Ads in VR might soon be a thing, thanks to Google

If you've never heard of Area 120, you're not alone. It's a program by Google that supports small internal teams and helps them build new innovative projects. Area 120 was started in March 2016, and it has yet to prove its worth, but a certain project from the workshop might hold the answer to a very serious question for VR developers.

With VR platforms still being largely unexplored and limited in terms of audience, it's only natural that a lot of developers shy away from them. The fact that solid monetization methods have yet to be defined for VR content doesn't help either.

Google's Area 120 might have a solution to that, however. Big G's workshop has produced a project that might allow VR developers monetize their content the old-fashioned way – with adverts.



As you can see above, the project provides users with a small cube in VR. As Google explains it, “by tapping on the cube or gazing at it for a few seconds, the cube opens a video player where the user can watch, and then easily close, the video.”

This appears to be a rather non-intrusive format, as users are free to choose to just ignore the cube and don't interact with the ad at all. This is exactly what Google is aiming for – a format that's easy to implement for developers, while also being helpful and non-intrusive for users. Big G is aiming this feature towards the Cardboard, Daydream, and Samsung Gear VR platforms for now.

VR developers can already apply for an early access to the project. Google has prepared an early-stage SDK that should make implementation a bit easier. So, if you're a developer and you're interested in checking it out, follow the source link below.

source: Google via AndroidAuthority