Tim Sweeney Casts Doubt on Metaverse's Use for Work, Saying Stripping Entertainment Aspect Leaves You With 'Super Creepy Version of AOL Chat Rooms'

In an interview with the FT, Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney spoke about the metaverse and expressed his concerns that tech giants Apple and Google could 'unfairly' extend their 'stranglehold' on smartphone platforms to 'dominate all physical commerce taking place in virtual and augmented reality.' An excerpt from the report: FT: How convinced are you that the metaverse -- this immersive virtual world -- really is the next digital platform beyond the smartphone?

Tim Sweeney: 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?

FT: When I think of the metaverse, it's much broader than gaming. It's doing work in the metaverse, and meeting your colleagues in there. What are the challenges of bringing that vision into existence?

Tim Sweeney: I'm not sure if that vision actually works, 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 this 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!

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