Facebook to produce new VR and 360-degree sound design software
Social networking website Facebook, has acquired a company called Two Big Ears who mainly concentrate on virtual reality audio. You might ask why a company like Facebook would invest in a business based in a whole different industry; but the plan is for Facebook to utilise the acquired company's platform to "promote high-quality VR audio."
So now Facebook are re-introducing Two Big Ears' "Spatial Workstation" software - but it will now be identified as the "Facebook 360 Spatial Workstation." The new website states that the software could be potentially used to enhance the way virtual reality audio operates on different devices. Furthermore, Two Big Ears developers claim to continue improving it by working with developers from Oculus, another virtual reality company owned by Facebook.
The Spatial Workstation which was originally released in the latter part of 2015, was a basic platform that allowed users to mix audio that sounded realistically three-dimensional. If you're working in the virtual reality field, then Spatial is definitely a big deal for you. Oculus, well-known for their VR tech, have already been working on Spatial for a while now, but surprisingly this acquisition has been made by Facebook, which of course already owns Oculus.
If you've bought a paid license on the old Spatial Workstation, Two Big Ears have promised to continue to provide support with your current package for one whole year. The acquisition isn't making any major differences as a lot of the old products will still be able to function properly, not forgetting that the overall user-experience will not differ that much either. However, there are certain options that won't be available to new users - such as access to plug-ins for Unity (game engine) as well as Wwise and FMOD (both audio engines).
Two Big Ears still believe that they will provide support for all devices. Currently, Facebook still haven't confirmed any long-term plans regarding the future of this acquisition and another step into the virtual reality industry, but it will, for sure, be an exciting journey as we see how these two companies can improve the way we use and experience VR tech. Do you think they can both make the difference? Drop your thoughts below and make sure you connect with any of our social media pages to keep up-to-date on all things tech!
Via: | The Verge |
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Source: | Facebook 360 |
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Image Credit: | TechCrunch |
