SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sansar®, the premier destination for social VR, today announced a new event series, in collaboration with comedian and TV personality Steve Hofstetter: Comedy Gladiators, a Virtual Comedy Experience -- a live comedy showcase that lets anyone, anywhere step directly into a comedy club for the night. The series will allow fans to do everything in VR that they would do at a real-life comedy club: purchase tickets in advance, shop for custom merch and memorabilia, even order drinks.
Tickets are now on sale for the first event in the series ($4.99 at the Early Bird rate, $9.99 after December 5), which takes place Monday, December 10, at 7:30 PM PT, and features stand-up and storytelling from Hofstetter himself, alongside top talents like Ben Gleib, Maz Jobrani, Alonzo Bodden, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.
With Comedy Gladiators, Sansar continues its commitment to pioneering new kinds of virtual entertainment and enabling immersive fan experiences and events. The event also marks important milestones for Sansar: the ability to sell and purchase tickets for a virtual event, and the ability to purchase both virtual and real-life merchandise from inside a virtual experience. Fans can purchase tickets online via the Sansar Store, just as they would for a real-life event, and receive instant access to the virtual venue. Once there, they can purchase a wide range of items, including commemorative virtual t-shirts, beer mugs, and even physical copies of Steve’s most recent book, Ginger Kid.
“By bringing these commercial opportunities into VR, Sansar is taking virtual events to a whole new level - enhancing and expanding on what’s possible in-person,” says Ebbe Altberg, CEO of Linden Lab. “We look at Comedy Gladiators as the first ripple in a larger wave - the first event of many more that bring entertainers into VR - and we’re thrilled that Steve shares this vision.”
For entertainers like Hofstetter, the collaboration offers an opportunity to perform for an audience that’s effectively infinite. Thanks to Sansar’s Avatar Broadcasting feature, comedians taking part in Comedy Gladiators will be able to virtually broadcast their performances across an unlimited number of spaces in Sansar, reaching a wider audience than a physical event allows and giving more people a front row seat to live entertainment.
“Every day, I get emails and DMs from fans who want to see a live show, but they live in parts of the world I’ll probably never tour in,” Hofstetter said. “VR allows those fans to not only see a live show, but feel like they’re part of a bigger community.”
Fans who would like to experience Comedy Gladiators: A Virtual Comedy Experience can purchase tickets today.
About Linden Lab
Linden Lab develops platforms that empower people to create, share, and benefit from virtual experiences. Founded in 1999, the company first launched Second Life, the groundbreaking virtual world enjoyed by millions around the globe, in 2003, which has since gone on to boast nearly two billion user creations and a vibrant $500 million (USD) economy. The company further expanded its portfolio in 2013 with Blocksworld, a lighthearted build-and-play system, and in 2017 with the public beta of Sansar, a free platform making social VR more accessible and immersive, available on Windows PCs and compatible with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. For more about Linden Lab, its products, and career opportunities, visit its website.
