▲ 1 r/SteamVR
We're bringing back AltspaceVR, starting with a Brand New Campfire!
Come and see it on https://altvr.app
Join in the conversation: https://altvr.app/discord
u/shakamone — 9 hours ago
u/shakamone
r/sidequest r/Quest2 r/SteamVR r/OculusQuest r/OculusQuest2 r/PicoXR r/Vive r/Quest3 r/VRGaming r/oculus
We're bringing back AltspaceVR, starting with a Brand New Campfire!
Come and see it on https://altvr.app
Join in the conversation: https://altvr.app/discord
u/shakamone — 9 hours ago
▲ 23 r/OculusQuest
AltspaceVR Development Update
Hey all!
We announced AltspaceVR was returning 17 days ago, it's been quite an exciting ride sice then. We have had a lot of things going on over in the community and I wanted to share an update with you!
If you want to get involved you can sign up at https://altvr.app or join in the conversation on discord at https://discord.gg/altvr
Offline Alpha
We've already had a first look at what the Altspace build will look like. We released an early alpha for world builders to get a taste of what it will be like to build. This build lets you try out around 20 worlds that have already been created by some eager world builders.
This build is offline - it does not yet let you join your friends yet. It does however work in and out of VR on both PC and Quest. You can grab it over on https://altvr.app/download or on Meta Quest here: https://www.meta.com/s/7lAdY1YRr
The brand new wesbite!
You can already sign up, add friends and send messages to your peeps! We took photos submitted by the community and embeded their avatars into the homepage, check it out: https://altvr.app
https://i.redd.it/uyd37o7e5pjh1.gif
Avatars! Avatars! Avatars!
We had two live stage sessions in discord in the first two weeks. The first reached 60 audience members and featured Christian Boe (original designer of the Altspace robots) sketch out avatar designs live with feedback from the community for over 3 hours. The second reached 90 people and we hammered out how avatars should work and what makes them special to users on Altspace.
We also realised we need to prioritise humanoid avatars with the sort of expressive features people have come to expect from Altspace, and we have already begun to work on those! Starting with the eyes as so many people have pointed out int he feedback that how the eyes worked in Altspace was one of their favorite avatars features.
So here are a few things we have already decided together as a community.
- We will have both robots and humanoids, hopefully both at launch.
- We may also have pets/maascots - small buddies in VR that can serve multiple purposes.
- You will earn XP the more you interact with Altspace and earn new cosmetics for your avatars.
- At level 50 you will earn a signle custom avatar slot to be able to use your own custom avatar.
The main feedback that came out of the last stage was that people wanted to identify with their avatars, to feel a personal attached connection espeically with the built in robot/humanoid avatars. A lot of users also wanted the option to use custom avatars.
We will also release the source files for our own humanoids and robot avatars too up front - we wnat to encourage people to use these as a base to create their custom avatars when they reach level 50.
So what does all of this mean for avatars?
Everyone will start out with our built-in robot and humanoid avatars. As you spend time in Altspace, take part in the community and earn XP, you'll level up and unlock more cosmetics, accessories and other rewards along the way.
When you reach Level 50, you'll unlock a single custom avatar slot. You'll be able to import your own custom avatar, or download the source files for our built-in robots and humanoids and use those as a starting point to create something that's completely yours.
We also heard pretty clearly that not everyone wants custom avatars everywhere, so we're building that choice into the system too. Worlds will be able to choose whether custom avatars are enabled, and events can temporarily override that setting. On top of that, you get to decide what you personally see - follow the world setting, always see built-in avatars, or always see custom avatars.
The important bit is that your choice only affects you. Turning custom avatars on doesn't force anyone else to see them, and turning them off doesn't stop anyone else from enjoying them. Hopefully that means we can keep the familiar Altspace identity people are attached to, while also giving people who want more freedom a way to really express themselves.
We are super excited about this, and we hope you are too!
World Building
We will have world building of course! It will work in several ways, but here is some highlights:
- Unity worlds will be built with URP.
- We already have a Unity Uplaoder and it works really well on Windows and Mac.
- A built-in world builder enabling in-game building is also already in the works.
We already have great results on Quest and WIndows with postprocesing on all platforms, performance is already looking good and the community is already testing it out. Our in-game builder already has a huge number of kit objects built in, over 9500 objects for you to play with and place in your worlds. Within the next week we will have a beta that includes in-game world building but here's an early shot of what the builder already looks like (some of you may recognise it):
2D Mode/Pancake Mode/Non-VR Mode
We teamed up with one of the original staff members gfodor to integrate an awesome new project he has been working on which greatly enhances the presense people get while using Altspace outside of VR. PortalVR extends the capabilities of desktop VR applications to include motion controllers, hand and head tracking, and 3D display/AR support, and we're going to include those features in the 2D version of the AltspaceVR beta to see what the community thinks. Though not all of them are inegrated with Altspace yet, we hope to get them all implemented in the near future.
