The last several months have been impactful for extended reality (XR), including, of course, the launch of developer-centric Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3 consumer-targeted hardware. There are arguably as many questions as there are opportunities. How will the metaverse plug into hype-fueled AI technologies in a grounded and meaningful way? With the most recent headset launches, what’s the pathway from here for XR achieving lasting mainstream viability and growth?
The 15th anniversary of the Augmented World Expo (AWE) show will no doubt ride the latest wave of awareness of and interest in XR — as revealed by the show’s agenda announced this week.
This year’s AWE 2024 showcases not only new hardware and software XR technologies but a new location in Long Beach, California. The mixed reality-focused conference and expo will bring 15 agenda tracks, namely Enterprise Collaboration; Training & Education; Gaming, Entertainment & Media; Start-ups & Investors; Creator; Developer; Web3; XR Policy; Retail & Marketing; XR Enablement; Healthcare & Wellness; AI & Virtual Beings; and the Expo Stage. The immersive reality show’s agenda is not fully filled out yet, especially in the vendor keynotes, as more speakers and sessions remain to be announced.
Here’s what we do know about the keynotes so far: On the keynote stage, Ori inbar, who heads up AWE and Super Ventures, leads with the opening keynote, followed by keynotes from Qualcomm, Meta, and Snap — each of whom have a high-profile stake in the success of XR. On the second day, Niantic, known for their Pokémon Go game with augmented reality features and their Lightship metaverse development toolset, and Sightful, who offers a unique XR-centered laptop, are slated to present their keynotes.
In the gaming track, which will be represented over all three days, from June 18-20, 2024, will include a diverse array of interesting topics and speakers, such as:
AI and the Spatial Web for Live Events & Festivals: How might artificial intelligence and spatial computing shape live events, such as esports tournaments, festivals, and other live events? The creative possibilities seem almost infinite. Eric Wagliardo, Founder / Executive Creative Director at &Pull and an AR Producer at Coachella, will cover the topic in this session.
History From Pixels to Portals: Tracing the Evolution of Gaming in XR: It’s hard to believe it’s been over a decade since the modern generation of virtual reality and mixed reality experiences have kicked off, if you consider the first-gen Oculus development kit as the starting point. But the roots go deeper still, which Stephanie Llamas, Founder, VoxPop Insights will look over the roadmap that brought game development in XR to this point.
Futurize: Crafting Tomorrow’s Games and Products: From the past and present to the future, it’s not an XR show if there’s not at least a little prognostication what the future might bring from XR and gaming. Ryan Canuel, CEO, Petricore, Inc.; Holly Hirzel
Director of Product Management – AR, Consultant; and Ben Taylor Technical Director, XR Initiatives, SQUARE ENIX discuss some of the possibilities for the future of XR in game development.
Those are just a few of the many sessions lined up in the gaming and XR space over the course of the AWE 2024 event. Participants attending AWE this year can be expected to join an event that will, according to an official communication, attract over “6,500 XR professionals, over 500 XR industry leaders, and 300+ global exhibitors.” To learn more about the tracks, speakers, expo, registration options, check out the official AWE 2024 website to stay up-to-date.
