On December 2, 2020 people received an official email from Poly in their inboxes with the subject line “Poly will be shutting down on June 30, 2021”. Ok, no sugarcoating here apparently…
Polly Google is a website that serves as a library and platform of 3D objects. People can store, share, access, explore, import and easily embed theirs or other people’s creations/objects on various websites, social media or even other programs.
From my own short experience, I can attest that it is very user friendly, convenient and provides me with so much enjoyment through exploring other people’s art made in Tilt Brush (or other 3D making apps). It provides for the interactivity that is so challenging to achieve in Virtual Reality thus far. It gives people a chance to share their creation with a wider audience and provides a space for collaborative projects.
It’s devastating news and I’ve been only using it for a few short weeks…I can’t imagine the frustration of the many talented VR artists with extensive libraries that utilize this tool not only for their personal use but also for work purposes. This platform is more then an interactive library. It’s a community. Losing this resources is grim news for both original content creators – ‘the pioneers’ and newbies alike.
The timing is just…bad. At a time when Virtual Reality is becoming financially attainable to the average consumer coupled with a global pandemic (when people are forced to spend more time isolated then ever before and looking for a distraction), it seems clear that the demand for a service Poly provides will be increasing.
There will be other sites (‘Sketchfab’?). And I am sure that this opens many opportunities for developers. But right now, it just feels like a bag of bad news at a time when everyone clutches to any sliver of positive, hopeful or even marginally good news…