It seems that there is a silver lining, after all. AltspaceVR, which was supposed to shut down due to financial struggles, announced that they won’t be going anywhere according to a blog post from the creators behind AltspaceVR.
“It has been a roller coaster of a ride for our team and our community since we announced that AltspaceVR was coming to an end. We are elated to follow up that dismal proclamation with some very good news: AltspaceVR is going to live on. You all made this happen by sharing memories, videos, tweets, and emails. So many of you wrote to us asking if they could donate or help. You told the world how much AltspaceVR meant to you and how you had made good memories and lasting friendships. Your messages of encouragement brought us smiles during a pretty gloomy time,” said the creators of AltspaceVR, thanking their community for wanting to bring the VR social media platform back to life.
The reason behind why AltspaceVR won’t be shut down is because the creators of AltspaceVR are “deep in discussions with others who are passionate about AltspaceVR who want to guarantee that our virtual oasis stays open,” they said in the blog post. It is unknown who the other people are and how they plan on continuing to run AltspaceVR, but they said in the blog post that more information will be revealed soon.
AltspaceVR is a VR social media platform that allows users to meet friends in VR and host events, create games or experiences, and even attend events hosted by celebrity guests. Some of these guests include Al Roker and Bill Nye the Science Guy.
One of the creations of some of the AltspaceVR users is a video called ‘Be Our Guest,’ where various AltspaceVR users are singing along to the famous Beauty and the Beast song. This video was posted after the news broke that AltspaceVR would be shutting down, so the user who created it, Greeny3ny, made it as a thank you to the creators of AltspaceVR. As a thank you to this user, the AltspaceVR creators included the video in their blog post announcing its comeback. What an awesome way for the AltspaceVR user to find out that he doesn’t have to worry about it being shut down!
“We look forward to seeing what you’ll make next in AltspaceVR. Thank you for fostering a wonderful place for people to meet, hang out, play games, attend comedy shows, meetups, get married, and above all, laugh. If you’re one of our SDK developers and you’ve made something in AltspaceVR, please know that your work still has a vibrant home. We’re excited to continue seeing the amazing and unexpected things you all create. We are so thankful that you, our hosts, and our community have made what AltspaceVR is today — a place worth saving,” said the developers in the blog post.
It’s amazing to see that AltspaceVR will continue to have a platform in the world of VR. The experiences that can be made in VR are starting to grow, and with that, the VR world needs a dedicated community of creators and fans so that this growth can continue into the future. It was unfortunate to hear the news about this VR social media platform possibly disappearing (due to its financial situation) but this return is proof that VR needs its creators and community now more than ever. VRs growth may be slow, but with all the new advances in VR technology, it will continue to grow in the near future and beyond.
Featured image via Flickr/Andri Koolme.
