Discover and play indie VR/AR content without having to make a single download.
XR experiences in general, have proven themselves to be an amazing tool for everything from workforce training and digital marketing to product visualization, entertainment, and immersive online education. Thanks to the rigorous submission processes used by major platforms, however, many independent XR content developers are finding it difficult to publish their experiences in marketplaces such as the Oculus or Apple App Stores.
To make things easier for these struggling developers, Chicken Waffle is rolling out XR Swim, a free marketplace catering specifically to developers and publishers of WebXR content.
The platform doesn’t feature it’s own dedicated app. Instead, users access VR content directly from a WebVR compatible browser. The same applies to WebAR experiences. Simply visit the XR Surf website on your smartphone browser and select a WebAR experience to begin interacting with 3D items in your real-world environment.
Finn Staber, CEO of Chicken Waffle, told VRScout, “XR Swim is basically a Steam competitor platform focused on XR, but with additional curated sections. Games, Education, Enterprise, Entertainment and WebAR are all part of the platform,” Staber adds, “it also has a cool section for Experiments, where developers can publish content that might not be a full game, but has interesting and useful functionality.”
Because there’s no download required, all of the experiments in XR Swim are not only easy to access, but easy to share as well. Simply send a link to your friend through an email or text message and they can jump in with you using their own compatible device.
Much like the popular third-party platform SideQuest, XR Swim could be huge for Web-based immersive content by offering independent creators a place to showcase their projects, whether it be a fully developed game or a simple tech demo.
Chicken Waffle is collaborating with some of the most skilled developers and studios in the industry to release a set of tools and services that empower developers and publishers to maximize distribution. As of right now, you’ll find experiences from creatives like Google Creative Lab, 8th Wall, A-Frame, Daniel Esteban, Marpi, and more. You’ll even find Chicken Waffle themselves on XR Swim!
Chicken Waffle launched the platform with an impressive library of free games and experiences that you can try right now. Many of these projects are open-source, with the project files available to download and customize. They will soon support a marketplace feature that will allow creators to sell experiences and digital downloads. “The mission is to build a better marketplace for developers, in collaboration with leading interactive tools builders like Mozilla, 8th Wall, Unity, Unreal and more,” said Staber.
However, in order to fulfill that mission, the folks behind XR Swim want to hear from developers on what they prefer. Steam provides an excellent service and can charge developers because of their huge install base. Chicken Waffle’s approach is different; they want XR Swim to help developers succeed by granting them access to an open marketplace. Developers creating educational experiences and marketing/product visualizations could use this to present content to the masses while receiving helpful feedback.
It would help the AR/VR industry prosper, which would come from supporting developers where they need it most.
For questions about the XR Swim marketplace, there is a contact page on their website. For questions about content publishing and development partnerships, you can find out more on Chicken Waffle’s website.
Image Credit: Chicken Waffle
