Did you forget that Facebook built the OASIS? The company has been working for some time on its multiplayer virtual space for virtual reality, Horizon, which is comparable in concept or scope to the fantastic VR world of Ready Player One. This week, the company announced that it is expanding access and making Horizon a public beta that invites only.
When it comes to the public beta, Horizon is out with new games and environments. Facebook also introduces new tools to combat abuse on the platform, including the option to step away from the VR world in a “Personal Safe Zone” where you can silence, block and report the people and content around you You can join Horizon’s waiting list here.
The app (service? Social network? Game space?) Is, in Facebook’s own words, “an ever-expanding universe of virtual experiences designed and built by the entire community.” That means you can hang out and chat with people in Horizon with custom VR avatars, or play games and activities built with the app’s internal tools. In that respect, Horizon is similar to Roblox, which has gained immense popularity by allowing users to build their own experiences.
First-hand reports of points of sale included CNET en Engadget offer some interesting insights into how Horizon is right now. They describe playing simple games like Balloon Bash (a water balloon “shooter”), participate in a game show called Interdimensional (built around a series of timed escape rooms and puzzles), and experiment with a flexible creation mode that lets you build custom environments with 3D shapes and templates.
“In many ways it reminded me of the white emptiness of The Matrix – a room full of unlimited potential and creativity, ”says Engadget‘s Devindra Hardawar on Horizon’s creative mode. “Within a few minutes, my guide turned the empty space into a virtual beach, complete with sand, water and a golden sunset. All the while, I spent a few minutes trying to make a palm tree.”
Horizon is in itself interesting as a major experiment in the future of online socialization. But it is also possible that Facebook wants to make more of the tool at a time when personal socializing is so much more challenging. The company’s big annual VR conference, Facebook Connect (formerly Oculus Connect) is scheduled for September 16, and it will be interesting to see if Horizon takes center stage or not.
