In Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality News
May 5, 2022 – Spatial, the former augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) collaboration platform that is now focused on the metaverse, has today announced a significant new look as the platform further evolves towards mass adoption and consumer verticals. In addition, the company has announced a new partnership with Ready Player Me, which will bring full-body, customizable avatars to the platform and will give people more freedom to express themselves and interact in Web3, as well as unlock wearable and accessory assets that can be monetized as NFTs. The announcement is a part of Spatial’s focus on bringing greater representation and inclusivity to self-identity in Web3.
“Over the last 6 months we’ve seen so many use cases that have both inspired and surprised us in equal measure. Together, we are creating a world online where you can almost do it all!” said Jacob Loewenstein, Head of Growth at Spatial. “Our creators & partners continue to push the boundaries of possibility, bringing communities together through customized experiential spaces. Adding legs to our avatars is so much more than just a feature update — it transforms the experience and opens doors to a host of new audiences. We’re committed to supporting inclusivity, self-identity & representation in virtual space and believe fashion is a core component on this journey.”
Spatial Co-founder and CPO Jinha Lee added: “Spatial believes deeply in open and interoperable standards so we’re excited to adopt an avatar solution that enables users’ identities to persist across experiences. We are driven by providing a home for anyone from the creator premiering a new collection at an exhibition, to watch parties, runway shows or people looking for a place online for mental calm and freedom of expression.”
With the Ready Player Me integration, avatars will be able to curate exhibitions, host live events, and socialize more dynamically in Spatial experiences and Web3. Spatial has also upgraded its photorealistic avatars to full body. Plus, as part of the company’s mission to be the most inclusive platform on the market, Spatial will be premiering more culturally relevant clothing including hijabs & sari’s for women, with further customizations including non-binary avatars. Spatial noted that this will be a continued area of exploration for the company, helping people interact and express themselves in ways that feel aligned with their physical and cultural identities.
“Spatial has been one of the most requested integrations by our users,” said Timmu Tõke, CEO & Co-Founder of Ready Player Me. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring our full-body avatars to Spatial and give users of the platform a completely new way to express themselves in Web3.”
Spatial has seen a variety of use-cases on the platform since its initial pivot in December 2021, including larger collaborations and NFT drops with artists, musicians and athletes. Spatial also has existing partnerships with NFT marketplaces Opensea, SuperRare and Rarible. NFT’s are available to view and purchase directly within Spatial and the company recently announced support for Polygon (with further blockchain support in the works). All in a bid to ensure an open, multi-chain platform that supports artists and collectors through every step from creation to sale.
Spatial states that it has built its entire platform with creators at the center and offers utility through templates or custom-built galleries that allow creators to make a living by allowing them to mint and sell their digital assets and environments as NFTs on Web3. According to Spatial, with 10x growth since December, the platform currently hosts over 350,000 spaces with almost 8,000,000 minutes a month spent in Spatial galleries this year.
For more information on Spatial and its metaverse platform offering, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Spatial
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.