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AltspaceVR goes darkish in March as a part of mum or dad firm Microsoft’s current restructuring. According to a current publish on its web site, the VR-based social house will formally sundown on March 10 in favor of Microsoft Mesh. It’s providing customers an opportunity to say goodbye to the platform and obtain their content material earlier than it goes offline.
Microsoft acquired AltspaceVR in 2017, shortly after the startup firm ran out of cash. The crew stated that it plans to “shift our focus to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh.” Instead of specializing in shopper experiences, Mesh is a brand new platform geared toward bringing social VR to the office.
This week, Microsoft started a sequence of layoffs throughout its portfolio in an effort to chop prices. These layoffs embody workers at Xbox, Bethesda Game Studios and 343 Industries. It’s not clear if the closure of AltspaceVR is a part of the final reductions, however Satya Nadella stated in a current weblog publish that the corporate will “continue to invest in strategic areas for our future, meaning we are allocating both our capital and talent to areas of secular growth and long-term competitiveness for the company, while divesting in other areas.”
Microsoft has supplied directions on how customers can obtain their content material and host farewell occasions. It additionally acknowledged the customers who’ve logged a substantial period of time in Altspace saying, “it has been a privilege to help unlock passions among users, from educational opportunities for personal growth to the development of unique and wonderful events, groundbreaking art, and immersive experiences — enabling this community to achieve more.”
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