Facebook, Epic Games, Roblox and Microsoft want a piece of the metaverse

The metaverse concept is increasingly popular, and large companies have begun to invest heavily in their visions of these new digital worlds. Facebook, Epic Games, Roblox and Microsoft are four giant corporations that are already thinking about how they can act in this future in which reality and virtual mix. What are the goals of each of them? I'll tell you in the following lines.

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Facebook has already started creating its metaverse

Facebook owns some of the biggest social networks in the world. Therefore, it was expected that Mark Zuckerberg would not take long to take the first step towards the metaverse. This Thursday (28), the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp revealed its new strategy and name change to “Meta”.

This does not change the name or functioning of the social networks that we use daily, but it shows how the company wants to position itself from now on. Zuckerberg's idea is to start mixing the real world with the virtual one little by little, starting with investment in new applications and virtual reality labs.

According to Zuckerberg, there is a plan to spend $10 billion to create the metaverse. Part of that money will be used to hire young talent to help build these new virtual environments. The company's CEO also intends to invest in hardware, starting with Stories, a dual camera smart glasses manufactured by Ray-Ban.

On the other hand, other companies that own social networks have taken the lead in creating metaverses. An example is Snapchat, which already has resources for creating customizable virtual avatars — Bitmojis —. These little dolls can also be moved around on a 3D map right through the app, ensuring the immersion many users have come to expect.

Epic Games wants free metaverse in Fortnite

Epic Games has served as the gaming pillar of the metaverse, with a $1 billion investment and financial backing from Sony and other technology companies. One of the most successful games in the world, Fortnite is no longer just a fun game to become a true digital platform where you can watch concerts by artists like Ariana Grande and visit educational exhibitions in virtual museums.

As the idea of ​​the metaverse is to mix the real world with the virtual, including as many people as possible, Epic Games is already ahead with Fortnite. What the developer needs most now is support from other companies to convince the tech giants that Battle Royale should be completely cross-platform and without any barriers, including financial ones.

To that end, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is using the court war against Apple to abolish stores' control over payment methods used in Fortnite. With no fees or other limitations, players can access the game wherever, however, and whenever they want, with complete freedom.

Roblox will expand communication in the metaverse

Roblox Corporation has a similar vision to Epic Games, but the company wants to leave the creation of the metaverse in the hands of Roblox users. The producer wants to bring people together in virtual environments where they can not only play, but also learn, work, create and socialize, forging real bonds.

Its main pillar in relation to the metaverse is communication. Roblox Corporation's initial idea is to "de-virtualize" interactions in Roblox, through systems that simulate real-life gestures in games, such as dynamic facial expressions and spatial voice chat, which is already in testing.

In the company's vision, Roblox's metaverse will enable conversations and social interactions in the virtual world identical to real-world exchanges, wherever people are. As in reality, virtual communication must also follow the same norms of society. For Roblox Corporation, being in a digital environment does not mean having absolute rights.

Microsoft intends to do business in the metaverse

Microsoft has a much more businesslike view of the metaverse. For the company, virtual environments can be used to simulate stores whose shelves are always full, production lines in factories that solve problems automatically, or even a power plan to light an entire city.

For the creator of Windows, the metaverse will require even non-tech companies to hire software developers to create their own metaverses. Microsoft imagines that everything can be digitized and that the industry will be based on five pillars: Internet of Things, 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and robotic automation.

Microsoft's focus is on using the metaverse to create this mixed reality in which people can simulate real-world events with the safety of the virtual world. Thus, professionals can make mistakes as many times as they want, analyze situations from different angles, predict accidents and interact with things without them being tangible in reality.