The term “content is king” may date back to an article written by Bill Gates in 1996, but the saying has never really gone out of style, and it applies equally today when it comes to the burgeoning virtual reality marketplace; those headset makers with a superior content offering will be well placed to rapidly grow their user base.

In that regard, Google, Inc.’s new push into VR looks well placed, with the company announcing a strong lineup of content providers next to its announcement that it has not only launched its own Android-based virtual reality platform in the form of Daydream but is also building its own virtual reality headset.

According to The Verge a number of Daydream partners are already partners with Google with Cardboard, Google’s existing basic VR headset, and include The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, but new to the lineup are Netflix, Inc. and Home Box Office Inc. (HBO), who will offer Daydream native content apps, along with Hulu, Inc. who is said to be contributing an app that may offer a mix of flatscreen cinema style viewing and 360 degree content.

New to the virtual reality space (the previously mentioned companies already have a VR presence on Samsung Electonic Co. Ltd.’s Gear VR) is IMAX, who is said to be bringing some of its super-wide-screen films to the platform, along with USA Today and CNN.

Sport will also be present on Daydream enabled devices, with content partnerships also being announced with Major League Baseball (MBL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA); details of what will be offered by the two weren’t immediately available but presumably they would be offering the ability to watch live or archived games in a 360 degree virtual reality environment.

Last but not least is movie maker Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation (Lionsgate) who is believed to be working on virtual reality game tie-ins to a number of its hit movies.

Gaming

The Daydream platform will also not lack for games, with a number of notable studios committing to develop for it.

Included in the list are EVE Online creator CCP who is bringing the Gear VR game EVE Gunjack Next to Daydream, along with Electronic Arts offering a VR version of the game Need for Speed: No Limits.

Other games and studios listed include a version of Action Bowling, an unnamed game from Time Machine VR creator Minority, a deal with Turbo Button to bring Adventure Time to the platform, unnamed titles from VR game studio Resolution, and a number of others.

Overall the initial lineup across gaming and video content looks strong for Daydream well before it has even launched, and with it sability to run across many different devices, it already looks like the platform will offer an immediate challenge to Samsung’s Gear VR, which only works with high-end Samsung devices.

Image credit: Google.