- Support for VR controllers in 2d mode, Quest 1/2/3, PICO 3/4, Galaxy XR (Vive and Index controllers aren't working yet with the standalone runtime version)
- Joy-Con 1 + 2 tracking on webcam or iPhone
- Smartphone controller (iPhone or Android app that turns the phone into a 6dof controller)
- Head/Face/Hand tracking
- Support for Odyssey 3D and other leia 3d displays, VITURE and XREAL AR glasses, and general SBS mode. also anaglyph trioviz glasses
Run AltspaceVR 2D Mode.exe in the windows build for these extra features.
A huge thanks to gfodor for all his work over the years tirelesly working to make Altspace great and now for bringing this free enhancement to make non-vr users more present in the world with you.
That's all for now folks! Remember to get involved you can sign up at https://altvr.app or join in the conversation on discord at https://discord.gg/altvr
Thank you all for being part of this journey!
Be there, together. Again.
AltspaceVR Team
u/shakamone — 3 days ago
▲ 1 r/sidequest
AltspaceVR Development Update!
Hey all!
We announced AltspaceVR was returning 17 days ago, it's been quite an exciting ride sice then. We have had a lot of things going on over in the community and I wanted to share an update with you!
If you want to get involved you can sign up at https://altvr.app or join in the conversation on discord at https://discord.gg/altvr
Offline Alpha
We've already had a first look at what the Altspace build will look like. We released an early alpha for world builders to get a taste of what it will be like to build. This build lets you try out around 20 worlds that have already been created by some eager world builders.
This build is offline - it does not yet let you join your friends yet. It does however work in and out of VR on both PC and Quest. You can grab it over on https://altvr.app/download or on Meta Quest here: https://www.meta.com/s/7lAdY1YRr
The brand new wesbite!
You can already sign up, add friends and send messages to your peeps! We took photos submitted by the community and embeded their avatars into the homepage, check it out: https://altvr.app
https://i.redd.it/uyd37o7e5pjh1.gif
Avatars! Avatars! Avatars!
We had two live stage sessions in discord in the first two weeks. The first reached 60 audience members and featured Christian Boe (original designer of the Altspace robots) sketch out avatar designs live with feedback from the community for over 3 hours. The second reached 90 people and we hammered out how avatars should work and what makes them special to users on Altspace.
We also realised we need to prioritise humanoid avatars with the sort of expressive features people have come to expect from Altspace, and we have already begun to work on those! Starting with the eyes as so many people have pointed out int he feedback that how the eyes worked in Altspace was one of their favorite avatars features.
So here are a few things we have already decided together as a community.
- We will have both robots and humanoids, hopefully both at launch.
- We may also have pets/maascots - small buddies in VR that can serve multiple purposes.
- You will earn XP the more you interact with Altspace and earn new cosmetics for your avatars.
- At level 50 you will earn a signle custom avatar slot to be able to use your own custom avatar.
The main feedback that came out of the last stage was that people wanted to identify with their avatars, to feel a personal attached connection espeically with the built in robot/humanoid avatars. A lot of users also wanted the option to use custom avatars.
We will also release the source files for our own humanoids and robot avatars too up front - we wnat to encourage people to use these as a base to create their custom avatars when they reach level 50.
So what does all of this mean for avatars?
Everyone will start out with our built-in robot and humanoid avatars. As you spend time in Altspace, take part in the community and earn XP, you'll level up and unlock more cosmetics, accessories and other rewards along the way.
When you reach Level 50, you'll unlock a single custom avatar slot. You'll be able to import your own custom avatar, or download the source files for our built-in robots and humanoids and use those as a starting point to create something that's completely yours.
We also heard pretty clearly that not everyone wants custom avatars everywhere, so we're building that choice into the system too. Worlds will be able to choose whether custom avatars are enabled, and events can temporarily override that setting. On top of that, you get to decide what you personally see - follow the world setting, always see built-in avatars, or always see custom avatars.
The important bit is that your choice only affects you. Turning custom avatars on doesn't force anyone else to see them, and turning them off doesn't stop anyone else from enjoying them. Hopefully that means we can keep the familiar Altspace identity people are attached to, while also giving people who want more freedom a way to really express themselves.
We are super excited about this, and we hope you are too!
World Building
We will have world building of course! It will work in several ways, but here is some highlights:
- Unity worlds will be built with URP.
- We already have a Unity Uplaoder and it works really well on Windows and Mac.
- A built-in world builder enabling in-game building is also already in the works.
