Along with our coverage of artists hawking NFTs or performing to crypto-crazed crowds, Exclaim! has also examined art and Web 3 through exploring the future of live music in the metaverse, and how artists are contending with a lack of real-world space in which to hone their craft. It appears Fender will now plug in to the former with an announcement of its own virtual musical world.
This week (June 21), the iconic instrument maker revealed the arrival of the Stratoverse, a digital world made in partnership with Meta (f.k.a. Facebook).
Made up of a central Stratocaster guitar-shaped island surrounded by other floating islands and giant Fender guitar amps, the Stratoverse can be visited through Meta's Horizon Worlds — a social VR game users can play using a VR headset and two handheld motion controllers.
Guitar World notes that the Stratoverse experience is centred around a cooperative scavenger hunt in the digital realm, leading players to scour the islands in search of soundbites they can then piece together using the "Riff Maker" on the main island. The site reports that sounds are obtained through completing mini-games — an air guitar challenge, a guitar pick tossing game and guitar-based trivia among them.
You can see some of the VR action happen for yourself in the all-too-brief teaser below. At best, the Stratoverse could be an idyllic place to jam with friends and make music within the creative confines of Meta and Fender's virtual space. At worst, it could be another venue for harassment.
Guitar World also points out that in May, Fender filed trademark applications to use its recognizable instrument headstock shape "in NFT and crypto-collectibles, including virtual goods, photographs, artwork, video and 'audio recordings featuring music and musical instruments.'"
This week (June 21), the iconic instrument maker revealed the arrival of the Stratoverse, a digital world made in partnership with Meta (f.k.a. Facebook).
Made up of a central Stratocaster guitar-shaped island surrounded by other floating islands and giant Fender guitar amps, the Stratoverse can be visited through Meta's Horizon Worlds — a social VR game users can play using a VR headset and two handheld motion controllers.
Guitar World notes that the Stratoverse experience is centred around a cooperative scavenger hunt in the digital realm, leading players to scour the islands in search of soundbites they can then piece together using the "Riff Maker" on the main island. The site reports that sounds are obtained through completing mini-games — an air guitar challenge, a guitar pick tossing game and guitar-based trivia among them.
You can see some of the VR action happen for yourself in the all-too-brief teaser below. At best, the Stratoverse could be an idyllic place to jam with friends and make music within the creative confines of Meta and Fender's virtual space. At worst, it could be another venue for harassment.
Guitar World also points out that in May, Fender filed trademark applications to use its recognizable instrument headstock shape "in NFT and crypto-collectibles, including virtual goods, photographs, artwork, video and 'audio recordings featuring music and musical instruments.'"