Intel last night used Butler's upset win over No. 1 Villanova to showcase its sharply elevated focus on virtual reality during an event preceding the ’17 CES in Las Vegas. A live stream of the men's basketball game in VR powered by Voke was available to more than 250 attendees. Intel also announced plans to begin this year showing Voke streams in higher-end, tethered VR systems such as Oculus Rift, as well as a new partnership with San Diego-based startup HypeVR to develop “volumetric” VR content that includes more image depth and the ability for a user to move virtually around shown objects. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich: “VR is really the future of sports viewing. Fans will have the freedom to pick their own view, their own vantage point.” Intel’s media event involved 17 miles of cabling, representing one of the most technically involved CES presentations ever (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer). In San Diego, Mike Freeman notes those who watched the Villanova-Butler VR broadcast "saw the scoreboard" if they looked up, while "looking ahead, they saw the court." Big East standings were "overlaid on the right side of the screen." The demonstration "occurred during halftime, with the players just returning to the floor." Despite that, the show offered a "snapshot of what virtual reality could eventually bring to sports programming." Krzanich said, "I believe virtual reality will be about far more than playing games. I believe it will radically enrich people's enjoyment of sports and entertainment by transporting them into the middle of the action" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/5).
