In a surprise announcement, Facebook parent company Meta has revealed that a “hyperrealistic” avatar of late rapper Notorious B.I.G. will take center stage at a VR concert happening in December. News of the concert comes following confirmation of massive layoffs at Meta as the company’s VR ventures continue to underperform, and may be an attempt to bring users back to the struggling platform.
The upcoming concert will take place in Meta Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR platform meant to compete with rivals like AltspaceVR and VRChat. The platform has played host to live events in the past, but this latest concert is shaping up to be the largest yet. Despite being one of the early pioneers of VR as Oculus, Meta has made a series of missteps in the last year that have diminished many VR fans’ confidence in the company. From raising the price of the Meta Quest 2 headsets by $100, to what many see as a failed launch of the Meta Quest Pro, the company has managed to dull much of the enthusiasm that users had for the brand and, potentially, for VR in general.
The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s the Limit: A VR Concert Experience event will premiere on Meta Horizon Worlds on December 16 and will feature a “hyperrealistic” avatar of the late rapper performing some of his most well-known songs in an immersive environment created especially for the show. Longtime collaborator Sean “Diddy” Combs will perform in the show with Biggie’s avatar alongside other rappers, but details on how they’ll combine the real and digital artists have yet to be revealed. Users interested in checking out the surreal event will be able to view the performance on Meta Quest headsets, and can now RSVP for the event at Oculus.com.
In a statement about the upcoming virtual concert, Biggie’s mother Violetta Wallace shared her excitement about the late rapper’s fans being able “to experience him in ways unattainable until now.” In addition to the musical performances, set in a recreation of Biggie’s stomping grounds in 1990s Brooklyn, the Sky’s the Limit concert will take participants on a “narrative journey” through the late rapper’s life with occasional spoken interludes. As the attention of many VR fans shifts to Sony’s upcoming headset now that the PS VR 2 is available for pre-order, this unique musical event could bring some users back to Meta’s struggling VR platform.
Although Meta continues to face growing customer dissatisfaction in the face of increased competition, this unusual VR concert could help the company distinguish itself from its rivals. For fans of the Notorious B.I.G., attending the Sky’s the Limit concert could be a great way to belatedly celebrate what would have been the late rapper's 50th birthday this year. For VR gamers still waiting for new titles to be announced after Meta acquired several VR developers, though, it may be a sign that the company is still headed in the wrong direction.
Source: Consequence