The metaverse. It's lost that incredible fervor felt all throughout 2022, which incidentally many coined the year of the metaverse (and likewise, as Fast Company describes, the year we sobered up about it). The major problem with the metaverse as a concept is its over-reliance on advanced technologies, which many of us don't want to contend with. Plus, it's incredibly expensive to develop for as well as to maintain; just look to Mark Zuckerberg's Meta for clarity, having now lost upwards of $21 billion.
The downfall of NFTs, crypto, and Web3 all seemingly brought with it the metaverse ideal. Its staying power may not have stuck in the hearts and minds of the masses, but there's no denying that the metaverse does prove to have some merit in terms of connection and, of course, gaming. Just look up the search term "metaverse," and popular digital spaces like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite crop up automatically, as these are the most common examples of modern metaverse worlds that work (and are seemingly profitable).
One such example takes things a bit differently. Originally released back in 2017, Soundscape VR offers players a literal escape from the mundane through the art of music and digital creation. At its heart is - well, Unreal Engine, but beyond that is, as founder and creator of the experience Eric Alexander describes, "the connection between bringing people together through the power of music."
Before its inception, Alexander was looking to newer immersive technologies to find inspiration, such as early Oculus developer headsets, aiming to eventually bridge audio-visual arts with the creativity inherent in the digital landscape. Despite wielding a degree in microbiology, Alexander found himself far more fascinated with the sciences of the computer, eventually self-teaching his way through Unreal Engine via YouTube videos to create his dream.
I like to think of Soundscape as William Gibson's Woodstock. Alexander even says himself that Soundscape "is born out of a love for music festivals." It's best described as an immersive music visualizer, but that still just doesn't do it enough justice. And, while it remains one of the early adopters of the VR format, debuting two years following the launch of SteamVR as a platform, players can still enjoy Soundscape in standard gameplay mode (all for free).
With special events, personalized rooms, and even concerts from artists including the likes of Slash, The Big Wild, Goose, and so many more, Soundscape offers an escape to a world that's filled with all kinds of varied ways to listen, see, and play with music. The entire experience is audio-reactive, meaning whatever music is on in the background the world will literally come to life through it, or as Alexander says, "Whatever sound is playing...makes beautiful things happen."
Soundscape offers two main ways to play. In Freeplay mode, players can drop into the world of Soundscape, find a particular room (or venue) of choice, and play any of their favorite music from Spotify, Apple Music, and even files on their PC. The second level of Soundscape is called Magic Mirror, a form of artist collaboration wherein players can visit worlds designed specifically for their favorite musicians, like a rock and roll castle housing Slash. There are also various games to play, including Spectra Dash, which is a physics-based game that lets players use a sword and guns to slash and blow up obstacles in exciting ways.
But, as the name suggests, Soundscape VR: 2017 is quite dated. Perusing the Steam reviews, which are mixed, sees a lot of positive feedback, but clearly, the game has been around for quite some time and is in need of an upgrade. Thus, enters Unreal Engine 5.
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Alexander and his team have been working hard to port the game to UE5 for quite some time and the steps have proven remarkable. The beaming CEO and founder told me that on this new platform, the experience is its truest form, citing that, "When I look at it, I get the feeling like, this is what Soundscape is supposed to look like."
The CEO and founder aims to make Soundscape "one of the first UE5 games to even launch," flitting on the heels of Fortnite, which is UE owner Epic's own game. Not only that, but Soundscape will likewise mark one of the very first VR experiences fully native to UE5, as well. Alexander tells me a mid-to-late January 2024 release is currently the game plan.
This new iteration of Soundscape is slated to include a host of original content, with newer games like Sound Tag, "which is a true PvP shooting mode inside of Soundscape where you're zipping around as your avatar and you're shooting other players with fireworks, glowsticks, grenades," says Alexander. He also aims to deliver on an interesting concept that combines racing and shooting:
"I think we can combine those in virtual reality and create something that feels Mario Kart-esque, where you're racing through the levels, grabbing power-ups, blowing other people up, and doing it all to your favorite music."
Unreal Engine 5 is home to a broad range of incredible upgrades, most specifically in terms of lighting effects, reflections, and polygon counts. Through UE5, Alexander claims he has finally unlocked the keys to making his vision more of a reality, given how important lighting, color, and immersion are to the experience of Soundscape.
"Why does it have to be that at every concert 95% of the people have to compromise in some way?" Alexander asks. "What if there was a venue where everybody had the best seat in the house?"
In our discussion, I mentioned the Las Vegas sphere as one interesting new real-world venue that leverages 160,000 square feet of viewable content on a 16K LED display, the highest resolution screen on earth (as of writing). It has a total of 18,600 seats, 10,000 of which have haptics built-in. Although seemingly a destination for the ages, the Las Vegas Sun reports on November 9th a $98.4 million loss as the CFO exits.
"I love the sphere because that's like the world's most advanced version of a real-life venue," says Alexander. He then explains a similar concept envisioned with the very first venue he built for Soundscape back in 2017, coined The Black Sun. "It's a floating sphere in deep space...a 360-degree concept." Alexander adds in relation to the Las Vegas Sphere, "I see Soundscape as being able to offer an experience on that level or beyond that level from your home for less money than that."
For Alexander, 2030 is a target he eyes for more mainstream adoption of the metaverse concept. He explains that costs will go down accordingly in tandem with far more improved technology to allow these digital landscapes more breathing room and lifelike immersion. Soundscape's UE5 upgrade is a step in the right direction, barreling headlong toward that goal.
"I think there's a whole wealth of unique ideas of ways to combine music and visual effects and people in unique spaces across the world to celebrate and dance with the power of music."
There's no official release date just yet for Soundscape's UE5 upgrade, but players can anticipate a January 2024 release. In the meantime, experience Soundscape's awesome universe either in VR or in standard gameplay today to feel and see music like never before.
