The Immersive Wire - 3 August 2022 (News edition)

3 August 2022 //

by Tom Ffiske

Metaverse and VR/AR analysis every Wednesday and Sunday

Learning three.js at the moment and kind of loving it. First coding language that I properly vibe with. If Any materials helped you with your learning journey, do share and I can take a peek. Additionally, I wrote a piece for TechInformed on how marketeers can navigate the metaverse, if you want to

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TOP STORYShunning the Tinderverse

Tinder swipes left on its

metaverse ambitions.

• I mean, if you call it the 'Tinderverse,' I am not surprised it died a little.

• Jokes aside, it's a major pivot. The company acquired companies to build its capabilities (like Hyperconnect) and ran its own currency. It even wanted to make a digital town for single people, via avatars. But the technology was not quite there, and its being deprioritised.

• Perhaps its one example of building its own metaverse falling through, and will evaluate it carefully. Or perhaps it was not strategically sound. But either way, it's a case study for how building ones own capabilities can fall through.

 Xiaomi revealed their own AR specs,

solely for China.

• It costs ~$370 to preorder, and has big perks like a 50-megapixel camera.

• But its battery life is low, at 100 minutes of continuous use. Perhaps not long enough.

• It is also marketed as a consumer product, when it is more bulky - It should be a little slicker if it wants to go for a wider audience.

• Still, Xiaomi is a massive success story and one to keep a very close eye on as it developers its hardware.

wonders.ai worked with a Vtuber agency to allow them to 'appear' in real life

• Vtubers are on the cusp of metaverse discussions, but I wanted to use it as an opportunity to highlight why eople should keep a close eye on them.

• Ultimately, it comes down to identity. We will see people with virtual masks rake in massive audiences, as personalities that entertains and educates. As the metaverse develops, Vtubers today have certain skillsets that may be desirable in the future.

• I recommend keeping an eye on them. We may well see an anonymous Vtuber reach fame (or infamy) over the next few years, and the avatars will have a compotent to play in a future metaverse.

Photo credit: Xiaomi

What do you think of the Tinderverse? Join the discussion and meet like-minded professionals on the

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The Economist's Metaverse Summit 2022 will help senior leaders define and build mixed-reality experiences that will add economic and social value. The event will take place on October 26-27th, consisting of an in-person experience on October 26th in San Jose and one day in the metaverse on October 27th. Be in the room where enterprises will build a better Web3 future and understand where the metaverse meets NFTs, gaming, crypto and blockchain to create value. Register free here

OTHER STORIESEvents galore

Got any news? Let me know by replying to this email, or emailing tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com.

• AR/VR Policy Conference will happen in the US on 14 September.

• AR Art Summit will happen on 14 to 15 September.

• Carry Me Home is a mixed reality circus experience, and it is live now.

  • Also, two people whi helped make it proposed on one showing. Cute!

• Engage XR announced it is trading in line with expectations with H1 2022, with revenue up 62%.

• FaceCake and Company.com have entered into a strategic partnership to give companies access to FaceCake’s AI-Driven Augmented Reality Visual Commerce platform.

• FitXR announced Lisa Raggiri as its new CMO.

  • A reminder to readers; I am happy to include senior appointments, so please email me if you wish to be included.

• Glimpse Group announced that Brightline Interactive has joined the organisation.

• Groove Jones worked with Royal Caribbean International to make a massive 4D and immersive experience.

• Immersive Gamebox will release a Squid Game gaming experience in collaboration with Netflix, this September.

• PATRÓN Tequila worked with Razorfish to make “Summer Made Sensational: A PATRÓN Pop-Up Series',' an immersive cocktail quest.

• Pico 4 had its controllers leaked, exclusively dropped by The Ghost Howls.

• RealWear launched RealWear Cloud.

• Spotselfie launched The SAM Business Portal, which helps companies place GPS-located AR ads.

• Synaptic Black announced that they have launched their service targeting businesses and brands that want to build their own metaverse experiences.

• Wales Millennium Centre launched BIOCS, a dedicated immersive and XR arts venue.

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!