Facebook just bought VR audio company Two Big Ears and is making their tech free to developers
[Philip Lelyveld comment: the audio in the video at the link is amazing: even playing from my laptop speakers!]
Facebook is continuing to devote resources to fine-tuning how 3D audio impacts viewer perceptions in virtual reality.
Today, the social media giant and Oculus parent company announced that they have purchased immersive audio company Two Big Ears and will be making their technology free as a part of their new Facebook 360 Spatial Workshop. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The Edinburgh-based company, which has been around since 2013, specializes in spatial 3D audio in cinematic and gaming experiences.
Our mission is to make VR audio succeed across all devices and platforms and continue to help creators make the best experiences for billions of people across the world.
The company’s technology focuses largely on how sound plays in 3D spaces and how it interacts with surfaces that surround the viewer.
One of the questions on a lot of developers’ minds is likely whether this tool is only going to be compatible with the Oculus Rift and Gear VR. Two Big Ears realized this was a cause for concern and addressed it directly, saying they would “continue to be platform and device agnostic.”
See the full story here: http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/23/facebook-just-bought-vr-audio-company-two-big-ears-and-is-making-their-tech-free-to-developers/