Altspace is coming back. But what does it mean to revive a Social VR platform that meant so much to its community – years after it shut down?
Shane Harris, CEO and Co-Founder of SideQuest, is bringing Altspace back, not simply to recreate the platform that closed in 2023, but to build a new Social VR experience inspired by what made the original special and by what has been learned since.
In this fireside chat with Liam Mckill, Shane reflects on the eventful weeks since announcing Altspace’s return: the response from its former community, the expectations that come with reviving something people still care deeply about, and what he is learning from building the new platform in close dialogue with that community. How does their feedback influence decisions around avatars, worldbuilding, events, identity and governance? And what does it take to preserve what people loved while creating something new?
If development goes according to plan, participants will also get an early opportunity to experience the new Altspace for themselves. Can reclaiming the future sometimes mean returning to an unfinished idea and building it anew, together?