The Immersive Wire - 19 January 2022 (News edition)

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

// 19 January 2022

Editing a book is... difficult, but I am almost there. Saturdays are now fueled by herbal teas and The Witcher (yes, I am catching up).

More details on The Metaverse: A Professional Guide

TOP STORIESMicrosoft dishing out a Blizzard of dollar bills

Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard, and its CEO mentioned the metaverse as part of the

business strategy. 

• Please tread this with some salt. The acquisition is, first and foremost, a video game strategy for Microsoft to reinforce its position by bringing in-house some powerful IPs. It reminded me a little of when VR companies suddenly said they were 'building the metaverse' in 2021. 

• But as part of the announcement, the metaverse was mentioned. “Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” the CEO Satya Nadella said.

• What's unclear is how it's a metaverse play. Yes, gaming is a way for people to come together and socialise; but Microsoft has not explored how it can be folded together as part of an expansive and interoperable virtual world. If we see Master Chief leaping from Fortnite to VRChat to Rec Room, then we are well and truly in the metaverse; but right now we will see Master Chief drinking mojitos next to Crash Bandicoot within the high green walls of the Microsoft ecosystem.  

• Remember also that Microsoft once mentioned the 'enterprise metaverse,' which is as vague as a wispy cloud on a Spring day. 

• The reality is that Microsoft is building something metaverse-related, and there is nothing public yet on what it can look like. We have to sit back and see what their vision will look like, and how it will come together. But I can't imagine the gaming side to represent a metaverse anytime soon. 

If this is the metaverse Microsoft wants, I am all in. Photo credit: Doom Crossing. 

The Metaverse: A Professional Guide sorts the sense from the nonsense, giving experts insights and guidance on how to navigate the burgeoning world of immersive technologies. By the end, you will have a firm grasp of the metaverse and all the contingent technologies that link to its foundations.Out 2 February. Keep an eye on this newsletter for exclusive peeks and updates. 

OTHER STORIES

• Apple may have delayed its headset to 2023.

  • Again, treat rumors with a pinch of salt. 

• Arden analysis found that £154m worth of capital flowed into the private virtual reality sector in 2021, compared to less than £90m in 2020.

• Emissive showcased a virtual recreation of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in partnership with Orange.

• Magic Leap is targeting medical customers. 

• MoveStreets is the first UK property portal to go into the metaverse, purchasing its very own digital land on The Sandbox.

  • Honestly, I am unsure if this counts as a metaverse play or not. 

  • Pro: The Sandbox is a great example of what a metaverse could look like, so buying land in it is a sign. 

  • Con: Anyone can buy any virtual land in any virtual game and call it a metaverse play. Was buying something in Second Life a metaverse play? 

  • I lean towards the latter, but what do you think? 

• nDreams announced nDreams Studio Elevation, which will focus on creating AAA and core VR gaming experiences.

• Purdue University Global School of Nursing is working with incideVR to deliver the Clinic Immersives by Purdue University Global. 

• Walmart might be making a metaverse play. 

  • Well, if you define investigating cryptocurrencies and NFTs a metaverse move. 

• Yahaha Studios received an investment of $50m, following three rounds of funding in six months.

• The State of the AR/VR survey is now live, powered by SlashData. The survey is a chance to influence the trends of tomorrow and make an impact on the ecosystem. In return, you could enter prize draws to win new AR/VR gear. For every completed response, the State of the AR/VR  survey is donating money on your behalf to a charity of your choice. To help, answer a few questions & win new gear.*

*This is a sponsored item from SlashData. 

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Under this dynamic umbrella, Wikitude, a Qualcomm company, shapes the future of augmented reality by empowering businesses and developers. We are looking for an experienced XR Software Engineer Networking to drive the architecture, development, and deployment of core parts of our XR toolkit. A successful candidate has extensive experience in multiplayer streaming and can apply it to XR experiences. Do you have a solid technical background, a passion for the XR industry, and enjoy working with engineering teams? Apply hereXR CONTENT DIRECTOR, Pixo VR. The VR marketplace is exploding, and PIXO is leading the way in on-demand generation and adoption in our industry. With our groundbreaking PIXO ApexTM platform, we provide comprehensive, end-to-end VR content, distribution, and management solutions for enterprise. PIXO VR is searching for an XR Content Director to join our team. Reporting to the COO, the Content Director will manage the overall production, procurement and growth strategy for our XR content library. Working with a team of offshore and onshore designers, engineers, artists, marketers, and 3rd party content developers, the Content Director will ensure PIXO is delivering an exceptional content experience to all our end users. Check out further details here. SDK TECHNICAL ENGINEER, Pico Interactive Europe. As SDK Technical Engineer you will be responsible for investigating/troubleshooting issues reported, and collecting/consolidating customer requirements back to the Beijing DevSupport team. Through this role you will be the technical liaison between Pico Interactive Europe customers and Pico product teams to ensure Europe region's commercial success. In Europe, Pico is one of the premier enterprise hardware companies in the rapidly growing VR market. Click here for more.TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER, Pico Interactive Europe. As Technical Project Manager you will be responsible for evaluating improvements to the devices, services, logistics, and operations to continue the high growth business of Pico Interactive Europe. In Europe, Pico is one of the premier enterprise hardware companies in the rapidly growing VR market. The Pico Europe business is responsible for all business opportunities in Europe, Israel, Russian Federation and India. Click here for more. DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER. ArborXR is device management for AR & VR devices. We power some of the largest headset deployments in the world with Fortune 500, ISVs and companies around the world. Looking for someone with experience in the B2B SAAS marketing space who would enjoy working with a fully remote team based in the US, Canada and Europe. Would join a quickly growing marketing team with a hot product that is selling rapidly. 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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!