Open Forum: What Are Your Virtual World & AR/VR Predictions For 2020?

Happy New Year, all! Once again it's time to think about the virtual world road ahead with predictions -- the more specific, better. I'll start:

• Magic Leap will fold.
• There will be a major corporate transition by Linden Lab -- possibly a change in executive leadership, a substantial round of lay-offs, or even a sell-off of Sansar.
• We will see at least one Second Life-type virtual world (monetizeable user-generated content in an open world with collaborative content creation) reach six figures in monthly active users.

So two pessimistic predictions plus an optimistic one. How about you? Post away, and I'll feature the most noteworthy next year.

Comments

[Rob]

NeosVR will be a succes
They are now laying a solid foundation with all the tech

No big amount of active users but it's ok to focus
If the speed of development will continue the NeosVR quality will be recognised I assume

Apple AR/VR HMD announcement

SL itself will still be around but has it's legacy and I doubt if a new architecture is possible with current management focus

[Rob]

And some more I forget in my earlier post

Look at your code while in VR
Take a look at Primitive
Maybe with some adaptions it will be easier for people to learn scripting?

VR Input devices will be more important
Besides the Valve Index controller, the haptic feedback gloves will be far more mature in 2020 and more affordable
Example: Primitive

Full body suit like Teslasuit is still way too expansive for the average individual and drivers need to be developed so this year the Valve trackers will be huge

[More Censored then Ezra]

By the end of next year High Fidelity will return as a closed platform with a new name and goals.

Sansar will go back into early Beta Status to preserve the work done while linden lab hires someone to redirect the project.

SecondLife will continue to see increased fees with highest dissatisfaction level among not just creators but the average resident since M.Linden.

I guess Ebbes big plan to dismantle the former CEO projects was a failure in itself... Patterns the game had a community 100x that of sansar with very innovative features. while Desura could have helped linden lab and be better respected instead they dumped it into failure just to get on steam that itself was a failure with several other projects cancelled as well it looks like Rod's vision of deversified business model was way better then running the VR HYPE train putting all the eggs in the sansar basket.

likely in the end Sansar will be the burden secondlife could not get past as linden lab prepares to put itself up for sale in another bad business move that leads to the grid being shuttered as just an IP purchase by a buyer with no plans to keep the grid running ( residents are given 90 days notice of closure.

Philip Linden returns temporary to linden lab to fill the role of bringing some new experienced management and old including the return of Rod Linden to a new part time role at the lab

Opensim will stay mostly the same.

VRChat & Sinespace will gain more popularity

[Joey1058]

Magic Leap will eventually be purchased by one of two companies: Facebook, or Disney. Apple will scoop up at least half of Magic Leap's patents from JP Morgan Chase. Google will stay on the fringes of XR with it's mapping efforts and SLAM.

Sansar will become THE poster child for how not to run VR. If they're lucky, Philip Rosedale will propose that High Fidelity and Sansar merge their code bases. SL of course gets shafted in that deal, but true to its user base, will continue to surprise the "End is Near" people as it carries on despite outrageous federal regulations.

WebXR will make impressive progress within five years as smaller companies like Nreal release HMDs. Legacy X3D code will weave in and out of everyday usage as the IoT sets in.

And Apple will make their grand announcement in 2025 that they were the only company to get AR "right". Only the Apple diehards will salivate.