Jason Moore has posted a project update for his MetaMovie (MM) Project on YouTube, to thank the backers of his project and to show off some of the work they have been able to do on their new production, Alien Rescue, on the NeosVR platform:
I think this project is a win-win for both parties. The MetaMovie Project benefits from the many features offered by NeosVR (such as really alien-looking aliens!) and NeosVR benefits from the exposure and attention that the MetaMovie Project brings to the platform. No doubt, fans of Jason’s previous MM work on High Fidelity will come over to NeosVR to see and participate in his latest production, Alien Rescue!
Here’s a previous episode of my show, the Metaverse Newscast, where I interviewed Jason Moore about the MetaMovie Project when it was still on High Fidelity (they moved to NeosVR in August, after this was taped):
Notice how Jason Moore has been able to bring over his tuxedo-clad bulldog avatar over from High Fidelity to NeosVR! I think this is wonderful, ground-breaking project in immersive entertainment, and I would like to wish both Jason and his team at the MetaMovie project, as well as the NeosVR team, every success in this endeavour.
Did you know that you can help support my work on this blog (as well as the Metaverse Newscast show), and get some great rewards in return? Here’s how.
Tomáš Mariančík (a.k.a. Frooxius), the extremely talented software developer who is building NeosVR, and Karel Hulec (the co-founder and CEO of Solirax, the Czech company building NeosVR) wanted to thank their many Patreon supporters. As of today, NeosVR has 225 patrons providing almost US$3,500 a month in financial support. It is a model of crowdfunding support for social VR.
Frooxius says in the thank-you video:
…We decided to start a Patreon. We didn’t expect much, but looking back, it’s one of the best decisions we have ever made.
You absolutely need to watch this five-minute video, which demonstrates so many of the mind-blowing, amazing features of NeosVR!
Mark my words: NeosVR is a social VR platform to watch.
Jason has announced that, after he has completed work on his current production, The Heist, he will be moving the MetaMovie project from High Fidelity to the indie social VR platform NeosVR:
Hi Ryan, my plan is to keep The Heist on High Fidelity and run it several more times this summer and by September put it down for good. I’ll keep the domain up and running and might consider some one-time performances, but yeah, for my next MetaMovie, Alien Rescue, I’m 95% sure I’m going to NeosVR. I like their powerful engine and the vibe is more artist and creator focused than VRChat, and while I like Sansar, I am most intrigued by the possibilities in NeosVR. Just need to have one more in-depth conversation with the guys over there to make sure I have accounted for all the tech issues. I’m super excited about Alien Rescue and can’t wait to put YOU through it! It’s going to be special.
…after speaking more with Mr. MegaTronic at NeosVR (I think he’s on the team, handling marketing stuff), I learned they are implementing a plan to offer hosted domains for members at Patreon and Pro levels, which is great and seals it for me: Alien Rescue will be on NeosVR. He also explained their vision for the future (feature parity with other platforms, and then even more). I think NeosVR is a social VR platform to watch. I describe it as the Vimeo to VRChat’s YouTube: more aimed at content creators BUT also cool and inviting and welcoming to the user base… They are designing a powerful engine and creating a warm and friendly environment. According to Chris McBride, only NeosVR can give him the tools to make the types of avatars I require for Alien Rescue (my goal is to help Chris create some of the most original and interesting avatars in the metaverse!).
Poster for Alien Rescue, the Next MetaMovie Project
This is a win-win situation for both parties: NeosVR can nimbly meet any special requests for features needed by MetaMovie, and MetaMovie will no doubt bring in more users to NeosVR and showcase the platform. Congratulations to both Jason Moore and his MetaMovie players and to Tomáš Mariančík and his team at NeosVR! I’m quite looking forward to seeing their next production in their new home.
UPDATE 8:57 a.m.: Jason further explains the reasoning behind his decision to change platforms:
NeosVR is an exciting new platform that has a lot to offer. The engine itself is incredibly powerful and we feel it offers us the most options for building complex, beautiful virtual worlds. Their approach to avatar design is also really progressive. On Alien Rescue we are really pushing the envelope of avatar design – wild, weird and wooly alien creatures – and my avatar designer, Chris McBride, has said he feels that only NeosVR has the toolset to accomplish what we are trying to do. Alien Rescue will be three to four times as complex as The Heist, and we need a close relationship with the platform’s development team if we are going to pull this off. The entire team at NeosVR is highly skilled, incredibly friendly, and they get things done. Finally, the vibe in NeosVR is just right: they are focused on giving content creators the tools they need to do amazing stuff, but non-builders are just as welcomed and the atmosphere, as I think you’ve noticed yourself, is fun, playful, and welcoming. I have learned so much from running the first two MetaMovies in High Fidelity, and for the last 3 years or so have benefitted greatly from their platform and community. I will keep my New New York domain up and running and public in High Fidelity, and I am certainly not abandoning that platform. I really hope that the new direction they are going in – which isn’t really a good fit for my project – will allow them to find some financial footing so they can continue their great work, and if and when they return to a more social VR direction, I will absolutely run another MetaMovie there. But for where this project is going, I need a social VR platform with great tools, a responsive dev team, and a growing user base of friendly and cool people. That’s NeosVR in a nutshell and I am thrilled to be taking the project there.
I’m going to say this again: NeosVR is a social VR platform to watch.
NeosVR recently started a series of Twitch livestream broadcasts where Nexulan plays the role of genial host, gently herding a group of avatars from place to place within NeosVR to demonstrate various cool experiences and features. Tomáš Mariančík (a.k.a. Frooxius), the extremely talented software developer who is building NeosVR, comes along for the ride. They’re doing this to gain followers on Twitch and promote awareness of their social VR platform.
a working grappling hook to allow an avatar using it to swing from place to place like Batman or Spiderman;
a planet launcher that launches custom-designed mini planets into space, where the planets have gravity and you can actually run around the entire circumference of the planet (including being upside down at the “south pole” from the perspective of other users);
an actual milkable cow—you pull on the udder and the milk fills a pail!
The livestreams really show off the capabilities of the platform. There’s a wonderful sense of cheerful chaos (even anarchy at times) in these videos. It looks like fun, and it makes me want to explore NeosVR more!
I leave you with a relatively recent 4-minute promotional video for NeosVR, narrated by the lead developer Frooxius. I’ve posted this before, but it’s worth watching to get an overview of the project if you’re new to it:
