This article was 1st printed on our sister Site, Digital World Native.
What we are about to say here could sound straight out of the movie, Avatar. But that’s what the world is coming to.
Social networking has transcended the real & digital worlds. Now it’s about to be part of Virtual Reality (VR) if this startup has its way. AltspaceVR is a virtual reality software company that is creating a social platform for VR experiences.
Today’s available VR technology in terms of eyewear or eadgear is mostly about individual experiences. Also, apps, digital games , etc, are not immersive experiences & are mostly available to you as a participant looking in from the outside.
AltspaceVR is combining the two by offering VR hangouts, so to speak. Unlike other VR games & apps, it is not telling you what to do. You simply use the virtual reality platform to experience a VR version of whatever it is you want to do as a social activity, then be it playing games or simply chatting.
For example, you can join others & watch Netflix, YouTube, Twitch & other Content together as a shared experience on massive screens. You can listen to music together, meet & go shopping on shared browsers, & even enjoy ‘live’ events. You can just as well open up Google Apps & go through a presentation with your colleagues at work.
Don’t forget – all of you could be anywhere geographically, but for the above-mentioned activities, all of you will be in a virtual room listening either to your presentation or to your virtual avatar talking on a certain topic.
When introduced in the mass market, this could be a huge improvement over sharing Excel sheet presentations Online or hooking up through video conferencing. The immersive VR experience makes it eerily real, with both the presenter & attendees feeling like they’re all in the same room, although they are not. It makes sure the non-verbal aspects aren’t lost when you telecommunicate, unlike on phone on video conferencing.
AltspaceVR is currently being tested by the company, & will soon be available in open beta. Developers will be given access to its SDK, so that they can implement its functionality into their applications.
AltspaceVR Inc. is a Redwood City, California, USA-based virtual reality software company founded in 2013 by CEO Eric Romo, along with co-founders David Gudmundson & Gavan Wilhite.
The company has raised US $5.2 million in seed funding in Sept 2014 from 13 investors including Google Ventures & Tencent.
You may also want to read: Iowa newspaper uses Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for virtual reporting
Image Credit: Twitter/AltspaceVR
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