of the XR technologies, especially in the ongoing digital era accelerated by the COVID-19 situation. The research presented in this paper was held with the small groups of artists in France who had opportunity to test the augmented reality mobile application on artworks from various artists. This and other cited research projects show that the acceptance rate of the XR technologies by the informed audience strongly predominates over its penetration in such population which can be interpreted as significant market opportunity. This milieu has strong impact on the democratization of the XR industry in the recent years with substantial investments by business sector. Meanwhile these technologies have become powerful enough to raise serious concern of their impact on ethical issues, social distancing and other related topics.