In a recent interview, the CEO of Fortnite developer Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, commented on the future of the Metaverse, stating that he’s not sure Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for a digital world will work. Sweeney stated: “I think if you strip the entertainment aspect from it, you end up with a super creepy version of America Online chat rooms!”
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney discussed the future of the digital Metaverse. The concept of the Metaverse has been promoted heavily by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who has reportedly become “obsessed” with the concept, pivoting his entire company towards developing the digital world.
Asked by the Financial Times if an immersive virtual world is the next digital platform after the smartphone, Sweeney responded: “It’s happening already. If you look at Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft and other real-time 3D social entertainment experiences, you can readily identify at least 600mn monthly active users in a medium that’s growing at a significant rate every year. So, there’s no question that this phenomenon is happening. The only question is: when does it reach billions?”
But when pressed as to whether the etaverse has uses beyond gaming such as social interaction, working with colleagues, and as a primary method of online interaction, Sweeney didn’t seem so sure.
“I’m not sure if that vision actually works,” Sweeney said. “Because it’s not very fun to sit around in 3D and just talk to people. It gets really awkward really fast. A bunch of guys can’t get together and just sit in a room for hours and have a conversation, right? You have to be shooting darts or playing billiards or shooting hoops or doing something together to break up the dull moments and keep you entertained for a long period of time. And that’s what Mthis medium does. I think if you strip the entertainment aspect from it, you end up with a super creepy version of America Online chat rooms!”
Breitbart News recently reported that during a shareholder meeting, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he plans to heavily invest in the company’s Metaverse, which will mean losing “significant” amounts of money on the project over the next three to five years.
Zuckerberg stated that the metaverse will eventually be profitable, making money from a creator economy as people build businesses selling virtual goods and services in an immersive digital world. “We want to get the hardware to be as affordable as possible for everyone, and make sure the digital economy grows,” Zuckerberg said.
Read more at the Financial Times here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com