Two weeks ago social VR platform AltspaceVR hosted what was supposed to be its final gathering before shutting down. Now, it appears that it won’t be shutting down at all.
AltspaceVR announced its planned closure in late July, noting that the company had been unsuccessful in raising further funds needed to keep the platform going. Yesterday, the developers posted a blog update announcing the app’s apparent revival. In the post, the company states that it is “deep in discussions” with those that “want to guarantee that our virtual oasis stays open,” though no new round of funding was officially announced.
Despite this, the company notes that it feels “confident” in saying the app will not be closing down.
Exactly who is interested in saving the company is unknown. The day after the closure was announced Oculus Rift inventor Palmer Luckey took to Twitter to ask if he should try to save the platform, putting it down to a Twitter poll. Of the 5,493 votes given, 67% voted yes. Luckey also retweeted the news that the company had been saved but did not clarify if he had aided it.
Should I try to save @AltspaceVR? (caveat: may not be possible)
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) July 29, 2017
We’ve reached out to AltspaceVR to find out more about the news, and we’ll update this story with any further information.
AltspaceVR did have one group of people to thank; the community. ” You all made this happen by sharing memories, videos, tweets, and emails,” the blog post reads. “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.”
The app was available across a wide range of VR headsets, from high-end PC devices to mobile kits and was completely free to use. It allowed users to meet up online as customized avatars and talk to each other, attending events or just hanging out. Its closure had raised questions about the future of social VR as a whole, and those questions still remain despite this revival.
