The Metaverse will be made of User Generated Content (UGC), just like YouTube, Twitch, or Tik Tok. But making places is harder than making videos. How to cultivate and educate users to create content for the metaverse is in everyone’s interest. LA based Zoe Immersive has a new app, Zoe, launching this morning, October 27th. The Zoe app is spatial content creation on training wheels. Real time collaboration is limited to 16 simultaneous users, depending on your plan.
The Zoe platform enables the rapid creation of interactive 3D scenes through no-code interface, automation, and a wide variety of pre-made templates in single or multi creator mode. With its VR/3D creator Zoe allows users to create and host immersive workshops, virtual classrooms, project-based-learning activities, meetups, events, interactive art, marketing campaigns, and even mini-games.
No code scripting with Zoe.
In short, Zoe is a game engine on training wheels. In many ways it reminded me of Horizon Worlds. In builder mode users navigate by pulling at the scene with their controllers. And just like a game engine Zoe allows creators to add triggers and behaviors for 3D models, imbuing them with the same kind of interactivity they’d have in a video game. They can make a sound, flip a switch, or run an animation. Users have access to Sketchfab’s enormous library of free 3D assets. There will be seven templates at launch, but Zoe plans to add many more in the coming months, along with a Zoe mobile app, which will enable users to create AR experiences, and more sophisticated avatars.
“We're really targeting people who aren’t too comfortable with technology. So we're trying to keep it very simple but effective. The things you can build are interactive and they're fun and it's easy,” says co-founder and CEO Emilie Joy.
Templates, a basic asset store, are built into Zoe.
Zoe has been in the app lab for the past year, where more than 30,000 users have already created with the Zoe beta. It will remain free for up to three simultaneous participants, but users can upgrade and get as many as twenty users together. With the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District Zoe secured a $100,000 grant from the Unity Charitable Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation. This grant allowed the deployment of metaverse learning programs to support over 300 educators and students in the Title I School District.
Zoe immersive has raised a total of $1M to date prior to launching Zoe from VCs and equity crowdfunding campaign in June 2022 where over 300 individuals, educators and enthusiasts have joined the company as shareholders. Investors include HTC’s ViveX venture fund, Alpana Ventures, Dartlabs, 37 Angels and angel Investor Shaun Dubash.
Subscriptions run from $6/mo for an plus account with limited hosting, to $160/mo for an unlimited account.. Paid subscriptions are also now available for Pre-order with a 30% discount until November 10th.