We already have great results on Quest and WIndows with postprocesing on all platforms, performance is already looking good and the community is already testing it out. Our in-game builder already has a huge number of kit objects built in, over 9500 objects for you to play with and place in your worlds. Within the next week we will have a beta that includes in-game world building but here's an early shot of what the builder already looks like (some of you may recognise it):
2D Mode/Pancake Mode/Non-VR Mode
We teamed up with one of the original staff members gfodor to integrate an awesome new project he has been working on which greatly enhances the presense people get while using Altspace outside of VR. PortalVR extends the capabilities of desktop VR applications to include motion controllers, hand and head tracking, and 3D display/AR support, and we're going to include those features in the 2D version of the AltspaceVR beta to see what the community thinks. Though not all of them are inegrated with Altspace yet, we hope to get them all implemented in the near future.
- Support for VR controllers in 2d mode, Quest 1/2/3, PICO 3/4, Galaxy XR (Vive and Index controllers aren't working yet with the standalone runtime version)
- Joy-Con 1 + 2 tracking on webcam or iPhone
- Smartphone controller (iPhone or Android app that turns the phone into a 6dof controller)
- Head/Face/Hand tracking
- Support for Odyssey 3D and other leia 3d displays, VITURE and XREAL AR glasses, and general SBS mode. also anaglyph trioviz glasses
Run AltspaceVR 2D Mode.exe in the windows build for these extra features.
A huge thanks to gfodor for all his work over the years tirelesly working to make Altspace great and now for bringing this free enhancement to make non-vr users more present in the world with you.
That's all for now folks! Remember to get involved you can sign up at https://altvr.app or join in the conversation on discord at https://discord.gg/altvr
Thank you all for being part of this journey!
Be there, together. Again.
AltspaceVR Team
u/shakamone — 4 days ago
▲ 3 r/Quest3
AltspaceVR Development Update!
Hey all!
We announced AltspaceVR was returning 17 days ago, it's been quite an exciting ride sice then. We have had a lot of things going on over in the community and I wanted to share an update with you!
If you want to get involved you can sign up at https://altvr.app or join in the conversation on discord at https://discord.gg/altvr
Offline Alpha
We've already had a first look at what the Altspace build will look like. We released an early alpha for world builders to get a taste of what it will be like to build. This build lets you try out around 20 worlds that have already been created by some eager world builders.
This build is offline - it does not yet let you join your friends yet. It does however work in and out of VR on both PC and Quest. You can grab it over on https://altvr.app/download or on Meta Quest here: https://www.meta.com/s/7lAdY1YRr
The brand new wesbite!
You can already sign up, add friends and send messages to your peeps! We took photos submitted by the community and embeded their avatars into the homepage, check it out: https://altvr.app
https://i.redd.it/uyd37o7e5pjh1.gif
Avatars! Avatars! Avatars!
We had two live stage sessions in discord in the first two weeks. The first reached 60 audience members and featured Christian Boe (original designer of the Altspace robots) sketch out avatar designs live with feedback from the community for over 3 hours. The second reached 90 people and we hammered out how avatars should work and what makes them special to users on Altspace.
We also realised we need to prioritise humanoid avatars with the sort of expressive features people have come to expect from Altspace, and we have already begun to work on those! Starting with the eyes as so many people have pointed out int he feedback that how the eyes worked in Altspace was one of their favorite avatars features.
So here are a few things we have already decided together as a community.
- We will have both robots and humanoids, hopefully both at launch.
- We may also have pets/maascots - small buddies in VR that can serve multiple purposes.
- You will earn XP the more you interact with Altspace and earn new cosmetics for your avatars.
- At level 50 you will earn a signle custom avatar slot to be able to use your own custom avatar.
The main feedback that came out of the last stage was that people wanted to identify with their avatars, to feel a personal attached connection espeically with the built in robot/humanoid avatars. A lot of users also wanted the option to use custom avatars.
We will also release the source files for our own humanoids and robot avatars too up front - we wnat to encourage people to use these as a base to create their custom avatars when they reach level 50.
So what does all of this mean for avatars?
Everyone will start out with our built-in robot and humanoid avatars. As you spend time in Altspace, take part in the community and earn XP, you'll level up and unlock more cosmetics, accessories and other rewards along the way.
When you reach Level 50, you'll unlock a single custom avatar slot. You'll be able to import your own custom avatar, or download the source files for our built-in robots and humanoids and use those as a starting point to create something that's completely yours.
We also heard pretty clearly that not everyone wants custom avatars everywhere, so we're building that choice into the system too. Worlds will be able to choose whether custom avatars are enabled, and events can temporarily override that setting. On top of that, you get to decide what you personally see - follow the world setting, always see built-in avatars, or always see custom avatars.
The important bit is that your choice only affects you. Turning custom avatars on doesn't force anyone else to see them, and turning them off doesn't stop anyone else from enjoying them. Hopefully that means we can keep the familiar Altspace identity people are attached to, while also giving people who want more freedom a way to really express themselves.
We are super excited about this, and we hope you are too!
