
Microsoft acquires AltspaceVR - prostoalex
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/microsoft-acquires-social-virtual-reality-app-altspacevr/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29
======
mintplant
I can't help but compare the metaverse-y projects coming out of the VR world
with Second Life. For more than a decade, it's had:

\- an interconnected world of user-built locations, with near-seamless travel
between them

\- an environment in which every object is user-crafted and scripted, and can
interact with each other and with users in a dynamic networked physics
simulation

\- a client which bundles the development environment, including 3D modeling
and scripting tools, fluidly into the main game interface, such that objects
can be created and edited on-the-fly and experimentation can happen live
alongside other users in a social environment

\- its own currency, convertible to real-world money and back via an actual
exchange, and tools for conducting commerce both in-world and on the web via
an Amazon-like marketplace

\- infinitely-customizable avatars which allow for combining components from
multiple sources and creators, spawning a micro-niche of virtual "fashion"
trends, events, and blogs

What holds SL back is the accumulated cruft of ~1.5 decades of development
mistakes [0], legacy technologies, and backwards-compatibility requirements
with an ocean of content. But it's always been worlds more ambitious than
modern claimants for the title of _3D social environment of the future_ ,
which seem content to be multi-user VR YouTube clients.

[0] I could go on and on about the mind-boggling pile of hacks that keeps SL
ticking, but that'd probably drag this thread too far off topic :)

~~~
ben_jones
Though I'm not familiar with SL, I'm pretty familiar with MMORPGs and similar
software. I think what set the late nineties and early 00's projects apart
from what is being done today was that they were pure passion projects. 1 to 6
individuals in remote basements just grinding it out over the course of years.

Nowadays a lot of big VR and AR efforts are funded by millions of dollars, the
founders who should have the passion aren't doing the actual development, and
many if not all staff are probably anxious to leave and catch an uber for $12
cocktails at the local hotspot.

That's not a bad thing. God forbid it's healthier. But it is a different
environment and we can't expect the same creative output.

~~~
BatFastard
As one of the people who founded one of those projects in the ought's I can
say a couple of things. There were only two in the early 2000s, SecondLife
which raised 11 million in 2000, and my company Prototerra which raised 500k.
SL came out to much fan-fair (amazing what a little PR will do for you). While
we struggled to get any press. Eventually we did well being the tech behind a
number of money making sites. Around 2005 there were quite a few new ones that
raised a lot of money, none still exist. Neither does Prototerra, crash of
2008 killed business and the 3 guys working in the backroom had families by
then, but it was fun!

~~~
idibidiart
OnLive Traveler came much earlier

My friend worked on it back in the 90s told me about it. It was licensed to
MTV. Huge cult following.

I found this: [https://archive.org/details/vw_traveler-
bill_gates](https://archive.org/details/vw_traveler-bill_gates)

~~~
BatFastard
Indeed there was a number of previous generation virtual worlds using VRML.
Lets say they left a lot to be desired.

------
hellofunk
This is such great news for the Altspace team; they did a very good job and
have worked tireless on these tools. Congrats to them!

------
arcanus
Is this an acqui-hire? If so, how does VC term sheets work in this case?

~~~
aphextron
It must be. Their tech really isn't anything impressive. At the end of the
day, it's just a multiplayer game lobby built on Unity and SteamVR.

~~~
gfodor
I worked on our VR mirroring and capture system, I wouldn't say it's
"impressive" but I consider it pretty cool.

[https://www.slideshare.net/ConfluentInc/kafka-summit-
nyc-201...](https://www.slideshare.net/ConfluentInc/kafka-summit-
nyc-2017-hanging-out-with-your-past-self-in-vr)

Also our three.js and AFrame integration was pretty difficult to get working.
We real time synchronized the scene graph in the V8 context into Unity.

[https://developer.altvr.com/](https://developer.altvr.com/)

Also a huge challenge was delivering a good experience on mobile. We spent a
ton of time on browser integration, rendering, and networking performance to
hit frame on low end mobile VR devices. Our commitment to having it work on
mobile, combined with our limited resources, led to us having a lot of "least
common denominator" type things happening which leads to PC users thinking the
app is simplistic or underdeveloped. But being able to have people on lower
end devices join in the community was well worth it. I'm sure with enough time
the people at Microsoft will invest the work in getting the PC experience to
"progressively enhance" further than what we were doing already.

Disclaimer: former co-founder, no longer w/ the company

~~~
BatFastard
I can't imagine trying to reproduce that on current generation of mobile!
Kudos to you and your team for trying.

Honestly has Microsoft ever made another companies software better? I can
think of a LOT of products they have killed.

I imagine MS got a really good deal on it...

------
pixie_
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_V-
Chat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_V-Chat)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Comic_Chat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Comic_Chat)

Third time is the charm right?

* Not trying to be too snarky :P I played Cards Against Humanity in Altspace and had a pretty good experience, didn't feel much different from playing it at a bar.

------
Tzeentch
So how much does it cost to buy a failed company?

------
koiz
Honestly I don't get this.

Microsoft has Minecraft, how could any one pick Altspace over that if
Minecraft had its features...

~~~
zamalek
You choose both.

~~~
koiz
One was completely empty, sorry but AltspaceVR was Dead after a few months.

