Facebook on Tuesday announced the beta
launch of Facebook Spaces, a new app that
allows users to connect with friends and
colleagues in an interactive virtual reality
environment. Facebook Spaces is available for
Oculus Rift and Touch at the Oculus Store.
The app provides a way for social media users
to hang out as they might otherwise in person --
even bridging great distances -- noted Rachel
Franklin, head of social VR at Facebook.
An avatar represents each user in Facebook
Spaces. Its appearance is based on the user's
photo, but can be further modified with choices
of eye color, hairstyle and facial features that
best fit the person's identity.
After creating a virtual persona, users can use
Messenger to connect with friends, interact in
360-degree spaces, and utilize the app's selfie
stick to further manipulate photos in the VR
environment.
Social VR Becomes a Reality
Facebook acquired Oculus VR just over three
years ago for a reported US$2 billion. The deal
included $400 million in cash, along with 23.1
million in Facebook shares. Another $300 million
would sweeten the deal if and when certain
milestones were hit.
Facebook hinted at how it might socialize virtual
reality in a demo at last year's F8 developer
conference. Two employees engaged in a virtual
space, even though the pair actually were 30
miles apart.
With this week's beta launch, the technology
now is open to anyone with an Oculus Rift.
"This is the proof of concept right now," said
Michael Inouye, principal analyst at ABI
Research.
My VR Space
Facebook Spaces isn't exactly ready for the
mainstream yet.
"It is still expensive to get into the tethered VR
space that is required to access Facebook
Spaces," Inouye told TechNewsWorld.
"It will cost about $1,000 for the hardware, plus
the computer to run it, so this is still very much
a beta and experimental technology," he said.
"The most interesting thing about Facebook
Spaces right now is the real-world/VR
integration," observed Stephanie Llamas, lead
analyst for AR/VR technology at SuperData
Research.
"There isn't a big enough VR install base --
particularly on the Oculus Rift -- for multiplayer
or social applications to make sense on its own,"
she told TechNewsWorld.
"Allowing people to connect inside and outside
of a headset is key," Llamas said, "and this also
helps reach people beyond the guarded Oculus
ecosystem and sparks the curiosity of a wider
audience."
Real Problems to Solve
There are several issues that need to be
addressed before Facebook Spaces can offer a
true VR experience, which is why software has
been released in beta form.
One significant problem is the barrier to entry
on the VR side, said Llamas, especially as many
users may not have many friends who already
have bought into the Oculus platform.
"This will really need to work seamlessly and be
more than a novelty to encourage people to
come back," she cautioned. "Otherwise, curious
users will log on once or twice and then just go
back to regular Facebook -- something they are
already comfortable with and they can quickly
open on all their devices."
There are technological issues as well.
"There still needs to be better eye tracking and
better tracking of movement, which would make
this more immersing," said ABI Research's
Inouye.
The Money Won't Be Virtual
One thing Facebook certainly will want to do is
ensure that the technology can be monetized in
the real world.
"That is the bigger issue Facebook could face,"
said Inouye.
"Will we see billboards in the backgrounds of the
VR world, or will there be virtual items that are
branded?" he wondered.
The biggest hurdle will be getting people to use
it.
"There have been a lot of social worlds -- VR or
otherwise -- that haven't played out," Inouye
pointed out. "There wasn't enough to do -- and
if none of your friends have Oculus, you are a
party of one, which is contrary to how Facebook
is all about connecting with your friends."
source: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Facebook-Builds-a-VR-Space-but-Will-Anyone-Come-84468.html

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