Oculus VR announced today that it has launched a beta version of Oculus Share, a new platform that you use to share the best virtual reality game experiences. The new platform will help stoke demand for virtual reality, which is going through a revival in part thanks to Oculus Rift VR goggles platform (which is already in the hands of developers).
Oculus Share lets you self-publish, discover, download, and play virtual-reality games. The company said it is “the first of many steps we’re taking to build the best virtual reality platform.”
With Share, you can host Oculus-ready games and experiences that you have created. You can also browse and download content from other developers, rate it, provide feedback to developers, and offer tips in the form of cash.
Oculus VR says that experimentation, iteration, and playtesting are key to pushing virtual reality forward. Oculus Share helps developers do that.
The Irvine, Calif.-based game startup resuscitated the virtual-reality market when founder Palmer Luckey gave a prototype of his Oculus Rift virtual-reality goggles to gaming legend John Carmack, who sang its praises at the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in June 2012 (and who recently joined the company as its chief technology officer).
Luckey, along with game veteran Brendan Iribe, launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised $2.4 million. The more they showed Rift, the more enthusiasm they saw among game developers and the public. They recently began selling developer systems for $300.
The Oculus Rift won numerous awards for best game technology at the show. To top it off, Oculus VR raised $16 million in venture funding to create a consumer version of the Rift.