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The Immersive Wire - 15 December 2021 (News edition)

The Immersive Wire - 15 December 2021 (News edition)

December 15, 2021

By Tom FfiskeVR/AR and metaverse analysis every Wednesday and Sunday

// 15 December 2021

Had a close call with someone who had Covid-19, but avoided it by not going to a nearby bar. Turns out being an antisocial hermit has its benefits.

 

TOP STORYEntertainment and Google's potential expansion

Google is making a team to build an

  • The significance of the story is that we hear little from Google about their AR efforts, save their AR Core activities and their enterprise-level Google Glass.

  • Too early to say what kind of device it is, but the job listing says it intends to reach 'billions,' so we can assume it is for a consumer audience. One to keep an eye on.

Dreamcam revealed statistics about adult content use across

  • Some context; the adult entertainment industry is typically an accelerant for tech, where their adoption sees a surge in progress and adoption (see: video tapes). It is also one of the most lucrative areas of VR, where people make a lot of money on the platform.

  • At the same time, it also feeds into the dehumanising effects it has on women, and the grip of companies like Mindgeek put some people in danger. My perspective is that it is an area to keep an eye on, but not delve too much deeper.

  • Today is an exception, as we have some really interesting stats on how much adult content is used on the platform. The findings were gathered from a 3,000 person study that was conducted across the U.S. and U.K., and it found:

    • The number of female VR porn users almost tripled from 2019 to 2021 (from where to where? likely low numbers);

    • Over 83% of VR headset users watched VR porn at least once before;

    • 67% of users bought VR headsets exclusively for adult content (shockingly high);

    • 71% of men originally purchased a VR headset to watch VR porn content compared to only 9% among women.

  • In any case, over two thirds of people surveyed bought headsets exclusively for adult content. It raises the questions of how they did the survey, but any figure close to that is bonkers. I wonder what VR headset manufacturers think about that...

VirZOOM shipped the first commercial VR Exercise solution in 2016. Today, thousands of VZfit members cycle through 10 million miles of roads mapped by Google Streetview, pedal tanks in multiplayer tank battles, fly helicopters in a firefight, fly a winged horse to soar 100s of feet high through a canyon, among many games that get you fit while you explore and play!Invest to join in for as little as $500.

OTHER STORIESMetaverse expansions and digital twin campuses

  • FRAME VR had some new updates for their platform.

  • Gala Games welcomed The Sims creator Will Wright to the company, to assist in the development of the VOX metaverse.

  • Geenee announced the availability of our WebAR virtual try-on SDK for developers.

  • Magnopus worked with the World Expo to create the Expo Dubai Xplorer multiplayer experience.

  • Nike bought RTFKT to build NFTs 'for the metaverse.'

    • We will see how it actually ties to the metaverse. Again, may well be using the word as a marketing hook.

  • Omdia research revealed that 12.5 million consumer VR headsets were sold in 2021, with content spend expected to exceed $2bn.

    • Again, treat analyst numbers with a pinch of salt.

  • Radiance announced the public release of the Radiance VR App.

  • Spatial announced their intention to become the metaverse for cultural events such as NFT exhibitions, brand experiences, and conferences.

    • Spatial also announced $25 million in new funding as part of its growth financing plans.

    • Best to see this as a small company pivot to exploit new market opportunities. Makes sense, honestly.

  • Spotselfie announced the beta launch of Spotland, the ability for a user to own digital land at any real GPS location.

  • Typeone will preview an immersive Web 3.0 experience at Artsect Gallery. The company is using a mix of AR and VR to create an interactive portal to a bleak, unpopulated future.

    • It's amazing how they managed to peek into my own life.

  • Vaidehi’s Pink Reindeer as a project from an up-and-coming creative in London.

  • Vertigo Games launched their VR co-op survival action FPS After the Fall on Meta Quest 2, PlayStation VR and Steam.

  • VictoryXR and Meta announced they are working together to launch digital twin campuses, at both colleges and universities, in the United States in 2022.

  • Visualise worked with Harrods to make a WebAR experience.

  • XR Safety Initiative launched the Metaverse Reality Check (MRC), a global oversight board.

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That's all for this week! Want to have a chat, let me know about a news story, or talk business? Either reply to this email, or contact tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com. Have an excellent day!