Two years ago, Microsoft made a big push for 3D with the Windows 10 Creators Update and new apps like Paint3D. At this time, the company also launched a new online creative community called Remix 3D, where Windows 10 users could share their Paint3D creations and “remix” 3D content shared by others.
According to hidden code on the Remix 3D website found by Twitter user WalkingCat, the platform will apparently shut down on January 10, 2020. This has also been confirmed by Windows enthusiast Rudy Huyn, and the hidden message from Microsoft invites users to download all their 3D models before the platform shuts down for good next year.
https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/1148878605415374848
The link redirects to the FAQ page for the moment: https://t.co/eSj8mpyEN2
— Rudy Huyn (@RudyHuyn) July 10, 2019
We wouldn’t blame you if you never heard about Remix 3D, as Microsoft didn’t really promote the platform since its launch two years ago. Paint 3D also failed to replace the legacy Paint app on Windows 10, and Microsoft actually changed its mind about making the app an optional install on the Microsoft Store.
Unfortunately, the upcoming shutdown of Remix 3D may be symptomatic of the company’s habit to launch new consumer products with some fanfare, ignore them for quite some time, and then shut them down after these initiatives failed to grab any significant mindshare. This has been true for several recent products such as Microsoft Health, Groove Music and Zune before it, e-books on the Microsoft Store, Kinect, and the list goes on.
Microsoft has yet to officially announce the sunsetting of Remix 3D, and now that the news is out the company may have to speak out earlier than expected. Did you ever use Remix 3D, and are you sad that it’s going away next year? Let us know in the comments below.
Update 10:10AM PDT: Microsoft has confirmed the retirement of Remix 3D on January 10, 2020 on a dedicated FAQ (via WalkingCat), and uploads of new 3D models to the platform will also be disabled on August 7. However, Microsoft’s various 3D apps on Windows 10 such as Paint 3D and 3D Builder are here to stay. “The ability to insert 3D models, either user generated or those provided by Microsoft, into Paint 3D, 3D Viewer, 3D Builder and Photos as well as into PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook will not be affected,” the company explained today.