World Building
We will have world building of course! It will work in several ways, but here is some highlights:
- Unity worlds will be built with URP.
- We already have a Unity Uplaoder and it works really well on Windows and Mac.
- A built-in world builder enabling in-game building is also already in the works.
We already have great results on Quest and WIndows with postprocesing on all platforms, performance is already looking good and the community is already testing it out. Our in-game builder already has a huge number of kit objects built in, over 9500 objects for you to play with and place in your worlds. Within the next week we will have a beta that includes in-game world building but here's an early shot of what the builder already looks like (some of you may recognise it):
2D Mode/Pancake Mode/Non-VR Mode
We teamed up with one of the original staff members gfodor to integrate an awesome new project he has been working on which greatly enhances the presense people get while using Altspace outside of VR. PortalVR extends the capabilities of desktop VR applications to include motion controllers, hand and head tracking, and 3D display/AR support, and we're going to include those features in the 2D version of the AltspaceVR beta to see what the community thinks. Though not all of them are inegrated with Altspace yet, we hope to get them all implemented in the near future.
- Support for VR controllers in 2d mode, Quest 1/2/3, PICO 3/4, Galaxy XR (Vive and Index controllers aren't working yet with the standalone runtime version)
- Joy-Con 1 + 2 tracking on webcam or iPhone
- Smartphone controller (iPhone or Android app that turns the phone into a 6dof controller)
- Head/Face/Hand tracking
- Support for Odyssey 3D and other leia 3d displays, VITURE and XREAL AR glasses, and general SBS mode. also anaglyph trioviz glasses
Run AltspaceVR 2D Mode.exe in the windows build for these extra features.
A huge thanks to gfodor for all his work over the years tirelesly working to make Altspace great and now for bringing this free enhancement to make non-vr users more present in the world with you.
That's all for now folks! Remember to get involved you can sign up at https://altvr.app or join in the conversation on discord at https://discord.gg/altvr
Thank you all for being part of this journey!
Be there, together. Again.
AltspaceVR Team
u/shakamone — 4 days ago
AltspaceVR Will Relaunch This Fall Under SideQuest CEO Shane Harris
uploadvr.comu/shakamone — 20 days ago
SideQuest is Reviving Microsoft's Social VR Platform 'Altspace' This Fall
roadtovr.comu/shakamone — 21 days ago
AltspaceVR is returning this fall, this time for real!
Hey Folks,
So this isn't news for some of you, but Altspace is coming back this year. You may have seen other posts about this in the last 12 months, but this one is a real guarantee and will happen. In the coming weeks and months you will see more regular updates, developer reels, speed run videos of the design process and the juicy details of what's to come.
Who am i?
My name is Shane, and I'm the CEO of SideQuest. We recently acquired the rights to the Altspace name and we have the motivation, experience and backing to bring it back in all it's glory. This will be a brand new Altspace, but it will truly be a spiritual successor to the Altspace we know and love and capture what made it great. Let's dive in to how I will pull this off.
Here's whats happening:
Later this year we will re-launch Altspace with a lot of the features and functionality that it had around 2016-2017. I have assembled an elite team of previous Altspace staffers as well as some of the most prolific OG players and we are already hard at work figuring out all the important stuff like how it will work, what we will prioritise and understanding what needs to happen to make it great.
Bring back the robots!
I have been working for several weeks now with the original concept designer behind the original robots in Altspace, Christian Boe - https://christianboe.com/portfolio/altspace-vr/ and together we have been working on creating a brand new set of Altspace robots, they have a modern spin but still pay homage to the OG Altspace robots. I will be sharing more behind the scenes footage and concepts in the coming weeks. We will have variations, accessories and even support for creating your own custom avatars too.
AMA
Please ask me anything you want to know about how this is going to work, we don't have all the answers yet but I am eager to get as much feedback as I can from the community to help shape the future of Altspace.
My Origin Story: Why this matters to Me.
Many moons ago I was just hanging out in VR, and I found Altspace. I was into web based development so I was amazed to find out how building worked, using tools like three.js and aframe.js. I spent a few months making spaces for myself, for some other groups in the community and eventually I built the ultimate tool - a space making interface called "Shane's Editor. It was popular, and in a few short weeks there was hundreds of user making thousands of spaces.
Altspace was evolving, and part of that involved moving away from the web based development. This meant Shane's Editor no longer had a home, I decided to spin it out into my own app. I originally submitted this app to Meta for approval on the Quest 1 for store release and they said no, so I built SideQuest so other developers like me could release their apps and reach VR users. Now nearly 7 years, millions of users and millions of dollars later, I have come full circle. We are re-launching Altspace for a modern audience, while keeping it authentic to what Altspace was in its prime. We are turning back the clock, bringing back the robots and making Altspace like it was supposed to be.
u/shakamone — 21 days ago