By: Cody Pallo
Imagine building for a platform that guarantees your work will last decades, bypassing the dependency on corporate clouds, and giving you control over how and where your content is distributed. Welcome to the Capsule Toy Machine.
As a developer, you’re likely all too familiar with the fragility of today’s tech landscape. Proprietary systems come and go, rendering creative work lost to time—remember the PlayStation Portable Cloud or games tied to servers that no longer exist? The Capsule Toy Machine is the antidote to this. It's a future-proof, offline-first platform designed to empower developers to create WebXR content that isn’t shackled to big tech or ephemeral cloud services. By leveraging a simple yet powerful medium—ePub files—the Capsule Toy Machine turns your apps into lasting, shareable, and monetizable experiences.
This is not just another gadget; it’s a developer-first console that ensures your work can outlive the current tech cycle. Whether you’re a WebXR creator, a hobbyist, or a developer with a passion for decentralized tech, the Capsule Toy Machine offers an exciting opportunity to build in a truly sustainable and open environment.
Why Build for Capsule Toy Machine?
The Capsule Toy Machine is unlike any other platform you’ve developed for. Here’s why:
1. Longevity Without Cloud Dependencies
Your creations won’t be locked to a fleeting ecosystem. Apps on the Capsule Toy Machine are packaged as ePub files, a format that can be distributed digitally or physically (via SD cards) and remains playable for decades. Your apps won’t suffer the same fate as proprietary games that disappear when their servers go offline. This platform ensures that your content is available 40+ years from now without relying on a centralized service or even an internet connection. It’s future-proof development at its core.
2. Offline-First Design
The Capsule Toy Machine was built for offline functionality. Whether it’s a group of friends playing your multiplayer experience, or attendees at a workshop connecting to an immersive ePub-based app, up to 100 people can interact locally via a WiFi gateway—without ever needing internet. This makes it the perfect tool for offline social applications, meetups, conferences, education, and collaboration, all run on a local network.
3. Open-Source Ethos
In a world where tech monopolies are gaining too much control, the Capsule Toy Machine stands as a beacon of open-source ethics. The entire system is open-source, meaning developers have full control over their projects. No corporate restrictions, no forced updates—just a thriving community of creators building and sharing freely. You can distribute your apps via GitHub, host them yourself, or even sell them as physical ePub files on SD cards—your choice.
4. Simple ePub Packaging
Developing for the Capsule Toy Machine is as simple as building with A-Frame and packaging your content into an ePub file. The system reads ePub files like it would any XR app, instantly creating a local server to run your application. This means:
- No complex deployment pipelines.
- No proprietary app stores.
- Just build, package, and share.
ePub apps offer a single-file format that can be shared easily, monetized (one file, one flat fee), and redistributed as open-source projects on GitHub. You’re not just creating XR content—you’re part of a movement to keep tech free and open.
The Power of API's for Developers
The Capsule Toy Machine isn’t just an ePub reader; it’s equipped with powerful API's designed to help you build innovative, multiplayer, and social XR experiences that work entirely offline. These API's, based on open-source tools readily available on GitHub, make developing for the Capsule Toy Machine a breeze:
1. Multiplayer API (Networked-Aframe)
Create real-time, multiplayer experiences where users connect over a local WiFi network—perfect for games, social XR apps, or collaborative projects.
2. Peer-to-Peer Content Sharing API (WebTorrent)
Allow users to share ePub files or media locally without internet, creating a seamless peer-to-peer ecosystem.
3. Voice and Video Chat API (SimplePeer)
Add voice and video chat capabilities to your apps, making multiplayer experiences more immersive.
4. Custom Controller/Input API (WebXR Input Profiles)
Integrate custom controllers or gesture-based inputs for a more interactive experience.
5. Local Data Sync API (PouchDB)
Keep user data and content in sync across multiple devices on the local network, ensuring consistent experiences.
6. Content Update API (Socket.io)
Push real-time content updates across all devices in the local network, ensuring users have the latest versions of your app.
7. Asset Streaming API (PeerJS)
Stream large assets like 3D models between devices, optimizing for storage and performance in resource-intensive applications.
8. File Transfer API (ShareDrop)
Enable easy file transfer of ePub apps between devices over a local network without needing internet access.
9. Multimedia Playback API (Video.js)
Embed multimedia content, like videos or audio, within your ePub apps for offline playback.
10. Offline Analytics API (Matomo)
Track user interactions and metrics locally, giving you full control over analytics without relying on cloud services.
11. Session Persistence API (localForage)
Save and restore user sessions across devices, ensuring continuity in long-form or social applications.
12. Local Content Caching API (Workbox)
Cache frequently accessed content locally, improving load times for users.
13. User Authentication API (Keycloak)
Verify and control user access offline, ensuring security and privacy within your apps.
14. Device Discovery API (Bonjour.js)
Automatically detect nearby devices on the local network, making it easy to set up multiplayer or peer-to-peer experiences.
15. Localization API (i18next)
Support multilingual content to reach a global audience, even without internet access.
A Simple Call to Action: Create the Future with Capsule Toy Machine
As a developer, you have the chance to break free from the limitations imposed by today’s corporate-controlled ecosystems. With the Capsule Toy Machine, you can create WebXR apps that aren’t dependent on the cloud, that last for decades, and that enable real-world, offline interaction.
- Imagine your multiplayer apps running smoothly across local networks at conferences, meetups, or even remote villages—without a single internet connection.
- Imagine the security and freedom of knowing your apps are fully open-source, distributable as ePub files on GitHub, and playable on physical media decades into the future.
- Imagine a platform that is developer-first, where your work isn’t subject to the whims of a tech giant but instead thrives in an open, decentralized ecosystem.
The Capsule Toy Machine is here to help you create lasting, meaningful work—whether for games, education, art, or social experiences. It’s time to start building apps that last a lifetime, apps that can be shared in a room of 100 people offline, apps that put control back in the hands of developers.
Ready to get started? Join us in creating the future of WebXR development—your app can be the next to shape this open-source revolution.
Build today. Build free. Build for the Capsule Toy Machine.