ARway Magic Leap 2 Integration
ARway, an augmented reality (AR) wayfinding company, has partnered with Magic Leap to integrate its solution into Magic Leap headsets. ARway’s platform aims to complete the integration within 60 days, expanding its offerings beyond mobile handsets and increasing the number of use cases for its technologies. Magic Leap 2 devices will enable ARway to utilize eye tracking, spatial audio, and six degrees of flight (6DoF) for enhanced interactivity with creative content. This collaboration will allow Magic Leap to support large-scale experiences and build partnerships to develop AR use cases. The advancements by ARway will benefit businesses in the retail, manufacturing, and industrial sectors, among others.
Snap gets two of Meta’s former employees
Snap Inc, the parent company of Snapchat, has hired two former employees of Meta to enhance its immersive advertising efforts. Patrick Harris will serve as Senior Vice President of Partnerships, while David Sommer will be Head of Verticals. Snap recently reported a growth of 280 million daily active users, making it an attractive platform for brand marketing and advertising. At its partner summit, Snap introduced AR Enterprise Services (ARES), offering tools for creating interactive and personalized advertising content, including AR try-on clothing and product recommendation solutions. Snap also partnered with Microsoft to integrate AR-lite filter effects on Teams. Meanwhile, Meta, facing layoffs and financial challenges, is focusing on its Meta Quest Pro MR headset for workplace operations and is expected to release a new Quest device for consumers.
Echo Arena free for a limited time
Meta and its subsidiary Ready at Dawn plan to shut down the popular multiplayer game Echo VR on August 1st. The free portion of the game, Echo Arena, will be available until the servers are turned off. Ready at Dawn recently announced that the squad-based shooter component Echo Combat, previously sold as a $10 in-app purchase, will now be accessible to everyone for free. However, it is only available on PC, requiring a VR-ready PC and either Link or Air Link to play. Echo VR was originally released as an Oculus Rift exclusive in 2017, expanded to Quest in 2020, and subsequently acquired by Meta. Ready at Dawn cited a focus on their next project as the reason for shutting down the game. Players who engage with the game before its closure will receive various premium cosmetic items as a parting gift, but refunds for in-game purchases will not be provided. Additionally, Echo Combat, the less popular FPS variant of the game, will also be discontinued on August 1st.