Virtual reality company, Sense8 Corp has made a tentative move into the three dimensional web market. It is following in the footsteps of competitor, Superscape VR Plc, but admits that it has been behind in marketing. It has designed three-dimensional web sites for Diamond Multimedia Inc and Ford Motor Co in which the visitors finds themselves in a virtual reality world. But, unlike Superscape, it said it is not focusing its business on this market. We are still not sure people are making money on the internet, said Brian Rees, sales and business development director for Europe at Sense8. The company’s key focus remains in the training, simulation and data visualisation markets. Superscape has been successful in getting people to develop three dimensional worlds. We have been behind in marketing the concept, admitted Rees. The concept of the three dimensional web touted primarily by Superscape has come under fire from other companies in the virtual reality industry. The viability of the 3D Web depends on its usability and, as it is, the idea is an interesting toy, but not very usable, said Dr Mike Griffin, head of research and development at Colt VR Ltd, the Havant, Hampshire-based developer of bespoke interactive virtual reality tools. He criticized it as not being an efficient way of getting at key knowledge. Superscape repositioned itself as a three dimensional web company last December with the announcement of its VWWW world wide web that consists of a network of linked virtual world. Superscape estimates that around one third of its business comes from three dimensional web work and selling software to developers of virtual web sites. 3D on the Web will probably be more common in 10 years time, but at the moment people are not making that much money on the web in terms of sales on-line. So as a commercial proposition it is not worth it at this time, said Griffin. Sense8 said its business is now predominantly software, with around 25% of revenues coming from consulting. Sense8’s has two virtual reality products, the WorldToolKit software tool and World Up viewer.
