Last chance: Meta removes three VR games from Quest Store for good
Announced back in September, the time has now come: Meta is shutting down its VR pet app Bogo and two other VR games.
The VR pet app Bogo will no longer be available on Meta Quest 3, Quest 2, and Quest Pro starting March 15, 2024. You can still play Bogo until 11:59 pm PT, but thereafter, it's over. The Meta Quest team emailed Bogo owners in advance.
Bogo originally launched in 2019 as a free Oculus app, offering a Tamagotchi-like VR experience. In the game, you raise and interact with a virtual alien pet.
In addition to Bogo, Meta had previously announced in 2023 that it would discontinue the multiplayer shooters Dead and Buried and Dead and Buried II. All three games, developed by Meta, will be unplayable by the above-mentioned time.
Meta's Game discontinuation raises questions
To date, Meta has not given a reason for discontinuing the games. It is assumed that the discontinuation of Bogo and the Dead and Buried games may be a cost-cutting measure by Meta to reduce server maintenance expenses.
However, this does not explain why Meta is shutting down Bogo as well, since it is a single-player game with no requirement to play online. However, incompatibility with future system updates is possible.
Windup Minds Plans Realistic AI Pet Simulation
Bogo and the Dead and Buried series are not the only Meta games to disappear from the Quest Store. In August of last year, Meta shut down the servers for Echo VR under criticism. However, the sci-fi sports game is still being kept alive by an enthusiastic community.
There is also hope for fans of VR pet simulations. A startup called Windup Minds, founded in August 2023 and made up of developers with experience at companies like Oculus, Magic Leap, and others, is developing new games and experiences around virtual creatures and pets for VR and Mixed Reality.
The team has already raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding and plans to develop a realistic AI pet simulation that is more complex and believable than previous offerings.
Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.
