To be honest, we're still a bit confused by the metaverse. As we mentioned last year, it's what Microsoft is calling "a new version – or a new vision – of the internet, one where people gather to communicate, collaborate, and share with a personal virtual presence on any device". Meta (Facebook) also has its own version of what its metaverse will become, but ultimately there are a lot of unknowns surrounding how these metaverses will take shape.
Speaking in a new interview with Bloomberg, Xbox boss Phil Spencer admitted that he understands why gamers might not "get" the metaverse, as it basically sounds very similar to what we're already experiencing in games today.
"My view on metaverse is that gamers have been in the metaverse for 30 years. When you're playing games... these 3D shared worlds that people have been playing in for years and years, I think what we've found is that there's more connection because we have shared purpose."
"It's not at all surprising to me that gamers might look at metaverse and think, 'well, I don't really get it, because I already have an avatar of myself, and I can already go into a shared world, and I can already sit there and have voice conversations with people anywhere'.
Despite this, Spencer went on to point out that the skills shared by game designers and game creators will make a lot of sense in "enterprise experiences", which is why the boss of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, gets particularly excited about it.
"I do think the skills that we have as game designers and game creators make a ton of sense in a lot of enterprise experiences."
Again, we're not 100% sure what Microsoft will end up doing with this metaverse vision just yet, but we do know that there's some kind of intent to build "full 3D worlds" of Xbox games in the future (whatever that means), as well as create a virtual version of Microsoft Teams that can work on VR and AR devices, in addition to a flatscreen format.
If you're still really confused, watch the video above — it's provides a little more explanation!
What do you make of Phil Spencer's comments about the metaverse? Tell us down below.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 14
VR growth really needs Xbox to get in on it…it really will make a difference having that extra push and competition. And, frankly, xbox only gamers are missing out.
Anyone remember VRML (must have been about 1995)? I thought it was such a cool idea. But then I was about 13.
We get it. We just don't care.
People hate it because it’s just a marketing buzz word. People don’t care and just want to play some fun games.
Phil has been digging himself a hole to make specific subsets of gamers despise him this week, isn’t he?
2 words: Smash Bros.
I like games, fiction, and virtual worlds as much as the next guy, but I don't need or want a virtual world that's prevalent in every part of my life, that's just going to make the ongoing mental health crisis worse. If anything we need to dial back what we've already got.
I am getting to an age now, where games are a becoming a selective choice due to them been over the top, stress inducing, expensive/grindy, live services that don't respect my time. A lot of games are not well suited for my age category these days so seeing these fantasy meta verse forms of virtual reality entertainment coming into play is something that doesn't suit me either, Especially constantly wearing a VR headset so have a good one kids make sure to enjoy reality also but long live the old-school form of gaming & bring on The Callisto Protocol.
If we've already been in it for 30 years, how do we not get it? and if we've been in it for 30 years, how is it different?
This is all marketing to talk up hype and play down fear. The Metaverse is just moves by companies to further centralise life and business through big companies.
Meeting up for D&D?, now you are meeting up for D&D through MS. Want to have a business meeting, you're doing it through MS. Want to play the brand new game?, you're doing it through MS' metaverse and it will advertise the products of a dozen other companies while you do it.
The ability to connect with people around the world is fantastic, making it intrinsic to our work and entertainment is not.
We already have problems created by being far too reliant on long distance logistics and industries. Hell, the last few years should be evident of this. We've had worker, food and fuel shortages, and physical and mental health issues.
It's a gimmick. Motion controls, vr, controllers vibrating, which I ALWAYS turn off, touch pads, never used in games anyway, flashing lights on controller, GTA 5 lights flash red and blue when cops chase you, ps controller, yeah I'm looking at the back of my controller all while trying to dodge tragic at high speeds, cameras. Just give me a tv, console and controller. Nothing else needed.
It's just the internet in vr lol
I'm curious how exactly we were in the Metaverse playing Mario 3 on an NES in 1992. Was it the collective blowing on the cartridges to fix them because we all shared that connection to that kids uncle that worked for Nintendo that we gained the shared knowledge from?
Home on playstation 3 is a metaverse, any mmo is a metaverse, any non-gaming suits just don't understand gamers already know that the metaverse isn't a new things.
I think the modern interpretation is that although you could class any collaborative/shared virtual space as a metaverse, VR defines where the true definition lies. The ‘presence’, total immersion of high end room-based VR removing the real world almost entirely, replacing it wholesale with the ‘metaverse’. That word gives me the creeps. Gives the feeling of dystopian control by large corporations trying to grab these spaces & place them under their jurisdiction.
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