SURVEY: Oculus GO should become part of NETFLIX subscription ?!

[gunair]

"OCULUS  should talk to NETFLIX about Oculus GO become part of a Netflix subscription"

Reasoning: One of the reasons for the quick and wide distribution of mobile phones in the last 20 years (from a simple tech gadget to an overall technologie), was the way of distributing the market. The expensive and - technically new and unknown - phones were parts of (often 24 month or longer running) phone contracts. And in the beginning, the phones were high subsidized, to build up a market. Consumers paid only little money every month, but get the hardware from the first day. And the "risk" of buying a new - and unknown - technology wasn't high that way. That should be the blueprint to spread the Oculus GO to the mass market (representative for the whole VR technologie).

Comment: Being on the road with my VR experiences (The Flying Broom and Windturbine VR) for over three years now, I put VR goggles on thousands of peoples heads. What I learned is: You can't explain VR - and customers can't imagine VR. Unless you try it out! That makes advertising and selling VR goggles so difficult. No one (except the first nerd generation) pays much money for an unknown thing. So, in case of VR -  it's not enough to spread the word! You have to spread as many goggles as you can and let as many people as you can try it. And with the GO, there is now a fantastic, easy (and cheap) way to spread VR goggles - with the help of a (special) NETFLIX subscription. Even, if this would mean, to sell the GO as a kind of "video glasses" first. (The customers will learn, what VR really means, seconds after putting on the glasses 😉 ) . And by spreading the hardware, the VR Shop and everything else will be growing automatically. This would help us all. 

So, don't spread the word - spread the GO!!

Thanks for reading,
Gunnar


What do you think??? Write "+1" to agree, "-1" to disagree or "0" for undecided in the comments. Or better, write your opinion...                   

[chettawan]

Existing Netflix customer like me may not benefit from that but thats a good idea. May be people may able to redeem additional one month Netflix membership as Oculus Go promo.

[burning_airline]

I don't understand the question.  Are you proposing that Netflix give away a $200 piece of hardware to subscribers?  Or that Oculus gives away Netflix subscriptions?  Or something else?

[brentoni]

burning.airlines said:

I don't understand the question.  Are you proposing that Netflix give away a $200 piece of hardware to subscribers?  Or that Oculus gives away Netflix subscriptions?  Or something else?

He is suggesting a plan similar to what a lot of phone companies do where they offer the hardware for a fraction of the normal price in exchange to being locked into a contract for their service that usually lasts around 2 years.

[Anonymous]

+1, agree, but I just don't see it happening unless Facebook adds all of the features envisioned in wet dreams for Santa Cruz.
I think that gunair is suggesting that the pricing model that Oculus adopt is the one being used by the cell phone providers by integrating the purchase of the Go into the monthly payment for Netflix. Assuming that this could be divided over 24 months it would increase the Netflix monthly payment by about $8 unless the Go was sold at a significantly lower price. I guess the question is what is in it for Netflix? It adds a pretty significant chunk to the monthly subscription cost and provides a fairly mediocre viewing experience. And let's face it, the Go, at least in its current incarnation, isn't the universal platform that a smart phone is. Until it has the simplicity of Google Glass with fully integrated AR and cell functionality that is.

[gunair]

Well, Oculus (Facebook) and Netflix should make a deal. FOR EXAMPLE:  You get a special netflix subscription, let's say a 24month contract, paying 6 $ extra per month (on top of usual subscription fee ). So 24*6=144 . You would get a Oculus Go for 144 $ (rest is subsidized by Oculus).So, the User gets a Go for a low price, Oculus has a new customer for the Oculus shop, the VR market in general has one new VR user too and netflix has a 24 month contract sold... Everybody wins 😉   

[Anonymous]

Except the problem with these is that if someone stops paying the bills - and now the customer has a free device. It happens a lot over at netflix that people just simply will skip a month and whatever else to get out of it. It's all possible to make it work - but I can foresee this being a thing in the future if they do that. What about the people that buy it second hand? Are they going to have a working device or will it be brick box? What about warranty transfers as well?

The other problem people here have said as well is: content. You still need a reason for people to want to get it to use it - so what content is out there that would make full use of such a device yet? What about the extra cost in bandwith it'll take to even do vr in this format? Just isn't enough there yet to make this idea really function on it's own. I think once we get a few movie titles for VR - it sure will be a thing in the future.

Just as of right now - I personally can't see why either company would want to do this yet without customers having a demand for such a device it's a hard deal to make as Oculus would have to suck it up and sell it below value + take the risk. More or less - if Netflix wants to make it a thing - they should seek out vr content first - movie related of course - and then maybe push forward with a new idea in offering that first to VR users that already own or planning to buy a VR headset. Then after that is setup - start offering VR headsets as a service if they want to charge more for the VR headset. It'll never be under cost - what will happen is the headset will drop in value first  or the "2nd" gen so that way both parties make the best bang for the duck value. 

[gunair]

Well, I'm from Germany, so I'm sorry, but here, if you sign a contract for a 24 month subscription, you have to pay for 24 month. You can not "get out" a contract, by just skip a month. They'll get their money! Is it really that easy in the US? And on the otherside, how many of these black sheeps are there? 2%, 5% 10%? If it's so, Oculus and netflix must simply calculate that. Normal process. And the hardware is "in the market" nevertheless.

Second hand question - well, it depends, what Oculus wants. As many devices in the market as possible? Than, it doesn't matter, who is using the hardware. Otherwise, you could e.g., connect the GO with your netflix account for 24 month.

It's all a question of calculating I think.

I think (and tht's what I read and heard in the last month), the use as a "Video Device", for watching Netflix, Amazon prime, Hulu, youtube ,etc is, what GO users really love! And IMHO, it is reason ENOUGH to want a GO. Second step (the VR step) will be the social apps. But yes, they become more interesting, the more of your friends have a GO too - So, the more GOs are in the market, the more people want one too.... and the more, and better content will be developed.

Well, Facebook paid a lot for Oculus. And the idea is, using Oculus as the next step in using social networks. And if you try Oculus rooms e.g., they seem to be on a right way! BUT, they have to start to make the step in the mass market. Quick and with power. That could cost some additional millions, so what? (it will also cost millions every month, without doing anything). Even if they would lose 50 bucks on a GO (what i don't think) - I'm sure, 50 millions, to have another million devices in the market would be good deal for them. Another ONE million people, running around and showing VR to their friends and family. That would be a GREAT step forward for the whole VR idea.

But you're right. Netflix should do also their homework, e.g. to watch (downloaded) NETFLIX content in an offline mode.     
Edit: Watching 3D movies IS great content for the Oculus Go / Netflix connection 🙂   

[burning_airline]

I don't see a good business case for it.  You can watch Netflix on a Go, but it's arguably not the best way to watch Netflix.  And once you have a Go you can spend your entertainment dollars on other media.  Maybe if Netflix made their own branded VR headset, dedicate to watching Netflix, but not the Go.

[Anonymous]

gunair said:

Well, I'm from Germany, so I'm sorry, but here, if you sign a contract for a 24 month subscription, you have to pay for 24 month. You can not "get out" a contract, by just skip a month. They'll get their money! Is it really that easy in the US?

No, it isn't. First off they don't allow this kind of deal without a credit card account that is automatically debited every month and second, early cancellations carry a hefty price.