Open source client & server!

We’re announcing today that we’re developing an open source web-based virtual worlds player and that our open source virtual worlds server is now online. The web-based player will combine our current Browser and Viewer software along with exciting not-yet-released features and allow anyone to run and embed immersive virtual worlds inside of their web pages just like videos are being embedded into web pages today.

We are calling this new player the Immersion player. Why?  Because it reads and renders the Immersive media markup language (IMML) that we have developed as an open specification for developers to adopt royalty free.

In the last few hours people have been very curious when we plan on releasing the Immersion player. We’ve scheduled the first release to come out this year as a desktop version with source code and we plan on demonstrating the web-based version in March 2009.

You can read our press announcement here: www.vastpark.com/index.php/press/.

Earlier this year we talked about releasing an open source version of our server code. Just an hour ago we have put the VastServer Core source code up and available for download on GoogleCode: http://code.google.com/p/vastserver-core/.

We’re glad to get this release out the door as this marks a major milestone for the whole platform, which has been significantly remodelled since our initial software release in April. I’m very happy to say that version 0.94 of the VastPark Platform features a truly elegant architecture that hard core developers will appreciate. Now we’re working on preparing the Creator, Browser and Viewer for the v0.94 release. Still lots to do as we’ve got a lot of new features such as the first release of 3D widgets and our powerful new plug-ins system.

Just to be clear: We expect this release will be the last significant release of the Browser and Viewer. You’ll find that the Immersion player is a big step forward.