The DeanBeat: In the VR industry, a thousand startups will bloom. Most won’t make it

We’re all trying to get a handle on virtual reality, and its cousin, augmented reality. Will it be a bust? Or will the two industries become a $150 billion market by 2020, as tech advisor Digi-Capital predicts? Will the game segment of these industries look more like mobile or consoles?

I’ve moderated three sessions on it in the last few weeks, conducted more interviews, watched a lot of talks, and attended two VR conferences (including one in Seattle and another in San Francisco). That in itself tells you about one of the hottest sectors in gaming now. VR and AR are the frenzy of the moment, as evidenced by the packed room at the stately Intel Capital Global Summit in San Diego, where I moderated a panel of VR and AR veterans. The VRX conference in San Francisco was also packed this week. And in a demo, I nearly toppled as I (virtually) walked across a wobbly ladder that was strewn between two icy cliffs on the trek up Everest. Now I’m struggling with the question, “Have the early pioneers done too good a job of evangelizing and inspiring entrepreneurs?”