Meta's integration of Venues into Horizon Worlds was a strategic move to enhance its VR platform, focusing on creating a unified social experience. This merger aimed to boost user engagement by combining Venues' live events with Horizon Worlds' interactive community features. It aligned with Meta's broader vision for a cohesive metaverse, streamlining development and reinforcing its presence in the VR market. The integration also sought to expand the platform's content and user base, laying the groundwork for future VR innovations.
Our strategy for fostering social interactions in VR centered on mini-games and simple, comfortable interactions, especially with strangers. Our aim was to "break the ice" through synchronous, lightweight activities. This approach was instrumental in initiating initial connections among users. We then focused on matchmaking like-minded fans across various interests like music, comedy, sports, and themed entertainment, creating a more personalized and engaging VR social experience.
I oversaw the integration of Venues into Horizon Worlds, Meta's primary VR platform. Venues, originally a standalone app for VR concerts, has evolved into a dynamic, social space within the Metaverse, offering an entertainment district rich with interactive features. This integration posed exciting design challenges, focusing on user safety and enjoyment. To experience this immersive world, download Horizon Worlds on Quest, find "Venues" in your wearable, and explore the shows and the district's engaging environment.
“We put so much work into this to make it as incredible as possible. Thank you to everyone who helped bring this to life."
- Post Malone
As a result of merging Venues into Horizon Worlds, I led the design of creating a more unified and immersive virtual reality (VR) platform at Meta. This integration enhanced our user experience by bringing together social and event-based interactions in one space. It led to increased user engagement and expanded the possibilities for community interaction and content creation within the VR environment. Additionally, it streamlined our VR offerings under the Horizon brand, simplifying development and maintenance, and was a crucial step in advancing our vision for an interconnected metaverse.
The outcome of hosting tent-pole concerts in Horizon Worlds, following the integration of Venues into this platform, includes offering a diverse and immersive virtual concert experience. For instance, the Music Valley Concert Series in Horizon Worlds featured performances from prominent artists such as Blackpink, The Kid Laroi, and Victoria Monét. This series showcased an innovative approach to virtual concerts, aiming to deliver a unique, first-person experience that brought fans closer to the live atmosphere of a concert.
Since launch in June, 2022, Venues has held the #1 position for most visited world, in Horizon Worlds.
