"That virtual Burning Man experience not only attracted around 13,000 visitors, but also accolades from the Producers Guild of America. The success led to the decision to keep the digital version of Burning Man going even when the real-life festival returned in 2021. BRCvr, named after the festival's temporary Black Rock City settlement, became a recurring Burning Man outpost in VR."
"When Altspace shut down, we were a little bit lost in the woods, says Athena Demos, CEO of Big Rock Creative, the company behind BRCvr. Eager to find a replacement, Demos and BRCvr cofounder Doug Jacobson toured over 40 social VR platforms, only to walk away disappointed time and again. We realized: There's no platform out there that has all the [features] we need, Jacobson recalls, like the ability to upload huge amounts of content."
Burning Man attendees recreated the festival on Altspace in 2020 after the live event was canceled, attracting about 13,000 visitors and earning industry recognition. The digital project continued into 2021 as BRCvr, featuring virtual hangouts and replicas of iconic structures like The Man. Microsoft shut down Altspace in early 2023, ending the hosted virtual Burning Man and prompting the BRCvr team to search more than 40 social VR platforms for a replacement. After finding no platform with required capabilities such as large-content uploads, the team developed their own social VR app, The BurnerSphere, releasing a beta for VR headsets and desktop PCs.
Read at www.theverge.com
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