Popular Social VR Platform Altspace VR says goodby to the VR ecosystem on August 3rd as it hosts its final event.

Over the last couple of years, Altspace VR has become one of the leading social VR environments but today the Redwood City, California, company has announced they will be closing up their virtual doors on August 3rd. This is some very surprising news to many. 

Around 35,000 people use Altspace VR every month and big events typically see around a thousand attendees.  The platform has attracted marquee partners for their events including Drew Carey, Duncan Trussell, Justin Roiland, Al Roker, Chuck Todd, and Reggie Watts.

According to the email sent out to the press that though the company had a supportive group of investors that last gave them money in 2015 their next round of funding fell through. A combination of this deal falling through and the general slowness of VR market growth made most investors reluctant to fund us the company any further.  Though Altspace VR had been out fundraising they have run out of time and money. With Facebook taking a bigger leap into social VR and upstarts like TheWaveVR finding traction in niche social groups investors may have no longer seen Altspace VR as a viable social VR competitor. 

I do know the company has tried and I for one have been in many Altspace events and seen how much the community loves the platform.

Many in the community are legitimately shocked and a few very hurt by the loss of their beloved community. Here are just a few from Twitter. 

.@AltspaceVR does not have the funding to continue. I am having a cry over it. This is why we can't have nice thingshttps://t.co/M2qGXFy1Rb

— lola (@lolamacisaac) July 28, 2017

You will be missed 😢 https://t.co/UPrHRhY5HS

— ✨Mindshow ✨ (@mindshow) July 28, 2017

Here is the message sent to the community via email.

Tough to see them go. Here is a post from better times for them. 

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/altspacevrslack

Top social VR app AltspaceVR now available on Google Daydream View.

AltspaceVR today announced a new version of its software — a mobile app that fully supports Google Daydream View and also provides access into AltspaceVR for compatible Android phones even without a virtual reality (VR) headset. AltspaceVR Mobile is available at no cost on Google Play or through the Google Daydream app.

“We are excited about serving Daydream customers, which could number in the tens of millions by the end of the year,” said Eric Romo, founder and CEO of AltspaceVR. “We are looking forward to providing them with the wide range of activities and events that are available in AltspaceVR, and connecting them with their friends on other platforms.”

The AltspaceVR mobile app is is the most convenient way to enjoy AltspaceVR. Users can easily check upcoming  events and see if their friends are in AltspaceVR prior to entering VR with Daydream View. With the mobile view feature, users can enter AltspaceVR even without Daydream or any VR headset, using just the screen on their phone and audio headphones or earbuds.

Limited quantity and quality of content is a barrier for customer adoption and satisfaction. AltspaceVR now offers a wide range of content, activities and events. Users can play tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Boss Monster, Holograms Against Humanity, and Love Letter, navigate a jungle maze, play disc golf, have a swordfight in a medieval tavern, or just hang out and watch music videos. They can join friends on a desert island, in a winter wonderland or a variety of other environments. They can enjoy a front row seat at performances, meet and interact with musicians, comedians, film directors, best-selling authors, tech experts, or TV personalities.

AltspaceVR supports Google Daydream View with all compatible smartphones. AltspaceVR also supports Facebook’s Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Samsung Gear VR in full VR mode, as well as PC and Mac in “two-dimensional” desktop mode.

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Review: Reggie Watts-Live In Virtual Reality

Last night over 1200 people came to watch musician, singer, beatboxer, actor, and comedian Reggie Watts give an incredible show in virtual reality. This is the first time that many people got together in VR for a live event. 

I actually went to a pop up event put on by WeLens and Upload VR to experience this. First of all there were some technical difficulties that caused the show to start a bit later than scheduled. Some even had trouble getting in or actually getting a chance to see the show. I do have do give lots of credit for the AltspaceVR team for keeping people in the loop as well as sending an email this morning addressing the difficulties. While waiting to jump in the event , WeLens showed people at the Upload VR space some great VR experiences on GearVR in order to keep people excited. 

Personally I understood that AltspaceVR was trying to push the limit of their tech and once I got in it was a very enjoyable experience. The technical difficulties actually reminded me of when I was a Twitch streamer. When you are on the bleeding edge technology unfortunately challenges happen.

Rather than a felling of seeing Reggie in a huge setting, the show gave off more of an intimate feel of seeing Reggie Watts as a performer just starting out. The difficulties actually made me feel like it was an independent show at a small hole in the wall stand up joint. For me this made it an enjoyable experience. 

Though the AltspaceVR Frontrow tech is supposed to give any one the chance to see a show front and center I would have liked if there was perhaps some sort of virtual crowd in the back to give off that intended feeling a little better.

Technical difficulties aside I had a really good time and I felt like I was at one of Reggie's first ever shows and experience something that is about to blow. If you were there last night you can look back in a few years once VR is out of it's current palm pilot era and say remember when shows like this were underground. 

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AltspaceVR and Comedian Reggie Watts to debut new FrontRow VR event technology.

One of the things I really enjoy about AltspaceVR is the fact that it turns VR into a community focused non isolation filled experience. Today AltspaceVR continued to push social VR as well as the boundaries of their product with the announcement of FrontRow, new technology that gives everyone a front row seat to events in VR and gives hosts limitless capacity at their events. With FrontRow, thousands of people can attend an event together despite their geographic location and feel like they are there in person

The technology will debut on May 26th at 8:00 PM PT when musician, singer, beatboxer, actor, and comedian Reggie Watts will perform live to what AltspaceVR is saying may be one of the largest events ever attended inside VR. Register at altvr.com/reggie to attend.

"Working with AltspaceVR has allowed us to create a digital stage, bringing our favorite comedians to an audience that was unimaginable even a few months ago,” said Brett Kushner, Director of JASH VR Studio. “Taking shows that might normally play in a 100-seat theater in Los Angeles and bringing them to an infinite-seat theater with a worldwide audience is proof that there's a global appetite for quality comedic experiences."

JASH has brought comics including Reggie Watts, Baron Vaughn, Brandon Wardell, Heather Campbell and Miles Stroth to perform in VR. JASH, among the pioneers in bringing comedy to VR, is now the first entertainment company to open a VR comedy stage, and is featuring Reggie Watts as it kicks off a new series of VR comedy programs.

“FrontRow allows everyone who attends to have a front row seat. Do you want to have a private party and attend the show with just your friends? You can do that,” said Eric Romo, CEO of AltspaceVR. “Do you want to enjoy the show just by yourself? You can do that. Do you want to have the traditional public event experience with 50 new friends? You can do that, too.“

With the VR Call feature, included when AltspaceVR is downloaded from Google Play, users can invite just their friends to enjoy an event in a private space. Users can join FrontRow experiences from a variety of VR platforms including Facebook’s Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and on mobile with Samsung Gear VR. AltspaceVR delivers a front row experience regardless if 40 or 40,000 people attend. 

For more information please visit altvr.com/frontrow.

Cats And VR