News
Introducing Microsoft Mesh | Here can be anywhere.
Microsoft Mesh (not that mesh) was announced and brings the type of enterprise collaborative support for VR experiences we'd expect from Microsoft. Easier collaboration, support across devices and form factors, and not being forced into using Microsoft hardware is certainly a game changer. This isn't quite the Metaverse yet, but it's a good start to making one.
AltspaceVR | Our best experiences are shared
Since Microsoft bought AltspaceVR it was only a matter of time before the integrations emerged. That's not a bad thing since Microsoft services provide a lot of features that will save them years of development time, especially in better collaboration and social VR experiences.
Event
Game Jam returns for 2021 | Decentraland
With Atari coming to Decentraland they are also throwing the 2021 Game Jam focused on reimagining and remixing arcade classics. This sounds very fun, and the top rated experiences will share in a prize pool of $20,000 USD and LAND. The Jam will run from February 10th, 2021 through February 24th, 2021.
Business
The Metaverse Is Coming And It’s A Very Big Deal
Speaking of the Metaverse, we realize that not everyone may know what that term means or the impact that it will play on our lives online and in the physical world. The Metaverse will effect us globally as all societies continue to evolve. This article is a pretty good starting point for highlighting the cultural and financial impacts a shared Metaverse will have on the world.
Tools
Adjustify Augmented Reality Video Calling is a Game Changer | Virtual Reality Reporter
Remote inspections represents a significant service used by private industry, regulators, and governments are using both due to the pandemic and as a way to reduce costs for routine interactions. Adjustify is leveraging the advances in smart phone technology and SaaS to change the level of quality and service for ensuring companies and organizations are having their needs met. The features list is pretty lengthy so it's best to take a look for yourself to get a better sense for why there is well deserved buzz around them.
People To Watch
TOKUSHIMANI DENSHI TOSHOKANWO TSUKUTTEMIRUKAI, N.P.O.
It's still very early in its development but the prospect of a truly open and accessible virtual library on the Internet will only improve our collective access to knowledge. It also has the potential to open up a world of possibilities to people physically unable to visit a library or venture into the world.
Learning
VictoryXR - Education Solutions for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
VictoryXR provides a platform to create courses meant to be better than in-person learning. With over 100 courses to date ranging from home schooling elementary topics to lessons on civil rights there is a very broad set of lessons available. All of this runs on ENGAGE platform, which we featured In issue 17 of the newsletter. So if you aren't already are running it you have another incentive to give it a try.
Inspiration
How to use Attendee Personas to Improve the Event Experience
Virtual experiences offer unique opportunities for shedding our identity and stepping into a persona that melds deeper into an experience. This article shares research and benefits to this additional level of immersion, along with a few starter templates for creating your own persona profiles for your audience.
One More Thing
MALIVAR.Studio
Creating a bad face swap isn't particularly difficult these days, but training a neural network to reliably and repeatedly perform quality swaps almost looks like magic when done right. MALIVAR does it very, very right. This studio platform powers the One More Thing from issue 17 of Other Realities and is so impressive it deserves a lot of attention.
Commentary
A shared Metaverse (or the Oasis if you're keen on Ready Player One) is just one of the inevitable certainties that will come as VR scales to reach more of the world, and the companies that power it will have a distinct advantage in the very near future. There is a fixed amount of space on the planet, but connected virtual worlds frees us to explore a seemingly endless universe of experiences. This week we highlight a few additional entries into both connecting and expanding what could eventually become the real life embodiment of science fiction authors' imaginations.
As always, thank you for subscribing or reading this online. We really enjoy sharing what we are already investigating ourselves, and hopefully getting to engage more with all the communities who collectively make up the Metaverse. As always, if you want to recommend anything to us tweet your links. Our directory of companies, experiences, gear, and more is growing so visit our directory to find resources that also may not be getting major press.
Other Realities