At the start of the month, we reported that AltspaceVR, a social VR platform, was due to close due to a lack of investment. Here we are, three weeks past the date of closure and it seems that all is not lost.
We recently received an email from AltspaceVR to say that the service is going to continue, following the outpouring of support from users and fans.
You all made this happen by sharing memories, videos, tweets, and emails. So many of you wrote to us asking if they could donate or help. You told the world how much AltspaceVR meant to you and how you had made good memories and lasting friendships. Your messages of encouragement brought us smiles during a pretty gloomy time.
While there are no details about what has happened, whether this is an injection of cash from an investor or an acquisition, but the company wanted to get the word out that there will be more to come from AltspaceVR in the coming weeks.
Just after AltspaceVR was due to closer, founder and CEO, Eric Romo, tweeted this optimistic missive.
Hey @AltspaceVR I'm thinking we keep the lights on a little longer. Just in case… Sound ok to you?
— Eric Romo (@_Eric_Romo) August 4, 2017
AltspaceVR is still open to users with the virtual hangout section remaining while other parts of the platform are currently closed. There were rumors that Oculus founder Palmer Luckey was intending to invest in the platform to save it after Luckey started a twitter poll to ask followers if he should do.
Should I try to save @AltspaceVR? (caveat: may not be possible)
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) July 29, 2017
Fan support leading to the saving of a much-loved piece of software has already happened once in the last month. Microsoft’s Paint software was due to be axed with the next windows update, but a large wave of support online convinced the company to keep Paint as a downloadable app for Windows 10.