Platforms for People
Briefs on Social VR in the Metaverse
Social VR Platforms . . . . . . People . . . . . . Companies . . . . . . Society
Names and Funds
Keeping Up with Horizon Worlds (formerly, Facebook Horizon)
Do you get the idea Facebook is trying to make something happen with its flagship VR property? They’ve done more in the past three weeks than some companies do in three years.
- On September 27, 2021, Facebook announced the establishment of the XR Programs and Research Fund, The heads of Facebook’s Virtual Reality Lab and Global Affairs group describe the purpose of the $50 million fund as promoting collaborative research to build the Metaverse responsibly. Horizon is not mentioned in the discussion of the fund.
- On October 7, 2021, Facebook announced the establishment of the Creator Fund, with another $10 million to encourage world builders to check out their platform.
- Also on October 7, 2021, Facebook announced that the platform formerly known as Facebook Horizon would now be known as Horizon Worlds
That’s a lot. My analysis is simple and obvious. Facebook Planners projected shit tons of user generated content that would keep all those users and more so emotionally invested they’d be stuck there forever, just like Facebook. It hasn’t worked so far.
The projected user-generated content was to be in form of Worlds. Turns out that’s harder than Selfies.
Not Just Burning Man in VR Again — also Venice Expanded
Black Rock City VR (BRCvr) never really went away after the now-for-the-first-time-ever 2020 experience. But the second time can even more difficult in many ways than the first. How did they do? How did the participants feel?
Taking a worldwide view — how many other venerable events have adapted this rapidly?
Venice VR Expanded brought museum-quality worlds to headsets worldwide, in September, 2020 and again in 2021, with more experiences available at designated locations around the world, as well as Social VR platforms.
VR Chat played the role AltspaceVR played with Burning Man — some versions of some of the artistic World entries were available in Social VR, along with unique interviews and other content. The Portland Art Museum served as the exclusive North American location.
In 2020, BRCvr counted about 12,000 participants, who jumped in and out of the officlal Burning Man experience about 90,000 times. Official 2021 numbers aren’t tallied yet but my guess is they will be about the same.
It’s worth noting that the 12,000 people rejoined an average of 7–8 days, ie, every day for the week. I would infer from that math that people were engaged and kept coming back.
Kimberly Gedeon is an experienced VR journalist but not a Burner, so her in-depth story brings an informed perspective and new eyes at the same time.
When the SideQuest Is Cooler then the Main Quest
October 10, 2021
SideQuests are a rich gaming trope, referring to supplemental activity that can range from dull padding to unexpected challenges. SideQuest is also a supplement — an alternative to Facebook’s carefully curated Oculus Store and it’s anything but dull.
Developer’s want to make stuff for the Oculus Quest, but they have to take a loyalty test before they can even get started on the path into the Official Oculus Store. Only two days after the Quest was released in May, 2019, there was a side door.
Facebook left it ajar with the USB slot and a couple in Belfast, Shane and Orla Harris walked right in. The problem they were already addressing was testing — how could developers easily check their work in any prototype stage with Facebook’s tight control?
The Harris’ already had a test bed for developers that turned into an ‘early access’ source for courageous consumers, according to The Irish Times. With the help of $650,000 in seed money from, among sources, Palmer Luckey, the original developer of the Quest, they were able to keep up with growing interest in cutting edge VR apps.
Fast forward two years and SideQuest has now received $3M in early-stage venture capital support for an alternative that has clearly outstripped the primary outlet. They have twice as many apps as the Oculus Store — and they are the only way to access some of the most popular social games in the world, such as Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft.
A Developer outflanking Facebook is inspiring, Maybe this is way to read the Apple-Epic Games decision as well, although that is already being appealed by both parties.
/Platforms for People #1
If you enjoyed this inaugural issue, please Follow us as we expand our coverage of the human and social side of VR and all spatial media.
The Social VR Platforms, Companies, People, and Society tabs at the top of the article are linked to our growing base of very brief, right-to-the-point pieces about social aspects of the Metaverse.
Platforms for People is currently produced by Tom Nickel. I welcome contributions and expect that a publishing collective will emerge.
