Metaverse: Epic Games partners with Sony and LEGO

We are definitely going into metaverse era and Epic Games does not intend to leave the field open to Facebook. Proof, Sony and LEGO have just injected 2 billion dollars in the American studio at the dawn of the LEGO x Epic metaverse.

In recent months, the word metaverse has multiplied in the news, especially since the change of name of the group holding Facebook in Meta. But mark zuckerberg is he in the best position to claim to become the future king of the metaverse ?

In my opinion, Epic Games seems better placed to take an interest in the metaverse market. On the technical side, we are still talking about the studio behind the game engine UnrealEngine. So in terms of virtual spaces, I think the experience plays a role for them.

In addition, Epic Games has proven with Fortnite their ability to create a social gathering point. The studio has also proven itself in theeventas evidenced by the impressive virtual concert of Travis Scott.

$2 billion investment for the Epic Games metaverse

After selling 40% to the Chinese internet giant Tencentthe founder of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, is once again lightening shares of his company.

It is this time for the benefit of KIRKBI (the investment company of the founder of LEGO) and Sony Group Corporationwho invest up to $1 billion each. This is also not the first time for Sony. A year ago, the Japanese group had already injected $200 million in the studio.

However, Tim Sweeney will retain control of his company, now valued at more than $31 billion.

Why invest in the metaverse for Sony and LEGO?

No wonder that sony is interested in the Epic Games metaverse. It is one of video game market leaders and what’s more, is about to launch its new virtual reality headset: the PlayStation VR 2.

On the other hand, concerning the holding company of LEGO, its intentions leave more room for the imagination. Obviously there is a multitude of LEGO video games through franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, DC and many more. However, I think their motivation for investing in the metaverse is quite different. With the success of games like Minecraft or Roblox, I think LEGO has decided not to miss the train of this promising new technology.

The managers of the Finnish company have also expressed their desire to create an immersive, creative and engaging virtual space. This one will want safe and accessible to all ages, which therefore targets the youngest. No wonder children have always been LEGO’s main target.

To prove their good faith, the two groups established 3 ethical principles to respect within the Epic Games metaverse:

• Protect children’s right to play it safe and in well-being;
• Protect the privacy of children;
• Give kids and adults tools to control their digital experience.

Anyway, we will have the opportunity to talk about it again in the coming months when we discover the early experiences related to the Epic Games metaverse. For more content on the metaverse, I redirect you to the news, where the subject is becoming more and more frequent.